Helsinki-based Finnish duo Askel & Elere comprises drummer Juho Kavasto, known as Askel, and Sainey Gibba, known as Elere. Friends since they were 10, they agreed to meet weekly to make music together around 2017, then began releasing as a pair in 2018. Their roles shape the production process: Gibba brings composition and technical production, while Kavasto handles drums, editing and arrangement. Gibba also has roots in vocals and bass, and performs as YENIAS.
Their first releases came through Soulvent Records in 2018. The EP Yeah Alright followed in 2019, after the single “Last Leaves” and a contribution to the album 5 Years of Soulvent. In 2021, the duo released their debut album, Simulations, on Soulvent. Tracks including “Nothing More” and “Get Up” helped shape the album, which they developed as a more cohesive work with inspiration from indie video games. Its collaborators include Riya, Degs, Winslow, In:Most and Nosfer. Their music has also appeared on Hospital Records, Fokuz, Delta9, Differential and Med School Music.
Askel & Elere’s sound has been described as a futuristic, “sci-fi-liquid” take on drum and bass. Their later releases include the EP Local Support, issued in 2025, and the single “Frail”, a collaboration with In:Most released in 2024.