Anja Schneider

Businesswoman, DJ & producer extraordinaire

Interview: Sarah Locke

October 2012 Issue

After researching the career of business mogul Anja Schneider, one question became blatantly obvious to me: Is there anything this woman can’t do? 

Often referred to as a “perpetual motion machine,” Schneider is an undeniable force to be reckoned with in the EDM scene and beyond.

Schneider is the owner of Berlin-based label Mobilee Records, founding the mega electronic music house in 2004 alongside artist Ralf Kollmann.

Anja first got her start in radio as a producer for station KissFM. It wasn’t long before the seeds had been firmly planted; the passion could not be contained. 

It was her “Dance Under the Blue Moon” program on Fritz Radio that began in 2000 (and still airs today) that helped fully develop her persona, catapulting her name and many talents into the hearts and minds of people all around the globe. Anja Schneider was on her way to the very top, and nothing was going to deter her plans to slingshot to success.

“On my radio show, I was playing a lot of unreleased material and introducing new artists to the scene, and after talking to my friend Kai from Word and Sound, he asked why I didn’t just start my own label. So that was it - I did!” 

Since the launch of Mobilee Records, a huge accomplishment in its own right, Anja’s continued to get bigger and better. Her taste in music, coupled with her career as a DJ and musician, has made her an enterprise of sorts; a “brand,” if you will.

Her debut LP, “Beyond the Valley,” was an instantaneous success. Soon after, Schneider began remixing tracks for other powerhouse labels, such as Crosstown Rebels, Diynamic and Dessous, among others. 

When asked which were her favorites, Anja responds both neutrally and professionally: “If I like the original and feel I have some extra ideas and can take the track in another direction, then that’s good enough for me,” she says. “I couldn’t name one; they’re all brilliant for different reasons.”

Over the years Schneider has played consistently sold-out shows at some of the biggest venues in the world, with regular gigs at places such as Fabric, Fuse, and Goa Madrid. She’s also held residencies at Berlin staples Watergate and Weekend.  Given the option though, she says it’s the Mobilee showcases that she enjoys most. 

“The best parties are the ones with our Mobilee family,” Schneider concedes. “When we get together it’s great fun, especially at our Sonar rooftop sessions in Barcelona and of course, Panorama Bar in Berlin. This is the perfect party atmosphere to me.”

Anja is a known collaborative producer, absorbing and reveling in working with other artists, learning and appreciating many different approaches and outlooks.

For “Beyond the Valley,” she worked with a lot of analog, alongside Paul Brtschitsch.

“I like working from both sides of the desk - as an artist and producer, collaborator. I learned a lot from my work with Paul. He taught me to use my musical ear. I played flute from an early age for many years, both classically and jazz, so I was not a virgin in the sense that I had experience of music. This was just a new way of looking at it.”

Schneider recently released “Totally Mobilee Vol. 1,” working closely with Lee Van Dowski throughout. “The process of making music is very natural to him,” Schneider says.

The label has also added new artists to its roster, with Sebastian Radlmeier the most recent addition. 

“Sebastian is an enormous and multi-faceted talent. He excels in everything he touches. He has his own label, PASO Music, with Marc Minor. He’s one of the founders of German Garment, a cool Berlin fashion label, a producer/DJ, and also an extremely sought-after filmmaker and photographer. We are expecting great things from him on Mobilee.”

As far as her personal life is concerned, Anja recently had her first child, son Rio.

Will she show him the ins and outs of the EDM music industry when he’s old enough?

“I don’t intend to,” Schneider says. “I hope he becomes a doctor or a lawyer, like every other mother!”

One must wonder how Schneider has time to balance all of these projects. There must be some kind of secret, no?

“No secret. It’s not work for me; it’s my passion and everything I’m doing, I’m doing because I love it. And of course, I have a great team behind me too.”

Mobilee also released “Back to Back Volume 6,” presented by label duo Pan-Pot, at the end of March.  It includes both a CD and DVD of Pan-Pot discussing their tours and works, as well as commentary and feedback from other big name artists about the duo. 

“We were proud to present our first long-form DVD of Pan-Pot, filmed by Sebastian Radlmeier, including a premiere in Berlin. It was great fun and an interesting project for us,” she says.

What’s next for Miss Anja Schneider?

Schneider tells Ignition that she’s currently in the studio working on a new album that’s set for release later this year. To say that we’re anxiously waiting would be a catastrophic understatement. In the meantime, we can get our fix from any of the other ongoing projects and releases from the phenomenal team that is Mobilee Records.

For further information on the label and its roster of artists, visit www.mobilee-records.de.