Author: starkstudio

Words by Hannah Gordon

Today we chat with London based musician, Heléna Star, whose career has been nothing short of exceptional. Joining her local radio station as a DJ at just 16, the 25-year-old has since made a name for herself in the music scene. She now has her own show on Foundation FM, a remarkable female-founded radio station advocating for those from ethnic minority backgrounds and the LGBTQI+ community within the music industry.

As her name would suggest, Heléna is a stellar individual championing for greater diversity both inside the music community and out. She brings a breath of fresh air to the DJ scene and has proved herself as a discerning role model to those looking to follow in her footsteps. With LUNCH, she recounts her own growth as a young Black artist and what completes her signature performance look.

You recently performed with Keep Hush for Black Minds Matter. Could you give us more insight into both of these organisations and what’s so important about them?

Yes I did! Keep Hush have been a great supporter of what I do for a while now and that is what they do across the board. It’s a really exciting organisation that stream, promote and ‘back the underground’ in all their pursuits. Plus, it is run by the best team who are really great at what they do and genuinely care, which can be rare to find in this industry. Black Minds Matter is a charity that I only recently have been introduced to but again, what they stand for and the work they do is absolutely essential. Promoting mental health awareness in the Black community and providing free services for individuals and families.

You are also a host of Foundation FM – another really important platform. What do you enjoy most about being a part of Foundation? How has it grown since its beginnings?

I am so blessed to be a part of Foundation, I was lucky enough to join the station on their first week being live! Not only has the station grown in size, in the space of three years the station continues to evolve and provides a space for people to grow and flourish.

You previously stated that you struggled with the lack of diversity in your hometown, Guildford, as well as struggling with accepting your racial identity. What would you say to others facing the same issues now?

I really started to feel a shift in how I viewed myself when I moved away from home. It wasn’t so much about accepting who I was, it was about being proud of who I am. I’d love to think that with the expanding knowledge at the tip of our fingertips and having role models that reflect under-represented groups, fewer people will have to feel othered. The reality is that we still have lots of issues to deal with but finding community and finding others who accept, love and understand you is the best place to start. I’d also like to see schools tackling those issues more as there currently is not enough done to protect or to educate those who need it most.

Having been involved in music and DJing from a young age, are there any other career moves you’d like to make in the future?

I am really lucky to have known the path I wanted to go down from an early age and one of the great things about this industry is that there are so many places to move into. I will always work in underground electronic music, but I would love to add more strings to my bow, including production, label management and eventually owning a club or venue.

What is your go-to look for a gig? How does this compare with your style off-duty?

Those who know me will know I love to change my hair all the time lol but a staple look for me would be a slicked back bun – so I can easily use headphones without my hair getting tangled – with a bold red lip, maybe my own or a friend’s designed oversized t-shirt and some kind of statement trouser or jeans. To be honest, I wear that on a normal day too, apart from off-duty you will definitely catch me with my afro flying free!

Makeup and hair by PHIL LA NOIRAUDE
Featuring Zuzu Kushnirukova @ CRUSH Models
With thanks to Monika Podana

Words by Hannah Gordon
Featuring Nwanneka aka Plantainnchipps
Photography Bethany Grace
Styling Tamara Turnbull
Makeup MVB

A guest as delicious as today’s needs little introduction. She has swept Glasgow’s most recent festivals with her vivacious tracks and undoubtedly endearing nature, it’s no wonder DJ Plantainchipps is gaining swift traction in the city’s music scene. The multidimensional artist is also releasing her own recordings under her real name, Nwanneka, including her most recent magnetising single, Soil.

This ascending musician is also a recently, mid-pandemic, graduated English language and literature student. With the global brakes on performing and a shortage of graduate jobs, Nwanneka reflects on her perceptive navigation through her return to musical performance as well as why everyone should care about themselves more.

Firstly, I have to ask, how did your DJ name, ‘Plantainchipps’ come to be? Is there a story behind it?

‘Basically it’s one of my favourite snacks. Plantain chips are a really great snack. I think it’s mainly in places like Africa, Jamaica, and the West Indies where people eat it. But it’s just one of my favourites.’

Tell us about your artistic process as a DJ, and what inspires you?

