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Fresh Kicks 65: Elkka

The Femme Culture boss joins our rising talent mix series...

Elkka joins our Fresh Kicks mix series with a percussive workout packed full of swing!

As head of the Femme Culture collective, Elkka has been championing female artists and promoting equal opportunities across all formats, holding club nights, art exhibitions and releasing killer tracks through the record label arm.

Recently Femme Culture was chosen to curate a compilation release for International Women's Day and the HeForShe Arts Week, which brought together music from the likes of Anastasia Kristensen, Elkka and a groovy house cut from Octo Octa which DJ Mag were lucky enough to premiere.

Elkka's own productions combine dreamy electonica with slick R&B beats, resulting in tracks that are both blissful and undoubtably danceable.

Beginning on a stripped back vibe, Elkka's club-ready mix switches up through energetic world rhythms, gqom and house before winding down again for an ambient outro.

"I wanted to curate a mix of tracks that inspire me, my favourite tracks of the moment that I love to play out alongside a few demos of upcoming releases from me," she tells DJ Mag.

Check it out in full below and head to the Femme Culture website for more info on upcoming releases and parties.

Last album you listened to in full?
"Mark Pritchard 'The Four Worlds'."

Last film you watched?
"Call Me By Your Name."

Last club you played at?
"The Alibi, Dalston."

Favourite track of the year so far?
"Peggy Gou 'It Makes You Forget (Itgehane)'."

Favourite label?
"N.A.A.F.I — amazing DJ crew/collective and crew."

Favourite place you've visited?
"Kerela."

What record is top of your wishlist?
"Baiao Destemperado 'Barbatuques'."

Who would you most like to play b2b with?
"Four Tet."

What's your proudest moment as an artist?
"Few weeks ago, my label and collective Femme Culture threw a party at Boiler Room HQ to celebrate the release of our charity compilation 'HeForShe x femme culture'. As an artist on the record and as an organiser, I couldn't have been more proud of what we curated; it was the culmination of the hard work we put into it, the openness and kindness of the artists that wanted to participate and a banging party — great music, great people for an incredible cause. Doesn't get much better."

Tell us a joke...
"Why does Snoop Dogg always carry an umbrella... Fo drizzle!"

Tracklist:

Elkka '2000 & f*cked' [Demo]
Puzupuzu 'Wembaa'
Bep Kororoti 'Porroronga'
NKC 'Salon Basement'
Bhizer feat. Busiswa, SC Gorna, Bhepepe 'Gobisqolo' 
TSVI & DJ JM 'Aziza'
Elkka 'ONE' [Demo]
Rastronaut 'Flexx'
Neana 'Sezana Bounce'
DJ JM 'Rainee'
Elkka 'Control'
Boa Kususa feat. Magugu 'King Kong'
Noire '2nd Guessin''
Kowton 'Glock & Roll'
NKC 'Blocked'
Chambray 'Ghetto Giants'
Mall Grab 'I’ve Always Liked Grime'
Neana 'Steel House'
DJ Polo & Lobby 'Multiple Palm Tree Emojis'
Mina 'Boing (Elkka Bootleg)'
MC Pedrinho 'Dom Dom Dom'
Ehua 'Tiger'
James Marrs 'Light Fields'
Elkka 'Talkin’' [Demo]
Omaar 'Progressive Tribes'
EVM128 'Gamma Riddim'
Dengue Dengue Dengue 'La Rama de Tamarindo'
DJ Khaleb 'Zaire (Will LV Remix)'

Want more music from up-and-coming artists? Check out Fresh Kicks 64 by Object Blue.

Pics by Alex Lambert.

Ben Hindle is DJ Mag’s Clubs Editor and co-founder of DJ Mag Bunker. Follow him on Twitter here.