The great outdoors with Anja Schneider

Image: Anja Schneider

Anja Schneider is one of the main pillars of the Berlin scene, busy as she is with being label boss of Mobilee Records (which she founded, and is now up to release number 134), broadcasting on German national radio, and of course DJing all over the world.

Having successfully taken Mobilee on tour to Barcelona, she is about to embark on her next challenge, bringing the label to Ibiza, at Hotel Santos in Playa Den Bossa, overlooking Bora Bora beach, no less.

We caught up with her ahead of the start of the season for Mobilee and her appearance at LWE showcase Summer in the City at London's Tobacco Dock (check out her thoughts on that above), to see exactly what was in store for her this season.

So how did this thing come about with Hotel Santos? 

We had offers to do other parties in Ibiza but it never felt right. We have this special party in Barcelona on another hotel roof top (Hotel Silken - one of the hottest Off-Sonar tickets in town), and we wanted to transport the feeling and the vibe from there to Ibiza. It was very difficult to find somewhere to do this, but with Hotel Santos we've found the right partners.

It's a very relaxed kind of hotel, no VIP wrist bands, entrance is free, no rows of tables booked up, so we feel comfortable - we have a really good feeling.

So you like the fact that it's quite chilled out? 

I wouldn't say chilled out, because we still want to party! But as this is our first night on the island it is better to do it outside of a big club. We know we will feel comfortable here.

It sounds like it could be quite a cool hangout - I bet you'll get a lot of industry types there.

But we love ravers and dancing and screaming! We're up on a roof, in the open air, by the sea, we want people to have a good time whoever they are. 

Yes, I can see that when you're up on a roof, it does kinda make sense to let yourself go! Speaking of which, how would you compare the way people party in Berlin to the way they do in Ibiza? Both places are famous for it.

I think it's difficult to compare. Remember Berlin is full of international rave tourists so you don't really see the Berlin people hanging in the main clubs. I guess the most important thing is that in Berlin we don't have the good weather like Ibiza for the sea and beaches, so this changes the party vibe and the music. But we're trying to bring that special Mobilee vibe here to the nice weather! (see the Mobilee crew up on the roof in Barcelona below)

It's getting more interesting in Ibiza with more and more day time parties, because in Ibiza people are on holiday a long time but it can get expensive to go to the big clubs all of the time, so we wanted to do something with free entry.

Yep. My favourite aspect of Ibiza now I'm older is day time partying - there's just something brilliant about being able to party outside! When you first came to Ibiza, was there any kind of party that inspired you?

Because I'm German I obviously like to go to the beach in the morning first…

Ha ha, yeah - put your towel on the sun lounger!

Yes absolutely! And when it comes to three in the afternoon, it's still there!

No, but I don't like to spend fourteen hours a day in a dark club, especially in Ibiza. Because I could probably find better clubs in Berlin to spend fourteen hours in the dark, why should I do it? So I prefer to be outside when I'm in Ibiza, and that's why we've picked this hotel in Playa Den Bossa - we don't think we can go wrong partying by the beach.

Yeah, along Bora Bora beach there are five or six venues in a row that have DJs on during the day which I think is a great thing. So when you wind down in Ibiza, where do you like to go?

I go wherever I see a good party, especially if friends and colleagues are doing it. It's all very interesting. So I played +1 with Solomun in Pacha in June and in the past I wasn't very interested in Pacha, but when I DJed there I loved it, and I went up on the terrace and loved it as well.

Enter was also great - this is a huge party with a huge marketing concept… it was great. I like it all! There are just so many opportunities.  

Yes, if you stay in Ibiza a long time, it can kill you, because every night there is something amazing on!

It's all very good - you can't really compare it to anywhere else. It depends how you are feeling; one night you might want the Diynamic sound but then you might want to see Marco Carola, and it's all different but all good. And in the end the whole feeling comes together. I'm blessed and thankful that I have the opportunity to go here.

I notice your party is going to be broadcast live on Ibiza Sonica Radio, will that be every week?

It's only the first one that is the whole party broadcast live, but then every Monday at 2pm I will be doing a one hour show called Mobilee Swimming Pool.

You became well known by being a radio broadcaster in Germany… how do you like the radio in Ibiza? Do you listen to it much?

Of course! Wherever I go, I listen to the radio whenever I have a chance. Of course it's different but for me it's always interesting 

I hear some unbelievable music on the Ibiza radio stations, but I've had to stop listening to them because there are so many mixes on there where you can't find out the track that's playing… it kills me!

I know I know - I come from an old school radio background. I like to play each track from the beginning to the end and I like to tell people "this track is so and so and it is on this label", and maybe there's a little story behind it. But with this on Monday I will broadcast our sets without talking because it's an opportunity to show people Mobilee and friends.

Is radio back in Germany as influential as it is in the UK? A lot of people in the 90s will have heard house music for the first time because of Pete Tong's show, for example…

Actually I was always a little bit jealous to have not grown up in the UK! It's a little bit different in Germany. I listened a lot to radio when I was young but it isn't the same as the UK for electronic music.

Also, when you look at our charts, they are completely different to the UK, so for example in the UK you would find a Hot Creations track in the charts, but that would never happen in Germany.

That's quite surprising to me because when I go to Berlin, it seems everyone's into house and techno.

Yes, so you mean that everyone you meet in Berlin basically works in the music industry?!? That's how it seems to be. No one seems to work in banks or whatever.

Yes exactly. And of course they party for longer than we do in the UK. You've got headline DJs on at 8pm on Sunday or something. I can remember when I left Berghain at about lunch time on Sunday - I'd already been in the club 14 hours, I thought I'd done well - I get in the taxi and the driver says in the best German/English accent ever "vvhy are you leaving early?" 

Ha ha, yes! There would still have been a queue at that time. It's a bit of a secret of the inner circle in Berlin that Berlin people just come to Berghain on Sunday evening and stay until Monday morning. Sunday has become more important than Saturday night. 

And I've always felt that Monday in Ibiza is like a Sunday everywhere else, especially in Playa Den Bossa, because Space has always been such a big night on Sunday. And of course Mondays at DC10 are probably the most famous after parties on the island - it's more like Sunday behaviour.

Yes, but of course now you could go to Cocoon on Monday night and then there's always something big on Tuesday - it just goes on and on!

Now we've done Ibiza, I guess the last thing I want to know is about Mobilee. You've been doing it a long time now…

Nearly ten years! (hear Anja's release for mobile130 below)

What can you do now to innovate?

We innovate every day! Of course! But yes, we are no longer the new kid on the block, but I think what sets us apart from other labels is that nobody is bigger than the brand. This is why we're always signing new artists - this is how we keep it fresh.

Are you going to do anything special to celebrate the 10th anniversary?

We're thinking about it, yes. But there's nothing I can say about it right now… speak to me next year!

Will do. Finally, is there anything else you want to say about the night?

See you all on Monday!

Anja Schneider will play weekly at Mobilee Pool Ibiza @ Hotel Santos Coast Club in Playa d'en Bossa, Ibiza. Guests joining her over the season include  Rodriguez Jr. (live), Sebo K, Ray Okpara, Re.You, And.Id, Igor Vicente, Lee Van Dowski, Ralf Kollmann.

You can also catch her at LWE's Summer in the City - for tickets to that follow the ticketbox below or head here.

Tickets are no longer available for this event