WSLA Conversations: Karmerr

For Johannesburg-based DJ, producer and vocalist Karmerr, a good DJ set is less about sticking to a formula than knowing when to trust your instincts and when to change course.

Having joined SceneNoise and WSLA at Ceryle for the April 2nd Nile-side listening and dining experience, Karmerr brings an approach to DJing shaped as much by curiosity as it is by reading the room.

Her relationship with music began at home, growing up with a musician father who played the drums. Ballet and a love of dancing eventually led her towards nightlife, where she became drawn to the intensity and community of Johannesburg’s club culture. Spaces and parties like Truth, TOYTOY and Mary Jane’s ‘The Loft’ sparked her curiosity about what happens behind the decks, eventually pulling her into the scene herself.

Today, that curiosity remains central to how she plays. Karmerr describes Jo’burg’s electronic community as an intimate ecosystem, with a relatively small group of people helping keep its underground culture alive. Her own involvement stretches beyond DJing, from working with TOYTOY to curating its Bordello listening experience, to collaborating with DJ Christy Peers’ Homebase Collective and its vinyl-focused Wax On Wax Off parties.

That overlap between music, art and listening also informs her sets. For Karmerr, a listening environment can create more room for experimentation, as the music doesn’t necessarily have to carry the entire experience.

At the last SceneNoise x WSLA event, where she made her Cairo debut, we caught up with Karmerr to reflect on the intimate community shaping Johannesburg’s electronic scene, her journey from ballet and dance into DJing, and the creative freedom she finds in listening-led spaces.

Watch the full interview below: