DJ Cringey: Where Chaos Meets Creativity

DJ Cringey has released a new mixtape

DJ Cringey is an artist who blends everything from techno to hyperpop, electroclash to punk rock—creating a fearless, genre-defying sound. With a bold persona and a passion for experimental music, she’s been making waves by mixing fun with depth. In this interview, we dive into what inspires her to break the rules, how her music reflects personal experiences, and what’s next for this unstoppable force in the scene.

Your sound is a fearless blend of techno, hyperpop, electroclash, latincore, and even punk rock. What inspires you to fuse such diverse genres? 

I have such a diverse and broad taste in music that, in the beginning, I could hardly decide on one style. Even now, I’ve already narrowed it down quite a bit, but it still spans multiple genres. 

I think each genre stands strong on its own, but I find it much more interesting and dynamic when different styles I love come together. Depending on my mood, my sound leans more towards one direction or another, and of course, it also depends on the audience. There are simply too many great elements from different genres—so why not combine them all? 

The name DJ Cringey is bold and memorable. What’s the story behind it, and how do you embrace the “cringe” in your music and persona? 

The name DJ Cringey is actually really, really old. I couldn’t even DJ then. I got it back in 2017 because I was listening to a lot of the new Donk wave and Post Club Music at the time—like Lobster B, Rui Ho or Finger Blast from the UK—and playing those tracks at house parties. Back then, the scene was mostly straight-forward techno with no big vocals and hardly any remixes. But at every party, I’d play my SoundCloud finds, old ’90s bangers, or early 2000s hits—until people started calling me Cringey. And eventually, since I was always the one playing music at these parties, the name DJ Cringey stuck. 

Nowadays, I wouldn’t say my sound is “cringe” anymore, but I always try to add a little wink to it. Personally, I still embrace the cringe—I love dad jokes, Scooter and I still have a huge passion for crazy, experimental, and fun music. But I wouldn’t necessarily say the name reflects my current sound anymore. 

Your upcoming mixtape seems darker and more personal. What influenced this shift in tone? 

Before the mixtape, I actually wanted to make more happy, fun club music, but at the beginning of last year, I experienced a personal tragedy that put me in a really dark mindset. On top of that, I was still processing my last relationship. So I ended up channeling a lot of dark and anxious emotions into this project. 

Working with Kirby and Barry, who know me well, was a huge help—they were interested in going through this journey with me, and I’m really grateful for that. The mixtape mainly reflects processing emotions—from heartbreak to self-discovery and regaining strength, with a hopeful outlook towards the future. 

Can listeners expect any surprises on this project? 

Not really surprises, but, as I mentioned earlier, I love blending genres. I take inspiration from whatever music fascinates me at the moment and try to create something new and uniquely my own. 

How has your background as a graphic designer influenced your approach to music?

As a graphic designer, I’ve had the chance to work with a lot of creative people, which definitely shaped me. I also had a strong musical exchange with artists early on. Even in music and apperance, I always try to maintain a clear concept, which is probably something that comes from my design background. 

DJ Cringey

How has your family influenced your musical journey? 

My dad was a disco dancer in New Zealand and a huge music collector—an absolute music nerd. So I was lucky to be exposed to great music from an early age. My mom is also very into music but in a completely different way—she used to go to raves and introduced me to electronic music early on. 

My dad was more into rock, blues, rap, hip hop and jazz, while my mom leaned towards electronic music. That mix definitely shaped me. And the switch between German and English is also present in my mixtape. The first few tracks are heavily German-influenced, then it shifts more towards English. I don’t want to commit to just one language because I feel equally comfortable in both. 

What have been some of your most memorable live performances so far? 

Always when I’m with friends! My first time at RSO was definitely a big moment. But honestly, playing in legendary clubs in general is something I’m extremely grateful for. 

That said, the best sets don’t necessarily depend on the club/festival itself—it’s all about the people. When the crowd is really into it, and they come up to me afterward to say they felt something special, that’s what makes a set memorable. So I wouldn’t pick one single gig—it’s the energy and the surrounding that make a party truly special. 

If you could curate your dream festival lineup, who would be on it? 

I’d definitely only do it with friends! So many of my friends are incredibly talented, and I’d love to include both hip-hop and electronic acts. 

I’d have BHZ, Zsa Zsa, SHOKI, Joost on the lineup, along with MCRT, Clara Cuve, DJ Hyperdrive, Diffrent and Toximami. Basically, that whole bubble, known and unknown and different genres. Also, I think every Live From Earth act is insane. 

I also love planning own Partys for my Birthday or Releases and ask my friends to play. These private Lineups totally could compete with a Festival, thats always insane! 

How do you see your sound evolving in the future? 

I’m moving away from my high-pitched voice! This is really exciting for me because I’ve always struggled with my voice. It’s amazing to see this growth—to finally feel comfortable using my real voice. 

I also have an EP in the works called “Don’t Date Rappers”, where I’ll fully embrace my vocals with a lot of features of the German rap-szene working with amazing electronic producers.I cannot wait to start—it’s going to be really, really fun.

What impact do you want to have with your music? 

I want to empower people—especially those who might not be feeling great, helping them through their emotions. After this mixtape, I want to show people that it’s okay to be sad, to process things, and to find themselves again.

That goes for my mindset as well—I think it’s important to just let emotions out, in private or on the floor, whatever they may be at that moment.

Listen to the Mixtape Cringey Core here.