SJ yellow: Club crisis as an opportunity for the local scene

by Kristina Kratochvilová

From club closings to big festival stages, all the way to the second OKNO by Alexmonhart in Holešovice. Slovak DJ and promoter Martina Piatková, performing as SJ yellow, has in recent years become one of the most prominent figures of Prague’s electronic scene—both behind the decks and as the driving force behind her own events.

How does the mindset differ when playing in an intimate club versus on a huge festival stage? How does she cope with the pressure of expectations and her own DJ crisis? What impact does the current club crisis have—and why might it also be an opportunity for the local scene? And what differences does she see between Prague and Bratislava?

During the summer, you played at club nights, your own noRemorse party, and at the Pohoda and Pop Messe festivals. Does your mindset shift between an intimate club and a huge festival stage?

Definitely. At Pohoda, I played for one of my biggest audiences. I went on after VTSS, who mixes across many genres. I chose trance, techno, and bounce, trying to create a happy and positive vibe. Plus, I had the last set of the night, so I wanted people to leave in a good mood and head back to the tent city with good energy.

I always think about where and for whom I’m playing. In clubs, I usually choose more underground tracks and avoid bootlegs and remixes. The audience there is mostly made up of regulars—seasoned techno listeners—so I can go deeper into a style and they really appreciate it. On the other hand, when I play for a broader audience—at a festival or event where not everyone is a dedicated techno listener—I often add a familiar track or remix to make sure it works for everyone.

At Roxy, you played after the Italian duo 999999999. What was that like for you?

Before the set, I did some research to see what they’re playing now. I’ve known them for a long time—back around 2018, I used to play their tracks, but back then they were producing slower stuff around 130 BPM, completely different from today. It’s wild how much they’ve evolved.

The Nines played hard techno at Roxy from start to finish. Personally, I didn’t want to play just hard techno, so I went in a different direction—adding psytrance, gabber, and other hardstyle influences. I like to offer the audience something unexpected. When I first played at Roxy, I was told that people usually only stay for the headliner and leave before the closing DJs. That’s why I was so happy that a good number of people stayed with me until the very end.

Do you ever get nervous before performing, especially when you’re playing after artists you’ve admired for a long time?

At the beginning of my career, I never got nervous. But this summer, for the first time, I went through a personal DJ crisis. I was under enormous stress the whole week before Pohoda. People already know me, they have expectations, and I don’t want to disappoint them. At the same time, I’m evolving as an artist—I don’t want to play the same things over and over, but I’m still searching for where I’m headed and what I want to put out there.

When I was preparing my set at home, I tried different genres, but nothing felt right. I kept switching, which only made it worse. I had three playlists ready with different styles and in the end I just picked from them on the spot, depending on my mood. Looking back, I was satisfied, I enjoyed the set, and I realized I’d been nervous for no reason.

Honestly, I think a certain amount of stress—whether it’s stage fright, excitement, or performance anxiety—is completely natural and part of the job. As an artist, you just have to learn how to work with it.

You released your first original track, almost banger. Are you planning more original music?

Yes. Together with my partner TMK, we’re preparing our first EP called Opinium. As the producer-DJ duo PAY2PLAY—a fresh new project we’ll be gradually introducing—we’re bringing three original tracks and two remixes by French producer VOST and Ostrava’s Leafur. The release has been slightly delayed, but it should be out on our label noRemorse RAVE at the end of October or beginning of November.

Also, on October 10, our Baguwix remix for the Ostrava duo Chryzotil271 (Hardlover & Leafur) will be released. I’m really excited about that track and can’t wait for it to come out officially. The whole Mimikry album is distinctive and timeless—I definitely recommend giving it a listen.

In recent years, bookings have been heavily influenced by social media numbers. How do you feel about that?

Unfortunately, it’s a big struggle for me. I probably need someone to manage my socials. It’s trendy now for DJs to record video invites for every event—but what are you supposed to say? “Hi, I’m SJ yellow, come see me, I’d love to see you”? That’s obvious. A rapper can do it stylishly, but with techno it feels forced.

What kind of content do you think makes sense for DJs?

I’d love for music to be the priority again. Too often I see DJs making random videos just to go viral. I get that it boosts numbers, but it doesn’t say anything about their music. For me, the ideal content is always musical—recording tracks, mixing, playing sets. When I was discovering new DJs, I mainly used Soundcloud. Today, people’s eyes are on TikTok and Instagram. I have to adapt, even if it makes me a bit sad.

