ARTIST OF THE MOMENT: Mary Yuzovskaya
Mary Yuzovskaya’s musical journey is a testament to her deep-rooted dedication and wide-ranging influences. Beginning her training as a classical pianist at the age of three, she later brought her talent to the stage, performing in several theatrical productions. These early experiences built the foundation for her precision and creative expression in music. Her DJ career started in 2006 and it was always connected to vinyl as a preferred and only medium to DJ. Fittingly she started to work at Halcyon, the iconic record shop based in Brooklyn that was known for its wide variety of sounds.
Working in this influential space, she furthered her appreciation for vinyl culture and learned all the ins and outs of vinyl distribution—knowledge that critically helped her shape and run her own label.
Now the owner of Monday Off, a vinyl-only label known for its focus on psychedelic techno, her work reflects a thoughtful approach to music that prioritizes depth and longevity over trends. Monday Off released an array of very well curated V.A. showcasing some key figures of the genre. “The more you know”, Mary’s 2024 release on the imprint, confirms her position in the genre, as it features four consciousness-expanding trips that perfectly fit the dancefloor. Following her “Delayed …with” mix earlier this year, we were able to catch up with Mary about her philosophy of the label and future outlooks.
by Max Avdeev
Hi Mary, so nice to have you on the series. A few weeks ago, we released your beautiful deep techno journey on our podcast series. How do you experience the process of creating a podcast?
Thanks for having me! Recording a mix usually boils down to diving into my current favorites. Everything I’m in love with in the present day goes in one record crate, and then I take it from there: play around, select, and see what feels right. Eventually, all the pieces of the puzzle come together, and the session can be recorded. All my podcasts are vinyl only, hand-mixed, recorded in one take. With the mixtape I recorded for you I explored something I enjoy a lot - music that, despite its calm and delicate concept, has a lot of power and hidden energy that is not obvious. I’m into these reserved emotions in music (or any art form, really).
In addition to being a DJ and producer, you run your record label MONDAY OFF. How would you describe the label's journey since its foundation, and where do you see it developing?
The first Monday Off record came out in 2017. Before that, the platform existed as a podcast series, but the whole project had been on my mind for many years before it came to life. My main strategy has always been to release the kind of records I would want to buy myself. Music, artwork, format—all of it has to meet my personal wishes as a record collector.
I started the label as an extension of my DJ activity, but over the years Monday Off has become more than just a label for me, it became my playground. A space where I could be myself, make choices based on a pure “want”, make mistakes, try out things, follow my own vision (not necessarily aligning with what would be generally advised) and not worry too much about the outcome. Since pressing vinyl is expensive, in the early days of the imprint, I did some math to see how many releases I could afford without depending on the sales, and settled on two records a year. That allowed me to make some commitments that might have seemed unpopular business-wise but were true to my desires (for example, staying vinyl only and never going digital or investing in full artwork rather than optimizing for disco jackets or generic sleeves). To my surprise, from the beginning, the label has been mostly doing significantly better than I expected. After some unpredicted success combined with very painful, yet eye opening failures, I learned that whenever I make creative decisions based on safe/rational thinking, fear, pressure, doubt or concern, I end up losing. As cheesy as it sounds, following my heart always gave the best results, so I happily adopted this strategy for my imprint.
I believe every person, myself included, needs a project that can be their refuge. For many reasons, but most importantly, because it allows us to get to know ourselves better. It doesn’t have to be a record label. It can be anything, but it has to be you.
Today, I’m still scheduling two releases a year - 2025 will see two EPs, one of which is going to be a VA, of course ;)
If we are talking about the plans for the future, I would like to eventually find a sustainable way to move towards releasing three records a year, and I would also like to bring back the podcast series. I had to stop with the mixtapes a couple of years ago as I simply couldn’t find the time to curate the series properly, but I really miss those, so hopefully, soon, I’ll be able to get back to that.
The label is also known for very nice V.A. EPs. You have a good hand with curation! Tell us a bit about how you developed the several EPs to make them as coherent and interesting as they are in terms of curation.
Thank you! The curation of the VA compilations is my favorite part of running the label, so I’m happy to hear it resonates with you. Mostly this process is rather intuitive than logical, sometimes I wonder if it’s pure luck and coincidence that all the tracks I received for an EP already compliment each other. Or maybe the artists I work with know me too well and know what kind of tracks I’ll fall in love with. Could be a little bit of both! I don’t show the artists I invite what their colleagues created for the compilation until the entire EP is mastered. I just reach out to the musicians that are on my mind, invite them to participate, give them a deadline and see what happens. Once the tracks are ready I decide the order in which they will be on the EP. The main reason why I love curating the compilations is because the process reminds me of putting together a mini DJ set, where not only the selection of the tracks, but also their order plays an important role. I always make sure that the A1 is a perfect opener that sets the tone of the VA, while the B2 is an ideal closer. Of course, I always check that each track will be joyful independently from one another. Everyone can have a different favorite and use the EP as they please, whether it’s in a club or in a living room setting, however, I do recommend giving the MOFF compilations a listen from A to B.
