There aren’t many DJs on our club scene who can skillfully drop a remixed church hymn or a traditional folk track right after a wild banger, but Meka Drina does it with ease and style. Originally from Bosnia and Herzegovina, the young journalist is a member of the Heiße Scheiße collective and hosts the shows 212°F on Radio Student and Balkan Revelry on Black Teeth Radio.
She has also performed and curated shows on other well-known platforms, including Radio Rudina, Tirkultura, and Komrad. In the club environment, Meka Drina doesn’t settle for a comfort zone – he constantly explores genres, tempos, and atmospheres.
As he says, his musical influences change almost daily. She most often finds inspiration in bass culture, mixed with breakbeats, shuffling, and a touch of internet folklore. This gives her sets an unpredictable energy and a truly unique signature.
In recent years, Meka Drina has been based in Zagreb, but in mid-July she decided to move to Austria. Just before relocating, he recorded an amazing mix for us. Also, he shared what drew him to Vienna, what it’s like being part of a collective spread across Europe, and who he most enjoys b2b DJing with.
Tell us more about the mix you recorded.
The mix is basically a distillation of everything I love in bass-heavy music. Unlike some of my previous sets, I tried to keep it as consistent as possible from start to finish, while still making the selection diverse enough. Also, the mix hits straight to the point. I aimed for a “no fillers” kind of set.
Where does the name Meka Drina come from?
The name was made up for my first party, where I was supposed to play alongside a friend whose alias was going to be Tvrda Stoša. In response to his name, I took Meka Drina, which, by the way, are the cigarettes I used to smoke most during my smoking days. I wish there was something deeper behind it, but there really isn’t.
You use both masculine and feminine pronouns. What are the most common reactions, and how do you deal with them?
Since I’m non-binary and Croatian doesn’t have pronouns I feel comfortable using, the easiest solution for me is to combine masculine and feminine forms. Reactions vary, but in most cases people respond completely normally. Most reactions come from genuine confusion, as many don’t understand what non-binary means or why pronouns are being combined. There have been a few awkward situations, but those are on the people who see it as a problem.
I don’t really understand those who get hung up on someone else’s existence. Everyone deals with their own insecurities in their own way, and unfortunately, some of those ways can be quite toxic. On the other hand, there have been moments when people sincerely asked me to share my experiences as a non-binary person, which creates space for learning and understanding.
You’ve been working in radio for many years. What’s closer to your heart – the airwaves or the DJ booth?
It’s hard to compare, because it really varies. Radio gave me the opportunity to get to the booth in the first place, so one has never existed without the other. On the air, I can really let loose, while the booth gives me the chance to develop a more direct connection with the audience, which is very important to me. For a long time, I think I was someone more drawn to the intimacy of the airwaves, but lately, performing live has grown increasingly close to my heart.
Have you ever secretly tried your hand at production? Does that form of expression appeal to you at all?
Oh, that’s a big battle. I’ve tried a few times, but often under the pressure that it’s the “next logical step.” In music circles, I often encountered the idea that DJing is somehow a “lesser” form of creative expression, only legitimized once you start making your own tracks.
Lately, I’ve realized that’s not really true, and I identify much more strongly as a DJ. I also think it’s a bit wrong to insist that you have to do both. With that in mind, I’ve concluded that I’ll return to production when I feel a genuine desire for it. Until then, I want to direct all my creativity toward DJing.
If you hadn’t found yourself in music, what would likely be your creative outlet?
I’m not sure, since music has always been present in one way or another. I think in another life it would probably be writing.
You recently moved to Vienna. Had you previously had the chance to party there or connect with anyone from the Austrian scene? Do you plan to start any programs if the opportunity arises?
In Vienna, I had the chance to DJ on Radio Rudina. Thanks to Yvone for the invite, it was an amazing experience. Unfortunately, I haven’t yet explored the Viennese clubs, but there are a few I can’t wait to visit, like fluc and Das Werk. What I did experience, however, was Vienna Pride, with literally hundreds of thousands of people and party trucks spinning a truly eclectic selection of music. That really gave me the impression of Vienna as a very musically open city. As for starting a program, I would definitely love to try if the opportunity comes up!
The entire collective is actually spread across Europe. How does collaboration work in such a setup?
We’re everywhere. MKB is in Zagreb, Babiç in Amsterdam, I’m in Vienna, and the designers are in Hamburg. I think it works, more or less. Of course, it’s much easier when we’re in the same place, but since Heiße Scheiße has been around for a while, we’ve gotten pretty streamlined on certain things.
For all coordination, we have a shared WhatsApp group where we keep in touch. Lately, we’ve been operating on a smaller scale, focusing on radio and our show, so the “workload” is lighter. How things will go after my recent move, I honestly don’t know, but we’ll see.
Recently, you hosted a joint party at Medika with several other collectives. How did this collaboration come about, and will it happen again?
Besides us, the event involved Strahinja Arbutina (Low Income Squad), SZCH (Value), and Viatori (Absent Manifesto). Strahinja actually reached out to us first with the idea, since we share a very similar space and audience, so organizing a joint event made perfect sense. It’s probably my favorite party that I’ve helped organize, because it was the first time I collaborated with multiple collectives in Zagreb in this way. On top of that, we clicked quickly and found it relatively easy to agree on the direction and presentation of the event. It wasn’t until the end that I realized how well it all came together.
I’ve long been frustrated by the lack of connection in the Zagreb scene, as there’s often an impression of a distorted competition between collectives. Realistically, our audience is relatively small, and things would work much better if there was more communication among everyone. As for us, the story will definitely continue. The next party is already in the works. As they say – stay tuned.
Who do you enjoy playing back-to-back with the most, and why?
Although we haven’t done it for a while, my favorite B2Bs have been with Babić (Babiç from Heiße Scheiße). We understand each other musically really well, and it’s always insanely fun in practice. We haven’t B2B’d in a long time, but if luck allows, we’ll do it again!
If you could play something for us right now, what would it be?
Oh, I’d have to pick two, it’s stronger than me. 😃
Big thanks to the team at Koncept Bar for letting us use their space for the recording! 🫰
Foto: Ana Bradvica