Cassy: fearless and free

If there’s one thing that Cassy can’t abide, its bad manners. She’s seen a lot of it of late, and we’re specifically talking club culture here. And while she’s not naming names, her arrows all hit the mark. Appropriate behaviour is important to her. “Some young DJs, they’re making so much money and yet they behave like spoiled brats. I hate that,” she says. “They forget what’s important, which is the music they’re playing. This isn’t rocket science, we’re not doctors and you’re not the American president. You have a privileged position and you have to keep your dignity and be friendly to the people you work with. It’s hard when you’re young, but really, what we’re doing is not that important – and I can see that some people feel important. But the people I’m talking about aren’t artists who have made hits that were played around the world! None of the guys I’m talking about have done any of that. We’re very lucky. We play nice music. So chill out!”

She says that club culture needs people who are responsible for creating the right infrastructure for the future. “There’s too much bullshit going on,” she says. “There’s space and time for everyone to play and for everyone to be successful. Obviously it’s an amazing rave, but I checked the line-up for Timewarp this year and Nina Kraviz and Nicole Moudaber had a set time of 90 minutes and all the guys afterwards had two hours – what the fuck? Those two sell a lot of tickets and have proven that they’re big stars!”

Becoming a mother has not mellowed her. “On the contrary. If something is BS, I get even more crazy! If my son behaved like an idiot, I would react the same.” In the end, we suggest, what she’s looking for is a career with longevity and meaning. “That’s my goal: to love what I’m doing for as long as possible. Chaka Khan continues on her path as a performer and singer and that’s what I admire the most. Sade is herself. When you think of Sade, it’s not tied to her being twenty years old. And that goes for everyone.”

In the morning we meet again for breakfast to discuss some other elements of her life that offer us further insight. So what else does Cassy like? “I like drinking French rosé! And movies: all sorts. I used to work in a video store at the end of the 90s in Vienna. The guy who owned it worked at the film festival here and it was an international store so it started off with NTSC and PAL tapes and all the expats would come. My dad and I would get videos every weekend and copy them! I worked there for three years and that was my favourite job ever – I got to watch everything for free. My favourite director is James Ivory, who made A Room With A View. I’ve seen that film a hundred times. I’m also big fan of Mike Figgis and One Night Stand: Natasha Kinski and Wesley Snipes together is a perfect combination, both of them have so much on-screen charisma!”

Charisma: maybe that’s it. Independence and perspective and courage are important, but it’s her charisma that marks Cassy out from the pack.

Cassy’s album ‘Donna’ is out now on Aus Music

Ralph Moore is Mixmag's Editor-at-large, follow him on Twitter