Let’s chat about your latest release, also on Monday off. The EP “The More You Know” was your first release in a while. It seems like you like to take your time and are very considerate about the releases. Could we get a little peek into your production process?
Some things take time, especially releasing music on vinyl. Even when manufacturing goes without any delays, it still takes a few months from the moment you send the masters to the pressing plant to the day you receive the finished copies. And then you need to consider the scheduling of the label and other factors. Many producers find it frustrating, but I kind of like it. We live in such a fast paced world, where everything must happen ASAP, at your earliest convenience, urgently, immediately, overnight - you name it. The world seems so impatient, and I became impatient as well, which I don’t like about myself. So it’s nice to let some processes unfold, take time, and arrive to you. It makes it special. Three tracks out of the four on the “The More You Know” EP were actually finished in 2022, but it took almost a year before the release received its current form. Funnily enough, the fourth track that I created days before the EP was sent to mastering, literally four months before the record hit the shops, is my least favorite. Could it be that I didn’t get to “sit” with the finished version long enough, mentally process it and test it with time? I honestly can’t tell, but I often wonder. Can you guess which track I’m talking about?
As for my production process, I recently developed a new workflow, and I’m happy to share it with you. Previously I was lacking routine: sometimes I would obsessively sit with the same project for too many hours in a row, completely losing perspective, other times I would get so occupied with other things in life that I’d struggle to find the time to open ableton in many weeks. That wasn’t productive, so the change was inevitable. Firstly, I made a rule to work on music daily, except for the days of the shows and the days I’m on the road. The sessions do not have to be long, but they have to happen every day. I found it better to have five one-hour sessions in one week, rather than one five hour session. Secondly, I work on a different track each day, that way I don’t get tired or bored with one specific project, I always return to it with fresh ears and I get some healthy distance while working on something else. At the moment I’m working on nine different tracks, meaning, I don’t open the same project more than once in nine work days. This approach made the whole process more fun, and I no longer feel stuck or out of ideas. I have to mention that I’m not nearing any deadlines at this time, maybe that’s why I was able to create such a stress free environment. Perhaps once the deadlines will approach, things will start being chaotic and agony-inducing once again. But I do hope I found a way to have all my music projects done both at my pace and on time.
I mostly use software to make music, I’m not that much of a hardware girl (I guess you can’t compulsively collect both records and synthesisers). However, I do record the synths of my studio and life partner Xhato and turn those recordings into samples. I created a massive sample pack (for my use only!) over the summer, and now I enjoy working with it quite a lot. I have a wonderful studio, I got some new plants, and now when the days are getting colder and shorter, it feels particularly cozy to create.
I like the simple description of “Psychedelic Techno” that goes with the label. It’s very straightforward and clear and encompasses the musical curation perfectly. I’ve recently sat in a few dinner conversations, where we discussed the genre in general. Some might say it is a stagnating genre with very little innovation in terms of arrangement, sound design and overall output. What do you think about that?
Thank you! I see the point your conversation partners are making. However, I don’t feel the same way as I can’t limit the genre to its technical side. Tracks are not just arrangements and sound designs, but also thoughts, feelings, messages, emotional processes, realisations… And those are limitless and unique, like the shapes of the snowflakes. On the other hand - if something starts coming across as boring, overused and stagnating, shouldn’t that be the biggest motivation to find or create something new? And if so, isn’t the “death” of some sub-genres becoming an inspiration and the “birth” of the new ones? If that’s the case, I see it as a never-ending process, and a good thing. I regularly find myself losing interest in certain sound designs or production approaches, but it always, and I mean ALWAYS signals that I found something new, something different, that I now really like.
This reminded me of a conversation I had many years ago - someone told me that all the music has been already created and nothing new can be contributed because there are only seven notes. Since that chat, loads of new stunning music came to life, within every genre imaginable, so I simply don’t believe in any technical limitations. Things change and that regularly brings something compelling.
In general, there is a lot of discussion and shifting developments in electronic music. A lot of progress has been made over the years. What is a change that you’d like to see in this environment and how do you think your work contributes to that?
It’s a big and complex topic, and it deserves a whole separate chat. In a nutshell, I believe that any challenges and obstacles push us to be creative in finding elegant solutions, therefore develop our skills, so regardless of how difficult things might be, I find it rather interesting than demotivating.
