If I was stranded on a desert island, I would want to listen to music that brings back special moments, reminds me of people or put me in a specific kind of mood. 

The first track I would choose is ‘I wish that I could see you soon’ by Herman Dune because I would miss my love very much on the island and this is our song. I can’t remember when or why it became our song but it will always remind me of those evenings dancing together in the kitchen, slightly pissed, watching the music video on our phones again and again, and copying the moves of the band to create our own choreographies. 

My second choice would be ‘Gnossienne 1’ by Erik Satie as it reminds me of an eureka moment. In 2010, I was working on a video piece made of clips of Mexican wrestling matches. I wanted to edit the footage to turn the fight into some kind of romantic courtship dance but I was really struggling as I didn’t have the soundtrack. This was until I saw Russel Maliphant’s Afterlight which opens with a long solo to Satie’s four Gnossiennes. It was one of the most beautiful pieces of contemporary dance I’d ever seen and that was it, I had my soundtrack and I finished the work.

My last pick would be something by the Smiths. I adored them when I was a teenager. I didn’t understand the lyrics at the time but somehow I felt that the songs were talking about me, were talking to me. I don’t understand why I still enjoy listening to these miserable songs, it’s definitely not about nostalgia, they truly bring me joy, it’s a complete mystery.