Miley Serious is a DJ and label owner with a strong presence in both Paris and New York City, balancing influences from electronic and punk music. Her tape & zine label, 99CTS Records, showcases her diverse taste and commitment to her craft and in Paris she hosts her monthly show on Rinse France/Rinse Fm. She uses her platforms to shine light on some of her favourite underground artists and scenes from around the world. Through sharp selections, she creates this universe of her own, playing relentless sets that mingle Bass, drum’n’bass, memphis, hard techno and more, granting her as one of the residents of the infamous Killekill Berlin at Rex Club in Paris. We met with Miley when she was in Berlin a few months ago and had a long chat about how she sees the electronic music world, read the feature below.
So to get a picture of Miley Serious, and everything that you do, can tell us a bit about like the beginning of sort of your journey and the influences that led you to where you are now?
I actually feel like a grandma but this is the story. I had the chance to have one of my brothers super into music. So he always like really pushed me into it, you know always listening to stuff. So I started with more hardcore and punk until I was like 16. I was playing in bands already and stuff. So I was playing bass guitar until less than 10 years ago, I was still in a band.
Was it always the same band?
No no no I had a few bands but my last band was like the best one and I was touring and stuff. I was playing bass guitar most of my life, but when I was 16 I wanted to discover something else. I sold my bass and I bought turntables and this is how it started. I was super close to a crew of friends that they were more into free parties. At this time CDJs were too expensive and too crazy to have in the club. So like I’m talking about it’s like 2006. You know it’s like there is not a lot of CDJ so we had to learn on records obviously. It was fire because I remember my best friend and me, we learned with people from the free parties. It was hard as fuck! It was awesome that was such a vibe. So yeah I would say I was really into more DIY when I was a kid and then when I left my home at 16, I started DJing with friends. That was really like a turn where I was like wow that’s really a thing that I can see myself being amazing at. So yeah I started DJing when I was 16 and started to be in the club way more when I was 18 because I was allowed to play and work actually. I was doing that every weekend like three times a week. Yeah you know it was awesome. Like with my controller, it was so good, it was heavy, it was awesome. I had my two worlds and since then I never stopped.
Where were you living?
I’m from the south. Well I’m from France but I grew up in the South of France, mainly, and the scene for like free party sound system bass music is really big. It’s really known for drum and bass dubstep and stuff like that. So yeah I grew up into this environment a lot. Like especially early 2000 was awesome for that.
Do you remember your first gig?
Yes. I would never forget. That was so funny. So it was in the bar and at the time, having a DJ in a bar was not normal. I don’t know how they were putting on music at this time but it was no iPad nothing. You know what I mean? There was no playlist. What I remember it was a bar and I had to bring my turntables, my mixer, all my records. And I had a full paper with every track, because I was playing with my best friend. So we’re a duo and I like I remember we cut it like you know we wrote down all the records on papers and we’re like switching them to see like what was the best transition and stuff and so everything was taped on the paper so we are following one by one and so I have a picture where we’re just like following the paper.
So when did the move to New York happen?
New York came around 2010. And then way more like 2013-2014 because there was this club called Bossa Nova that opened and it literally changed my mind. When Bossa opened that was like for me just like like it was like the best time ever because it was like you know how the house scene and lo-fi house and the nights were magic and I discovered Club Mate with vodka that first night. I was like what is Club Mate? This is it. I didn’t even discover it in here in Berlin. I discovered it in New York at Bossa and the guy was like you have to drink a little bit and then I poured vodka. I was like okay. That’s very good. But um yeah that was the moment and since then I was just like like forever addicted to it.
Was the first trip just to travel and check out a new place?
It was just travel for music. I used to go to San Francisco a lot for music. I was going to Chicago for music too because I’m a huge ghetto house fan. So I was going to Chicago, but I was like let’s try New York and then like okay well all good now I’m here. Nice. Yes. That’s super dope. It’s a long time ago. I’d go to New York regularly so I had my friends and stuff but then also started to tour there like officially. I mean now I’m married to an American so for the past three years it’s home because of my partner, but it was already home for me a lot. I was really saving a lot of money trying to travel to meet the people in the scene trying to do this and that is how I met my friends there and then we played together a lot and I just I just think it’s like everything, you just have to put yourself into it and maybe make things happen. So yeah I was saving a lot of money to make it happen.
