Salt Queen is the kind of project that feels both inevitable and unexpected—a collision of two artists whose instincts, humour, and raw club experiences fuse into something sharp, salty, and unmistakably their own. Born in Brooklyn studios and shaped on late-night dance floors, the duo brings a fresh, female-driven perspective to dance music that’s equal parts playful and emotionally charged. We sat down with one half of Salt Queen to talk origins, inspiration, acid lines, and the chaotic beauty of nightlife that fuels their sound.
WWD: Welcome to When We Dip! How are you spending the day?
I’m in my studio in Brooklyn, recording a DJ mix today.
WWD: Where were you born? Where are you based?
I was born in Manhattan, raised in Massachusetts, and I’ve lived in Brooklyn for 18 years.
WWD: What do you love most about where you are living? What keeps you where you are today?
I love how constantly inspiring this city is—whether it’s going out and dancing to great music, seeing the fashion choices people are making, sitting at one of my favorite cafés and Shazaming the music they’re playing, or eating delicious food. The city is a constant source of inspiration.
WWD: If money was no object, and you could choose anywhere in the world to live, where would that be and why?
I would stay in New York and get a second home, maybe in Vermont or Big Sur, California. I’d love to have the city and the country, without trying to combine both into one.
WWD: How long have you been making music? What was your first step as a producer?
I’ve been making music for 25 years now, which is crazy to say. I grew up playing guitar but realized I was better suited as a producer around age 16, so I started sampling loops into a little Gemini DJ mixer I had, by playing drums and guitar into it.
WWD: What kind of artists, DJs, genres were you into growing up?
I went from being really into grunge, then classic rock, jazz, rap, dancehall, and eventually discovered dance music in college, when I was exposed to artists like LCD Soundsystem, Goldfrapp, Cut Copy, etc. I was going to a club in Brooklyn called Studio B at the time, and it definitely felt like a golden age for the resurgence of dance music in America.
WWD: Who are the artists that you follow right now?
I’m into so many different types of music, and often I’m just listening on shuffle. It can range from bands like Beach House to Suicide to Koreless to 90s rave YouTube playlists. With dance music, I find it’s more track-to-track, but I’m really into DJs like John Talabot, Traxx, and CCL right now.
WWD: What is the most recent record you purchased or downloaded?
Mystery Friend – Robotico Sintetico
WWD: If you could choose a few words to describe the vibe of Salt Queen, what would they be?
Salty club takes on dance music, from a female perspective.
WWD: Can you tell us about the birth of Salt Queen and its members?
Salt Queen is Magali van Caloen and I. Magali put out a great album, and I thought her vocals could sound really interesting in a different context. The first night she came to my studio, we recorded three tracks, one of which became our debut release, ‘ARE U OK.’ I played her the instrumental, and she improvised lyrics on the spot. The first thing she said was, “Hey… how are you feeling… you look pretty f*&%d up.” I was obsessed with that and knew we had something special.
WWD: Talk to us about the new release. Did you experience that night out?
I think it’s an exaggeration of a night that we’ve all experienced in one way or another—you’re meeting a stranger in the club who’s out of their head, and you’re cycling through cliché club conversations together until somebody spirals out and it’s time to go home. The fun part of the track to me is that you don’t know what’s real and what’s a hallucination—who the crazy one actually is.
WWD: Where did the story come from?
It really came from that initial improvisation in the studio, and then us just trying to make the lyrics cohesive and memorable… familiar but funny and unpredictable.
WWD: What are you most proud of with this release?
That we finished it.
WWD: What was the most challenging part of bringing the release together?
The most challenging thing was trying to make other tracks on the EP that worked alongside it but didn’t steal the show. Ultimately, we decided to just do an alternate remix that works really well and save the rest for upcoming EPs.
WWD: There’s not enough people making acid right now. Do you intend to make more soon?
I love acid. I didn’t necessarily set out to make an acid record, but my friend Greg Paulus had a really killer bassline on a different track of his that I knew would sound cool on the 303. That synth is just so fun to play with—so yeah, I’m sure I’ll be making more acid soon.
WWD: Can you tell us a little about Samples From Mars?
Samples From Mars originally began as a sample label. We create sample packs out of vintage drum machines and synthesizers, press our own vinyl, etc. The goal was always for it to also become a music label, and now it is—this is the label’s second release. The first was Video Burnout, which is a project with me and my friend Adam. The record label is a place to showcase the different music I’m making with friends.
WWD: What’s your sample business and how can folks find you?
You can find us here: instagram.com/samplesfrommars and here: samplesfrommars.com. Say hi.
WWD: What drives you to create music?
What really inspires me is seeing people react to the music I make—and dance music is the best for that, because you can see people dancing to it in the club, and you can dance with them.
WWD: What has been one of your favourite moments from the past year?
I was in Woodstock, NY at an amazing studio called Dreamland, which is a converted church from the early 1900s. I lived there for a week with a band, producing their album, and it was one of the most enjoyable moments of my life. I hope to do more of that.
WWD: Where do you find inspiration when it comes to discovering new music?
I find the most inspiring music when I’m just going about my normal life, not necessarily when I’m seeking it out—like at a coffee shop, when a friend plays me something, or when I’m out dancing.
WWD: What can we hope to see next from Salt Queen?
Definitely another record—we already have a few in the works.
WWD: We can’t wait to hear! Thanks for the chat 🙂
‘ARE U OK’ is available here