One woman, many tasks and a good network

Christin Busch

The most difficult question you could ask her is about her profession. Christin Busch is a multi-talent. She owns a textile shop on Brühl, runs the office of the Chemnitz Artists' Association, spins as DJ Cath Boo, for example at the KammerMachen theatre festival this weekend, and founded the women's network DIEDA together with a friend. Between turntables and embroidered cushions, she still answers the difficult question of what she does for a living.

You have a cosy studio and your shop Mondtaler in Johann-von-Zimmermann-Straße. What do you make?
Christin Busch: I primarily work as a textile designer, which is what I studied. My shop is a studio, embroidery and boutique. I have developed my own small collection under the name Mondtaler and embroider various fabrics. I accept orders, such as the finishing of textiles, alterations and the production of home textiles. Anything that can be realised with a needle and thread.

How do you get the orders?
I work with advertising agencies or I get private enquiries that often result from word of mouth. So far, I haven't had to do much advertising at all. I'm here in the studio three days a week and I can work through the requests pretty well.

When did you decide in favour of Chemnitz and the Brühl?
I came here in 2001. I trained as a design assistant here. My very first flat was in the neighbourhood, in Elisenstraße. When I was looking for a flat, I fell in love with Brühl, which was a very derelict area. I liked being right in the centre of the city and I could see that something had to happen here. And the favourable opportunity arose for me to combine working and living here.

You originally come from Johanngeorgenstadt. Was Chemnitz the closest regional centre?
I feel connected to Chemnitz, even though I wasn't born and raised here. But my friends are here, I make my music here. It could never have developed like this where I come from. But big cities have never appealed to me either, I prefer things to be more manageable. In every big city, like Hamburg and Berlin, you only live in your neighbourhood. Here there is a mixture of metropolitan flair, proximity to the village and greenery. I'm also close to my family here.

What else attracted you to Chemnitz?
There was something to do here. You could watch, be part of and contribute to something happening here. During my internship, for example, I witnessed how Peggy Albrecht set up her shop Spangeltangel. That impressed me and I learnt a lot from it.

Did you also want to shake up the music scene in Chemnitz?
That also developed. In the beginning, I was only a guest in clubs. The Cube Club was just round the corner and I was allowed to try out a real club set-up for the first time. Back then, while the club was still being cleaned from the pre-party. I slowly got to grips with it in a coffee bean rhythm.

How did you start your DJ career?
I actually come from a hip-hop background and created a lot of mixes. That then developed more and more into electronic music. I put my music online via Soundcloud. A friend of mine listened to it and was totally surprised by what I was doing. He booked me for the KammerMachen theatre festival. That was my first electronic gig. I was torn back and forth. I asked myself: Do I actually want to do this? To be the centre of attention like that. But it was a really nice experience. The café in the Weltecho simply has flair. This was immediately followed by gigs in Plauen. And from then on it was clear that it was more than just a hobby.

Memories of the first gig will be brought back on Friday 14 October. That's when DJ Cath Boo will be playing at Weltecho for the tenth edition of KammerMachen. Her music will be supported by a light performance by Claudia Reh. "I'm currently preparing a set that will probably accompany her live performance," reveals Christin Busch. "And I'll be DJing at the after-show party." The theatre festival starts on Tuesday with Gabi Reinhardt's theatre performance and offers various theatre, music and dance formats at Weltecho until Saturday.

What does this musical work mean to you?
For me, it's a kind of meditation. Others go to choir or do sport. And when I'm at the turntables, I'm fully focussed. I often have stage fright. I want to deliver one hundred thousand per cent. The hour before the gig, I'm very excited and ask myself why I'm doing this. As soon as I put the headphones on, I realise why.

Your musical career is also closely linked to the women's network DIEDA. You founded the network together with Lisa Haupt, who is on the road as DJ Liza Main. How did that come about?
I met Lisa at a Treibsand event and was totally shocked that there was another female DJ in Chemnitz and that we didn't know anything about each other. Nobody knew her name. We met again by chance at Atomino and that's where I approached her. A month later, we played together at Citylights. And from then on, we started thinking about who else was doing something along these lines and would fit in with us.

Who is involved in DIEDA?
We are a community of interest. Nine women in total, from a tattoo artist to photographers, a composer, three DJs and a freelance theatre performer. Each of us is a maker and doesn't need any special support. But because we work together, we can all do more than we could alone.

How does your work at the Chemnitzer Künstlerbund fit into your musical and creative life?
The management of the Chemnitz Artists' Association requires my organisational skills. I'm a person who loves order and I can put that to good use there. I submit funding applications, do the accounts and typical office work. That grounds me. I need all three pillars. It all has to do with creative thinking and structuring. Without one of them, my life wouldn't feel as good.

Do you have to encourage the people of Chemnitz?
I think it's a generational issue. Those who grew up here and have been here for a long time are incredibly sceptical about the city. Just like in an old relationship, they know the city's quirks and weaknesses. I deliberately chose to be here and to stay. I feel like many others of my generation: we see it as an opportunity. There's potential here. I can develop here. Once you get off your arse, you can do something here. Then you won't get lost in the crowd.