You’ve probably seen me share countless of Polygonia tracks and mixes on here over the last few years – an artist that we’re most excited about at the moment. Hailing from Munich, Polygonia is a dynamic electronic music producer known for her hypnotic soundscapes and intricate rhythmic structures. Polygonia creates music that seamlessly blends elements of techno, ambient, and experimental genres rich with organic textures, often drawing inspiration from nature and the abstract, resulting in a unique and immersive listening experience.
With releases on respected labels like Lowless, Sure Thing, Midgar Records and Circular Limited, Polygonia continues to push the boundaries of electronic music, crafting deeply atmospheric and introspective tracks that resonate on the dancefloor and beyond. In 2018, Polygonia launched the audiovisual label and artist collective IO alongside Dycide and MTRL and more recently launched her own imprint and mix series QEONE which further highlights her love for showcasing the intersection of music, technology and nature. Not tying herself to one genre or artistic narrative, Polygonia joined forces with musicians Niklas Bühler and Moritz Stahl in 2021 to found the band Lyder were they experiment fusing together jazz and electronic music.
With upcoming releases with Shoal and Rrose as well as a back-to-back set with DJ Voices at Draaimolen, in this interview we chat to Polygonia about the environments she likes to perform and create in, approach to curating QEONE and experiences collaborating with other artists through her DJ sets and productions.
Hey Linni, thank you for taking the time to do this interview! How are you doing? What has your summer been like so far?
I’m doing quite alright, the summer season is very busy but I’m enjoying it. I’m working on a lot of productions, label related things and of course touring.
You mentioned in a previous interview that almost all of your family are professionals in the field of classical music – do you feel that it was a given that you would also work/practice in music as well? Were you ever drawn to any other creative practices?
It was definitely the next logical step for me as a kid to at least try out what my family members were doing. Music has always been around and I was always full of little ideas. I wanted to know how to create my own music at some point. It started very early for me that I just improvised on my instruments and wrote little sheet music themes which I then played a bit on the piano or the violin.
Next to that, I started out drawing at a similar age. I was really invested in graffiti for quite some time and I also loved writing poems, sewing my own clothes, cooking crazy meals and breakdancing. There have been a lot of creative activities in my life next to music and still are.
You also like to experiment a lot with your sound and the moods that are present within it, becoming an emotional outlet for you. Is there a space or environment where you feel most safe to explore this fully?
It’s definitely my studio. I have it at home, accompanied by my plants and cats. To be as creative and efficient as possible, it’s best for me to go into my comfort zone in this cozy place. It’s great to have good quality microphones at hand, proper acoustics with nice speakers, and seating with good ergonomics plus a comfortable light situation. I am working completely in the box, so I like to have special controls for my pc such as my beloved mechanical keyboard.
But sometimes it’s actually also very satisfying to be on a long train ride with my laptop and be able to focus on the production for a couple of hours fully without shifting the concentration to other topics which could disturb the creative process. It’s very easy in Europe’s train network as the internet connection in the countryside is so bad that it’s better to not access any website and avoid frustration. Producing seems like the perfect alternative to this for me, great to have a fun track after the travels on the weekend.
How do you get in the creative mindset for each project or release you work on? Do you have a routine in place that helps with this?
It depends a bit on what it is. I produce VA tracks or remixes a lot on airplanes or hotels and only finish the mixing in the studio. It’s easier as this is taking less work and focus than a whole release.
Regarding a bigger project such as an EP and album, I do it a bit differently when it comes to the main block of work. Very often I create sketches during touring situations and then just proceed the production in the studio.
In the studio, before I start, I brew my tea and get my water. Then I sit down with a good amount of time like 5 to 6 hours at least. And yeah from there I basically just start working on the tracks from scratch or start with a sketch as mentioned.
I don’t really have a proper ritual other than having my drinks at the side as I love to directly jump into it. Producing feels like gaming to me, it’s very rewarding and I imagine myself on a big playground with loads of fun tools to create all sorts of fascinating things. I always have ideas in the back of my mind, and if I don’t think of one before I start, then I just come up with something in the process when a random sound or move just inspires me spontaneously. It’s like constantly experimenting with new techniques and surprising myself with new ways of achieving certain sounds.
What has your experience been like as a public artist working within so many different sounds? How do people engage with that?
I am very happy that people appreciate the versatility of my work. I want to be an artist on several levels and not one certain direction. Creativity can be so many things and it’s fascinating to dive into different styles or disciplines to learn on a deeper holistic level as an artist. It’s such a pleasure to see that there are many like minded people who have a broad horizon of interest and understand what I do and where the quality of it lies.
Is your process more inspired by research or relationships?
