South African-born, Berlin-based and now globally renowned, Daniella da Silva brings a uniquely emotional element to her blend of industrial rawness, heart-tugging synths and irresistible rhythms. "A beautiful slap in the face" is how she describes the effect of her sets, which will make you smile, cry and dance all at once. She has the technical skills to always play with an element of surprise, to twist and turn into whatever mood and groove she wants, but with love and energy front and centre. 

 

From cult Berlin bathroom HÖR to the main stages of Free Your Mind Festival, ULTRA in Peru and Chile, Daniella never fails to make an indelible impact from the DJ Booth. Her lifelong obsession with sound was always going to lead to production. These days she translates the explosive power and intelligence of her sets into the tracks she makes: they are thrilling, strobe-lit monsters that bring great nuance to hard techno and have come on labels like Suaara, ART.143 and Reckless. 

 

Music was always a close companion for Daniella. She would fall asleep next to the radio, listening to deep and Afro house before a first rave experience changed everything. The sheer size and scale of the party, the communal energy of the crowd and the mix of hard drums and beautiful melodies set her on the path she is on today. In a short space of time, she became a natural behind the decks who drew on all the musical knowledge she had built up after years of research. Soon after starting, she played key South African events such as Truth and Carfax, embarked on tours of India, played the legendary Verknipt at ADE and is now based in Berlin where she has cut through with her own unique musical voice.  

 

Once upon a time, Daniella da Silva looked to heroes like Sven Vath, Freddy K and Jeff Mills for inspiration. These days she is right up alongside them, building an ever-growing fan base and making a long-lasting impact as she leads the hard techno world from the front.