INTERVIEW: DFR x Threads Radio

Let’s start with a bit of context for Dancing Family Records and how it came to be: 

Tatiana: we’re siblings, we grew up between the US and France and moved to the UK to study (Brighton and London). In 2019 we were both in London, and Yohan came up with the idea of Dancing Family. We were volunteering at Dimensions Festival in Croatia in 2018, and two lifeguards found it really strange that we were siblings at a festival together, and every time they saw us they would tell us we were the “Dancing Family”. Originally we wanted to launch a music label, we had no prior experience. We had our launch event at Matchstick Piehouse in February 2020, with three live acts, right before COVID. We tried to keep developing DFR through other avenues: a zine, and this allowed us to connect with more people online. 

Yohan: The label was not dance music focused at first, but rather a mix of different genres. We had our first dance music event at the old AAJA radio location under the arches. We threw three parties there, the first one was sit-down because of COVID rules, but it was really fun during  a May bank holiday weekend. We then did a few random events, one at Club Makossa, a few more live music shows at Avalon Cafe and Shacklewell Arms. We didn’t have an identity per se but then started doing events at the Carpet Shop, and got on well with the people who ran the events there, so we nurtured that relationship and continued doing events there. Tatiana had the idea of doing family back-to-backs. Iona from Field Manoeuvres, her brother Calum, FAFF and Angel D’Lite, were some of the first B2Bs we had. 

When did you decide to start the first edition of the festival? 

Yohan: Last summer we had Zakia and her Mum play together, alongside Kojay and his Dad, The Don & Hipsters Don’t Dance at the Fox and Firkin for a day party. On the way home, we decided we wanted to do a festival. We started looking for land, and came across Three Pools Farm. They liked our idea and trusted us to run our first festival there. We’ve been working on that for almost a year. 

Tatiana: It started out just the two of us, but now we’ve built a team of people who are working with us. It’s been interesting learning to manage a team who works with us. Since we’re siblings, we’re very used to knowing how we operate really well, so it’s learning how to collaborate with more people on our project. Now we have the input of more people who have different ways of thinking bringing their ideas to the project. 

Yohan: It’s quite exciting to see people get excited to work on their roles and focus areas at the festival. Flo is doing a contact mic workshop at the festival, it’s such a nice feeling to see her explore her fascination for sound. The core team is nine people: from arts and design, to workshops, tech, artists liaison, general set up, volunteers as well as both of us overseeing it all. 

Do you have any other sources of inspiration, in terms of other festivals and collectives? 

Yohan: Brainchild has an amazing DIY spirit

Tatiana: We Out Here – we’ve both gone out to work there for the past few years, it’s been a great experience to work with the team that runs We Out Here, it’s been really insightful and has allowed us to feel confident in setting up our own festival. 

Yohan: Their artist liaison is called Chloe, she manages 50-70 people all weekend, her positivity is contagious, remembers everyone’s names, listens to everyone’s questions and makes sure everyone is heard. 

Tatiana: Naima Adams, she runs everything that’s not music programming at We Out Here, she is a friend of ours, it’s quite impressive to see how she runs everything, always has a smile on her face. Being around all these energies at We Out Here was really encouraging. 

Yohan: Floorless Festival is a bit more similar in terms of music style. I have been twice and enjoyed the size and the way their team runs the festival. They’re doing a takeover at the DFR Festival. 

On the community and sharing of resources: 

Tatiana: It’s been heartwarming to see how people want to get involved in every aspect of the festival. I just went to pick up this natural dye art installation that a girl is lending us for the festival. 

Yohan: We did a raffle prize at The Colour Factory for a fundraising event, the guy who ran it offered spare seats to help take people up for the festival, and offered his technical skills to help us if we need it. It’s been great seeing how people want to help. People at Brainchild, Floorless and Twisted have been super helpful and given us loads of knowledge which has been really inspiring. 

Tatiana: We’ve seen how there is a great community of all these grassroots festivals, we’re in touch with people through a group chat, where we reassure each other in times of anxiety and help each other out if we need anything. It feels like entering another family, even if we haven’t met in person yet. It feels exciting and like it’s possible to do it because there are more insights from more people who have already done it. 

How did you put the programme together?

Yohan: We had a list, reached out to certain people and also reached out to the people who always play our parties who have been involved in DFR over the years. A few people also reached out to us. We wanted to find quite a few generational back to backs, it was important to us and something we want to focus more on. There is a DJ called BayBushka, who reached out to us and told us she DJd with her dad – they’re playing together on Friday night. 

Tatiana: The idea of family back to backs came about because I was interviewing our friend Luma who runs Habiti Nation who explained to me how she got into DJing because her dad had bought her a controller when she was 12 or 13. This sounded crazy to me and quite different, as it’s not something that happened at home. A lot of our musical heritage comes from our parents and grandparents, whether it’s dancing, or listening to music that our family shared with us. When people play live music or DJ, they’re always bringing that heritage with them. It’s interesting to acknowledge that and offer a space where people can play with their parents and share that knowledge together. 

One of the most heartwarming aspects is getting to witness this. LUMA will be playing with both her parents at the festival. She was teaching her parents. It was similar for ZAKIA with her mum, as she had never DJd live at an event. I think it’s really nice to allow a space to share that together. We’ve been able to explore our relationship as siblings by running DFR, so it’s great to offer that space for other people. 

Yohan: We want to give a platform with up and coming DJs in the scene, and hopefully it will blossom around the UK and not just in London. DJs like FAFF, Small Crab, Rohan Rakit, Zar, – people who are up and coming but already making moves in the scene. 

What has been the most fun and most challenging part of running DFR: 

Tatiana: The most fun part has been going from an idea to announcing it and having a team of people. That’s been really exciting. 

Yohan: The site visits have been really fun. The first time it was just Tati and I and the second one it was with the whole team. 

Tatiana: I agree, it felt like an adult summer camp. We were all in bunk beds and planning the festival. Seeing and sharing the excitement is great. The fact that we’re all volunteering our time and we all genuinely want to do this and have fun while doing it is very touching. 

Yohan: It’s great to see everyone in the team find their groove. Except for one person, no one has worked on a festival or in music before. My philosophy is that you just have to do it and throw yourself into stuff. 

Yohan. The biggest challenge has been selling tickets, it’s the most stressful part of running the festival. We are aware that we might not break even but running events it’s always stressful running tickets. 

Tatiana: It’s been interesting how some people are just coming for the day programme, to be in the Welsh countryside, while others are more excited about the lineup and are coming to DFR Festival to party.  It’s going to be really special, our parents our coming. Our mother is a Reiki healer and is going to be doing a sound bath. Some of our friends’ parents are coming, our uncle from the US is coming, friends coming over from Brussels, Marseille, Paris, Switzerland, which is really exciting they are coming to support. 

What are some acts to not miss on the programme: 

BAY-BUSH-KA and her dad, Small Crab and Angel Cat, FAFF, Hipsters don’t Dance, Our Soul Crew with their three hour B2B and many other special sets. 

For the day programme: Queer Salsa, DJ workshop, Movement dance workshop and a farm tour! 

by Maeve de Bordons