I think that research and relationships are both factors which play a major role in my life which is why I would say that they both play a role in my inspiration. My closest circle of friends consists of many tech nerds and I also consider myself one of them. Also, you can find a lot of research in the field of nature as well, I am always very impressed by new discoveries in that field. Relationships with inspiring people are playing a big role, too. In general social constructs in our society, in our scene and also within the private circle are always having big impacts on us. They are part of the message in culture as well, as culture ist simply a way of communication.
What are the main challenges of being an artist, and what are the joys?
I think the main challenge is definitely the work life balance. It’s definitely the toughest one for me.
The joys are the freedom of expression, the social aspect of getting to know many interesting people. To learn so much about the world by visiting all the places and understanding history and politics on a deeper level.
But the lack of sleep and the lack of possibility to watch out for one’s own health mentally and physically can also be extremely draining. It’s a very intense job, no doubt, but also worth it depending on what kind of person you are.
What is your approach to curation with your label QEONE?
The main topic is a certain sound aesthetic, it could be described as organic grooves. I welcome all kinds of BPMs and styles, they just have to meet under this sound aesthetic. I love to push upcoming artists with this platform, it’s a huge pleasure to discover so many talents and help them to get a bit of visibility. My vision is to connect different styles which can be combined nicely such as techno, bass music, psychedelic influences, ambient, downtempo and more. There are many artists who feel the same, that’s why I think that it’s great to have this outlet. Also visually I use it as a platform for my illustrations and graphic design. It’s great to explain the aesthetics on a graphic level, too.
You’re releasing an EP with Rrose soon, how did that release come about?
Rrose one day just reached out to me and asked if I’d like the idea of a collaboration. As they were one of my main inspirations why I started to produce and DJ Techno music, I was super happy and overwhelmed by this request. Definitely one of the special messages which you don’t receive every day.
What do you look for in a collaborator?
Collaborators can be super different and I think it is very important to agree on a certain stylistic and technical level. Also the personal vibe is super crucial for a nice experience. I’ve been collaborating with my friends since I started producing, that’s why I am quite used to the process and I really like the exchange of knowledge.
You’ll be playing back-to-back with DJ Voices for this year’s edition of Draaimolen Festival. How did this back-to-back idea come about? What are you looking forward to the most about playing with Kristin?
The festival suggested this combination to us. Due to her wide palette of sounds plus the fact that she also likes to mix bass music/breakbeat with 44 tracks, I think that this one is going to be extremely fun. I think that we both like to experiment with styles and that will probably be the spice in our set. I am super excited for it!
What do you enjoy the most about going back-to-back with someone? What does it allow you to do that playing solo doesn’t?
It’s a perfect way to discover new techniques and new music. The social experience is extremely interesting as well, every DJ organizes their library differently and approaches mixing very individually. I already had such euphoric b2bs which felt as if we were communicating with our thoughts directly without having the need to talk about it as everything was so clear. I love these moments. Playing solo is nice to transport an own story, but one shouldn’t underestimate that such fascinating new results can come out of a combination of two creative minds. Also the fact that it is way easier to use the restroom in a b2b constillation is actually fabulous 😉
What has the prep looked like so far for this set? Have you been bouncing ideas and tracks off of each other?
We already chatted briefly, but we will exchange some tracks closer to the date. I don’t have any doubts that our vision matches anyways. It will be more like confirming each other’s ideas I guess. I already had this with some other b2b partners as well and it works super nicely. I am a very spontaneous person who loves to improvise, so I don’t need such a big preparation.
How much does the environment that you’re playing in inform your DJ sets? Have you looked into the stage that you’re playing on at Draaimolen?
It influences my DJ sets a lot. As mentioned, I love to be very spontaneous while playing. I check the context and lineup of the stages or events beforehand, it definitely plays a role that the Aura stage is hosted by Nous’klaer Audio as well. I then imagine a bit the rough direction and then I see on site if it matches and either do as I imagined or I go in another direction if I feel that something else fits better.
Given you are someone who enjoys being surrounded by nature and is deeply influenced by it within your productions and DJ sets, what is your dream setting to play in? Perhaps one that you haven’t had the opportunity to play in yet?
My dream setting is always outdoor as there are no walls reflecting the frequencies. And then it can have many faces such as forests, mountains, the sea, a lake, a desert etc. I love outdoor festivals the most and in the best case with an alternative character to it. There is no ideal setting, as long as the people are nice, the sound system is good, the lights are done in a fitting way and the overall organization is working as flawlessly as possible, I am sold. It’s not only the surroundings which are important for me to have a good experience playing at a festival. It’s the sum of things which need to be right.
You can catch Polygonia b2b DJ Voices at Draaimolen Festival from the 6-7th September – buy tickets here.