Rising DJ and producer Planet Zuzy sends listeners over the moon with her breakout debut single "Higher". She was born in Poland and spent her childhood moving from Spain to China, Mexico, and eventually to Switzerland, where she connected with her mentor. In 2019, she found her way to New York for college, and by 2021, the DJ was playing sets in the city's hottest clubs and festivals. Although she's lived in many different places, music has become both a constant and a home for Zuzy. The creative transports fans to Planet Zuzy, a musical space that transcends geographical barriers.
It doesn't take a rocket scientist to understand why Planet Zuzy's entrancing sound has listeners seeing stars. Electrifying single "Higher" boasts bouncy bass and infectiously catchy synth melodies. Zuzy keeps things fresh with floating, celestial vocals and dynamic beat drops. The tune blends pop sensibilities with bold trance flair. Whether you're here on Earth or somewhere in a galaxy far, far away, get ready to put on your moon boots and dance to this planetary party track. With new music on the way and a future brighter than the sun, we're expecting great things from Planet Zuzy. Fasten your seatbelt and get ready for liftoff; you won't want to miss the launch of this rave rocketship!
We sat down with Planet Zuzy to talk about the global dance music scene, "Higher", and upcoming releases. Read the full interview below and keep up with Zuzy's latest adventures via IG. Let us know what you think.
Tell us about your childhood living in different places around the world. How did this impact your views on music?
Looking back at it now, I'm extremely thankful. I don't think I would be the person that I am today if it weren't for my family and me moving so much. It exposed me to so many new and unknown things. I had to learn to adapt quickly. It was awesome—I mean, I have so many stories to tell, memories to look back on, and friends I've made. But when you're in your early teens, it can be really tough. We usually moved in the middle of the year, so I'd be the new kid in January.
Let's face it, no one likes to be the new kid, especially if you're the only one. I think the hardest part, though, was leaving the place we were settled in. It often felt like the worst possible timing; right when I found my place, I had to do it all over again. Music was my only constant. I was exposed to it at a very young age. My mom is a dancer and my dad is a rock fanatic. For the first 10 years of my life, I followed in my mom's footsteps, and that's how I connected with music. As we started moving around, I slowly began to take on different instruments. First came the piano, then ironically, DJing. After that, I tried the drums and guitar, until I started singing.
The same goes for my taste in music. I started off with R&B, a bit of rock 'n roll, then had a long phase of EDM, followed by hip-hop, and then, again, back to EDM. Funny how life works like that sometimes… I think it made me look at music the same way I look at life—with a lot of appreciation, empathy, and consideration. Just because I don't like something doesn't mean I don't appreciate how it was made or why someone created it.
At what point did you know you wanted to pursue music professionally?
Oh man, I don't think there was one specific moment. I started to really consider it when I was deciding what to study in college. Music was an obvious choice, but I didn't know what exactly within music interested me. At that time, every program at every school I looked at felt like I had to give a definitive answer—composition, jazz studies, guitar, production, musical theater—there were so many options. When it came down to actually choosing where I wanted to go, I came across a program at NYU that was very holistic. This school had options. You majored in Recorded Music and studied every part of the industry.
I guess that's when I decided I wanted to do it professionally? Kind of? But I also shifted to the business side for most of that time and even ran a fashion brand for a bit. It wasn't until my senior year when I got back to DJing. As soon as I touched the decks, that was it. All or nothing. The funny thing is, my best friend manifested it happening. Throughout college, she would tell me that I should get back to DJing, and here we are.
"As soon as I touched the decks, that was it. All or nothing."
How did the name “Planet Zuzy” come about? What does it mean for you?
In all honesty, I don't remember the exact moment I came up with it. I started going by "Zuzy" at first. I think it was when I started producing electronic music that I really came up with it. I knew I didn't want to use a different name or some random alias. I always had a weird relationship with my name. My actual name was pretty difficult to pronounce once I left Poland, so I've been through a few of them haha. Anyways, I really wanted to try and visualize my brand and found that there were so many branches, it could never really be "summarized." I guess that made me think of a planet, always adapting, diverse, and mysterious. I'm also deeply inspired by outer space and nature.
How did you first become involved in the electronic dance music scene?
Well, conveniently, I was living in Beijing where the EDM scene is pretty epic. I was probably a bit too young, but that was just how it worked there. I don't think I can remember a single time I was IDed, which helped. This was 2012-13, so I was maybe 12 or 13? All of the most popular nightclubs I'd go to with my friends happened to pretty much only book the coolest DJs in EDM. I'm talking Armin Van Buuren, young Martin Garrix, Steve Aoki, etc. I was addicted. I really didn't care about drinking, smoking, or anything like that. I would sneak out of my parents' house purely to go see my friends and see those DJs play. It was epic, and I'll never forget it.
What role has mentorship played in your career so far?
I've been lucky enough to have a few great mentors, all of whom have really impacted my life both personally and professionally, for which I'm very grateful. However, there is one in particular who changed my life. He inspired me to pursue music in the first place. Mr. Gaston was my music teacher in high school, and I owe him a whole lot. His entire approach to music was unlike any other I had ever experienced. He lived and breathed it and represented the ultimate class of music, with the highest level of respect and passion for it. I went to a small boarding school, so the nature of our relationship was also very different—it wasn't just student and teacher. He uncovered my deep desire for music that I think I was afraid to face at the time.
