Since dropping her debut single ‘Fluffy Clouds’ just before Covid-19 hit, Effy, the rising Lancashire-born DJ & Producer, has been on a swift ascent in the EDM scene, collaborating with Mall Grab, remixing for Scuba and Franc Moody, all while holding down a residency at The Warehouse Project.
Her most recent venture moves away from the techno-heavy beats best associated with the artist as she collaborates with UK grime pioneer and Roll Deep member, Flowdan for their genre-bending single ‘Stone’ (newly released as of yesterday).
We caught up with Effy following the drop, to find out what this multi-genre DJ has been up to and what else we can expect from her over the next year…
How did the collab between you and Flowdan come to be?
I’ve always been a fan of Flowdan. His deep voice always sounds sick, particularly in chaotic music like dubstep or breakbeat type stuff. I also used to listen to Roll Deep growing up a lot too. My A&R manager at Virgin suggested him and to me it was a no brainer.
You went beyond the realms of techno for this tune, have you been experimenting with any other genres recently?
I’ve always wanted to make a grime inspired techno track and collaborate with a grime artist so will see what’s next! I’ve dabbled in dubstep on a remix I’ve done that never came out… so maybe some more of that stuff.
Can you tell us about your creative process in coming up with the gritty, grime-inspired synths we hear on ‘Stone?’
I always start with the drums and see where the tune can go depending on the rhythm of the drums and the mood I’m in. If they’re 4/4 then it can go to the latter, so I went to my favorite synths like FM bass and the rave synth.
We’re looking forward to seeing you perform at Garden Party this summer, any other events our readers can catch you at this year?
You can catch me at Boardmasters, El Dorado, Fabric, Connect festival or Ibiza if you venture over there this Summer.
You’ve been smashing it in the DJ scene, dropping collab after collab, all whilst holding down a residency at The Warehouse Project.How are you juggling everything these days?
I have a solid group of mates and a great partner who gets it. I lean on them for time out. I also try to work out where possible and prioritize self care. I never feel bad if I want to spend the day in bed with a nandos…that’s self care right??
Does personal life inform your work? Would you consider it a cathartic outlet?
Maybe I do use it as some form of an outlet, i’m not that aware at the time. However it’s more just me empowering myself at the time. I try to turn whatever that’s bothering me into music. I then find it easier to move on from things / any issues in my personal life.
Following on from that, we hear each track reflects your mood at the time of production, almost like miniature soundtracks for your life. How do you decide which beats best dictate your emotions?
It’s not really a conscious process. I don’t sit down knowing my mood or where it will take me. In hindsight though if I start using bright synths I know it’s because I’m sad or feeling reflective. And hard bass and more rave synths means pissed off! If you listen to ‘raging’ VS ‘vexed’ you’ll see what I mean and be able to tell which mood is which!
Your next challenge is to curate soundtracks for the catwalk, what made you want to move in this direction?
I remember going to a London fashion week show and it felt similar to how I felt when I went to my first club. I found it really exciting and interesting how everything was so thought out. The music not only matched the essence of the clothes, but how the models walked and everything in between. I’d love to be a part of that process because I feel that clothes have a mood, and I’m good at expressing that through music.