Artist Conversation: Elif
Here is our conversation with Elif from November 2022:
Hey Elif! How are you today?
Hello i am good. As usual i’m on a plane, this time from Barcelona to Los Angeles. Have a mini Halloween Weekend & Dia De Los Muertos tour ✈️
Have you always wanted to be a musician? Was there a key moment and what is your background?
Actually I never thought I COULD be a musician. Tbh i do not consider myself a musician and I am not coming from a musical background. I am a music enthusiast, have always been.
But for me “creating” music was something I never thought i could do even tho my life literally revolved around music. I studied architecture (and i remember making a night club and an airport project in school- Talk about manifestation!) but I almost never worked as one.
Last year of university I started writing a blog about music and my travels. I was traveling for music, going to concerts, clubs, and festivals, and writing about my experiences. My love for music started to weigh stronger at the end and slowly and slowly I switched to a more music-oriented life. I am a dancer first, then a DJ and then a producer. Learning and learning everyday and still find it difficult to call myself a musician.
How’s a day in the studio with you? What inspires or influences your creative process when producing music? Do you also use Sample Packs yourself?
I love having unlimited time so I usually if I can i try to dedicate 1 or 2 full days to the studio between travels. I can easily get sucked into the project and forget to eat during a studio day. After touring I usually come home with a lot of inspiration.
I use sample packs a lot and I love getting creative with those. One of my favorite things in the studio is having happy accidents. in almost all of my tracks there are some interesting sounds i have accidentally created :)
I love processing samples and creating new sounds from them too so even a sample pack can be the starting point for a studio session...
What was your motivation to create this pack?
To give other producers a box of crayons with my favorite colors and let them paint their own world with these. And of course, i’d be super happy to hear back from producers who used my samples and I’d love to know how they used them :)
We have seen you play many Shows all over the world like Ibiza, Tulum, Mykonos etc., and at Festivals like Garbicz, Burning Man, Echoes from Agartha, Gardens of Babylon, and many more. What was one of your most special festival moments and why?
This is such a hard question. Garbicz was super special for sure, such a bucket list thing to play there and I had so many friends with me. Hi ibiza was by far the best club night I had in my life. Playing Echoes from Agartha in the most magical location in Turkey, my home country surrounded by friends was very special. TGOB is like a family that I grow together with and am happy to be a part of. And playing at Burning Man is of course not comparable to anything else. What can I say… hard to choose one really. i realized again how lucky I am 🥰
Do you have tips for Newcomer Artists to get introduced to the scene?
When someone asks me this question I always say for everyone it will be different. Some people love the studio and they’ll make bombs and send them to artists and labels and eventually get noticed. Some people are social butterflies and they can start going to the venues and parties they want to play, get to know the people, and network a little.
Nowadays internet is also an amazing place to get introduced to the scene. There is not one way. But many ways and one should follow the one that feels most natural to them I think.
Name 3 (upcoming) artist people should have on their radar.
Gespona, Abuk, Tenvin
If you could change one thing about the DJ or electronic music world what would it be?
The idea that you need drugs or alcohol to enjoy electronic music...
Could you name 3 things that you do to look after your health?
Supplements & iv drips & Eating healthy İ wish I could name a third one, that would be an exercise that I have been super neglecting lately, and can’t wait to be back on that...
What are you listening to these days? Could you name your three favorite tracks at the moment?
Accent - Cloud
Oliver koletzki & Niko Schwind - Picture (Fabian Krooss Remix)
Shady - Cruisin
You are part of the Stil Vor Talent & Anjuna Deep - Family. How did it come about? If you could give one piece of advice for aspiring producers, starting out in the industry - what would it be?
Both were pretty surreal for me :) in the summer 2018, the year I started my Elif project, I received an e-mail from anjunadeep after playing the first edition of the monastery festival and I was so surprised that I had to double-check the sender address as I thought some friends were scamming me :)
They were asking me for a podcast 😱🤭 I have been doing podcasts for some online channels and that was it. I don’t know how they discovered me but I am very grateful.
They are the nicest and most supportive people in 2019 I was playing off sonar Barcelona and I was on the same lineup as Oliver Koletzki. As a big fan of his music, I was super surprised when he said “so you are the Elif” 🤭🥹
Shortly after that he signed me to his agency for Germany and Austria and started releasing my music on both of his labels. he is one of the most genuine nicest and most humble guys in this industry and I don’t know what I’d do without his support and guidance...
We have incredible artists in SVT and I am very happy to be part of this family. I am aware that this is maybe a story a woman could tell. There are many amazing producers waiting to be discovered, most of them are guys...
The reason is there are not enough women producers still, this has many reasons, mostly related to gender roles in society, but the whole industry right now is supporting more and more women, so I’m sure the next generation will be more equal. Representation is important so I am happily taking these opportunities and I feel responsible to be the best of myself always 🙌🏻
I’m sure more girls will see more and more women who produce and they can feel like they can do it too. 💪🏻
What is your favorite dessert?
ice cream (preferably vegan)! :)
Thank you!
Check out Elif's brand new Sample Pack here
Elif's Socials:
Instagram
Spotify
Soundcloud