What were the main differences between what was going on in electronic music in the South of France and New York, any key things that sort stand out to you?
It’s tough to say and I guess you also know from living in Berlin, there is things that come and go. There are moments like New York had a hard time after the sick house Lofi house moment that was like was a big time and then it was off and then now it’s back on. So I don’t know what I just feel it’s the same energy. I do believe in the energy of this place so much. Unfortunately more than France because France is so good but there is some stuff that still needs to move you know, like it’s pretty old. But clubs are good in France. That’s the difference, clubs are good and clubs are not the best right now in New York, but the energy is still so good. So it’s difficult to say because you know, you move on the map. I mean that’s everything, you just find something good in it. But I do believe that for example New York will be always New York and will never die. It will be absolutely alive. They will always rebuild themselves.
Some quick fun questions now – favourite things to do in New York on a day off?
Oh my god. Do you know what it is? I’m addicted to diners so I love to eat pancakes and eggs. So what I do is I live right next to the water so I go to the water in Brooklyn and I love to walk and look at Manhattan every day and I’m like amazed and thankful. Everyday I’m like wow, but I definitely love to go to diners and we go climbing. We climb a lot with my partner so climbing and pancakes. Yeah. You know we like it easy.
And then favourite thing to do in your hometown in France?
Oh yeah in France I’m gonna say eating too. I’m always obsessed to go back to my baguette bread all the time. I’m going straight to the bakery. Like it’s so cool to have both in my life but um no definitely food. Like food. Every day. It’s just so good.
So I guess the next thing to move on to is 99CTS, your label. Can tell us a bit about its conception and what your mission with it is?
So my label 99CTS of course is inspired by 99 cent stores from New York. Because I’m obsessed with items. I’m a big collector so I archive a lot. But literally everything, like things from the bazaar, from 99 cents shops or anything. So I collect a lot of things and it’s nearly my favourite place to go. Inspirational as an aesthetic thing. So it comes from long walks into these kind of places. And I’m just trying to keep the link between the underground and me being able to give it to a bigger crowd. And yeah 99CTS right now I’ll do it. I don’t want to follow a line because you know in the business they’re gonna always tell you need a sound, you need a thing. And I’m just like… You can change. You know, it’s always evolving and there’s things that I don’t want to forget and I want to have it. It’s like having an item I want or something. So it’s more to archive and like push a talent, so it’s always the artists’ first release or it’s just their beginning. So I really want to do that with 99CTS and keep doing that. But now I have also an imprint thing where I do art zines that I can sell now at like Dover Street market and stuff like this. So it’s like linked to the people that do artwork most of the time for my things because I’m really into drawing and painting. I just want to be like a big shop you know. It’s like my store. Welcome. Like you have music you have zines you have t-shirts and soon you’re going to have this and that. My dream is to do really like real merchandising.
Would you ever want to open a physical space?
Yeah, it’s my dream. I would love to do it in New York. I mean I would be having my dream life complete. We were talking about that with actually a friend, she’s a graphic design artist, and because I work in vintage fashion since I’m a kid and I’ve never been to uni, I’ve been working since I’m 18. So beside my life in digging I have like a side life which is vintage. And I source a lot and it’s my other passion. 99CTS I would love to link to that. At some point I would love to have the vintage pieces I source and at the same time having this passion for daily items. That would be crazy and and I would love to mix it all.
So 2017 was around about the time you started your RinseFM show. Can just speak a bit about like that platform and what was your idea behind programming the show?
