latam
“That’s the joy of being a DJ, being able to play different places and different crowds. Each requires a slightly different approach, whilst still trying to retain what I’m all about as a DJ. There’s definitely a lot of planning that goes into my sets, searching for music, making edits, thinking about the show flow, etc, but I live for this and it’s something that I’m always thinking about.”
That constant recalibration has carried him into Latin America, where he launches the Me Gusta tour through Costa Rica, Chile, Peru, and Argentina. For Eli, the region is defined by something more potent than trends: passion.
“That’s what I love about Latin America, dancing is in people’s DNA, and they know how to enjoy themselves. I thrive off that energy, and it’s one of my favourite places to come in the world as a result. I love the people, the food, and the culture. I’m from the UK and coming to Latin America makes me feel really far from home, but in a good way, as I enjoy soaking up new cultures.”
Travelling doesn’t just feed his sets, it pushes their limits. In Ecuador, at the legendary Lost Beach Club, Eli was stretched into marathon territory.
“Travelling to me is inspiring; the sights and sounds of different places and cultures fill me with excitement, and I’m always trying to capture that and take it home to the studio. I wouldn’t say I’ve been somewhere in particular that has made me shift the way I play, my fans come to see me, and kind of know what they are going to get. However, I’ve definitely played some of the longest sets I’ve ever played whilst being in Latin America. Places like Lost Beach Club in Ecuador pride themselves on pushing DJs out of their comfort zone to play longer and more diverse sets. I played over 8 hours whenever I’ve been there, and it’s always fun,
and the crowd’s energy really keeps you going.”
Those longform sets opened a door to riskier ideas. His collaborations with GeezLy on Papi and Me Gusta fused Latin rhythms with heavy te- chno, daring moves in a culture that doesn’t always welcome hybrids.
“I love the idea of merging sounds and cultures and seeing what comes out. As producers, we can often play it safe, but that’s not me. I’m looking to shape and move genres, and looking at other cultures feels like an exciting way to do this. The Latin community supports me, and I felt it was a natural progression to work with artists from that world. GeezLy is insanely talented and a pleasure to work with, and I’m most certainly keen to explore more collaborations in this space.”
This appetite for cross-pollination is not a new phenomenon. It tra- ces back to Bristol, to the shadowy drum & bass rooms where Eli first learned that music didn’t need to be polite to move bodies.
“I can’t help the way my musical journey
where I grew up, was, and still is, so heavily rooted in drum and bass. When I was going out to clubs early on, it was dark, moody, and raw. This attitude definitely still inspires my music to date. Sometimes I wish it didn’t, but equally, I think it gives me a unique perspective, as there aren’t many people in the techno space who have come from the drum and bass world. I think music, as a whole, develops and evolves due to outsi- de influences; everyone’s backstory is different, which provides a unique perspective on things; I think that’s great. If we all did the same thing, life would be pretty boring, right?”
has developed. Bristol,
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