But there’s something that has been on my mind a lot lately that I want to talk about - it’s how dependent we’ve become on social media. Don’t get me wrong, I understand the benefits it brings in regard to research and connecting, but that doesn’t make up for all the damage social media does to our mental health, time management, communication, and perception of reality. This brings me to my next point - I wish filming on the dance floor wasn’t a thing. Sometimes I play at a party and I lift my head to see the dancers, but instead I see an ocean of cellphones. It gives me such an empty feeling, it would be much nicer to make eye contact and share a smile. However, I’m sure this particular issue can be resolved. Filming without a special permit is forbidden at any theatre, opera or a philharmonic, worldwide. If these cultural spaces and organisations are on top of this matter, we can also make it a universal rule that the dance floors shall be camera free. Some promoters and clubs are already doing that, and I think others will eventually join.
In regards to how I think my work contributes to positive changes - it’s hard for me to objectively measure my own efforts, I guess it’s something that is better seen from the outside, by other people. I think that experiencing art in any shape or form is very therapeutic, so I hope my craft, be it my sets, my music or Monday Off releases, brings listeners joy and ideally some relief. After all, I just want people to have a good time, and I hope sometimes I get to provide them with that.
by Max Avdeev
You quote Berlin and NYC as your main influences in terms of techno and especially the work in a record shop had a great impact on you. Do you recall your first touch points with electronic music and how you got into DJing?
I wanted to become a DJ way before I started clubbing - thanks to a local radio station dedicated to electronic music, called “Stanzia 106.8FM” in Moscow and Saint Petersburg. It featured all types of electronica from drum’n’bass to acid jazz, twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. I accidentally discovered it at the tender age of 13 and it changed my life. I used to listen to it in my headphones laying in bed at night, thinking “when I grow up I want to work as a DJ at this radio”. By the time I was old enough to go out this station didn’t exist anymore, but it introduced me to the world of the mysterious and attractive electronic music/nightlife, that I was very excited to explore.
It wouldn’t be appropriate to interview you without talking about records in some way or the other. So, I’m absolutely curious about what is in your bag these days.
Only my current favourites! If I’m not in love with a certain record, it won’t work in my hands, no matter how objectively amazing it is. So I try to pack accordingly - no other criteria except for “Do I LOVE it? Do I want to listen to it over and over? Do I want my neighbours to know it by heart?”. Sometimes I get bored with certain tracks quicker than I expected, and others have me enchanted way longer than I initially thought, so I can’t predict how long my romance with a record will be. Changes occur all the time, what matters is how I feel today. If the record gives me goosebumps, it comes with me to the club tonight. If it stopped exciting me it goes back on the shelf until further notice.
If you are asking about my actual current musical crushes, I would say that every record I included in my It’s Delayed podcast is very close to my heart at this time. I don’t think we ever posted the track list, did we? If we didn’t I’ll use an opportunity to share it right here, right now:
1. Tauceti - Maracujá (Valentino Mora Underwater Rephase) - Non Series
2. Viels - Nero - Monday Off
3. Markus Suckut - Pressure - SCKT
4. ORBE - Mutable - Wabi Sabi
5. Mathys Lenne - Emulate - Orbe Records
6. Giri - Kwisatz Haderach - Nosignal
7. Rasser - Atypical Concerns - Edit Select
8. Pyramidal Decode - External Source - Mnestic
9. Farceb - DEX31 - Node Recordings
10. Tonske - Droid - Cogo
11. Psyk & ORBE - Maths - Mote Evolver
12. Refracted - Expedition 1 (Exium Remix) - Pole Group
13. Reeko / Jonas Kopp - Confundiendolos - Semantica
14. D-Leria - Battito - Monday Off
As we are nearing the end of the year let's look back to 2024. What were your highs and learnings as an artist?
My absolute favorite part of this job is touring, so I’m grateful to say that this year I traveled with shows, made new friends, visited old ones, discovered new cities and venues. I also made my Australia debut this year, I performed in three cities - Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide. It was amazing. I wanna go back!
Aside from that, in 2024 I played my first Berghain closing, and while it wasn’t my first time playing an eight hour set in a club (I played an all-nighter at Nowadays back in 2018, which was also eight hours), it was indeed the longest set I played at Berghain so far. I learned more during those eight hours than I did in my previous Berghain gigs combined.
I released a solo EP after a one and a half year break, and had four releases in total this year, on three different labels. I worked a lot on restructuring all my creative processes, and set some very personal artistic goals. Let’s see!
And one thing that excites you about 2025?
In 2025 I’m starting a new residency - PAX-ROMANA in Amsterdam. It’s a lovely party so if you are in town and the stars align, please join the festivities!