‘For the most part it’s always been me going to gigs, going to see other people play and how they play, how they use the decks as well. Sometimes it’s watching sets online or on YouTube, from that I tend to just watch and think how can I make that my own. How can I try and do my own thing with that?’ 

Do you remember a specific point where you thought ‘this is it, DJing is what I want to do’?

‘To be honest I think it was just in my first year of uni. I had been to a couple of DJ nights and I was like “it must be pretty cool to be the one in control of all the music.” I just thought okay, if there’s an opportunity for me to learn the stuff, then I’ll go ahead and learn.’

Intrigued at her clear enthusiasm, I enquire about the least pleasant parts of being a DJ.

‘It’s actually just getting all the tracks, you know. To be honest, the easy part is playing. The hard part is like having to sit and get all the tracks, it takes so long. You’re gradually accumulating music, but it’s just irritating because of the amount of time and money it costs to get all this music. Being a DJ, you have to have thousands of songs, at least enough to last you maybe 6 months worth of work. So yeah, that is quite intense’

How was it not being able to perform over lockdown?

‘During the past year and a half, it has been quite different – and difficult. I think initially when I graduated from uni I thought “oh, I can DJ then, rather than doing the work. Then that just didn’t happen so it was kinda like, oh fuck, now what?” Then trying to find [DJ] jobs has been really hard, obviously during a pandemic you’re not exactly going to get a job quickly. But even then when you do get back into it, the anxiety you now have of performing in front of loads of people, even though you were so used to it before, it just creeps back and you’re like “oh no”’

Your music is really energetic, how does that vary when you aren’t feeling so great, do you have to push yourself into a more artistic head?

‘In the beginning of playing I’ll still feel a bit meh, but as it goes on, the feeling of remembering why I enjoy DJing always comes back and helps me. It reminds me “you’re in a good space right now, its fine.”’

What has been your favourite gig to do overall?

‘I think it was the GSA degree show party, that was just so much fun. I have a lot of friends from GSA and I knew the promoter as well. I think it’s because a lot of my friends were able to attend it, they were all egging me on. I just remember them cheering “YEAH” at me.’

Obviously, I have to ask you about your fashion as well, is there a link between your music and fashion?

‘It’s funny, because when I DJ I don’t tend to put in the effort into how I dress. But recently I’ve been thinking, should I actually try to put in some effort? I’ve seen other DJs and they do actually dress up, or they’ll put makeup on, spruce themselves up a little bit and I’m like- People are just here to see me play, not necessarily what I’m wearing. But I do enjoy dressing up as well, it does feel nice and I think generally I just decide what to wear depending on the day, depending on how I feel, but I have been thinking recently I should put more effort in’

When you’re creating music, is there anything you want to put across?

‘When it comes to producing the music that I sing and create it really does depend on the vibe of the track itself. If it sounds slow, the idea that I have or what’s linking it, like what the theme of the song is – I guess it depends on what I think about when I start writing. That’s when I can figure out what kind of energy I’m trying to put out. And then with DJing in itself it’s always to make people feel happy, or joyous, or just want to dance, you know? I want people to just completely forget about themselves when they’re at my set. I don’t want people to feel like “oh people are watching me, I can’t dance.” Just relax, just have fun and forget. I think sometimes there’s too much attention and focus on how you look, what you’re up to, just forget about that!’

What’s your dream performance, where would you like to play?

‘Oh wow, I’ve actually never thought about that. I don’t really know. I feel like anywhere that’s just going to be an array of people who are open minded to any kind of music. It doesn’t even have to be big, just a nice environment to be in.’

Finally, I ask her about one thing she thinks everyone should care about right now.

‘It’s interesting, there’s a few things I think people should care about. First of all, people should care about themselves. Not in a selfish way, but in a way of realising how you need to be self aware. Just generally looking after yourself, taking time for yourself and being aware of your thoughts, where you’re at and what you’re doing, stuff like that – it’s so important. It can stop you from projecting. Once you’ve taken care of yourself you feel a lot better and then communicating with others is easier, you’re not agitated.’

