Electro

When Eric Estornel, now best known as techno titan Maceo Plex, was just three- years-old, things in his native Miami started to change. From April to October 1980 more than 100,000 Cubans reached Florida by sea, often in dangerously overcrowded boats, where they sought exile from Fidel Castro’s rule. The Cubans traveled from Mariel Harbor, 25 miles west of Havana, in what became known as the Mariel boatlift, an event that marked a milestone in Cuban- American history.

Jensen Interceptor is one of the brightest lights on the booming electro scene that’s seen a renaissance in the recent years.

Melas also started his own International Chrome imprint in May with long-term collaborator, Assembler Code, with the pair having put out two releases on the label so far. “We have so many amazing friends around us making incredible music — as well as our own never-ending output — so creating International Chrome was a no brainer,” he explains of the label. “The focus is weaponised electro for the club. We may explore other genres in the future but for now we’re happily locked into the Drexciyan realm.”

The end of the year also sees Melas put out his debut album on Maceo Plex’s Lone Romantic. Featuring collaborations with DeFekT, The Hacker and, of course, Assembler Code, the ten-track LP is an ode to his mum, titled ‘Mother’. One of the strongest albums of the year so far, it’s a relentless showcase that fleshes out his signature sound over nearly an hour of club-focused electro, with highlights coming from the mechanical electro weapon of ‘Drip Freq’, and the dusty, Detroit-esque production styling heard on cuts like ‘Ufology’.

As Lord of the Isles, Neil McDonald has always made music that strikes a perfect balance between otherworldly and grounded, feeling simultaneously mythical and pastoral. Cosmic synths and basslines fuse with heady, earthy grooves, and make his tracks stand out in whatever set they may appear, while never feeling out of place. Listening to Lord of the Isles can, in the right moment, feel as natural as breathing.

Since The Subdermic released her first record back in 2001 (the ‘Nymph’ EP) the experimental, acid and electro DJ/producer – real name  Lilly Phoenix – has had cuts on labels including Kosovo’s TMM Records, Bass Agenda, and her own imprint.

Ellen King has been at the forefront of Ireland’s ever-changing electronic music community for a couple of years now.

Both within and outside the crucial conversation around representation, ELLLL is pointedly aware of the challenges and changes that still must be confronted in the Irish scene.