June 24, 2024 |
Hackney born and bred, Eliza Rose is gearing up to play the big stage. Rising up the ranks of global charts over the past few years, the ‘B.O.T.A’ DJ will officially be playing Glasto this coming weekend.
Having released her new EP Business As Usual back in April – a four-track masterstroke that blends her signature soulful vocals with a jazzy, whimsical aura – the DJ, music producer and singer has already turned the fight for the title of ‘summer anthem’ into a beatdown. Rediscovering her penchant for blending sounds into unconventional mixes, with this new sonic experience – created in collaboration with UKG icon MJ Cole – Rose returns to her roots at RoseBud Records, where she saw her start.
A perfect example of Eliza’s out-of-the-box thinking, the music video features retro-futuristic overtones à la Mars Attacks, and styling in the foreground of a soulful ballad. Rose’s vocals shine on the EP, alongside its supreme production and the bangin’ beats that are layered beneath. If there’s anything that’s certain to resuscitate a someone with a broken heart and get them back on the dancefloor, it’s Business As Usual.
So, before she gets everyone’s hips swaying at Glastonbury’s Park stage, we sat with Rose to discover more about her roots, her favourite brands and what’s next.
1. Eliza Rose! How would you describe your sound in three words?
Sassy, vocal, groovers.
2. You’re London-born and bred – what’s your favourite thing about the city?
It’s a toss up between the creativity and Kingsland Road.
3. Who are three female DJs everyone should have on their radar right now?
[It’s] reallllly hard to choose, [there’s] so many! I just had Lovefoxy, LALA and Sally C at my takeover and they were all incredible.
4. You recently released your EP Business As Usual – can you tell me a bit more about it?
It’s a bit of a world’s collide situation of my two loves; UKG and Soul. I also wanted to go back to my Rosebud Records roots where I would write a soul track then get it remixed – so going back to this ethos and old school style of exploring different sounds and reimagining sounds via remixes. For me it’s the best of both worlds!
5. Your ‘Planet Eliza’ concept will be the centre point for your curated stages at Love Saves The Day, Madame Loyal and Tomorrowland – what can partygoers expect on a trip to Planet Eliza?
I want people who come to my shows to feel I’ve created a space for them to completely lose themselves. Lose all inhibitions and just dance, the dance floor to me is space you can feel sense a freedom that I don’t think you can anywhere else in life. I’m obviously really inspired by 90s rave culture, dance hall culture and queer performance so I curate the stages with DJs performances and visuals to encourage the crowd to let themselves be immersed. I work with some of the most brilliant artists who help bring my vision to life it’s about being transported to another dimension just a respite from this shit show with call earth.
6. B.O.T.A was obviously a massive hit – when was the moment you realised it was blowing up?
The moment I really knew that BOTA was blowing up was when I heard it everywhere at Glastonbury. I think that was a real eye-opener, seeing how quickly the track snowballed. I mean even then I never expected it to go into the charts let alone number one but I think Glasto was the first time I realised we had something special on our hands.
7. What’s on your ride?
Tequila and a scratch card.
8. Your style is as fun and bold as your music – what are some of your favourite brands right now?
I always love some vintage Versace and Moschino but also Studio Seventy// Liberty Rose, AGR, PSRYSN, Max Allen, Hat n Spicy, Ed Curtis, Jawara Alleyne, Aggro Studio. I love designers who are in their studios making and making with their own techniques like PSRYSN spray paints all her clothes and they just look sick and Max Allen is the king of camp!! I’m working him for my Glasto live show I’m so excited to show you guys it’s absolutely bonkers!!!!
9. You’ve worked with some superstar collaborators like Calvin Harris and MJ Cole – if you could collaborate with one artist, dead or alive, who would it be?
Prince or Billie Holiday would be amazing, Salam Remi would be so cool too, or Dennis Bovel, the list goes on.
10. What’s coming up for you in the future?
Anything and everything feels possible, either way I’m going back into the underground. I’ve got some exciting releases lined up and am sitting on a stack of great tracks.
Photography by Phoebe Jordan Cowley.
