From the ethereal shadows of Darkwave to the visceral pulses of EBM and industrial Techno, Zanias has carved a singular path through the electronic underground. Known for her haunting voice, emotionally charged lyrics, and immersive performances, she’s spent the last decade shaping a sound that feels both deeply personal and powerfully otherworldly.
Now, with the launch of her new alias Serpentskin, she steps onto the dancefloor with a more club-driven edge, melding trance euphoria with industrial grit. We sat down with her to discuss this new chapter, the concept behind Serpentskin, and how it coexists with the world of Zanias.
Dirty Epic: You’ve been active under the Zanias alias for nearly a decade now. How has your artistic identity evolved since your first solo releases?
Zanias: It’s evolved beyond anything I could have imagined, but it’s the kind of self-discovery that’s super rewarding. A lot of the change has been led by me letting go of a certain identity I carved out in my late teens / early twenties. I think during that phase of life we get a little preoccupied with looking ‘cool’ and haven’t yet learned the power of being entirely and unreservedly ourselves. Through shedding that we can gain such beautiful confidence in everything we do. I used to feel so insecure about the music I made, and almost found the process a little torturous, but now I can honestly say that the music I make is my favourite music and the process of making it is something that I absolutely live for. And I’m confident this feeling is reflected in the quality of my output. I’ve carved out a unique niche that I’m really proud of.
Dirty Epic: Echoing to your past release, the term ‘ecdysis’ refers to the shedding of an outer layer. Does Serpentskin symbolize a shedding or transformation in your musical journey? Will your label Fleisch be opened to new horizons through this vector?
Zanias: It does somewhat reflect that. I think even more so, I just felt like it was time to separate the singer from the DJ. There’s quite a chasm between the two worlds I inhabit, and it’s only grown bigger as my taste has developed. Once I locked back into my love of trance (which was the original electronic music that got me hooked when I was just 11 years old, listening to my sister’s Gatecrasher compilations on scratched up CDs), it felt like the natural moment to make the separation official.
I started opening Fleisch up to new horizons as soon as I released ‘Chrysalis’ and departed from the confines of the darkwave/EBM realm. I don’t actually feel like anything I do is a part of that now, but it’s almost like a literal brand, like the kind that’s burned into one’s flesh, that you can never wash off and it’s hard to communicate to the world that it’s not who you are anymore. I hope eventually it is clear enough!
Dirty Epic: You’ve always blurred the line between introspection and catharsis through your music and you’ve spoken about immersing yourself in natural environments, like the Australian rainforest, to inspire your music. Did any particular environments or experiences influence the creation of Serpentskin and bring any emotional impulses?
Zanias: Totally, yes. Regarding the name: early last year I was at my parents’ place in Queensland, Australia, and we found a wild python had laid eggs in our garage. Luckily we happened to have not one but two reptile experts and professional snake wranglers over at the time (my family has pretty cool friends!), and they pulled her out of this bag of mulch that she was incubating her eggs inside. She was surprisingly friendly and slithered straight up the arm of one of their coats. They offered to hand her over to me so I could experience what it’s like to hold a snake and I couldn’t say no. So they draped her around me like a cloak and she hung out there happily, climbing higher up my body and onto my head. Every time I spoke she tightened her grip around my neck a little, but she wasn’t being aggressive at all. The encounter was awe-inspiring in the way I felt like I was in the presence of such power and beauty all at once. A few weeks later one of our friends returned with the babies he’d successfully hatched from the eggs and we set them free in the forest next to our house, and that again was super special. Holding a dozen writhing predators in one’s hand isn’t something you get to do every day. Most would probably become food for kookaburras within a few days but I like to imagine at least one got to grow up and might turn up back in our garage one day.
So that experience got me feeling an affinity and fascination with snakes that I hadn’t felt before. I’m not really into zodiac stuff, but in Chinese astrology I was born in the year of the snake, which also happens to be the year 2025, so it felt kind of fitting also to embrace that with this project that was launching at this time.
I like to allow myself to be guided by little things like this. I’ve also started planning my release dates with significant moon phases or anniversaries. All part of the process of deepening the lore.
On the musical side of things, I had a few very special DJ gigs that left me feeling an urge to contribute a specific sound to the culture. One of them was in Sri Lanka with my friends Phase Fatale and Pablo Bozzi, and another was in Melbourne supporting Ancient Methods for my friends at Doom Gen. I just felt so invigorated by connecting with the crowd with this specific vibe and realised there didn’t seem to be much out there that sounded exactly like I wanted it to. It was time to make it myself. I really have to thank Pablo Bozzi and Kris Baha for their feedback during the creation process, since they really helped maximise the potential just with a few key pieces of advice.
Dirty Epic: Will there be a distinct visual or stage identity tied to Serpentskin, separate from Zanias, since you shoot your own music videos?
Zanias: I feel like Serpentskin certainly has a particular aesthetic that’s a little more futuristic and cyberpunk, while Zanias is now evolving into something a little more medieval and apocalyptic. It’s not something I’m too conscious of; I just follow my taste and what feels right at the time. The stage identity is also about practicality. For example, I can’t wear a kimono sleeve while I DJ, or I could end up knocking the faders! Learned that the hard way…
Dirty Epic: The EP blends trance, darkwave, and industrial with a club-oriented sensibility. How did you approach building this hybrid sound?
Zanias: I just did what I’ve been doing with Zanias tracks lately regarding the melodies and vocal processing but built it around the structure of a 4/4 kick with offbeat hats and rolling basslines. Beyond that, there was nothing particularly intentional about the process. I always work with the philosophy that I’m ‘discovering’ what a track is supposed to sound like rather than creating the track myself. It’s like birthing something that already knows what it is, and I’m just the conduit for bringing it into existence. I am mother to the snake babies, and Ableton’s the incubator.
Dirty Epic: Does Serpentskin allow a different kind of emotional release… maybe one more physical or extroverted?
Zanias: For sure, yeah. Serpentskin is all about what moves my body, and I’m a lot less concerned with lyrics or storytelling. The energy comes first. Though I’ve learned through Serpentskin that nothing I do can ever fully depart from an undercurrent of longing and melancholy! I guess that’s the goth in me that won’t ever die.
Dirty Epic: You’ve spoken of the importance of collaboration, like in the studio with Dax J or Ancient Methods) and live with Ryan from Linea Aspera, enhancing performances. Are there any collaborators involved in Serpentskin, or is it a solo endeavor ?
Zanias: Serpentskin is entirely solo. I have enough collaborations in my other projects!
Through Serpentskin, Zanias offers a glimpse into a liminal realm where emotions move like light through fog, and the body finds release in shadow and sound. It’s a project born of metamorphosis, bold yet intimate, fierce yet tender. As she continues to weave between identities, one thing remains constant: her commitment to transformation, vulnerability and pushing the boundaries of dark electronic music.
We follow her not just for the music, but for the worlds she opens—unfurling like a spell.
-Interview by Rodolphe Vidal
Links:
RA: https://ra.co/dj/zanias
SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/zanias
Check out Dirty Epic music recommendations here.
Listen to our podcasts here.
Find out more about our Events here.
Listen to our review picks here.
