The Women of Techno: Exclusive Interview w/ Eli & Fur at Woogie Weekend

Written By: Devin Carrillo

Woogie Weekend felt like the techno summer camp I’ve been dreaming about for years. The vibes were strong, the beats were deep, and the people were beautiful. But most importantly, what the DoLaB brought to Orange County’s rugged Silverado Canyon was a deeper level of appreciation for the women of techno.

The techno scene, an underground secret society of dark side followers, has been dominated by the male genome since its early days in Chicago and Detroit. Since its origin, brought to us by the likes of Juan Atkins, Kevin Saunderson and Derrick May (aka the Belleville Three) the techno game was predominately a “Man’s Game.” As trendsetting techno-goddesses are popping up at major festivals around the world, such as Nicole Moudaber playing mainstage at Awakenings festival in Amsterdam to Nina Kravitz headlining the Yuma at Coachella – women are recreating the once male-dominated landscape.

Eli & Fur are two luminaries, who are soon on their way to the top. Their sound stems from house and techno roots. Combined with captivating vocals and melodic build-ups, you get the lovely Eli & Fur. The duo said in an interview, “we like to keep it melodic, a little bit dark… it’s routed in house and techno but parts are slightly more song based, dreamy and hypnotic.”

The duo has capitalized on the techno genre’s success, most recently landing a nomination for “Best Breakthrough Artist’ at the 2016 IDMA Awards and releasing a string of tracks on Anjunadeep and Armada. Being that the techno scene is now anyone’s game, we wanted to hear from these two leading women themselves. Check out our exclusive interview with the British beauts here:

Elektro: When did you start making music and who (or what) inspires your unique sound?

Eli & Fur: We have both been into and making music from a young age but together for about 4 years now. I think the main inspiration is both our musical tastes coming together, they fact that we have known each other for a long time, gone to the same clubs and parties but we are very different characters with totally opposite influences, that really helps in the studio.

Elektro: What would you say is your biggest accomplishment as a DJ and producer?

Eli & Fur: A great moment for us has been taking on Eli & Fur full time. We both have always worked in music but… to build up to that point has been really exciting. It pushes and challenges us constantly.

Elektro: You’ve collaborated with some amazing artists over the past couple years and have even released some work on huge labels such as Anjunadeep – what collab is most memorable to you and why?

Eli & Fur: It was great to collaborate with Erick Morillo just as we learned a lot from him, he’s been in the game so long so was cool to pick his brains.

Elektro: Were there any other female artists who inspired you in your early days?

Eli: I grew up listening to a lot of pop and acoustic stuff before getting into dance music, so Alanis Morissette, Madonna, I was obsessed with No Doubt. They were the first females in music I looked up to.

 

Fur: I listened to a lot of my mums record collection so it was more The Cure, Depeche Mode, Boy George, that didn’t stop them from inspiring me though. For me it was more the sound of the music than the faces behind it.

Elektro: While pursuing your music career, what is the biggest obstacle you faced and how does that experience influence your artistry now?

Eli & Fur: We are still constantly facing obstacles so that’s a hard one to call. It’s a tough road, there’s always a pressure to make the right decisions, to stay true to yourself and to do what you really believe in. That means taking risks to get on the right path. For us, it all boils down to having so much enthusiasm and love for what we are doing that the obstacles should be quickly overcome.

Elektro: Do you have any big shows, tour announcements, or releases coming out soon?

Eli & Fur is set to play at the “Ants Stage” alongside Gorgon City, Patrick Topping and Route 94 at Creamfields, August 26-28. They’ll also be at Oasis Festival in Marrakesh, September 16-18.

Listen here for Eli & Fur’s brand-new single, “On My Own” featuring Forrest just released on their independent label NYX.