Name: Elina Shorokhova aka Soela
Nationality: Russian
Occupation: DJ, producer, pianist, vocalist, composer
Current release: Soela's Dark Portrait, featuring Francis Harris & Philipp Priebe, Module One, and Lawrence, is out via Scissor & Thread.
Recommendations: These are my must-read and must-listen: The Master and Margarita by Bulgakov; Keith Jarett — The Köln Concert; Étude Op. 10, No. 12 by Frédéric Chopin;

[Read our Lawrence interview]

If you enjoyed this Soela interview and would like to know more about her music, visit her on Instagram, Facebook, and Soundcloud.



When I listen to music, I see shapes, objects and colours. What happens in your body when you're listening? Do you listen with your eyes open or closed?

Music for me is more about emotions. Sometimes it's immediately disgusting, sometimes breathtaking and mesmerising, sometimes funny.

I rarely see shapes and figures, the only one I remember is John Tejada's track called “Subdivided.”

When I first heard it, the constantly evolving arpeggios in it wouldn't let me rest: my brain drew abstractions of chrome pipes bending like clay every time I listened to it with my eyes closed.

[Read our John Tejada interview]

Entering/creating new worlds through music has always exerted a strong pull on me. What do you think you are drawn to most when it comes to listening to and creating music?

I listen to music without thinking too much, and it took me a long time to learn how to do that. I used to take each track apart piece by piece, trying to understand how this or that sound was created.

Now I have a more technical understanding of sound, my mind evaluates the complexity of the piece, I can't escape reality when I listen to music. I'm as grounded and focused on my sensations as possible.

According to scientific studies, we make our deepest and most incisive musical experiences between the ages of 13-16. What did music mean to you at that age and what’s changed since then?

I was absolutely fascinated by music when I was a teenager. I remember listening to music for hours with my friend Sasha, I remember coming to her place with a flash drive to download music because I didn't have fast internet back then. It was 2009, I think.

Sometimes we would go to the skate park and bring our laptop and speakers and play music there. It was a special time when music became an integral part of my life, I was always trying to find something new, I bought a player, hung around the city and listened to the same playlist.

I remember that time very well, I remember the music I loved. For example, I really liked the track "Drowned City" by Dark Sky.



From that track came my love for thoughtful music, for the use of long pads and reverb.

Tell me about one or two of your early pieces that you're still proud of (or satisfied with) – and why you're content with them.

Lily EP (Kompakt, 2019). It's not a very early work, but it feels like it was in another life.



This release is important to me because it's a tribute to my grandmother.

What is your current your studio or workspace like? What instruments, tools, equipment, and space do you need to make music?

I work in Ableton Live 9 - I'm a complete retrograde. I also have some synths I use almost every time: Nord Electro 6d, Prophet 08, Jomox Alpha Base.

From the earliest sketches to the finished piece, tell me about the creative process for your current release, please.

New music always starts with melodies or, if it's a song, lyrics. I modify and change my music a lot, but I prefer to record the idea and some main parts to work on later. I also think a track needs some time to settle. So I let it sit for a few days and come back to it with fresh ideas and a fresh mind.

The album itself started with a track called "The Darkest Hour Before Sunrise". Starting with some pads, I recorded keys, violin, some double bass and added some little details here and there. If I tell you the process in a few words, it's like this.

What role and importance do rituals have for you, both as an artist and a listener?

Ritual is my second name, literally. Anything can ruin my creative mood, so I try to keep my studio in order. Sometimes I wish it would take even less time to turn everything on.

Also, it's very hard to concentrate on the creative process when someone is in the same room with me, if it's not a person I'm collaborating with. I can't produce if somebody's talking, if the window's open, if it's too hot in the room.

So yeah, I definitely have some rituals. I have to feel absolutely comfortable to be able to concentrate on the process.

Are you acting out parts of your personality in your music which you couldn't or wouldn't in your daily life? If so, which are these?

No, I’m not. My music reflects my character.

Late producer SOPHIE said: “You have the possibility [...] to generate any texture, and any sound. So why would any musician want to limit themselves?” What's your take on that?

True! Do that if you want.

I prefer to be conservative. That's a peculiarity of a classical musical education.

Do you feel that your music or your work as an artist needs to have a societal purpose or a responsibility to anyone but yourself?

No. I make music about me and my world and I just invite the listener to see who I am and what I feel.

Once a piece is done and released, do you find it important that listeners understand it in a specific way? How do you deal with “misunderstandings?”

I like it when people can make up their own minds and interpret music and other art the way they want.

Sound, song, and rhythm are all around us, from animal noises to the waves of the ocean. What, if any, are some of the most moving experiences you've had with these non-human-made sounds? In how far would you describe them as “musical”?

One of my favourite sounds is the rustling of leaves. Like the spring leaves that have just appeared on the trees, the summer leaves covered with dust or morning dew, the crunch of fall leaves under my feet. I adore trees and plants in general, and I think it is such a wonder and joy to be able to see and hear the sounds of plants.

I also love the wind. I think it was the inspiration for a lot of existing instruments.

We can surround us with sound every second of the day. The great pianist Glenn Gould even considered this the ultimate delight. How do you see that yourself and what importance does silence hold?

I love silence and I love being silent.

The world is filled with noise and hurry, so having a few moments to quiet down and harmonize is a real luxury.

Do you feel as though writing or performing a piece of music is inherently different from something like making a great cup of coffee? What do you express through music that you couldn't or wouldn't in more 'mundane' tasks?

The only difference between making a track and making a cup of tea would be that I don't hate myself when I'm making a cup of tea.

What is a music related question that you would like to ask yourself – and what's your answer to it?

Q: What description of an ikea pillow would best describe your music?
A: This pillow has a soft outer filling of 90% fluffy down and a firm 90% feather core. Double piping keeps the pillow nice and full. The high loft is comfiest for side or back sleepers.