In this interview, Mira & Chris Schwarzwalder share insights into their collaborative journey, musical evolution, and the challenges and triumphs they’ve encountered along the way. From the inception of their latest EP ‘Cleo’ to their dynamic studio process, they give us an intimate glimpse into their creative partnership.
Photo Credit: Carolin Saage
EG: Hi Mira & Chris! Welcome to EG. It’s a pleasure to have you here with us. How have you been? Where are you right now?
Mira: Hey guys, how are you and thank you for having us! It has been a busy summer so far with lots of ups and downs but primarily great festivals. I’m on a train right now on my way to the Pangea Festival on the Baltic Sea. Chris will be joining me tomorrow at the 3000 Grad Festival.
EG: First of all, congratulations on the release of your latest collaborative EP, ‘Cleo’! So, what has the initial reception been like? Do you remember where you first played these ones live?
Mira & Chris: Thank you! It’s really something to finally come back with an EP after so many years. We did several remixes during the last years but especially after our track ‘Deía’ from 2020 the pressure was high.
Mira: I remember every single time I have played all the tracks and remixes from this EP. One of the first versions of ‘Cleo’ is in the podcast I recorded for Ostend which was released in February 2022. It’s a very special one for me: super slow and deep and quite dark in some parts. The airy and positive energy of ‘Cleo’ is perfect to keep the balance between darkness and more uplifting moments.
Chris: ‘Jero’ is the final track in our Fusion 2022 set and the feedback was massive.
Mira: I still get goosebumps when I think about it.
Mira: The Jonathan Kaspar Remix is a track for a special moment. It’s super deep, introspective, and such a slow-cooked track. I played it in February at Fünk Club Mexico in the last hour and it worked out perfectly.
Mira: The Argia Remix is super modern, industrial, indie, and has peak-time quality.
Chris: We have played it quite often during our sets this summer and truly love it.
Mira: Lastly, the Hardt Antoine Remix is a beauty. Perfect for open-air stages or sunrise sets. It is also a great closing track based on my experience.
EG: So, what’s ‘Cleo’ all about? Is there a concept or thread running through this EP?
Mira: I wouldn’t say we had a concept besides the fact that both tracks show our diversity as artists on stage and in the studio. I can also tell you a secret: Cleo is the name of one of my cats 🙂
EG: And what can your fans expect to find on this EP, musically? What was the collaborative process for this one like? What’s your dynamic in the studio like by now?
Mira & Chris: The production process of the first track of the EP, ‘Cleo’ started during the pandemic in 2021 when we started to play again in late summer when there were still a lot of covid restrictions in place.
Mira: I think you can hear that in the track. ‘Cleo’ is fragile, a bit shy, and super emotional. It’s playful and groovy but also kind of defensive and not a dance floor banger. It also mirrors how we play longer back-to-back sets. We love to take our time and slowly burn the crowd and us haha.
Chris: It took us forever to finish the track because we had so many versions of the synth melodies recorded and it almost drove us crazy to decide the direction we wanted to take. ‘Jero’ was completed later with more inspiration back from the dance floor. The pandemic left us quite empty in our creative process. Like an artist staring at a white canvas for months, unable to paint. As soon as we went back to “normal” the dynamic in the studio changed and we were motivated to make more uplifting tracks again.
Mira: Chris is the real nerd here and loves led screens, new tools, and getting lost in the whole production process. I’m more the influence from the dance floor with a lot of ideas in my mind that sometimes I can hardly express, but since we are a back-to-back team for more than a decade Chris knows exactly what I want, and so we merge perfectly and are able to talk without words.
“Cleo is fragile, a bit shy, and super emotional”
EG: ‘Cleo’ also features remixes by Jonathan Kaspar, Argia, and Hardt Antoine. Were you involved in this process? What were your first impressions when listening back to them for the first time?
Mira & Chris: Of course we were involved in the process. We picked artists that we both admire and I would say they are the hottest remixers you can get at the moment.
Mira: I feel like a double agent since I am half of Kiosk I.D. – the in-house label of Kater Blau where we’re gonna release the EP. So I spoke with all the remixers and sent out the stems. Jonathan Kaspar is an amazing producer and a very dear friend. He always sends me his unreleased tracks and I dig them so much. So it was a little dream to have him on board as a remixer and we requested him first. In the beginning, we were not sure how many remixers to bring on board and whether to add more original tracks to the EP, so it took us a while to request Antoine and Helena. We already talked about Jonathan’s remix of ‘Cleo’. Hardt Antoine’s Remix of ‘Cleo’ is super trippy and full of electronic beats, it sends you to another dimension while keeping the essence of the original track. So cool! And Argia’s powerbeats version from ‘Jero’ is the real dance floor banger that completes the EP perfectly. We are in love with her productions so it was a no-brainer to have her as a remixer on this.
