City Nomads Radio: Elaheh, Thailand
PUBLISHED February 2nd, 2018 06:00 am | UPDATED May 18th, 2020 04:58 pm
Rising star Ellie, who goes by the moniker Elaheh, was first exposed to electronic music back in 2008.  Seven years passed between bedroom mixing sessions evolved to playing at Ex Nihilo’s ‘Urban Tentacles’ event in May 2015. Her local underground hero, Sunju Hargun took notice of her musical style and selection playing as one-half of the duo ‘Sen Yai’. Since then the duo have played opening sets for Doomwork (Cocoon/Get Physical), Cristoph (Noir/Suara/DFTD), and Citizenn (Crosstown Rebels).
With a keen ear for music and a multi-cultural background, Ellie is set to as one of the promising DJs in Bangkok‘s emerging underground scene. Her blend of deep-tech and minimal grooves has earned her residency at UNSTๆ and their monthly nights at Beam & De Commune. Aside from DJing, Ellie is also a member of Collect/Save, a project which was created to increase artists’ knowledge through a series of DJ / producer workshops & production masterclasses by industry experts. In this edition of City Nomads Radio, Ellie shares with the meaning behind Elaheh, her first ever record and the best night out in Bangkok.
Where were you born and raised?
Bangkok, Thailand.
What’s the most fun thing you’ve done lately?
I’d have to say playing first sunrise of 2018 on Koh Mak island for new years. Going B2B with DOTT facing the sun coming up with all of our close friends dancing and watching on the beach. Definitely one to remember.
Describe your sound to us in less than 10 words.
Constantly evolving. Weaving between spacey, groovy, seductive, primitive & organic elements.
What was the first record you ever bought and what music did you listen to growing up?
It was actually a Deftones record, ‘White Pony’. I bought it ages ago only so I could get it signed by the band. They were my favorite band growing up (still are too). As for my first dance record, it was Alessio Mereu’s ‘GG Remixes’ from Amam Records.
I went through quite a few music phases. My dad is a big fan of artists like Pink Floyd, Chris Rea, Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin so that was music that I was around a lot growing up. I listened to all kinds of alternative rock and metal. Trip hop artists like Portishead, Morcheeba, and Massive Attack etc. There was a big phase of Nicolas Jaar, Mount Kimbie, Bonobo, and Four Tet too.
Apart from music, what else do you dabble in?
I freelance bartend for weddings & events from time to time. Bartending was what I planned to do before DJing, but that changed.
Why do you call yourself Elaheh?
Ellaheh is my grandmother’s name and also my real name. I was named after her.
Where’s the best night out in Bangkok right now?
It all depends on what you’re looking for. There are the regular go-to spots like Glow, Beam, Safe Room, Mustache, or newer places that have opened up like De Commune. Smaller venues like Studio Lam, 12×12, and T- Rex are also good options. The best nights out tend to end at afterparties in various places, that’s when you get to hear all the music you usually wouldn’t.
What do you do to prevent the endless party loop from getting stale?
Everything is still quite exciting to me because there are a lot of venues I have yet to play. Each party and crowd can give you a fresh perspective so I think as long as you keep the music fresh, you won’t get bored.
If your music was an animal, what would it be?
It used to be a camel, then it turned into a space camel.
To stay updated of Elaheh‘s upcoming gigs and news, follow her on Facebook and Soundcloud.
