“Everybody knows I’m a cat freak and sends me cat-related stuff,” Kittens explains when asked about her alias. “All the music I play is more masculine. I play electronic stuff which you wouldn’t assume a girl would play, so I thought it was a nice contrast to have a cutesy little kitten’s name.”
Whatever she’s playing, it’s always something you can dance to. “I’ve danced for my entire life pretty much,” she admits. “That gave me a different sense of rhythm and musicality. I usually play things that regardless of how obscure it is or what genre, it’s something that inspires me to move. You will never catch me playing some Calvin Harris-type, EDM stuff because there is no soul in it. If you can fist-pump to it that means you’re not moving your hips.
“I started out DJing in big clubs, so I’m really sensitive to the room. Some DJs have their set, they will play it and if people don’t like it, they’re still like, ‘I’m gonna play what I wanna play. If the dance floor clears, whatever, I’m still gonna do me.’ I don’t do that. I hate that. As soon as I sense that people aren’t connecting with whatever I happen to be playing, I immediately switch it up to get them back.”
"I play electronic stuff which you wouldn’t assume a girl would play, so I thought it was a nice contrast to have a cutesy little kitten’s name."
The Athletixx crew includes Falcons, Hoodboi and Promnite. “We’re all just really good friends, they’re like my brothers. We’re trying to curate a well-rounded sound, vibe and aesthetic. It’s fun to play shows together because we will go back-to-back, like every ten minutes switch it up. And we all basically dress the same. You’ll always catch us in some black and white sports attire.”
Kittens is really excited to be returning down under. “I was there in 2012. Do you know who Ruby Rose is? She used to be my girlfriend. We lived together and had a cat and everything. I went out there to visit her while she was on tour which was fun. So I’m excited to come back for work now.
“Honestly, there is so much cool shit coming out of Australia, like the music there, everyone’s taste level is so impressive. The fact that you guys have such forward-thinking music just on your normal radio, I’m jealous of that. If you listen to the radio here it’s just the same ten songs over and over. Like you guys have triple j – that’s fucking cool. We don’t have anything like that.”
Kittens will drop by Adelaide’s Zhivago on Valentine’s Day but doesn’t have anything planned yet. “Besides crying because I don’t have a valentine?” she jokes. “I’ll put something special together. It will either be about cute, love shit or heartbreak – one of the two.”