EG: So, how did you guys connect musically? Was the chemistry instant? Did you guys find your “voice” easily?
Mira & Chris: We met at Bar 25 in 2010, the closing year, and played back-to-back for the very first time while sitting on a couch during one of those legendary after-parties. That was just for fun. We mostly played my records and Chris’ own productions from Ableton. A couple of months later, we got booked for an after-party where we played 13 hours back-to-back which made us realize this must be something special.
Mira: I would say it was love at first sight and the chemistry was instant. We normally find our common sound easily even if we don’t play every weekend together and don’t see each other for quite a while. We are super close, live 3 minutes away from each other, and hang out a lot. We are simply best friends and share many things. Of course we also have days where we struggle and have personal issues or just don’t get into the flow. But that’s a pretty human thing.
EG: Now, stepping away from the studio for a bit…Have you found any good books, movies, or albums lately that you’d recommend?
Mira: A classic I always recommend is: T.C. Boyle’s ‘América’. I have gifted it to several friends and even though it was written in the 90ies it’s still red-hot. The last book I finished was ‘Mrs Bensons Beetle’ by Rachel Joyce. It’s about a female friendship between two totally different women who are traveling together to the end of the world. It’s funny, entertaining, diverting, and very cute. The last movie I watched was ‘Eldorado’. It’s more of a documentary about the queer community of Berlin in the 1920s. Some of my fav albums are Ry X’s ‘Blood Moon’, Raz O Hara’s ‘Tyrants’, and Viken Arman’s ‘Alone Together’. I am also totally in love with the upcoming album of Afar ‘The Refugee’.
Chris: I can just 100% agree, I don’t know how often I have listened to Raz’s album during the last couple of weeks. And Viken’s album is also a must. The book I am currently reading is Anthony Storr’s ‘Solitude’.
EG: Right now, social media seems to play a completely prominent role in the development of an artist’s career. What’s your stance on this? Is this bringing us closer than ever, or is it drawing our attention away from the actual music?
Mira: Uh difficult topic… You are talking to a real old-schooler here (laughter). I wish the hunt for good videos from our shows and this permanent pressure to get nice pictures for social media wasn’t a thing, it’s quite annoying but lately part of the deal. I’m not a model, I’m a musician and I wish the audience were more present and not after capturing good moments for their stories. Like it would not have happened if it’s not visible on the internet. That’s totally not my spirit. I started listening to electronic music in the 90’s and come from an era where DJs played hooded to let the people get lost only in the music. There was also so much fog and strobe in the room – it was impossible to see the act anyway. I’m not saying it was all better in the past. But I still think it should be about music first and not about followers on Instagram. I also organize some events at Kater Blau in Berlin and I’m always a bit disgusted when booking agents send me their artists’ Instagram accounts. I don’t need 15-second videos, send me a link to a proper set somewhere recorded in a club or festival. We have a no photography policy in Berlin in most of the clubs and also the philosophy to respect no photos on the dance floor at most of the festivals here and that’s a good thing. To be filmed non-stop kills my vibe. It kills THE vibe. I think the pandemic made it worse because people got used to getting live streams every weekend and could watch us playing anytime they wanted. On the other hand, it is also necessary to stay connected to your fans and followers. So to not end this topic negatively, I also see the impact of social media on how quickly an unknown artist can grow. I also play a lot of unreleased tracks and so many artists share the caught moments on videos on their socials to promote their tracks and get more attention. That’s a good thing and I’m always happy to see that and help support up-and-coming artists.
“I would say it was love at first sight and the chemistry was instant”
EG: What’s next for Mira & Christopher Schwarzwalder? Where can your fans catch you next? What new milestones are you looking forward to in 2023?
Mira & Chris: There are some beautiful boutique festivals that we are looking forward to playing. Kater Blau’s birthday is next week and we are excited to play a more extended back-to-back set together.
Mira: I can’t believe summer is already coming to an end… I will play 3 shows in the US the weekend after Burning Man with my debut in Austin. I have heard there is a lot going on there lately. I am also very excited to return to London in September to play the Love Hertz Day and Night Festival outdoors during the day, as well as indoors, at fabric.
Chris: We will also play our very first Asia tour this December, I think that’s quite a thing. There have been many requests from that continent but somehow it never worked out due to scheduling conflicts.
EG: Thank you for your time, guys! We’re excited to see what’s in store for you. Take care!
Mira & Chris: The pleasure was ours! Thank you again for having us. Take care and enjoy the rest of your summer!
Mira & Christopher Schwarzwalder’s ‘Cleo’ EP is now available via Kiosk ID. Grab your copy here.
Folllow Mira: Website I Facebook I Soundcloud I Instagram
Follow Chris Schwarzwalder: Facebook I Soundcloud I Instagram
