Elkka

From the sweat-slicked walls of queer clubs to the Chanel catwalk, sun-downing sets from Ibiza to New York, the Radio 1 airwaves, and pages of the New Yorker: tuning into Elkka’s beat opens up entire worlds. From the start, Elkka has pieced together her identity slowly and curiously. Building on early pop obsessions and sacking off the ‘safe route’ for life by dropping out of university to play and dance around London’s queer club scene in her 20s, she has embedded herself in an ecosystem of women, non-binary, and queer artists. Early EPs like Every Body Is Welcome and I Miss Raving glowed with energy and took root in dance floor liberation, growing into the now signature, richly textured soundscapes of Euphoric Melodies (2021) that blend emotional electronica and glossy synths with a wisp of intimate vocals. As a DJ, she’s known for galvanizing the clubbers on the barriers with free-wheeling but taut-feeling sets that travel from buzzing Detroit techno to recontextualized pop, Chicago and New York house classics. On stage, she’s physical and hypnotic to watch. Mixes, like her DJ-Kicks contribution and Radio 1 residency keep up that spirit, with her Essential Mix beating out Overmono and Ben UFO to win Essential Mix of the Year.