‘Also, I think you should care about the people around you, your friends and your family. This past year has been very tough for some people, and somewhat enlightening for others, but at the base of it we all need to just care about each other. I think one thing we have learned from our governments is that they do not care about us, so we’re gonna have to try and care for each other. We’ve all been taught individualism and to look out for yourself – not caring about anyone else – I get it, but it’s also not that productive when it comes to times like this.’

‘Just caring about issues that don’t necessarily involve you, putting yourself in other’s shoes. There are a lot of things that do need other people’s input and support. I guess it’s also insightful for everyone else to just have some kind of input that’s going to be positive – and beneficial to the people involved. You have no idea how much that could help them out. Just putting yourself in a position where you’re like “do you know what, I don’t know a lot about this but I’m willing to try and know, or at least engage with it.”’

Words by Tegan Jaimie

Every year we are met with a fresh cohort of emerging graduate designers adding their names to the lexicon of the fashion industry.
Oliver FJ Jones is one such new designer entering the space. While the jury is still out on what it truly means to be ‘sustainable’ in the industry today, one thing is for certain we still live in a culture that privileges commodity and trend over re-purposing and circularity when it comes to our consumerism.

Enter, Oliver FJ Jones, the Edinburgh College of Art graduate who is elevating the upcycling fashion scene where his reworked vintage bags emblazoned with his signature warped homo print are a hit here at LUNCH. So much so, his whole family is now scouting out vintage bags for him. A true reworking masterclass in how the industry should be addressing sustainability.

Below, Oliver discusses the origins of his namesake brand, delves deeper into his sustainability thoughts, and also his plans to develop his identity as a young designer.

EXPLAIN THE DNA OF YOUR NAMESAKE BRAND, OLIVER FJ JONES?

The DNA of an Oliver FJ Jones piece is often intertwined with historical nuance and attitudes towards gender. The brand exists as a catalyst for me to play with my own interests in medieval history, allowing me to turn aspects of it on its head. Growing up in the city of Lincoln meant I have always been surrounded by gothic religious iconography from Lincoln Cathedral to its historic castle. I think this is where my exploration started from. Being someone who grew up around Christianity meant that gothic architecture, choral music, and ancient stories were part of my upbringing. Only was it when I grew older and came aware of my identity did I start to question my own faith. I look at religious iconography more as a gateway into a wealth of history and inspiration. Using religion’s history of persecution against anything ‘ungodly’ as a source for inspiration. This is what I hope my brand’s DNA stands for. I am far more interested in the way my brand can serve to reinvent and reclaim these ideals. My first collection ‘HOMO’ dealt with these sorts of ideas, from knightly figures wearing adorned tights and elongated heels mimicking medieval lancing shoes. The collection did and probably still does act as a base for many other concepts I create.

WHERE DO YOU DRAW INSPIRATION FROM?

Inspiration comes to me in so many different forms, from books, films, history, and even music. The collections I’ve created are often grounded in a world in which I design and envisage. Maybe controversially, I try to stay away from directly looking at other designers’ work both present and previously too much when designing. I personally find the success of a collection comes from something uniquely individual from the designer. It’s fantastic seeing what’s happening in the world of design but often it can cloud my own creativity and voice behind my designs. There’s a lot more gratification that comes with designing something you feel personally attached to and connected to.

My latest capsule collection ‘HEATHENS & HOUNDS’ came to me whilst researching Hieronymus Bosch’s work. I took fragments of colour from his paintings and put my mind to how I could reimagine these oddly painted figures through my own eyes. Often inspiration stems from the smallest of encounters with textures, mediums, and print. For instance, I knew I wanted to play with the idea of vintage painted leather against fur and how that might make the wearer feel. My warped homo print stemmed from a want to create a pattern that only on inspection you’d realise it spelled out homo. These, often small, ideas can often build and build to form a much greater body of work.

AS A RECENT GRADUATE, WHAT’S YOUR PERCEPTION OF THE INDUSTRY TODAY?

My love for designing concepts for fashion is often conflicted with what the industry sadly has become. I tend to approach my design similar to that of art. The collections and clothing I have reworked exist beyond seasonal fast-paced trends. I strongly believe the industry of fashion needs to readdress its message and responsibility within society. There are so many possibilities and messages clothing can showcase that often is missed. For too long huge corporate fashion businesses have sought fashion as a commodity, and placed emphasis purely on its commercial value.

