Photo by Neelam Khan Vela
We catch up with Bella Sarris on her life out and proud, juggling her party LLIPS, mixing and producing alongside being a killer sommelier and eating well.
First and foremost thank you so much for taking the time to put this mix together, can you tell us a little bit about the energy behind this mix, is there anything you would prescribe doing while listening?
This mix is a live recording of a warm up set I played at a LLIPS party back in April of this year. A little flirty, cunty taste of what our dance floor sounds like in the earlier hours. It starts off nice and bouncy and burns into rolling naughty grooves. So actually, I've found (through experience) it also works really well AFTER the club, when you get back to someone's place and want to sling on a mix and continue the laughs and chats. It’s perfect for when you wanna take the BPM down but the WPM (words per minute) go up ;) It keeps the party rolling for sure, so yeah, I would prescribe a good, long dose of after-partying..
How would you describe your sound and who are some of your biggest influences?
This is a question I used to have a lot of trouble answering as a baby DJ in the closet. My sound is and always has been a version of raw, dirty, chuggy, stompy, stripped down grooves made for sweaty dark rooms. But back then, what I played didn’t come from a place of experience or self knowledge. I knew what beats I gravitated towards and I liked to play, but not why, because I didn’t really know myself. 10 years later, I am much closer to my internal groove, both sonically and as a human. I’m out and proud and am an active member of the queer nightlife scene. Understanding and embracing my true self has been a massive influence on my sound and confidence as a person and as a DJ. In particular, I have MARICAS to thank for welcoming me into their sexy, pervy, loving world of inspiring queers and peers who lift each other up.
Tell us about LLIPS, who’s behind it and how did it come about?
LLIPS is turning 2 in November, so it’s still a baby, but we’ve come a long way since we started as a Lesbian natural wine club in the storeroom of a fancy wine bar. At the time, my partner Stephie and I were doing a pop up bar called SPILLS in that back space. One day, a group of lesbians rolled in (including our 3rd and 4th members, Iris and Amanda) complaining about how there were very few fun spaces for our community to drink nice stuff and hang out. One thing led to another and suddenly we were planning our first event. What to call it? SPILL backwards seemed like a good idea, and somehow that first ‘small’ gathering brought 250 thirsty lesbians to that storeroom and we had our first accidental club rager. It was at that point we realised we were onto something… so we did it again, on purpose.
“I realised I went too hard too soon when I first started, everything kind of happened at once, so I wanted time to catch up with myself. During that time, I turned to my two other obsessions in life, natural wine and food and was lucky enough to do them with the love of my life, Stephie.”
What can one expect from a night at LLIPS?
Our location changes every time and that’s part of the charm I think, you never know what you’re going to get! We do everything from 2000 capacity warehouse parties with other queer collectives, to forest raves, to the more intimate ‘Hot Tanks, Cold Wine’ parties which are just for FLINTA. No matter where it is, LLIPS sounds cunty, feels sweaty, tastes juicy and is full of Stockholms cutest queer folk. We are having our 2 year anniversary party at the end of November where eager lesbian tourists are more than welcome. <3
What are you doing outside of DJing and throwing parties, you’re cheffing or pouring wines as well from what I understand?
As people might have noticed, I took a little break from DJing when I moved to Stockholm 6 years ago. Not from collecting and playing music, but from touring. I realised I went too hard too soon when I first started, everything kind of happened at once, so I wanted time to catch up with myself. During that time, I turned to my two other obsessions in life, natural wine and food and was lucky enough to do them with the love of my life, Stephie. Together we cater and curate private events under the brand SPILLS, (she’s def more of the chef than me though). Technically I am a Sommelier, so I will def continue to pour wine for people forever, but for now, it’s time for music to take the lead again. These days I spend most of my time digging for (or trying to make) records that I can weave into my own unique tapestry of chuggy grooves.
What’s next for Bella Sarris?
Let’s just say, I’m ready for round 2. I have some really fun gigs coming up that I’m super psyched for. Goodness in Copenhagen, Maricas in Barcelona and Club Dos in Helsinki just to name a few. Back home, I’m starting a brand new club concept with some of Stockholms finest, plus we’re planning on taking LLIPS to the next level. I am also working on my debut release which will come out on my own label BABYSTEPS sometime next year. So yeah, quite a lot lol.. always with a good dose of dancing and after-partying in between ;)
Stay up to date with Bella here!