Izzi Bizzi
DJ | Producer
There is not a vast amount of artists who can combine meditation and electronic music into the same session. Co-founder of the Berlin-based Bipølar. label, collective and event series Izzi Bizzi has managed to pull off both experiences on at least one occasion. Always open to collaborate with other artists to add more palpable layers to techno and music in general, Izzi’s approach merges contradicting sounds and has marked her a multi-dimensional artist within Berlin’s techno community.
Izzi holistically creates art and music to reflect the connection between polarities. She primarily focuses on blurring the lines between the feminine and masculine, the brutal and the soft. For live performances, she invites artists like vocalist FREDERICK and meditation guide Awenita to take part in her sets, resulting in a visceral impact on both herself and the audience.
Having played all over Germany, Copenhagen, Istanbul, Italy, Vienna and Zagreb, Izzi got the opportunity to play a South America tour in 2019. With gigs at ://about blank, Griessmuehle, Suicide Club and many more in the German capital, her home was situated on dancefloors across Berlin up until March this year. Most of her bookings were cancelled overnight when pandemic was declared but Izzi has continued to produce and contribute guest mixes and streams for Ismus, The Brvtalist and Griessmuehle amongst others.
The below memory comes from earlier on this year and Izzi recalls it all in more detail just as Berlin - like many cities around the globe - goes into Lockdown 2.0. She also shares news about upcoming Bipølar. projects, how she’s feeling about life, work and art at the moment, why she is raising awareness for the Colombian initiative ‘Ingenieros Sin Fronteras’ and more…
Photo: Frederic Adam
Where was this photo taken and why did you choose it? What was the music vibe at the time?
The picture was shot in the end of spring 2020 at Monopol, an off-location in Berlin where we recorded our stream ‘Bipølar. Beyond the Veil’ in order to collect donations for the Colombian initiative ‘Engineers Without Borders’. I chose this picture because it marked a shift in my artistic expression.
It was the first time for Awenita to guide a meditation at the beginning of my set - aiming to inspire people to identify with their inner strength. The meditation enabled us to perceive the happening with risen awareness and actively connect with the spectators. This experience was so profound that it brought me to tears. Frederick accompanied me with trancy, empowering live vocals around the topic of self-worth. Musically it was a mixture from Ambient to powerful Oldschool - overall expressing the message of radical self-acceptance.
How have you been over the last few months and what's life like in Berlin at the moment?
For me recent times were an intensive process of letting go. I came to the conclusion that things can’t be forced or retained while trying to confront myself sincerely with these topics. I’m really glad that I can count on the mutual support of the Bipølar. crew during this process. Especially because nightlife was the center of my acting as Izzi Bizzi, the last months felt like I was losing the ground below my feet. A lot of fears suddenly appeared and I had to come to terms with them. They reminded me that I have to be brave, staying open for change and trusting that I can transform what no longer serves me. It was a conscious decision to distance myself from my artistic-ego Izzi Bizzi to return to myself, checking in and questioning the context and the ways of creating my art and music - so that I can remain true to my greater vision. Since the quarantine my lifeblood flows into my alias Anna Ground exploring a new, experimental direction into ritual performances together with vocalist Frederick and Meditation guide/coach Awenita.
In general one can sense the change process heavily throughout Berlin’s music/art scene. Everybody is trying to get along somehow and the shock is noticeable. The search for alternative possibilities is predominant to carry on in some way. The city’s soul has been hit particularly hard, because - what the fuck is Berlin without culture?!
You've done a few live streams with the Bipølar team since the clubs closed in Berlin. What have these sessions been like for you? Some DJs find that playing in front of a camera can be quite unnerving…
Our stream ‘Beyond the Veil’ was very special for us. The goal was to strive for a holistic approach, it was about expressing emotions accompanying us during the pandemic in an artistic way - beautiful and confusing at the same time. Playing in front of a camera was definitely a new experience because it contradicts the familiar club context. It took a bit to open up to it, especially because the exchange with the crowd was missing. On the other hand it gave the possibility to experiment, as I mentioned, implementing a meditation in the beginning of my set. The feedback was quite positive which made me very glad.
Across Bipølar.’s social channels, the Colombian initiative Ingenieros Sin Fronteras has been highlighted and you have worked on ways to raise money and awareness for this initiative. Why has this particular organisation resonated with you and the collective?
We chose ‘Ingenieros Sin Fronteras’ because of our friend Juan whom we got to know during our Columbia Tour last year. He asked us to support him raising money for this initiative he actively supports. The situation in Columbia and unfortunately in a lot of other countries is more extreme than in Germany. People stemming from poorer conditions suffer from hunger because of Covid-19 and a lack of support from the government. This has resulted in civil-war-like conditions. It was important for us to raise awareness for the fact that we are in a relatively good situation compared to others. We feel that it is crucial to appreciate one’s resources, allocating them fairly and calling attention to problems also outside of Germany‘s borders.
As an artist, how do you feel about the future?
To be honest it feels intimidating and relieving at the same time. Nobody knows where the journey leads, which forces you to live more in the present moment instead of being already scheduled with gigs, events and appointments for the next months. Of course we assume that clubs will reopen at some point, but the question is how this will look like. We try to stay optimistic, but I’m sure that there will be negative as well as positive changes in the long run. So it’s important for me to neither live in the past nor in the future or clinging there. I try to stay in the present moment because it’s the only part I can influence actively, hence the experimentation with new projects and ideas. Being creative without a goal. I was missing out on that a lot before or - to put another way - there wasn’t much space for that.
Now I try to trust the process, believing that it’s right for me and my music, no matter how it’s going to turn out.
What’s next on Bipølar’s agenda?
We have three really precious projects on our agenda. We are planning for an experimental music online gathering (stream), an exhibition at MONOM SOUND collaborating with Eclectique and the LOST 48h - ART FESTIVAL approached us regarding a cooperation in a particular location next year. Obviously - due to the current situation - these projects also come with a degree of uncertainty. So we consider these as eventual options - and take them on step by step.
The best thing we can do at the moment is to put the work in, stay flexible and focus on short term time frames - trusting that our investments will pay off in one or the other way.
What’s the one thing that has remained a constant source of comfort for you over the last few months?
I’ve had the privilege to use this time to engage with my self-discovery, processing old traumas and topics. Meditation, Yoga, Breathwork, Personal Coaching and of course making music have been my closest companions during the lockdown. I even spent one week of silence - meaning no speaking, no distraction like media or music, only writing, meditating and going for walks.
Also our Bipølar. concept is now taking on a totally new dimension, in which we feel very comfortable. During the lockdown we meditated together via Zoom every day and integrated coaching and team building methods in our process. A lot of exchange over the personal experiences took place. This bonded us as a team during these extreme times which made me feel very thankful. The support of a community and the willingness to take responsibility for oneself unattached from the team was one of the most eye-opening experiences I’ve ever made.
True to the motto: More collaboration instead of competition!
Listen to Izzi’s ISMUS podcast here and follow her below: