This Playlist by SISSY MISFIT Might Give You a Heart Attack

Photo courtesy of SISSY MISFIT.

This is SOUND ADVICE, a weekly destination for playlists curated by Interview’s friends, enemies, and lovers. Over the past few weeks, we’ve gathered playlists from Genesys, Thugpop, and Dasha. This week’s guest is SISSY MISFIT, the Turkish doll and DJ who specializes in screamo-pop and earned the endorsement of none other than Rick Owens, who tapped the musician for his Dr. Martens collaboration earlier this year. Across a decade in London and Istanbul’s underground music scenes, Sissy’s carved out a sound that’s a bit like Lady Gaga on poppers; her music has Owens wanting to “dance naked in the woods at midnight,” he’s said. To mark the release of her debut album EXXXOSKELETON, out today, she curated a playlist whose average BPM might send someone into cardiac arrest. In our accompanying Sound Advice questionnaire, Sissy revealed what she’s wearing to the end of the world and told us about her admiration for Yoko Ono.

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Where do you dance? I love a club but dancing at home is underrated. I love dancing in my room or with my girls in their kitchen. 

The world is ending. What are you wearing? I’m in a silk g-string, black tapes in the shape of X on my tits, a tall lace veil almost touching the ground, 10-inch heels. My big wrap-around shades are on, I just have a smudged purple lipstick and I’m having my last cigarette watching it end. 

Sunglasses inside: yes or no? Always a yes, because I’m not a huge fan of eye-contact. 

What was your first concert? Oh my god, the first ever proper concert I have went on my own was David Guetta in Istanbul, stop! I was under 18 but my friend who worked there sneaked me in haha. But I have been to so many underground bar and pub gigs before that, I don’t remember what was the first one. 

Name your favorite artist no one knows about: Moon Kiddo (or as known as Heghuk or Osilat0r or Not That Clown)—and not that no one knows about her but not enough people know about her craft. Her work as an artist has always had a huge impact on me. 

What song do you have on repeat? “Faster Kill Pussycat” by Paul Oakenfold featuring Brittany Murphy. 

Bluetooth or wired headphones? Love a wire. 

Where do you find new music? I’m open-minded about the fact that I can find it anywhere so I don’t limit myself to one thing. I am always on rotation with all of my accounts on Bandcamp, Soundcloud, Spotify and YouTube. Though in my honest opinion, finding music on YouTube is the coolest. My YouTube playlists are my fave.  

Best movie needle-drop of all time? Jawbreaker! When Rose McGowan and the girls are gagged by the twist, the polaroid hits the floor and “Volcano Girls” by Veruca Salt starts banging as we watch the creation process of a real jawbreaker in factory. I can’t! Gonna watch it again now. Thats a needle-drop right? Or when “The Comeback” by Franz Waxman hits its dramatic peak while Gloria Swanson manically moves directly into the camera in Sunset Boulevard! 

Dream collaboration? A music video directed by Shozin Fukui to a song I have produced with HDMIRROR and we have Kim Gordon and Lady Gaga on the vocals.  

Favorite Rick Owens piece that you own? My thigh-high boots that he so kindly gave to me!  

What do you listen to when you’re high? Hmm, I don’t know. This question is confusing for me to answer, high on what? Which one? Usually something up-tempo though, even when it’s a downer.  

What song on this playlist makes you cry? “Down by the Down” by Sunfear.

How did growing up in both the UK and Istanbul influence your music? Being able to experience different scenes and musical cultures has been so eye opening and inspiring, of course. As my mind is really open and broad about what it can take inspiration from, it has been a pleasant experience artistically and creatively. But the strongest is the stories. Stories I write by just being, stories written by others that I explore, stories I hear and stories possible. 

Favorite Yoko Ono performance?  If I need to be formal on this answer: Cut Piece in my opinion is really strong and groundbreaking for the time it happened. Also when she performed “Shock!” with John Cage. But if I can be a bit more honest in my answer and get personal: she is one of those people whose entire life is a one big performance art piece. So it is hard to pinpoint what is her highlight, it’s not meant to be understood or seen that way. Her sitting in a room full of the Beatles even though she is not wanted there and making noises throughout a rehearsal is a piece. Her curating shows but making the visitors complete her pieces is a piece. Her entering art spaces and screaming at the top of her lungs is a piece. Her sticking around doing exactly what she wants to do after decades of being treated so roughly by everyone is a piece. She is my favorite performance.  

How did you start organizing your CEHENNEM events? I realized that it was not an available platform at the time I moved to London. A night dedicated to live music by electronic music producers, specifically trans and queer artists. So I just decided to give it a try and the first one was in a small pub in Stoke Newington. It was a huge joy for me so I just kept going. And now I’m happily doing it for more than a year with the help of some beautiful friends and amazing artists!