The Lady Machine aka Camila Milieme is a techno DJ and producer originally from Brazil now based in Berlin. DJing since the year 2000, she has also made a name for herself as a producer in recent years. In this exclusive interview with Stromkult, Camila talks about her love for working with a mixing desk, hardware sequencer collection, favorite Eurorack modules, effects processing rack, approach to writing techno sequences, and more. Read the full interview below!

STROMKULT: Do you remember the first synthesizer or piece of gear you ever bought?

THE LADY MACHINE: Yes! It was the first MFB Synth ever made. I still have it somewhere in my studio, currently not set up with the rest of the gear, but you just gave me an idea to connect it again! 

Can you say a little bit about your studio setup? What drove you towards the Toft Audio ATB mixer?

My studio is basically hardware-focused. I like having a setup where I can work very physically and make decisions with my hands and ears, rather than spending the whole time looking at a screen. The Toft ATB became central to that. I was drawn to it because of the analog character, the EQs and also the amount of routing flexibility it gives me.

I can have the machines running through the desk, push things a little, EQ very instinctively and treat the mixer itself as part of the sound, rather than just something everything passes through. For me that way of working feels much closer to DJing with vinyl as well. It’s tactile, immediate and you’re listening and reacting rather than endlessly editing. I think that limitation and physicality is actually quite important to how I make music.

I see that you have a variety of different sequencers like the Doepfer MAQ 16/3 and the Social Entropy Engine in your studio. What appeals to you about different hardware sequencers?

What appeals to me is that every sequencer makes you approach a pattern in a slightly different way. The limitations and the architecture of each machine can really influence what you end up creating. With something like the Doepfer MAQ16/3, the process is very direct and physical, whereas the Social Entropy Engine gives me a different way of building and developing sequences. I like moving between them because it stops me from falling into the same habits. Sometimes a sequence comes from an idea, but often it comes from experimenting, changing a few steps, and suddenly finding something I wouldn't necessarily have written in a DAW. That element of unpredictability and discovery is a big part of why I enjoy hardware sequencers.

Are there any tricks or techniques you have to get a “classic” techno sequence that can carry a track?

For me, a classic techno sequence doesn’t need to be very complicated. I usually start with something quite simple and repetitive, often just a few notes, and then focus on the rhythm, accents and the relationship between the notes rather than adding too much information. A lot of the movement comes from changing parameters around the sequence, rather than changing the sequence itself … things like filter, decay, envelopes, modulation or occasionally transposing. I like when a pattern can repeat for a long time but still feels alive because the sound is constantly shifting in small ways. I think the trick is knowing when a sequence already has enough. If the groove is strong and there’s a little tension or something hypnotic in it, I’d rather let that carry the track than keep adding more notes.

Image Credit: Philipp Cherichenko

In your opinion, what is it that makes a good techno track?

For me, a good techno track has to have a strong identity. It doesn’t necessarily need many elements, but the elements that are there need to have a purpose and work together in a way that creates tension, movement and a certain atmosphere. The groove is obviously very important to me. I like tracks that can be quite repetitive but never feel static, where small changes in rhythm, texture or sound keep pulling you in. There has to be something hypnotic about it, something that makes you want to stay inside the track. I also think a good techno track should leave some space. You don’t have to fill every frequency. Some of the strongest tracks are actually very simple, but there is one particular sequence, sound or rhythmic idea that gives them a character you immediately recognise.

What do you typically use your modular system for, and do you have any favourite modules?

I mainly use the modular for creating rhythms and percussion, although sometimes I’ll use it for lead sounds as well. I have Mutable Instruments Elements, the Verbos Voltage Multistage and the Vermona fourMulator. I also use the Voltage Multistage as a voltage source, and I really like that it can go much further than simply sequencing. It has two rows of control voltage, so I can use one to create a melodic or rhythmic sequence and the other to modulate something else at the same time -- for example a filter, an envelope, the decay of a percussion sound or another parameter in the patch. I also like being able to play with the timing and the individual stages, because it means the sequence doesn’t have to feel completely rigid. I can create slides between steps, change where gates happen or jump to different stages, so a very simple sequence can develop a lot of movement.

The MI Elements is definitely my go to module, though. I have a bit of a” love-hate” relationship with it, because sometimes, I feel like it really speaks to me and I can get incredibly expressive sounds out of it ... but at other times it behaves in such an odd and unpredictable way. But in a way, that’s also what I like about it. I don’t always completely control where it’s going, and sometimes it takes me somewhere I wouldn’t necessarily have arrived at by myself. I think that element of unpredictability is a big part of what keeps the modular interesting for me.

What’s in your effects rack? Are you someone that does a lot of processing or do prefer to keep sounds more raw?

I generally like to keep sounds quite raw, but it’s not really a rule I impose on myself. I tend to go with the flow of the track and listen to how the different elements are sitting together. Sometimes a sound already has what it needs and I don’t want to touch it too much, and other times it needs more processing or character to make it work. In the rack I have an Elysia karacter, an Elysia Xpressor, an API 5500 EQ, an Akai MFC42 filter, an Electrix Filter Factory, an Alesis Quadraverb, a Lexicon PCM81 plus delay, reverb and ring modulation pedals.

So I have quite a few different options for shaping sounds, but I don’t necessarily use a lot of processing just because it’s available. I like to be able to choose from saturation, compression and EQ, but also filters, delays and reverbs and then using whatever feels right for that particular sound or track. For me, processing should enhance what is already there rather than completely take over, unless transforming the sound is specifically what the track is asking for.

What do you like about vinyl DJing that keeps you sticking with the format? Do you often struggle with the state turntable setups etc. in clubs or have things improved in that regard?

I think the physicality of it -- and the fact that I never really know what I’m going to get from week to week -- is what keeps it interesting for me. Setups can still be unreliable from time to time, and that’s something you have to take into account if you want to play vinyl in clubs and at festivals. I always try to soundcheck at every gig I play. Lately, though, I feel like I’ve come across a lot of really good setups for records, which probably also reflects the growing demand for having more vinyl DJs on lineups. Going back fifteen years, you would have struggled a lot more to find consistently good vinyl setups out there.

Who are some of your favourite producers right now that you are playing a lot in your DJ sets?

Justyn Nell, Decka, Sedvs, Red Rooms, Anika Kunst & Sanna Mun. I am also playing a lot of music from Mark Broom, Truncate, Radial, and James Ruskin right now.

You find out more about The Lady Machine's music and upcoming tour dates here.