Elli makes her debut with a new self-titled LP on Horisontal Mambo and brings a new live show at Jaeger during Bypåskefestivalen
If you were a boy or girl, growing up in the early nineties Elli’s video for “Race my Heartbeat” would evoke some nostalgia. It’s a seductive collage of exotic machines and sweltering bodies, playing against a dreamy wash of colours, mimicking the sounds pouring out of the speakers. It would be tantamount to contraband for any adolescent, especially if you were into synthesisers and electronic music.
Elli is the latest artist to join the Horisontal Mambo and extended Full Pupp family. Originally from Greece and residing in the UK, she‘s featured on several dance music records as a vocalist, and in 2024 she set off on her own with her first solo effort as Elli.
“Race My Heartbeat” found its way to Prins Thomas’ ears through a chance encounter with the Norwegian artist or DJ, earmarking it for a future release on one of his more expansive label imprints. On the track Elli’s floaty vocals swim between rubbery bass lines and slow pounding drums swathed in eighties Disco aesthetic.
“Just for me and You” followed “Race My Heartbeat” as an unreleased addition to Steven (Funkineven) Julien’s DJ Kicks compilation, establishing a sonic identity for the artist where gated drums and a glistening mystique prevails.
That sonic aesthetic is only fortified on her self-titled debut LP, coming via Horisontal Mambo on the 30th of May where Elli impresses her unique artistic imprint on the label. “Mother of Pearl,” the second single of the LP, picks up the pace as sparkling arps and glimmering synths encourage more movement towards the top of the tempo range, while for the most part the album lives in the slower regions of electronic music in a kind of lucid dreamscape.
Elli maintains cohesive sound throughout, with songs almost tapering off into the next in some tempered expression of a passage. Eleven when her vocals are not at the centre of the track, the mood she cultivates remains intact, as the machines do her singing for her.
The machines, it appears, are indicative of her expression and extend to other aspects of her life. During the day she works as an automotive engineer and at night she swaps one set of tools for another, playing her instruments either in the studio or on stage. As a live performer she made her debut last year at Kala festival as an extension of that sound she’s cultivated in the studio.
She arrives at Jaeger during Bypåskefestivalen, which coincides with the launch of her album and as she prepares for her show, we caught up with her to talk more about going solo, juggling work with art and her origins in this interview.
Hello Elli. You’ve worked as a studio vocalist for other dance acts before setting out on a solo career. What encouraged you to set out on your own?
Hey Jaeger! Yes, that’s right! I absolutely loved collaborating with DJ/producers for House/ Techno – more club oriented tracks for about 10 years. It was such an exciting experience and I learned so much in the process. However, over time, I felt this strong desire to express myself in a more expansive way. I was already writing full songs and I knew there was so much more for me to explore and create. That drive to push my boundaries and try new things musically is what ultimately inspired me to step out on my own and pursue a solo career.
You’d obviously been working on your own music all that time. At what point do you start working towards the sound you established on the first album and how would you describe that sound?
I started working on demos back in 2017, mostly leaning towards downtempo and mellow sounds. But it wasn’t really until around 2020, after spending a lot of time experimenting in the studio, that the sound I have now began to come together. As for how to describe it… I’m not sure, to be honest! I guess I’d say it’s cosmic synth-pop, but ultimately, it’s just my music – a reflection of where I’ve been and what I’ve felt.
You grew up in Greece, I believe. What were your formative experiences with music before electronic music?
I grew up in a very musical family. My mom was a singer in the ’90s and I spent a lot of time backstage during her performances. The music I was surrounded by early on, was rooted in Greek folk traditions, but my mom introduced me to a wide range of genres through mixtapes – from Deep Purple, Rolling Stones and Phil Collins to Madonna, Vivaldi, and Beethoven. Ballet/ Contemporary dance, which I started when I was just four, had a huge impact on my musical sensibilities too. I was influenced by everything from classical/ modern composers like René Aubry and Yann Tiersen, to post-disco ’80s soundtracks, Enigma and of course, Vangelis. Hip hop came a bit later, but growing up, I never saw genres as separate – it was all part of the same musical world, and I listened to everything.
How much of a role did the dance floor play in your earliest musical creations?
As a vocalist, experiencing DJ sets and going to festivals back then played a big role in helping me understand what works on the dance floor. It gave me a sense of how to approach vocal arrangements, the tone of my voice and even the lyrical direction when recording. That awareness definitely influenced my process, but it wasn’t the main driving factor behind my decisions. Ultimately, I trust my instincts in the studio to guide the creative process.
