When it comes to twisting and turning a dancefloor, no one does it quite like Poland’s very own Eltron. Maneuvering between the worlds of disco, funk, house and soul for the better part of a decade, the producer/DJ has been making waves with his extensive DJ sets (his longest stints being between six-to-eight hours) and his penchant for causing raucous dancefloors (see his Boiler Room broadcast).
With his latest EP, entitled ‘Le Volte’ on UNDERTHESEA, he brings his soulful grooves with a set of tunes that have a crispness to them that call for those good, old-fashioned summertime spin backs. Providing delights with his productions and his DJ sets, he brings a special mix contribution to our sister series, Newtype Rhythms – whilst taking the time to speak to us about his latest release, how things are going in Poland and what’s on the horizon for him. His mix starts at around 39 minutes in – with resident Sheepshead providing the opening bits.
Interview by Mitch Strashnov
"Obviously, I do try and squeeze passion into my work - if this makes the music ’soulful’, so be it, I won’t argue that; but most of it happens naturally."
Congrats on your latest release for UNDERTHESEA – it’s a lovingly, jacked-up set of tunes for the warmer months ahead. You’ve always been in-tune with the more soulful side of dancefloor rhythms and even when you’re striving towards a straightforward banger, you add something melodically soothing to it. Is this a conscious effort for yourself or is this a subconscious tick?
Well, thank you! Hopefully this one can serve to make someone’s life just a little bit better for just a little while. Regarding the in-tuning that you mentioned, I guess you are right in a way. Obviously, I do try and squeeze passion into my work – if this makes the music ’soulful’, so be it, I won’t argue that; but most of it happens naturally – if I were to make more of a conscious effort, I guess I’d try and cut some of the soothing back! (laughs)
You’ve been releasing music for a few years now, mostly on Polish labels and have played out extensively there and abroad as well. What’s your take on the Polish electronic music scene from where it was when you started up until now?
It’s always tough do do such comparisons – a decade or so is not such a long perspective after all. However, one thing is certain – there are more people involved with the music itself: there’s more people out there making quality music, DJing, throwing parties, doing labels, definitely more playing live.
People listen to music more and are also consuming more music. Women are doing all of these things and more within the scene and succeeding – not long ago there used to be only literally a handful of women around, and although there’s still ample room for improvement, there’s no denying that it is changing and they are making a significant impact.
Also unlike before, there are events now that have a strong political and social agenda; even if the agenda is purely musical and cultural, there tends to be more thoughtful curation, more vibe, more heart and more edge. There are also more grass-roots connections with local scenes internationally – to the east, west, north and south. All in all, there is definitely greater diversity and that is quite beautiful.
Having said that, however, I am not really sure whether the audiences have grown all that much (I’m talking about regular audiences in more or less underground settings, and not huge one-offs or festivals), but then there are strong demographic reasons for that, and besides – isn’t this what this prosumer culture was supposed to be anyway? Ah, there is one more thing – sound systems are much better.
You’re an incredibly versatile and vivid selector – all your tracks have poise and purpose with some heart to it – what do you feel separates you as a DJ from your contemporaries?
Maybe I should accept this lovely invitation to self-indulge, but honestly I think this question would probably be best answered by someone else and not me.
What does the rest of 2018 have in store for Eltron?
I was hoping to see the release of two more solo records, but for various reasons I will be lucky to release but one. I may yet feature a track here and there, maybe get my hands dirty with some of the remix work that I love so well.
Also, I’m involved in Seltron 400 – a project that I do together with my good friend SLG. We have two records coming out very soon on the PL label MOST – the second and third part of a trilogy of sorts (the first came out last year) – and we will be doing a couple of live shows with it, too.
Apart from that it’s DJing here and there (I’m really excited to play Barcelona for my record release party), record hunting here and there, studio work, radio. Perhaps some new exciting collaboration as well? Maybe I’ll finally find the guts to do a label myself?
Finally, tell us about this mix you’ve contributed to Newtype Rhythms.
I can say there’s music in it from artists I dig and respect – some favorites, discoveries, friends, heroes. I guess I wanted to put the Le Volte EP into context too, so there is something from the release. And not so long ago I did this mix that was somewhat on my shadier, trippier foot, so I think this one just might balance it out. It’s a little dreamy, a little quirky, and as naive as it sounds in this dystopian age of ours, I wanted for it to actually be fun.
TRACKLIST:
00:00-39:20 – mixed by Sheepshead
01. Jigga – Oragabhava
02. Studio OST – Eventide
03. The Black Dog – CCTV (Redshape Analog Mix)
04. Aleksi Perälä – NLL561606934
05. Peder Mannerfelt – Patient Boy
06. Skee Mask – Muk FM
07. Midland – Dead Eyes
08. Facta – Dumb Hummer
09. Alex Coulton – Distant Resonance
10. Szare – Buried Rails
11. Peverelist – Grit
39:21 – END – mixed by Eltron
Discover more about Eltron on Inverted Audio.