I hope my brand welcomes creatives to think openly about what fashion can really be and mean for people. I hope to put emphasis on concept, story, method, and uniqueness in order to really connect and celebrate individuality. The vibrancy and eclectic nature of fashion has often been missed and replaced by trend and commodity. I also personally would like to see more infrastructure for younger emerging designers to be celebrated regardless of location.

WHY IS SUSTAINABILITY IMPORTANT TO YOU AS A YOUNG BRAND AND HOW DOES THIS FEED INTO YOUR CREATIVE PROCESS?

Sustainability should, I hope, be seen as an expected duty of young designers working and practicing in 2021. My personal approach to designing has often been restricted to previously vintage items which have forced me to think creatively. These items ultimately go on to exist as a single one-off piece to be coveted by the buyer. I feel really strongly about the idea of limited stock buying which celebrates this idea of a one-off piece. I hope in turn this encourages people to think of fashion as not only something commercial but something that exists as a story, a memory, and an individual.

HOW DO YOU SEE YOURSELF GROWING AS A BUSINESS? AND WHAT DOES A SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MODEL LOOK LIKE TO YOU?

I hope to see my business develop to showcase both reworked pre-loved items along with handmade small run pieces which push fashion’s relationship with art and concept. I hope to see my brand become a wealth of bespoke items which celebrate diversity, inclusivity, and non-gendered fashion. I see my business developing as something not restricted to simply seasonal collections but as something more fluid. This in turn would I hope to grow an audience that champions sustainable conscious buying.

YOU UP-CYCLE YOUR SIGNATURE OLIVER FJ JONES BAGS – HOW DID THIS COME ABOUT?

The want to develop a range of bespoke bags began when I started to experiment on different surface mediums. One of the first bags I unintentionally created was originally used as a 1950’s binocular box case. By adding the warped homo pattern to the PVC coating the whole use of the bag changed. I’m always on the lookout for good quality, often unusual, evening bags that are ripe for designing on. Funnily enough, since then my whole family has been scouting for them. I like how the bags I design aren’t simply used for the purpose, but also used as display items. I think there’s something really interesting there about where fashion may enter more of an art sphere.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR OLIVER FJ JONES AS A DESIGNER/BRAND?

The development of my online presence is a priority for my brand right now. I have been slaving away at producing an immersive representative online website which showcases my previous work. Its often been quite challenging learning so many skills on the job but I cant wait to share my efforts with everyone. It’s quite an exciting feeling transitioning my current way of working to a more professional bespoke online experience. Going back right to the start of my collections and marketing them has been really holistic. Once these items have started their next chapter in someone else’s closet, I think the scope for really honing in on my own brand identity can begin. I want to push this idea of immersive design and transition to a clearer vision of what an Oliver FJ Jones piece can really be and mean to people.

Shop Oliver FJ Jones now

Interview by Tegan Jaimie
Featuring VTSS
Hair by Chrissy Hutton
Makeup by Yoi Wan

Polish DJ and producer VTSS, aka Martyna Maja is busy. True to her High-Speed Techno, VTSS isn’t slowing down. LUNCH chats to her before she jets off to the Netherlands and Poland for the weekend. Before checking off France, Germany, and then back to the UK again. However, with the pandemic ultimately stalling live gigs VTSS is excited to be back on the scene again. “Feels good being out, but traveling these days is definitely anxiety-inducing with all the different regulations and travel restrictions in different countries. However, the crowds’ energy is of course so rewarding in every single place I’ve played so far.”

No stranger to the hustle that comes with the lifestyle of a DJ. Checking in for the late flight (if possible) to spend as much time as she can hanging out with her dog before she is on the go again. VTSS expands on her day leading up to a gig at night.”Nothing special no rituals, just trying to stay by myself and focus before having to face so many different people. I’m scrolling through TikTok a lot, this relaxes me. I FaceTime my mom, my friends who dog sit, I write letters in my notes to process stuff – it’s cheaper than therapy.”

