This is an incredible story behind DJ and producer Sofia Kourtesis’ Madres album from last year, which has been playing regularly since its release. It’s so warm and calming.

The interview covers a lot of ground including leaving Peru for Berlin because of the homophobia in the Catholic Church (theme?), how the atmosphere in the two countries affect the songwriting process, finding positivity and gratitude in hardship, and she gives some depth to the tracks on the album.

The keystone bit is about a finding out about her mother’s cancer and trying to land an appointment with one of the three neurosurgeons that could help, who she describes sweetly as “a very friendly UFO”.

To get an appointment with him was so hard because…sometimes he has like 12 or 13 operations in one day, and this tumour in my mom was in a very dangerous place…I was running out of time…I wrote on instagram, “Whoever gets me an appointment with Peter Vajkoczy I will name a track after him”… and then he wrote me a DM and said “What do you need?”

…and having a dozen neuroscientists raving at one of her shows. It’s stranger than fiction, and there are more twists and turns in the story that are covered in the interview (spoiler: her mom survived).

She also references Run Lola Run a few times, which I saw in theatres and watched with my kid a couple of years ago. Both the film and the soundtrack stand up very well 20 plus years later, and the soundtrack doesn’t seem to be available on streaming platforms.