Another hot topic is the representation of Eastern European artists on Western lineups, where they often appear only marginally. Do you feel that’s changing?

I think so. It’s partly because of the club crisis. Fewer visitors mean less money, so promoters are booking cheaper names. That’s why they’re turning to Eastern European artists more often.

So the club crisis could actually be an opportunity for the local scene?

Yes. Our artists don’t charge as much as DJs from France or Germany, where prices are often inflated. For example, this year in Altenburg I mainly booked local DJs, and it had a positive impact on the scene. After the pandemic, we were all booking a lot of Western names—sometimes two or three headliners at once—and there was no space for locals. That’s changing now. And I’d also add: we have so many great artists and collectives here. There’s plenty to choose from.

The club crisis has been a big talking point on the Prague scene recently, especially around Ankali and their Emergency Call. But it’s not just a handful of clubs, is it?

Definitely not. It’s global. I talked to people in Berlin who told me some clubs stopped doing Thursday nights because attendance dropped. And events are just so expensive now. When I started out, I went to parties in Berlin with international lineups for 12 euros. Today, some cost fifty. Costs have gone up—electricity, inflation—and that all trickles down to the music.

In Prague, ticket prices recently have ranged between 300 and 500 CZK. As promoters, we always try to release at least some cheaper tickets—either early birds or community presale. The problem is, many people only decide last minute, and by then the tickets are more expensive.

How has the local scene changed since you started DJing?

I’ve been DJing since 2018 and living in Prague since 2019. The biggest difference is how much weight is now placed on social media numbers. I get that promoters want to fill clubs, but lately it feels over the top.

People also go home earlier, so closings are emptier. We used to wrap up at 7–8 a.m., now it’s usually around 6, sometimes even 5. Alcohol consumption is also dropping—the younger generation doesn’t drink as much, which is positive in itself. But financially, it’s tricky. If a party isn’t that successful, the bar sales often cover the costs, and that model doesn’t work as well anymore.

The solution could be to expand the offering of quality non-alcoholic drinks, smoothies, maybe even food. But what would really help are bigger subsidies or other forms of external funding, so we can keep cultural spaces alive while keeping tickets affordable.

How do you see the trend of daytime raves?

I’d love to do them. But from my experience, people don’t really show up until around 6 p.m., when it starts to get dark. The hours between 2 and 6 p.m. are usually slow, at least at the events I’ve organized so far.

Why did you leave Slovakia?

I always knew I didn’t want to live there. I’m from Poprad, and the environment felt very limiting. Even as a teenager, I knew I wanted to get out. I imagined I’d go further than Prague, but I ended up here—and I’m happy.

Do you notice differences between the Prague and Bratislava scenes?

Definitely. There’s just a thousand times more going on in Prague. When I played in Slovakia in 2022–23, I never played straight-up techno. I always went a bit off, and sometimes people didn’t get it. Some DJs even asked me why I played certain remixes, saying I didn’t need to. I feel like only now the Slovak scene is starting to open up to genres beyond classic techno, while in Prague you have everything—hyperpop, breakbeat, techno.

Why do you think there’s less diversity in Slovakia?

There are very few clubs in Bratislava, and those in the center have to close around 3 a.m. On top of that, there were frequent police raids. Groups of officers with dogs would come in, and everyone had to stand against the wall. I vividly remember one raid during an OLAM event with Anthony Rother. You plan something like that for months, and then this happens. Instead of a good party, you go home traumatized. (see RA article: https://ra.co/news/81375)

That kind of environment doesn’t support a scene. After experiences like that, you really think twice about whether it’s worth investing in an expensive event that might not even happen the way you want.

At Fuchs, we’ve already had several police checks this year. A group of officers with rifles slung over their shoulders came in, allegedly to check ages. The whole situation was extremely unpleasant—and the weapons only made it worse.

Do you listen to fast-paced techno outside of clubs?

All the time. I love emotional jungle, for example, when I need an energy boost. I usually listen to full sets, not individual tracks—but choosing one is like picking a film on Netflix.

Outside of electronic music, I listen to R&B, old rap and hip hop, and funk. Everything from the seventies, and from rap, acts like Supercroo.

And finally: Alexmonhart has a fragrance collection for different personality types—The Raver, The Thinker, The Ritualist, The Minimalist, The Dreamer, and The Avantgardist. Which one are you?

Definitely The Thinker. I’m a big overthinker—my mind is always racing, and I often can’t sleep because of it.