He's the one who sat me down in the little recording studio my school had, opened up Logic, and quite literally said, "here you go, have fun." He was tough on me but never failed to motivate me to keep going, keep discovering, learning, and practicing. Looking back at it now, the thing I appreciate the most and how it has impacted my career is that he made me do a lot of things I did not want to do, like singing at 7AM on a Monday in front of the entire school, but he never questioned what song I wanted to sing. He gave me guided freedom. I don't think he ever thought I'd end up being a DJ though... I'm very curious to know what he would say.
Share about your debut single, “Higher”. What’s the song about?
I don't think the song is "about" anything really; it's open to interpretation. That's the beauty of dance music with very minimal lyrics. I'm referring to the VIP edit here, which, by the way, is the original version of it and definitely my favorite. I produced the track last summer; it was kind of my first time really producing original music for Planet Zuzy. I really wanted to attempt to recreate the feeling I had years ago when I first listened to dance music and when I got my first set of decks. I was around eight? I actually found the decks a few days before that, and all those memories started to rush back, so that's what inspired the song. I chose to use the vocals in the radio edit because I feel like they offered a nice contrast to the song. They're quite sad, talking about the feeling you get when you show someone so much love, but they don't show it back as much as you need or want them to. "Higher" is really all about the melody, though. I like to think it takes you on a journey and makes you feel like you're flying. It sounds a bit nuts, but hey, I just want to move people in some sort of way with my music.
"I produced the track last summer; it was kind of my first time really producing original music for Planet Zuzy. I really wanted to attempt to recreate the feeling I had years ago when I first listened to dance music and when I got my first set of decks."
Describe your songwriting and music production process.
Good question. Unfortunately, I don't have the privilege of focusing on music and music only at the moment, so I'd say my process is a bit random. I kind of make music whenever I can, but it's hard to do when you have a bunch of other things that need just as much attention going on. But when I do produce, it's always off of some burst of inspiration. I flesh out an idea pretty quickly, lay down some drums, and focus around a vocal or particular melody. I tend to have a feeling whether it's something I want to keep working on pretty quickly. The bright side of not having as much time as you want is that it really makes you value the time you do have, so I've learned to let go of demos that just aren't hitting right and move on. Other than that, each record is different, so I don't really have a given process, per se.
Speak to your experience as a woman in the EDM industry.
I haven't been in the space long enough to really give an insightful answer, so ask me again in five years. But it can be intimidating to enter a space that's dominated by men. I've definitely been in situations that were unfair, to say the least, but I try to look at the whole thing as having a significant advantage. I’m not saying it's an easy thing to do, but I really like to prove people wrong. One thing that does tend to piss me off is when people call me a female DJ; just say DJ. We don't call guys male DJs, do we? The beauty in there being significantly fewer women in the industry is that there is so much space for us to come in and dominate, which wouldn't be possible without the iconic DJs that opened doors for girls like me.
What advice do you have for young girls hoping to pursue a career in music?
Take your time in finding the right people around you, people who will one day make up your team. That will be one of the most important things that can take your career to the next level and make it way more enjoyable. You have to truly trust the people you work closely with. I learned this the hard way. As artists, we're sensitive people, and we take things more personally. We're artists because we have a burning urge to move people. However, people within the industry will be very quick to take advantage and manipulate you to benefit their own interests. But that's also just the reality of life. Lastly, confidence is key. Carry yourself with the respect you deserve.
"...Confidence is key. Carry yourself with the respect you deserve."
What differences have you experienced between global music markets? What are some similarities?
Generally speaking, I think new genres are built and developed outside of the US, but the biggest market is the US. I haven't expanded outside of the US much yet, and that's something I'm so excited about, especially when it comes to EDM. It's really interesting to look at, though. I think in Europe, for example, each country has such a rich music scene that revolves around so many different genres. The question that's asked here (in the US) the most is what's going to sell the most records, whereas in Europe, I think there's a lot more room for up-and-coming artists to break through. It's a lot less focused on commercial success. In the US, however, if you do manage to break out... oof, the rest of the world is at your disposal.
What’s next for Planet Zuzy?
New music and new music only. Well, that's easier said than done, but once I sort out my visa situation here and am free to travel wherever I wish, then I'll be deep diving into producing, and hopefully, answering the question I ask myself every day: is it finally time to do this full time? Expect a lot of new music, hopefully a tour, and just so many more amazing shows. In the future, expect a label, a brand, sick merch, and hopefully–fingers crossed on this one–my own curated festival. That's always been a big dream, so we'll see.
How can fans best support your craft and goals of attaining a US visa?
Honestly, it's really out of our control at this point, but the love and support I've been receiving these past few weeks after dropping "Higher" has been overwhelmingly beautiful. All I'll say is keep streaming, come out to shows, say “hi”. Don't be afraid to reach out to me if you want to connect, I do my best to reply and chat with as many of you as possible.
Who are three other artists or industry professionals you’d like to see covered in Enharmonic Magazine next?
You guys should definitely talk to Avante, a phenomenal DJ and entrepreneur who co-founded POSH VIP. Brandon Rosen, I swear he'll be the next John Mayer, an incredible up and coming artist. And finally, I think it would be awesome for you guys to sit down with Hannah Laing; I'm a huge fan of hers.
Is there anything else you’d like people to know about you?
Maybe some fun facts? I'm a big car freak and F1 fan. I love skiing and scuba diving, there's something about the contrast of the two of those that is just so exhilarating to me.