Lea Lisa has built her path through house music since the mid-’90s, shaped by record digging, long nights behind the decks, and a deep respect for the culture’s roots.
Photo credit: Lea Lisa – Official
Her sets move across different shades of house, from electronic depth and hypnotic grooves to more driving spaces, while releases on Phonica Records, Wolf Music, Inner Balance, and Smallville Records trace her evolution as an artist. Through her Bliss party series, she has also extended that approach to curation, creating a space where programming and cultural awareness meet.
That relationship with collecting and selection sits at the heart of ‘Many Shades Of House (Selected By Lea Lisa) Vol. 2’ out now via Favorite Recordings. Built from decades of digging, collecting, and playing records, the eight-track selection moves from uplifting, groove-led moments into deeper and more obscure territory, featuring music from Korsakow, Ian Pooley, Cab Drivers, Fred Quest, Chateau Flight, Funk Force Project, Leonel Castillo, and Colourful Karma feat. Terra Deva.
In this conversation, Lea Lisa discusses the thinking behind ‘Many Shades Of House Vol. 2’, the memories carried by records, the realities of digging in an increasingly crowded musical landscape, and the importance of passing house music’s heritage between generations.
EG: Hi Lea, welcome to Electronic Groove. It’s great to have you with us. How have you been, and how does it feel to be returning with the second volume of ‘Many Shades Of House’?
Lea Lisa: Thanks for the invite. Given the reception to the first volume, I was truly delighted to see how much interest the project generated among both artists and music enthusiasts. As a result, together with the label, we decided to continue the journey, staying true to the same vision while offering a broader and more diverse perspective on House music.
EG: The idea of ‘Many Shades Of House’ naturally leaves a lot of room for interpretation. When you started putting together Vol. 2, what did you want this new selection to say that perhaps wasn’t said by the first volume?
Lea Lisa: Perhaps I’ve ventured into darker territory than in the first volume, even more niche, artists whom I respect enormously for their uncompromising work. There’ll also always be a more upbeat selection, featuring records that, taken as a whole, are linked to my real-life experiences as a DJ.
EG: This selection spans quite a broad emotional and musical spectrum, from uplifting grooves to deeper, more obscure and heady territory. What usually makes you stop when you’re digging and think, “this is one I need to hear in a club”?
Lea Lisa: I think a record collection reflects who we really are. We are human beings who experience a whole range of emotions, whether they be joyful or sad, melancholic or full of energy. For me, music is a reflection of our emotions. I need to feel and explore every corner of my inner self. A record is a part of yourself in which you’ve recognized yourself; that’s what makes a record essential.
EG: You describe these records as carrying stories from nights behind the decks, connections on the dancefloor, and personal memories. Were there particular tracks on this volume that immediately brought you back to a specific moment or period in your life?
Lea Lisa: It’s not easy because they all have their own stories, but I have a special place in my heart for the Funk Force Project, the project by Olivier Portal and DJ Deep. When it came out in ’99, I was 25; I can still picture myself playing it in a club in Lyon and the positive energy it generated on the dance floor. I’m also thinking of Olivier Portal, who is no longer with us. I played a few shows with Playin’ 4 the City, their band back then; those are good memories.
“A record is a part of yourself in which you’ve recognized yourself; that’s what makes a record essential”
EG: The selection includes music from artists such as Ian Pooley, Cab Drivers, Chateau Flight and Terra Deva, among others. How important is it for you to balance established classics with discoveries that deserve to be brought back into the conversation?
Lea Lisa: My first thought is to include tracks that are all different, that stay true to the original concept, with different nuances, and that complement each other. This is for music lovers or DJs who want to venture into different sounds. The authenticity of this project lies in the experience and the joy of having played these records when they were first released, and they’re still in my bag today for their quality.
EG: After decades of digging, collecting and playing records, has the way you listen to music changed? Do you find yourself searching for different qualities in a record now compared to when you first started collecting?
Lea Lisa: That’s a great question. The problem these days is the sheer volume of music that comes out every day. Back in the day, we’d scour record stores to find certain releases, but the quality was there. Today, I spend an enormous amount of time only to add a few items to my collection. Fortunately, some record stores know me and don’t hesitate to suggest interesting finds. Music remains something very personal; it’s a feeling. It’s something innate in the way you perceive it the first time you hear it.
EG: There’s something particularly interesting about presenting house music through a selection rather than a conventional mix or compilation. How do you think about sequencing a project like this, and what makes one track feel like the right bridge between two very different records?
Lea Lisa: So in this case, there aren’t any other specifics because we’re limited by the running time of each side of the vinyl. I put it together accordingly. Sometimes I’ve had to remove a track because it was too long, which would mean going from 8 tracks to 7. Those are the tough choices to make.
EG: House music has always been remarkably good at connecting generations, with records made decades ago still finding their way into contemporary sets. What do you think gives certain house records that kind of longevity?
Lea Lisa: They are true artists; their work reflects a sincere commitment and a genuine vision. These records remain relevant today thanks to their creativity and quality. There is a genuine desire to introduce listeners to a whole new world, a sincere intention, an emotion. They have something to say; there is a respect for culture. That’s what I regret about today’s world: so many tracks are released that are nothing more than disposable products, which no one will remember, because electronic music has also become a real business.
EG: Your own relationship with the music has developed through both collecting and playing, so there’s a dialogue between the historian and the selector. How do those two sides of your personality influence each other when you’re behind the decks?
Lea Lisa: My only concern is to create a vibe and an experience through my records. There are never any compromises. You have to play the right record at the right moment. A good understanding of your records and how to mix them creates truly magical moments.
“You have to play the right record at the right moment. A good understanding of your records and how to mix them creates truly magical moments”
EG: In an increasingly fast-moving electronic music culture, where music can disappear from the conversation almost as quickly as it arrives, what role do you think curation and preservation have today?
Lea Lisa: I think it’s important to pass on this heritage, simply to remind people where this culture comes from, but to do so with kindness. In this age of social media, where careers are built on very little, we need to remember to put real substance into our work; the things that stand the test of time are those that have managed to forge a genuine identity.
EG: Finally, when someone listens to ‘Many Shades Of House Vol. 2’ from beginning to end, what kind of journey do you hope they take from it?
Lea Lisa: While it can evoke different emotions depending on our mood, there are always certain tracks that come to mind at moments like these.
EG: Thank you so much for your time. We wish you all the best with ‘Many Shades Of House Vol. 2’ and everything ahead. Take care!
Lea Lisa: Thank you for this very interesting exchange.
Lea Lisa’s ‘Many Shades Of House (Selected By Lea Lisa) Vol. 2’ is out now via Favorite Recordings. Stream and download here.
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