First it was a big surprise for me, I would never thought I would be a resident. So for six years I have one hour me, one hour my guest. So I have really like a lot of time and I really can give them a lot, like a good set. And my show is definitely the same as like the label stuff. It’s like the one I discover I feel it’s really pushing like the scene further. For example the next one for when the season reopened is a guy from Cumbia rebajada which is my favorite type of Cumbia from North Mexico. He’s doing amazing parties only Cumbia rebajada, but it’s people of my age that mix the tradition and what is Cumbia right now. And he does insane parties, wow. This is boss and I’m just like yeah I want to show the people that it’s not another name you see and already know what to expect. I’m like electronic is also Cumbia right now. You know just like everybody wants Reggaeton but because it’s going to be you know constantly the same thing and you know I’m sure I get super excited about like profile and I’m like okay let’s go. And I’m just like okay do you want to be on my show? Since I have two hours it’s pretty cool. And yeah I’m entering my seventh year so I’m happy. Nice.
Having now traveled across the world and played many different places, are there any moments or events that you played that stand out in your memory?
Definitely my tour in China. The best place in the world, I toured for like two weeks. I used to tour in Japan like for three years in a row, but China, that’s the turn up that you want. Actually some owners of the club in Shenzhen are coming to my Berlin show tonight. It’s a club called OIL in Shenzhen and it’s the best club I’ve ever been in my life. Absolutely amazing. The quality of the club, the sound system, the welcoming from the artwork and the graphic design is like beyond amazing. Everything. Food. Everything. I swear on my mom. Not a single day was bad. I went to Chengdu, that was the best welcoming. I think I turned like 31 that moment and they really made me feel awesome. It was a sick, sick night. We had the best night ever. Crying laughing all night. And all the people I met there, we stayed friends. And so like my last tour there was in 2019. And since then we’re like still like always like close and giving news to each other.
How did you get connected to that?
It’s funny because in China, they’re really deep into underground. Way more than anyone. So sometimes it was like how do you know everything? Yeah. So I’m just so passionate about that. They know so much and already so much about you or people. And at this time they were like there is a demand like you have a tour. Like if you want to go you have a tour. You do Japan and China. I was like okay let’s go. So we did that. I got my visa. And then I did Chengdu first. Shenzhen and then Hangzhou which is just you know like Shanghai. And for example this thing was like really showing how amazing they are – my flight had six hours delay so I was not gonna make it. So when I was gonna land in the city the club was about to close. And when they picked me up at the airport I was just like clearly like so so sad, but people stayed and they made them sit down. And then I plugged my USB… They were like the cops are coming but just play for 30 minutes. And so I played. People were waiting sitting down. And I plugged. I played for 30 minutes. And they were just like okay then we do it. No one would do that. They waited. They were like yeah we’re gonna wait. They wait. And I have the video camera. That was so sick. And that’s how they’re amazing. And welcoming. I mean that’s the best way the scene is in the world for me. And Australia was also a sick moment. I’m going back in two months. But that’s a different way. Same it’s like insane push and positivity. But if I have to say something was I will never forget is my China tour. I tell people if you can go and party in China. In Chengdu there’s this club called TAG that is really known. That is absolutely sick.
I remember like even like one day when I played Moscow years ago same. We played for like a queer night like gay party and it was awesome to literally finally see a crowd and be like here that and them telling us like how much they suffer and how they need us to come. You know to make the thing change. And it’s so it’s only like that you know. But in China oh my god I had the best discussion ever. It’s like and actually so hyped that I’m going to see them tonight. Yeah. That’s gonna be cool. They texted me two days ago. They were like we are in Berlin. We come to see you at all. I was like what the fuck. That’s amazing. That’s like coincidence. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. They were like they just texted me like we’re in Berlin for a few days and we saw you play like we come to see you. I was like I can’t just wait.
Any exciting announcements or plans for the upcoming future that you’d like to plug?
I have also a residency in Paris in like the oldest club like called Rex. It’s kind of Fabric of Paris. So I will continue my residency. I’m extremely excited to announce the lineup soon. So like I will have that announced and then another tour in Australia. in October with my second Boiler Room in Melbourne. So I’m super super excited. And yeah that’s my two main things. I can’t wait. I’m excited.
