SNS meets Bianca & Niyat

Continuing the recent run of cultural exchanges between the key SNS cities, we caught up with local Stockholm DJs Bianca & Niyat whilst they were in London back in summer, to discuss the main differences between playing in the two cities, their journey to becoming a duo, and their vision for more global connections.

Read the Sneakersnstuff interview below.

SNS : Let’s start off with something more light-hearted… name your top 5 songs currently on rotation…

Niyat : This is a really difficult question.. but I would say: Come home - Vybz Kartel Tá OK - DENNIS, MC Kevin o Chris Sana Sana - Dinamarca, La Favi Treasure In The Hills - Leon Thomas PiRi PiRi - Lua de Santana

Bianca : My list changes daily, today it’s: Cheat Pon Him - Vybz Kartel Empurra empurra - Pantera Dio$ No$ Libre Del Dinero - ROSALÍA N.L.S (Nach Le Soniye) - Raf Saperra Champion - Rampa, Sparrow & Barbossa, Keinemusik

SNS : Tell us about yourselves & your individual DJ journeys - as well as your DJ styles & type of music you play…

Niyat : Sometime around 2016, my sister who is one year older than me, started taking DJ lessons with her friend group at a club here in Stockholm. It was something I didn’t think of doing myself but I was definitely inspired by her. And after being persuaded by friends, I applied to the same course a year after. It was a pretty natural thing for me to do since I have a huge music interest and would consider myself very knowledgeable within that scene. After that, everything went on pretty quickly! Me and two friends started our own group called TKND (“too kind”), we played at big clubs around Sweden, played at events and even hosted our own radio show called TKND Radio.

My DJ-sets have always traveled through all kinds of genres. I could list every one of them, but the music I play is a personal selection of what moves me and inspires me, no matter what style it is or language it is in and so on. However, my favorite genres to play are dancehall, baile funk, UKG and edits.

I personally love playing B2B. I have more fun doing it that way, and especially with Bianca, because we compliment each other in such a beautiful way.

Bianca : Music has been a lifelong passion for me, my Father is a musician and it shaped the way I consumed music from a young age. It became a way to express myself. So after many years of excuses and being afraid to DJ, I finally decided to buy a controller during the last months of lockdown.

I had been standing next to my friends for years watching them DJ and observing everything from the music selection and technique, I started to practice every day, copying what I’ve seen. And when I moved back to Stockholm I had an amazing friend who really motivated me, she pushed me to start and helped me book my first official gig, and it was only a year ago. Shout out to Naomi! After that, I worked hard to get my name out as a DJ, recorded mixes, reached out to people and here we are.

The type of music I play depends on my mood when I wake up. It’s hard to answer this question because I don’t want to be boxed into one genre and I honestly don’t know what I want to play until the day of. Dancehall is always a favorite, sometimes there are days when I wake up wanting to play DnB. Other days, I'm in the mood for some Perreo. But I always love high tempo music, 130 is defintely my favorite bpm. One person once said he felt like he got to know me throughout my set and I just love the idea of being able to tell a story through the music I select.

I’m mostly self taught so I still have a long way to go and so much to learn, but my DJ style is based on having fun, bringing energy and being able to dance while I do it. And DJing with Niyat has been the best experience, the way we support and challenge each other is incredible.

Initially, I had mixed feelings about DJing because it requires me to give so much of myself, which brought on anxiety, and still does sometimes. On the other hand, it has been a great source of inspiration and has allowed me to meet some really wonderful people.

SNS : And how did you become a duo? What brought you together?

Bianca : We met when we were studying a few years ago, became close friends, and really connected through music. I had never met anyone else who listened to dancehall in the morning.

Niyat : I had been DJing for a few years and decided to take a break. So when Bianca started DJing last year we decided to play a B2B set, just for fun. We had so much fun and we complemented each other so well that we decided to keep playing together and within two months we had gigs lined up in London!

Bianca : We both share the vision of what kind of experience we want to curate for our community and genuine love for culture, which is a key reason for us working together. DJing as a duo is an amazing way for us to achieve this, we are always in sync and having a great time. I’ve lost count on how many times we’ve had a B2B set and I've cued a song that Niyat starts playing.

SNS : You obviously recently played in London - how did that come about, why London, and how did you find it in terms of the crowd & energy?

Bianca : When we decided to start our duo, our vision was to create a concept that resonated with people worldwide. That’s when Wifi Connects was born.

We recognized the importance of starting close to home, and as I used to live in London, I knew a venue that would match the vibe and space we wanted to build. We reached out to The Haggerston, pitched our concept, and that's how our journey began. Community means the world to us, and that's exactly what we found.

Our DJing style draws inspiration from the UK scene, and having friends in London, it all fell into place. The experience was better than we could imagine. We loved every second of it and the people did too, the London crowd really brought the energy. We got to showcase ourselves unapologetically.

We want to give a big shout-out to the incredible DJs who joined us: Tahzsa and Bbygazelle.

SNS : What would you say are the main differences between playing in London & playing in Stockholm?

In London, we've found that crowds are generally more receptive to our unique DJing style. We love mixing various genres and being playful with our sets to build dynamic, and it seems like the London crowd is more open to that kind of experimentation. Our music is heavily inspired by the UK scene, which definitely works in our favor.

What made our London experience even more exciting was the first time we had MCs join us. It added a whole new dimension to our set!

Stockholm is an amazing place too, we love the way we connect with the crowd through our music. However, the crowd in Stockholm tends to be a bit more conventional compared to other cities or even elsewhere in Sweden. Our sets are often a mix of unconventional genres, which doesn't always resonate well with the Stockholm audience. As a result, we sometimes have to adapt our sets and include more commercial and sing-along tracks. Over time, we've come to understand the crowd's preferences and found a way for both them and us to have a good time!

SNS : Is there anywhere else outside of Stockholm that you have your sights set on playing at? And what does it mean to you to play in new cities/countries?

We want to take our music and concept worldwide, and we do have a lot of places that we are planning to visit.

We want to make a mark on the European music scene, with cities like Berlin, Lisbon, Amsterdam, and of course, London being at the top of our list. Our sets are a fusion of music from various cultures, and we believe that our sets can resonate with people, no matter where they're from.

It's also about finding inspiration, discovering new sounds, and discovering other DJs. Playing in new cities and exploring the creative scenes and meeting the people who shape the culture is something we're really excited about.

We're also planning to play in countries like Brazil, South Korea, the USA, Japan, and more. We can’t wait to connect with communities around the world.

SNS : And finally, on a more general note, what can we expect to see from you in the next 6-12 months? Is there anything on the cards that you can shed some light on?

We will continue growing and learning throughout. This summer has been unbelievable and quite intense with multiple gigs every week and a lot of traveling. So our focus now is finding sustainable ways to explore DJing as an artform while recharging.

It's important for us to be able to create spaces that can live on and have an impact on the creative scene, especially in Stockholm, where it’s needed at the moment. You will definitely see us DJing as usual and working on future projects.

Wifi Connects is just getting started. Our vision is a worldwide concept where local talents meet the future, each set being unique and for us, it's to provide DJs with a safe, expressive environment to connect with their audience on their own terms.

Stay tuned