Elegie

Elegie, the artist known for her signature melodic techno sound, unveils a powerful recent project titled Above The Clouds, a set that marks a pivotal moment in her career. In an exclusive interview with Mixmag, she shares her inspiration, her unique creative process, and insights into her upcoming projects that showcase her relentless drive for artistic innovation.

The inspiration for Above The Clouds is deeply personal, capturing Elegie’s journey toward “a higher spiritual awareness.”

For her, the clouds represent emotional turbulence and life’s layers of distraction. Rising above them, she explains, allows for a clearer view and connection with one’s higher self. This idea is woven into the fabric of the set, which is composed entirely of Elegie’s own creations, including remixes, edits, and mashups.

“I was determined to produce the full hour myself, something I’ve never done before. It was inspired by striving for a higher spiritual awareness, which is where I am in my life right now”.

“The clouds represent the layers of distraction, confusion, and emotional turbulence that can obscure our true selves. When we rise above them, we can see beyond the immediate challenges and limitations, allowing for a deeper connection with the universe and our higher self,” she says.

Elegie wanted the set to evolve in a way that “starts slowly, gradually building tension and deep emotion,” while allowing her love for driving techno beats to take center stage.

“Striving for that balance in my underground sound is what I’ve been aiming for lately”.

Composing a set entirely from her own productions was both challenging and liberating. Elegie crafted her set with an intricate storyline, designed to give listeners familiar tracks but with an unmistakable Elegie twist.

She wanted fans to think, “Wait, I know this track, but I’ve never heard this version before.”

The project also includes several unreleased tracks and reimagined versions of past favorites, a choice that stretched her creativity beyond traditional remixing.

“ I went into my music library, selected some of my all-time favorite tracks, and crafted a storyline to illustrate my vision. I was also working on some original material in parallel, so to create a truly exclusive set, I included several unreleased Elegie tracks, and new versions of my older ones as well, challenging my own way of thinking not just with the work of other artists!”

With backing from 1001Tracklists, Above The Clouds has already gained traction. For Elegie, this support is validating but won’t change her core approach.

“I am forever grateful to 1001tracklists for supporting this project, as I was a brand new artist on their channel. It was also a bit of a risk and an adventure for me to embark on this project (outside of work, I spent all my time on it) and invest so much effort in it, with the hope that a major channel or techno community would be willing to support its launch”.

“The key takeaway is that things tend to work out when you follow your heart and do things with genuine intent,” she reflects.

“There are amazing people out there who will notice you and give you a hand… At least that has been my experience so far, and I’m very thankful for it”.

Elegie’s PhD in data science and background in physics play a significant role in her music. Her scientific training helps her appreciate the time and discipline it takes to develop quality work.

“On the technical side, I draw a lot on my physics background,” she shares.

Her fascination with sound waves, harmonics, and phase relationships opens up nearly endless possibilities in sound design, pushing her creative boundaries.

My scientific background has helped me develop resilience and a self-disciplined, highly organized mindset. Completing a PhD lets you appreciate that anything worth doing takes time and that getting recognition for quality work doesn’t happen overnight. It’s essential to dedicate enough time to honing your craft and keeping at it even when things get difficult.

Her analytical mindset doesn’t overshadow her emotional drive, though; Elegie values the balance between technical precision and raw emotion in her work.

“I’m a technical person, but I’m also extremely sensitive,” she says,

describing the challenge of maintaining high standards while allowing her creativity to flow freely.

“On the technical side, I do draw a lot on my physics training, so if you want to discuss sound waves, harmonics, and resonance for hours, you’ll have my full attention. I can get really nerdy with this stuff, as I always want to understand all the theory behind it”.

“Fourier, the 18th century French mathematician, stated that any sound could be reproduced by a combination of sine waves - which are considered the cleanest waveform. When you go deep into understanding phase relationships and advanced modulation techniques, you realize you have nearly limitless possibilities in sound design. In addition, being a data scientist helps me to embrace technology rather than fear it”.

“Things are going to change no matter what - so it might be better not to resist or get frustrated. So the question really becomes: how can I leverage the best of both worlds and make something unique out of it?”

As technology rapidly evolves, Elegie is at the forefront of using AI in her production. She coined the term “remash” to describe her unique process, which is a blend of remixing and mashing up.

“I use technology such as AI to extract elements of my favorite tracks and reorganize them to create a completely new track,” she explains.

“I see remashes as a way of reinventing tracks by leveraging technology and becoming even more creative in our approach to music production”.

By embracing AI, she reimagines familiar pieces, adding her distinct sound to create something entirely new.

Born Slippy and In This Shirt - Iconic Remixes with Elegie’s Signature Spin

Elegie’s recent remix of Born Slippy, released in January 2024, pays homage to the iconic track from Trainspotting with an eerie, Stranger Things-inspired twist.

It has a “creepy vibe,” she describes, with synths cutting through relentless rhythms. In April, she released a remix of In This Shirt, a project born from personal loss.

This deeply emotive remix blends the original’s soulful lyrics with her melodic techno style, delivering a transformative experience on the dance floor.

Elegie’s original works showcase different facets of her style. Hold It Up, released on Dark City Music, takes inspiration from slam poetry, creating a hypnotic techno track with an acidic edge. Meanwhile, Skye, set to release on Wout Records on November 1st, features the vocals of Italian singer Jolie G. Inspired by the ethereal landscapes of Above The Clouds, the track explores themes of love, strength, and protection. Jolie G’s contribution adds a new layer to Elegie’s sound, and Elegie hints that the collaboration isn’t over, with a follow-up track titled Away From Now in the works.

“Hold it Up”, my latest release on Dark City Music this September, was inspired by slam poetry I came across on Youtube. It was full of emotional resilience which I decided to translate into a hauntingly hypnotic techno mood with a progressive twist, flowing into a more acidic and energetic ending to highlight a positive outlook for the future.

“Skye” is my debut single on Wout Records, coming out on November 1st! It’s a first one for me featuring original vocals, a result of a great collaboration with the very talented Italian singer and lyricist, Jolie G. This track is driven by an engaging rhythm and a hypnotic melody. It’s actually quite different from what I usually produce, but I needed to match the sound to her more commercial voice, intertwining it with driving beats.

Elegie’s dedication to pushing boundaries, both technically and emotionally, places her on a unique trajectory in the techno world. With Above The Clouds and her upcoming projects, she continues to explore new horizons, elevating her music – and listeners – above the clouds.

This collaboration was very smooth, even though I was working with a singer for the first time. I have to say that Jolie G made it very easy! “Skye” was directly inspired by the “Above The Clouds” set and its magical landscape. In English, “skye” is often associated with the sky and

the heavens and also means eternal life, strength, love and beauty; in Dutch, it means “protection” - such a wonderfully rich word! I shared my ideas with Jolie G, and after sending her some chords and ambience, she really ran with that concept when creating the lyrics and the overall atmosphere of the vocals.

Actually, I enjoyed collaborating with her so much that we decided to go for a second round! I’m about to finish a new track also including her original lyrics and vocals titled “Away From Now”.

Stay tuned!