Hi, Alena! Hearing pleasant female vocals in Russian drum and bass tracks is genuinely unusual and great. We also know that, besides vocals, you work in beatmaking. Tell us about your projects?
Thank you. Yes, I have been working in beatmaking since 2007, mainly writing beats for hip-hop artists. In 2012, I released my first instrumental album, titled “Cold”. At the moment, it is my only one, but not long ago I started working on a second album. I am planning to release it closer to spring. I write a little and quite rarely, since I work at an animation studio and have to do a lot of drawing.
Guys often write to me on social media, saying that a female beatmaker is a great rarity. They often do not even believe that I write the beats myself, and for many people I am an example. Beginner beatmakers ask me for advice, and friends often ask me to write something for them. Various releases featuring my work have also come out with hip-hop artists. If I had devoted myself entirely to writing arrangements, I probably would have achieved great heights in this field, because female beatmakers in Russia can be counted on one hand, and many of them gave it up a long time ago.
For now, I am keeping quiet and not releasing anything. I am preparing high-quality material. I want my appearance to surprise everyone, and I want the material to be a surprise too—I want it to be “Wow”. And I always achieve what I want, so it is only a matter of time.
In general, though, this is a kind of therapy for me. When I am especially troubled, writing music frees me from that burden. It is like getting something off my chest: I express myself through music, and I feel better. At home I have a huge folder full of all these projects, mostly unfinished and underdeveloped. They span different styles: hip-hop, drum and bass, house, deep, pop... Perhaps one day I will finish them after all and share them with you.
Tell us about your creative plans after your performance in St Petersburg. Will there be more collaborations? Will you work on preparing an LP release of vocal drum and bass?
I am preparing a compilation of vocal drum and bass music together with various musicians. At the moment, I have works with Ozma, Hectix, and Mellon, and projects with OneByOne and Kije are in preparation, as are dubstep projects with Wanna Wake and Kribe. I will perform some of the works at the festival. The works are turning out very interesting and unusual, in my opinion. Tracks in the deep house style are also being prepared for release. In addition, I am preparing several interesting works together with the Brazilian musician Diehl. In general, there is a lot of work, and everything is interesting; I do not focus on just one musical style—the main thing is that the project itself inspires me. And in the drum and bass sphere, I dream of recording with Chase & Status. As I already said, I always achieve what I want.
What music inspires you creatively?
I am a music lover; it all depends on my mood. Today I am inspired by Iamnobody, tomorrow by Wilkinson. If I hear a track where a girl is singing in a sweet voice that gives me goosebumps, that is it—I am inspired. Or a special atmosphere can inspire me.
Favourite drum and bass track?
For many years now, my favourite has remained Jakwob – Fade (Etherwood VIP), and more recently, Chase & Status ft. Delilah – Time.
Favourite vocal on a track?
I adore the singer Adele’s voice. I like Norah Jones and Delilah, and I adore Frank Sinatra’s voice. Among Russian artists, I like Maria Tchaikovskaya. I also just remembered Imagine Dragons and Coldplay—there are many people I like; it all depends on my mood.
A few words about your hometown: are there any nightlife events dedicated to broken rhythms at all?
I was born in Ufa, which is a very calm city. Ufa is often called a big village because wherever you go, you can meet people you know, and everyone knows everyone else. Even though it is a city of one million people, “if you sneeze at one end of the city, they’ll say you died at the other”—I’m joking. I love it very much. Drum and bass parties do take place here, although rarely, and they are very warm affairs: people look forward to them and attend with pleasure, dancing until they drop. It is always the same groups and the same faces. For me, it is comparable to a reunion with school classmates—an excellent reason to meet up with friends, since in the rush of “work-home” there is often not enough time for it.
