Wearing LÂLKA
Instagram is pretty good when showing me recording artists that I might like, the same can’t be said for Facebook, however. It’s the reason why I spend more time on the ‘gram. When LÂLKA crossed my feed, I was intrigued. That night I was particularly looking for something that would take my mind away from everything, as it hadn’t been a particularly good day. This was the cure that I desperately needed that dreary evening!
By no means am I saying that other musicians aren’t having fun when they’re in the studio recording, but when I listen to LÂLKA, it seems so obvious to me. There was a time when I would laugh at friends who said that they could feel a musician’s “energy” coming through a recording. I thought it was silly, in those days, but I’ve long since come to realize that, yeah, you can feel that shit through your speakers. The Brisbane, Australia-based underground legend is a singer, songwriter, and producer who has been making waves on the club circuit. That same energy that I feel when listening to her music, I imagine feeling in a party atmosphere and it makes me somewhat envious that I’m not in Australia to hear her music thumping through obscenely large speakers, rocking the floors. The upside, however, is that I can listen to her songs as many times as I want to, for as long as I want to… and I do.
You’re a producer as well as a musician; which came first?
I started learning instruments as a child and taught myself to produce at a later stage.
What prompted you to become either of those things?
I'd always been fascinated with music and performance, and producing my own music enabled me to really shape my own ideas. I get a lot of satisfaction crafting everything about a song.
In one of your YouTube videos, I saw you playing the violin. What other instruments (if any) do you play?
I play piano, violin, viola, cello, double bass and guitar. And I DJ - so does playing a DJ controller count as an instrument?
What kind of songwriter are you; are you the type to jump up from the breakfast table, spilling your corn flakes, just so you can find a pen and paper to jot down a song that’s unexpectedly popped into your head? Or, are you the type to make time for songwriting, where you can sit somewhere in peace and think?
I'm definitely the type to make time for songwriting, although when ideas come to my head I always record them on my phone.
“I like the way music looks, I like the way fashion sounds”. I think I understand this, but for those who might not, could you explain what you mean?
Music and fashion are my passions. I feel that fashion can be used as a visual representation of music, and music can lend a mood to clothes. This phrase came from my song 'Atomic Blonde' off the debut EP that I released earlier this year.
You’ve worked with Evangeline who is also a musician and producer. What’s it like working together on projects?
Working with Evangeline was a dream. 'Hold Me' started as something completely different sounding. I think I have 15 versions of it before finally arriving at the final version.
How did the two of you come to work together?
Evangeline and I met via Instagram via mutual connections and I like her output as an artist. I was going to be in Melbourne back in 2019 where she's based, so I asked if she had a day free to hang out and write something. We started writing something that was headed in a completely different direction, but it wasn't quite working. But I had faith in the song, and after about 15 permutations, the final version of 'Hold Me' finally came about. It's funny how I spent 10-12 months wrestling with the original structure/vibe of the song, and then I scrapped it and re-wrote it in a completely different style and it was all done in a weekend!
Why did you choose to pursue electronic music, rather than other genres?
I find that I'm more drawn to the interesting and unusual textures and sounds that are found in electronic music. There's so much more scope to discover sonically in electronic music.
Who are some of your musical influences?
I go through phases with different artists or bodies of work that inspire me in a particular moment of my life. When I was writing my debut EP 'The Way Music Looks', I felt invincible. I was listening to a lot of Charli XCX and music made by the PC Music collective (A.G. Cook, Umru, etc). I wrote the songs to my follow-up EP 'Euphoria' in a completely different emotional headspace, mostly because it was written in the midst of living in a pandemic. All I wanted to listen to during this time was euphoric music to escape the anxiety and grief I was feeling. I was diving into y2k nostalgia via Virtual Self (self-titled EP 2017), the escapism of Worlds (Porter Robinson, 2014), and the hedonism of Harlecore (Danny L Harle, 2021).
You’ve put out a number of singles over the years and this year, you dropped an EP. What does it feel like to be able to put out an entire body of work as opposed to singles?
It felt great to have a body of work that had a cohesive attitude, color, and sound palette! 'Euphoria', my 2nd EP, still has my signature sound, but the mood is definitely different.
The Way Music Looks sounds “fuller” than your previous releases, it seems as if you’re drawing from a wider palette; including more sounds, if you will. I think your talent shines best on this EP. Is it just me, or do you agree as well?
Thank you! I'm extremely proud of 'The Way Music Looks', but I honestly think that the songs from 'Euphoria' are my strongest to date. I can't wait for people to hear it!
You’re very much into fashion, as evidenced by the photos on your Instagram. What do you like? What’s your style?
OMG, I looooove fashion! I collect jackets and sneakers. I used to wear heels but since fracturing my foot I haven't been able to wear heels very well. I'm also super clumsy so sneakers are a safer option for me, haha! I love clothes that have a certain attitude and vibe, and I wear how I feel or what represents me. For the 'Euphoria' images I wore clothes by Brisbane designer Djordjewitsch. I love the major labels and designers (Rick Owens fan girl here) but I also get super excited when I find independent designers that I really like.
Do you think that you could have been a fashion designer, or do you have any aspirations to become one?
I can't sew to save my life, so I think not! I'll stick to music and appreciate fashion.
What would you like to do musically that you haven’t done yet?
I'm the type of person who continually seeks the next challenge, to surpass my own previous work in terms of quality and artistry. I guess there will always be things that I want to do because creativity is infinite. In the short term, I have an idea of the sonic soundscape I want to make for my next body of work after 'Euphoria', but I'm not going to say more because I need more time to consider it.
Click here to stream Lalka, click here to follow on Instagram. Special thanks to Maia Bilyk from 23.
