Katya Milch— There is an emotional tone that holds everything together— Interview with the bRAVEs

Katya Milch (Opens in a new window) is a Berlin- and Kyiv-based DJ and musician known for her eclectic and immersive sound. She is a graduate of the Module Exchange electronic music school and a member of the Closer Connections community. Her performances blend electro, techno, ambient, and IDM, creating layered, mysterious, and engaging sets.

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the bRAVEs: You are a DJ and write your own music. At what age and how did it all start?

Katya: Music has been with me since early childhood - I started music school even before primary school. Over time, it turned into a long-term relationship that kept evolving as I grew by exploring different aspects of music and club culture. 

I remember that on my way home from middle school, there was a music shop with CDs and cassettes - all kinds of stuff. I used to stop by a few times a week. I couldn’t afford to buy anything, but the guys at the counter were kind enough to let me listen without limits. They introduced me to electronic music. My first love was drum’n’bass. 

DJing came in my 20s out of curiosity - it started through my close friends’ promo group called Sunshine Soup in Kyiv. About 5-6 years ago, I started learning music production, which deepened my relationship with sound and made the process more intentional. 

the bRAVEs: You play very diverse music and your sets are not like each other. Are you so adaptable to the platform, haven't decided on a style yet or are you such a music lover that you get high on music and want to present it just like that? Please tell us.

Katya: I enjoy mixing different genres, but there’s an emotional tone that holds everything together.

Quite often I might come across something beautiful that falls outside my usual or recent style preferences and inspires me to go deeper in my search to build a new set around it. 

At the same time, adaptability is not easy for me and limited to what I am emotionally and aesthetically connected to. 

the bRAVEs: What are your musical preferences and what will we never hear from you?

Katya: As a DJ and producer, I don’t feel aligned with hard, overly energetic or cheerful tracks. In music, I look for a balance between a bit of sensuality, a touch of gentle melancholy, sometimes a sense of tension or drive, as well as trippy moments that might open deeper emotional states.

I prefer to search for this in techno, electro, sometimes bass music, IDM or left-field house. 

I’ve always loved broken beats, syncopation, and polyrhythmic structures, and can’t stop myself from putting them everywhere.

the bRAVEs: Is music an instrument of self-expression or something else?

Katya: Music can be a tool for self-expression, a way of helping to share ideas, shape aesthetics, or shift perspectives - it depends on the context, the culture, the artist, and the intention behind the sound. 

In my case, it’s a way to communicate and share emotional experiences. It helps me stay honest with myself. 

Sometimes, it is also a way to feel and understand another person more deeply. Frequently stepping onto a dance floor or into someone’s performance feels to me like an invitation to feel their mood, sense what they’re going through, and move through it with them.

the bRAVEs: Has your attitude to music changed since moving to Berlin?

Katya: It’s not about changing an attitude, but staying in Berlin definitely pushed me to explore techno and experimental music more deeply. It’s an ongoing journey, and what amazes me most is how techno feels like a deep rabbit hole: so diverse, with layers and nuances that keep unfolding the more you listen and explore. 

the bRAVEs: What do you remember most and longest after your trips to Kyiv?

Katya: The people - their beauty in resilience, the strength of our electronic music community, and the vibe and musical aesthetics on the dancefloors. It’s something I’m proud of and deeply connected to. 

And of course - the food. The food in Kyiv is absolutely dope.

the bRAVEs: Can Berlin become your new home?

Katya: Berlin will always be one of my beloved cities - a place I’d be happy and grateful to return to from time to time. 

Interview was first published (Opens in a new window) on June 6, 2025

PHOTOS by
Alexander Weigandt (Opens in a new window)

INTERVIEW by
vdm.berlin (Opens in a new window)

Katya Milch
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the bRAVEs — Electronic Music Berlin
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