Why did you go for the slower tempos and more pop music arrangements on your LP, rather than what you might have been used to in your vocal work?
At the time, a course on creativity with David Lynch really inspired me to choose a more cinematic approach and it allowed me to free myself in the studio and experiment more while creating. I approached all the ambient and soundscape elements as the foundation for what was to come next. It’s a big part of who I am and I didn’t want to only showcase one side of myself. I guess I had to slow down in order to pick up the tempo again. I’m really grateful to Prins Thomas for giving me the full creative freedom to present my art in all its range.
Had you been working towards an album before you met Thomas and Horisontal Mambo, and how did you two meet?
Well, let’s just say I have been producing a lot of music! Haha, my album still feels a bit surreal tbh. I met Thomas briefly back in 2018 at Kala festival in Albania and then, about two years later I finally found the courage to send to him some of my demos, hoping for some feedback…
Had you been familiar with his labels like Full Pupp, and how, if at all, did he or his labels influence the direction this album took?
‘’Fehrara’’ is one that comes to mind, oh ‘’Mammut’’ and ‘’Ambitions’’, I mean…The influence isn’t just from one specific release on Full Pupp. It’s like a wave, the entire catalog of that label and of course Thomas’s DJ sets (like 2007 Toronto Red Bull Music Academy). It’s not that my music directly mirrors it, but there is an undercurrent, a subtle thread woven through. It’s in the way I approach transitions, how pads flow into leads, how the drum fills breathe. I wouldn’t say it shaped my sound, but it was like a mirror that reflected a path I already wanted to walk. It gave me the courage to trust my instincts and move in a direction that resonates with me deeply, a direction I’ve always wanted to both listen to and dance to.
Elements of Disco and an eighties kind of electronic Disco (or Italo, if you like) sound prevails in your LP. What’s your relationship with that kind of music?
I love it, I can’t get enough of it.
What were some of the key components in terms of musical instruments that were central to the sound of the album?
Oberheim OB6, OBE, DX7, Linndrum, CS80, OB Matrix 12, DMX, D05 Roland Boutique, 808.
While your vocals are often at the center of the music on the album, there are a few tracks like “Sky Secrets” and “Lunar” where they are also absent. At what point do you turn to your voice when you are making music?
It’s really just a feeling, there’s no exact recipe for it. I let the music guide me. Sometimes the track speaks to me in a way that I feel my voice should be at the forefront and other times, it leads me to a space where my voice isn’t needed. It’s all about listening to the energy of the music and trusting the process.
It’s such a cohesive album, from start to finish. Conceptually, was there something you’d set out to achieve in terms of an underlying musical or abstract theme?
Thank you, that’s very kind! I really just wanted to create a nice flow throughout the album and at times, I wanted it to feel cinematic. Ultimately, I aimed to encapsulate a broad range of sounds and emotions, giving a sense of my whole world.
In your bio you say you balance a career as an auto engineer with your passion for music and in the video for the lead single Race The Heartbeat, cars feature quite heavily. Music and cars share a long history together. Do you find there’s some shared relationship between your music and cars on this LP?
Haha, yes, cars are a big part of my life! When I worked as an engineer in the WRC, a co-driver once said after a stage, ‘My heart was racing,’ and I thought, ‘That’s a great title.’ Later, when I had a crush, I experienced that feeling in a different way. How much I wanted to let go and trust someone so much that they would, in a way, race my heartbeat.
That’s when I knew I had to make the video and connect my two worlds. My engineering background definitely helps when I’m setting up my studio or reconfiguring things. I feel right at home sorting out cables and learning about sound engineering, frequencies and all of that – it’s a familiar environment.
Taking the album to the stage for the first time in Oslo, what can we expect from the live show that might be different from the LP?
This is the first time I’ll be performing songs from my debut album, so I really want to stay true to the tracks as they are, but there will be some extra grooves and extended versions to make it even more special. I can’t wait to bring it to the stage!
I suspect this will be the first of many upcoming shows, and there is probably more music in the works.
How do you think the experience of the first LP will shape the things to come?
I’m still processing the whole experience to be honest! The first LP has been such a journey! I feel like it’s opened up new ways for me to express myself. I’m definitely excited about the future and there’s more music in the works. I’m looking forward to seeing how everything unfolds and what new paths it will lead me down.
What else is on the horizon for you and is there anything else you would like to add?
I have a new project in the making which feels quite unique and different from anything I’ve done before – exciting collaborations too, which I’m really looking forward to sharing. There’s so much ahead and I’m curious about what the future will bring. On a deeper level, I’m hopeful for peace and healing in the world.