Feature: DJ Steenz Decodes ‘The Morning Star’
How did you come up with the theme?
I’m an ordained priestess. A part of my role here is to help women awaken to their divine feminine power, which has obviously been suppressed on the planet for a long time. I’ve been working with goddesses all my life, and thought, wouldn’t it be neat to bring in songs from goddesses? I was going through a hard time during production, so I thought, let me share songs about love to help open my heart, and the heart of the listeners.
Can you share any interesting or unique musical elements or production techniques used in 'The Morning Star?'
I was really inspired by techno during this time so there are a lot of trippy synths in the songs, but I wanted the music to be euphoric so I used a lot of ethereal pads to achieve that. I was inspired by Arabian house while making The Morning Star, and wanted to include unique sounds in the songs. In the song, Lilithia, I used a mandolin sound to send the listeners into the ancient world.
How do you feel this EP represents your artistic identity?
I think this EP is the most “me” I’ve ever been as an artist. I’ve been producing, singing, songwriting, and performing for a decade now under various projects. I think after all that experimentation, I’m settling into the music I really want to make. And as much as I’m making it for me, I’m making it with the intention to bring good vibes into the world. I think the music industry desperately needs more authentic music that lifts people up. Music is meant to heal.
Can you tell us more about you as an artist?
Along with being a mostly self-taught music producer, I’m a painter, and love visual art. I’m passionate about filmmaking and plan on travelling to the Mediterranean and Japan to shoot the music videos for the EP, to honour where the goddesses are from culturally.
Do you aim to convey any specific themes or messages through your music?
Each song on The Morning Star represents a different form of love:
“Amaterasu” - Self-Worth
“Aphrodite” - Compassion
“Lilith” - Tantra
“Euphrosyne” - Joy
“Hatshepsut” - Respect
To celebrate the release of the EP, I designed an Official Journal to go along with the music. It contains images of the goddesses in the songs, and includes writing prompts. The idea with this EP is to take the listeners on a spiritual journey. Music is medicine, and a gateway into what we really are, pure potential, love.
