Melanie Ribbe is a passionate music enthusiast who believes in the power of music to connect with others and evoke deep emotions.
Photo credit: Melanie Ribbe – Official
Originally from Germany and raised in Jamaica, Melanie Ribbe is well-acquainted with the electronic music scene. Her love for music started at a young age when she began recording mixtapes on blank cassettes in her bedroom at the age of 8. As she grew older, she embraced digital platforms and started creating mixes on her first computer.
Melanie’s unique tech-house style and dynamic performances have taken her to renowned clubs and festivals around the world. She has had the privilege of showcasing her talent at prestigious venues such as Fabrik Madrid , We Are Festival, D-Edge, Lollapalooza, ULTRA Festival (Miami, Brazil, Peru, AduDhabi), ULTRA Beach Malaga (Spain), Amnesia Ibiza (Spain), ANTS Ibiza (Spain), Printworks London (UK), Drumcode Miami & San Francisco (US), Circus Liverpool (UK), Elrow (Barcelona, Lisboa, Ibiza), Surreal (Brazil) and more.
Thanks to her unwavering dedication, Melanie has gained recognition and shared the stage with industry leaders. Her tracks have received support from respected figures in the industry, and she has collaborated with artists such as Paco Osuna and Reboot.
Melanie will be performing at the penultimate date of the Now Here season at Hï, followed by a highly anticipated closing performance ‘The Hï closing b2b with Paco’. Additionally, fans can look forward to seeing Melanie perform at NOW HERE Colombia on November 25th.
EG had the opportunity to catch up with Melanie Ribbe to learn more about her latest releases, future projects, and upcoming performances.
EG: Hi Melanie! Welcome to EG. It’s a pleasure to have you here with us. How have you been? Where are you right now?
Melanie Ribbe: Thank you. Keeping busy touring and producing. I’m currently on the plane traveling from Brazil to Mexico via Panama, as this weekend I’m playing in San Diego, Las Vegas, and New York.
EG: Your participation in Paco Osuna’s NOW HERE has been essential for the brand. You must be very excited. What can we expect from your next performance at Hï?
Melanie Ribbe: The next show will be special because I get to start the night with a special opening set and end the night with a back-to-back with Paco. We are looking forward to it as last year’s B2B was quite epic.
EG: How does one prepare for an Ibiza venue, as opposed to a festival, or a big city nightclub? What would you say are the main differences when putting together your “crate”?
Melanie Ribbe: I suppose I know Ibiza very well and what it is like, as I have been playing there for almost a decade. And in Ibiza, there’s a specific way to play hour by hour. Like a formula. My picks in music and the time of delivery. And it always worked for me.
“We are looking forward to it as last year’s back-to-back with Paco was quite epic”
EG: Now that the season is about to end, how has your summer been? What would you highlight about the 2023 season? Apart from music, have you been able to get lost in other activities? Are you a big summer person?
Melanie Ribbe: The summer has been really lovely, I got to play all over Europe, South America, and North America in some of my favorite shows, venues, and festivals. But I also got to spend an unforgettable family time with the people I love. So it was a very busy but incredible. I’m definitely a big summer person, I love the warm weather and beaches. As far as activities go, I have been dancing a lot of Salsa whenever I took a studio break from the music to de-stress and find new inspiration and motivation.
EG: You have recently traveled to Uruguay with your UNLOCKED party concept, tell us about the brand and the future plans you have with it?
Melanie Ribbe: UNLOCKED is my baby, it was a vision born in Brazil, I always wanted to have my own brand concept party, and I even had the name for it. I tried a first party around my birthday in 2019 but it wasn’t too successful. Then D-Edge Club offered me a residency, and I said only if I could do my own night, my brand – UNLOCKED. So then it began, I wanted to bring a party of the European DJs and Ibiza vibe to South America and create a safe place to enjoy a proper cool underground party for true music lovers. So now I have my residency every two months at D-Edge and then on special occasions, I take UNLOCKED on tour. I hope to continue this brand for a long time and take it all over the world to make people dance and smile. A happy underground music party with full-on good vibes. I’m really happy and proud of the results so far.
EG: You are about to embark on a tour in North America (Mexico, San Diego, Las Vegas, and NYC), what would you highlight about that audience?
Melanie Ribbe: I’m extremely happy about my return to Hardpop Club in Mexico, it was 7 years since I been the last time, and the last time was very memorable. San Diego and Las Vegas I’m very curious and excited about as it will be my “DJ debut” in those cities. New York is one of my favorite places on earth, I am beyond excited to play on a rooftop for the closing of Gray Area Superior Ingredients. I think all these shows will be completely different from one another and I’m very much looking forward to the three of them.
EG: How do you keep entertained when not in the studio? Have you recently found any good movies, books, or albums you’d recommend?
Melanie Ribbe: I’m a serial learner. I love to learn and grow. So I’m constantly reading or listening to an average of four books a week. In the planes or driving in the car. One of my favorite books of the week was ‘How to Stop Worrying and Start Living’ by Dale Carnegie. Also, I really enjoyed watching ‘The Professor’ starring Johnny Depp, it has a lot of hidden meaningful messages about life with a twist of comedy in it. Apart from that I’m practicing my salsa, bachata & samba.
“I’m a serial learner. I love to learn and grow”
EG: What’s next for Melanie Ribbe? Where can your fans catch you next? What new milestones are you looking forward to in 2023-2024?
Melanie Ribbe: I’ve completed most of my milestones this year. Releasing on top tier labels, being a part of Ultra Music Festival around the world (Abu Dabi, Miami, Brazil, Peru, and Spain), releasing on Drumcode and taking part in their showcases this year, performing at the Now Here showcases, releasing on Mindshake, working with Circus, and my party and label succeeding. In addition, my label Agape Muzik has reached #1 on the top 100 twice since the year started. I played for Formula 1 and the Juventus Stadium this summer. I’m having more sold-out shows. I have had many accomplishments that I always wanted to achieve, and I’ve been able to do that this year and I’m very grateful for that.
I’ll catch my fans next in Mexico, the United States, Spain, the United Kingdom, The Netherlands, Italy, Germany, Brazil, and Bali. A few specific shows I’m looking forward to are the next Now Here show, The Hï closing b2b with Paco, ADE, Drumcode showcases, Space Miami Debut, and my Asia debut.
EG: Thank you for your time, Melanie! We’re excited to see what’s in store for you. Take care!
Melanie Ribbe: Thank you for having me EG! Always a pleasure catching up with you.
Melanie Ribbe will be performing at NOW HERE Colombia on November 25th. Tickets here.
Follow Melanie Ribbe: Soundcloud | Spotify | Instagram | Facebook
