Having cemented her appeal and refined her sound, Turkish-born, Barcelona-based DJ and producer Elif is approaching the industry her own way; celebrating the launch of her brand new label, entitled Marginalia, with the release of a statement three-track EP, “Medusa”.

The label’s ethos is rooted in discovering the very best in electronic music, giving them the template for success and the opportunity to thrive alongside likeminded individuals. The EP sonically mirrors the ideals behind the label, with Elif’s new creative offering proving to be one of her strongest releases to date, highlighting her forward thinking production nuance and eclectic stylistic vision.

We caught up with Elif to discuss her essence as a producer, the background and thought behind the new label, and the importance behind shining a light on electronic music.

Listen to “Medusa”…

Read the interview…

Where does your love of music stem from?
I guess it’s in our DNA’s as humans. It’s so natural and it’s been with me since the beginning, so it’s hard to tell where it stems from.

Who is an influence to you as a creative?
The whole world is an influence to me. Doing what I do, I’m lucky to travel the world and experience so many different cultures and art forms. Everything I experience has an effect on the music I make in some shape or form.

How does your cultural identity impact your musical outlook?
I don’t know what exactly my cultural identity is because I come from a country where different identities live in harmony but also clashes a lot, i embrace and proud of some parts and a bit fed up with some at the same time and so difficult to say how it impacts my musical outlook. But I believe you can not find many references to my culture in my music and i believe this is how it impacts my outlook.

How would you describe your essence as a producer?
I’m always learning and making lots of happy mistakes along the way. I know I still have a long way to go and my motto is progress over perfection.

What is it about producing that compels you?
It is just natural to me to express myself in the same form of art that I consume the most; and in this stage of my life it’s definitely music!

Talk us through the reasoning behind the name Marginalia?
The etymology of the name itself dates back to the 11th Century and references the crazy notes, markings, doodles and sketches made in the margins of medieval books and scriptures — a place where the human imagination was free to run wild. This is what I want for the label; for people to be free to express themselves without the need to sound like certain popular sounds and just experiment and be free.

What did you set out to do when embarking on starting the label?
I set the label up to shine a light, support, nurture and develop the incredible output of the amazing producers whose music forms the backbone of my DJ sets worldwide. I’m looking to build a forward-thinking community that bolsters the profiles of the hardest working – often least rewarded – individuals in the music industry; individuals without whom the scene’s ecosystem would collapse entirely.

What was the label represent?
The label represents uninhibited creativity and a safe place of expression. I’m looking to translate the age-old tradition of Marginalia into a twenty-first century electronic music paradigm and give back to the incredible pool of artists to whom I owe so much.

Why is it important to you to shine a light on electronic music?
Electronic music is what I’m passionate about, it’s as simple as that. As far as I’m concerned, the more people we can introduce into our world, the better. I love what I do and there’s nothing better than music to bring people together.

What are your career goals?
To be honest, I don’t have super defined ‘career goals’. I have a holistic approach to my life as a whole and my job is one of the pieces of this puzzle. I am and want to keep on being healthy, happy and fulfilled with my job, and I guess this requires a certain growth, and sharing it with people I work closely with.

What else is coming for you the rest of this year?
I’ve just released a remix for Rodriguez JR, I have a remix for Moullinex coming up, and of course lots of new signings on Marginalia.