By Azzam Bilal 
HangupsMusic.com – Ibiza, As the golden Mediterranean sun begins its descent over the White Isle, Chloé Caillet sits framed by the soft light of her terrace, a scene of hard-won tranquility in a career defined by high-octane motion. For the 34-year-old New York native, this moment of stillness is a necessary counterweight to a professional life that has seen her conquer global stages, from the shadowy corridors of Berghain’s Panorama Bar to the glitz of high-fashion afterparties. Wearing a vintage band tee and projecting an aura of grounded confidence, Caillet is currently navigating a pivotal transition: moving beyond the limitations of the DJ booth to embrace the full spectrum of her identity as a multi-instrumentalist, label head, and songwriter.
The catalyst for this introspection is her latest project, the "Dance Again" EP, released via the prestigious Ninja Tune. The title is more than a mere suggestion to the audience; it is a personal manifesto born from a period of professional exhaustion. Caillet recalls a time when the relentless cycle of touring—perform, sleep, eat, repeat—had severed her connection to the very essence of why she fell in love with electronic music. By returning to the dancefloor as a participant rather than a performer, she rediscovered the communal magic of raving. This EP serves as a love letter to the scenes of Paris and New York that shaped her, acting as a bridge between her past as a teenage raver and her future as a boundary-pushing artist.
The lead single, "Lemme Dance," a collaboration with French musician MYD, signals a stylistic shift toward indie-dance and French Touch sensibilities. Featuring Caillet’s own vocals, the track moves away from the peak-time functional house of her previous works, such as the Andre Zimmer collaboration "Come Back 2 Me." It is a deliberate move toward a more melodic, instrument-driven sound—a trajectory that naturally led her to Ninja Tune. The partnership with the UK label, long a dream for Caillet, provides the perfect platform for an artist who refuses to be pigeonholed by genre. To her, "Dance Again" is the sound of an artist reclaiming the present moment, urging listeners to put away their phones and lose themselves in the groove.
This evolution is merely a prelude to her most ambitious undertaking yet: a debut studio album. While the EP hints at her versatility, the forthcoming LP promises to return Caillet to her foundational rock roots. Having taught herself guitar as a teenager and played in a band during a formative stint in Bristol, she is now integrating those live textures into her electronic palette. This new chapter is defined by vulnerability. Caillet admits that stepping out from behind the safety of the decks to sing and perform with a live band is a daunting prospect, yet it is one she feels destined for. She has spent the better part of two years writing songs built around her voice, preparing to showcase a side of her creative soul that the world has only glimpsed in fragments.
Her journey to this point has been a masterclass in industry navigation. After enrolling in NYU’s music business program, Caillet cut her teeth in the corporate world, interning at Republic Records and serving as a music director for boutique hotels. These experiences provided the logistical backbone for her creative ascent. Since her independent debut in 2021 with "Love Ain’t Over," her trajectory has been meteoric. She has become a staple at CircoLoco’s residency at DC-10, a fixture at festivals like Coachella and EDC Las Vegas, and a favorite of luxury fashion houses. Her ability to soundtrack the Met Gala afterparty for Saint Laurent—performing for a room that included the likes of Hailey Bieber and Charli xcx—demonstrates a cultural reach that extends far beyond the traditional underground.
Despite the high-profile accolades, Caillet remains tethered to the raw, transformative power of the music. She speaks with reverence of a sunrise set in Detroit at TV Lounge, following a grueling month-long tour. In that moment of total depletion, she entered a flow state that she describes as "healing." It is this exchange of energy between the performer and the crowd that remains her primary motivation. For Caillet, no paycheck can replicate the spiritual satisfaction of a shared musical moment. This philosophy is the driving force behind SMIILE, her multifaceted label and event series.
Launched in 2023, SMIILE was conceived as a sanctuary for queer rave culture, prioritizing inclusivity and authentic connection. What began as a series of parties in London and Barcelona has expanded into a global movement, with takeovers at legendary venues like Pikes Ibiza. Caillet’s curation for SMIILE is intentional, highlighting underground voices like BASHKKA and Jennifer Loveless. The label arm has been equally successful, scoring a Beatport Number 1 with "The One," a collaboration with Luke Alessi. The label’s visual identity, led by creative director Carla Molina, employs a surrealist, "neo-rave" aesthetic that has helped establish SMIILE as a distinct brand in a crowded market.
The growth of SMIILE has necessitated a more structured approach to her business, but Caillet ensures that the expansion never compromises the label’s core values of "lightness and happiness." She is particularly proud of the label’s ability to act as a springboard for other artists, noting the success of collaborators like AEROBICA and D Stone. The introduction of SMIILEWAX, a vinyl-focused imprint that recently saw a release from Jen Cardini, further cements the label’s commitment to the physical and historical traditions of dance music.
As Caillet looks toward the future, her focus is on alignment and self-discovery. A six-day silent retreat at the start of the year proved to be a transformative experience, allowing her to quiet the external noise of the industry and reconnect with her inner "essence." The insights gained during that period of solitude—ranging from the realization that "no path is straight" to a literal directive to "go hug a tree"—have infused her work with a newfound clarity. She no longer feels the need to experiment blindly; she is now moving with purpose.
The Chloé Caillet of 2024 is a far cry from the artist who released the "Intro" EP during the uncertainty of the pandemic. She is now a seasoned selector who insists that a three-hour set is the bare minimum required to tell a proper story. She is a collaborator who has shared the stage with "The Avengers" of dance music—Solomun, Four Tet, and Mau P. Most importantly, she is an artist who is finally ready to show the world the full extent of her vision.
The transition from "Chloé the DJ" to "Chloé the artist" is not a rejection of her past, but a maturation of it. She views her upcoming album, her live band aspirations, and the continued evolution of SMIILE as interconnected chapters in a single narrative. To those who may only know her through her club residencies or fashion collaborations, Caillet suggests that they haven’t seen the whole picture yet. By bridging the gap between the grit of rock and the euphoria of the dancefloor, she is carving out a space that is entirely her own. As she prepares to take the risk of touring with a band and exposing her songwriting to the world, Caillet does so with the confidence of someone who has finally found her rhythm. The world is watching, and for Chloé Caillet, the music is only just beginning to reach its crescendo.
