Doing It Your Way with Raresoftware

AH: My name is Alexandra-Naledi Holtman and I’m a 24 year-old musician, DJ and interdisciplinary artist from Cape Town.

AH: I’d say I’ve grown up with an appreciation for music and was exposed to many genres by my parents, but it was my brother who really inspired me to follow the trajectory of DJing. He’s 11 years my senior and was DJ-ing and producing electronic music in his early twenties at venues in Cape Town during the years of 2008-2013. When he started introducing me, slowly but surely, to house music and tracks he’d be playing at the time, it took me a while to understand its appeal, but when I received his laptop, already containing Traktor and a bunch of music, I was sold. From the age of 12, I was absolutely enjoying mixing on my own in my room. With a passion for music that was only growing and deepening with time, I dreamt about sharing music with an audience in any form, be it live performance or through a CDJ. From then on, I dreamt about DJ-ing and knew that I wanted to share music with an audience. At the time, I was deeply inspired by my brother and the world he shared with me, most of whom were young musicians in the realm of ‘EDM’, performing on huge stages. The stories and energy of musicians like Skrillex and Grimes along with Hundred Waters and The M Machine, really showed the impact electronic music can have in communicating with a large-scale audience. Equally though, the music my parents shared with me like Isaac Hayes, Al Green, Sade and so many more, just further strengthened a deep belief and faith in the connective nature of music. I’d say this is my core motivation behind DJ-ing - feeling connected and inspiring connection through music and dance.

AH: I actually decided to venture into a spatial discipline in my last year of Fine Art, since I was exploring the intersections of sound, space and visualising the intangible/immeasurable. Through doing post-graduate studies in both Landscape Architecture and Urban Design, I found that I was able to gain an understanding of the language of spatial design and the tools that are used, which made studying these areas through institutional methods helpful. Personally speaking, having these skills and tools further deepens my own understanding of how spatial elements and sound convey feeling since they both deal with architectures of some kind, whether material and three-dimensional or invisible and heard.

AH: I definitely feel that these areas work hand in hand. They’re often depicted as separate disciplines since they’re treated as separate careers, but I think they can share many ways of thinking. In a creative field, one is always responding to the world around you, taking it in and producing a response that evokes engagement and conversation. In Fine Art, this response may take on a variety of forms but is often relegated to the realm of the gallery. In a spatial field, the space one designs, whether it’s a public square or building must respond sensitively to the time, space and people that it’s situated in. Even though the outputs may differ [and sometimes collide], I think the creative process is quite similar, so I’m definitely grateful that I could enter the field of spatial design with a background in Fine Art that offers training in this creative process and inspires this open, responsive way of thinking, and where I could have the freedom to delve very deeply into my own creative practice and take the time to discover what kind of impact I’d like to have in the world.

AH: There are so many, but definitely Salamanda comes to mind! They’re a South-Korean duo of two womxn who produce experimental ambient and electronic music and were a huge inspiration behind my album, ‘Signals at both Ears’. I’d also really love to work with Haroon Mirza, a London-based interdisciplinary artist who explores the intersections of light and sound through installation and kinetic sculpture. His artwork, ‘Stone Circle’, is a particular inspiration, in which stones embedded with lights and speakers are charged by the sun, playing a musical score each full moon. This response to natural cycles, echoing of ancient monuments and spatialising of sound showcases this immersive and responsive potential of sonic installation that I find really inspiring. There are so many artists and musicians I’d like to work with locally as well - where there’s a shared curiosity and interest in sharing with one another and the world, something unique and special can totally happen.

AH: In the future, I’d like to be DJing and making more music and art, collaborating with people and making tangible positive change in Cape Town through Urban Design. With things open up progressively since Covid, I’d love to be working with more people on sharing more music and bringing variety to the underground music spaces here. It would be amazing to be a part of the growth of the underground techno and ambient music scenes here, for example. Ultimately, I want to continue interacting with the world through music, art and spatial design, connecting with people and learning continuously.

AH: Since I finished high school, I went straight into a BA in Fine Art, followed by an honours in Landscape Architecture and a Masters in Urban Design. Throughout this period of six years, I’ve been DJing and took part in group exhibitions such as ’12 Hours of Breathing’ at 99 Loop Gallery and (Un)Infecting the City in 2021. Whilst completing my Master’s this year, I took part in the Latitudes Art Fair, continued to DJ and released my debut album in September, ’Signals at Both Ears’, under my new moniker, ‘Gonubie’. Currently, the trajectory continues. While taking some time to rest after completing my Masters, I’ve been working on some new music and am so excited to be DJing at the Search Festival on the 2nd of January 2024!

AH: In my spare time, I enjoy a balance of both rest and learning. I love to read non-fiction, of a variety of themes, make and listen to music, and discover new things whether through the medium of the screen or being out in the world and attending events. Equally, spending time in silence through meditation and in nature, along with quality time in the company of those I love, is deeply nourishing and something I can’t live without. I think ultimately it’s the maintaining of a calm, centred core and my love for people that keeps me motivated, underpinned by the feeling of being connected to something larger than myself and immediate surroundings.

AH: I’d definitely emphasise being curious - stay open-minded, meet people, go to things that are happening that you’re interested in; but equally, balance this absorption with processing - spending time alone, getting to know yourself, being still, so that this taking- in of the world is done in a way that is grounded, and present. Be open to the world and to yourself, be okay with making mistakes, moving forward and doing something despite being scared - there’s always something to be learnt and gained along the way that gives you a deeper understanding of yourself and the craft, and when it’s in the realm of something you love, its always worth it.