-Tell us more about yourself, how did you start?

I am Carlita, a half Turkish half Italian DJ, and producer currently living in New York. As you may or may not know, my musical journey started at a very young age back home in Istanbul, Turkey. I was a classically trained musician and have always played the Cello, this then naturally led to me being interested in a wider range of instruments and I learned the Piano, Guitar, and some other percussion instruments. This is where it all started for me and where my love for music began. Naturally, as I got older my music tastes changed and adapted and I started to discover many new genres from all over the world.

- Why did you want to become a DJ?

I’ve always absolutely loved music and wanted to somehow work in the music industry (much to my parent’s horror). There wasn’t an exact moment when I suddenly thought, yes I have to be a DJ. It was a gradual process that took a bit of time. Obviously living in Istanbul back then the electronic music scene wasn’t quite what it is today and therefore the opportunities were limited especially at 18 years of age because the rules are much stricter there.
I moved to Boston to study and it was here that I got more involved in the electronic music scene. I saw how happy people were when they were out listening to music and I always felt like I would be great at bringing this emotion out of people and making them happy through music what better way to do that than DJing.

- Who do you wish to collaborate with or work with in the future?

So one of my biggest guilty pleasures is that I am a huge Dua Lipa fan and listen to her music a lot. It would be a dream to be able to work with her in some way, maybe making a remix of one of her tracks :) I would also love to work with Romy, the singer for the XX.

- What skills do you think DJs need to be successful?

Some of the most important skills to being a good DJ are reading the crowd and reacting to what they are enjoying. Sometimes you plan in your head what you want to play and then the crowd doesn't react the way you were expecting or like the music you're playing so you always have to be able to adapt to each crowd.Persistence is very important and doesn't give up just because one person doesn’t like something you do also don’t just expect to be able to mix tracks and then get gigs. You have to get involved with your local scene (artists, DJs, promotors, producers), make as many contacts as you can, and always be willing to get involved, and eventually, opportunities will come your way.

- How do you stay up to date with the latest music trends? Do you follow trends, or do you keep your own consistent style?

I try not to follow too many trends as then you get stuck playing a lot of similar stuff to a lot of other people. I will always make sure I spend some time digging each week for new music (if you want to become a DJ, digging is one of the most important things). I travel a lot and have lots of hours on planes, this is when i usually get stuck into new spotify/soundcloud/bandcamp tracks. I am also very fortunate that a lot of people now send me their own productions which I love listening to because it’s always a surprise what you’re getting sent and i’ve discovered so many amazing artists i would have never heard about if they hadn’t reached out to me asking to send music.

- How would you describe your style?

Good question, I'd like to think that I have my own individual style and don’t want to copy anyone else’s style. When it comes to fashion I'd say my style is quite minimal and understated. When it comes to music I like to surprise people by playing things that they wouldn’t necessarily expect to hear from my sets.

- What inspires you the most?

I get inspired by so many things, and new cultures around the world influence my style and production in so many ways, I get to meet lots of super interesting people from all walks of life who constantly inspire me and make me push myself to always get better.

- Currently, you are traveling everywhere! Where do you see yourself in a few years?

Still traveling everywhere but with a little more time off in between :)