With a packed schedule, it’s easy to wonder how she has time to focus on producing new music. Acknowledging the difficulty VTSS explains “I don’t really, I’m still really struggling to figure this out and it’s honestly quite exhausting.” But keen not to inhabit a schedule that leads to her performing 52 weeks of the year for the next 10 years. “I’m not built like that. I’m still in the process of figuring out how to balance my mental health with all the traveling, staying up at night, and being always gone, yet by myself. I’m hoping next year to play more ‘tours’ around releases or projects instead of being gone every single weekend so let’s see if I can pull this off.”

Regardless, VTSS is an unstoppable force in the electronic music scene. Dosing us again and again with the high-octane techno that has seen her perform globally across the DJ touring circuit. How does she do it? “I definitely cannot be hangover (laughs). I need to have a clear mind, a bit of deadline never hurts in my case, clean room, no people around, no one wanting anything from me. But most of all just a mental place where I feel I can do what I want and not what’s expected for this project, by the label etc or whoever is a part of this project.”

Including a previous LUNCH journal favourite – TAAHLIAH on her playlist, VTSS also lists Koreless, KAVARI, the Lady Gaga remixes, Phatrax, Anz, Loraine James, NKC, BATU as her current go-to’s. LUNCH was also keen to find out more from VTSS about her relationship with fashion and designers. Out with her staple sweats, she sites Berlin-based Ottolinger as one of her favourite brands, as well as British-Indian designer Supriya Lele. “For more clubwear, I’m working on a project now with A Better Mistake from Milan which I’m a big fan of. I do love fashion a lot, can’t obviously afford much but being a performer can come with perks. Being invited to work in different ways on fun projects with brands, designers – even photoshoots for magazines.” Promoting slow and sustainable style here at LUNCH, VTSS also reflects this in her own style. “I try to thrift as much as I can. I do like vintage designer stuff and it’s a good balance by not supporting fast fashion but still being affordable. Especially in London, there’s a lot of great shops like that and opportunity to support more independent smaller brands.”

And finally, when a gig is over, how does VTSS feel? “It really depends how each gig went, whether I’ve built a connection with the crowd and whether I was satisfied with my work. Performing like that is a really special thing, especially to people who struggle with social interactions like myself. It makes you feel like you’re a part of something bigger, that you’re not by yourself, and all that without having to use words, however cliche it sounds.”

Words by Tegan Jaimie
Featuring Trackie McLeod
Photography by Marilena Vlachopoulou & Bethany Grace
Assisted by India Gill & Hannah Gordon

Trackie Macleod isn’t one to be put in a box. Self-proclaiming to be ‘pretty chaotic’, he has his Sun, Moon and Rising to thank for that – double Aries and a Virgo Rising for those who want to ask, Trackie’s art is multifaceted and while refusing to be pigeonholed, taps into that nostalgic-induced culture rabbit hole of the zeitgeist. “I struggle with artists who limit themselves to one medium – I’m too sporadic. It’s like having a full box of crayons and only using one colour but each to their own. I’m easily excited by new ideas and potential mediums – unsure if it’s a blessing or a hindrance because I’m probably quite hard to market and employ but I can worry about that when I’m 40.”

On the theme of sentimentality, Trackie recalls his childhood “I think it’s hard to look back at your early years without looking at it through rose-tinted glasses. With that in mind, I’d probably describe it as ‘hearty’ like a pure good Sunday dinner with an Irn Bru float for dessert”. As a Glasgow school of art graduate he pays homage to his early years “I reckon I was just the average messy wee guy who enjoyed pens, stickers, alien goo and things that could ruin furniture indefinitely. My interests varied like my attention span (still true) but my ‘creative energy’ wasn’t something I channeled into any direction until I was much older.”

Trackies’ anthropological work blends a documentary narrative of growing up as queer and working-class in Glasgow with a social criticism lens of pop, lad, and subculture. He is refreshingly frank and doesn’t take himself too seriously yet finds balance between a nuanced approach to social commentary on the hypermasculinity and gentrification of today with a tongue-in-cheek sentiment. 

The buoyancy of this transpires through his name; Connor to his mum, Trackie to us. He explains the origins of this alias, “It was a joke at an afters in 2014 about how I used to always bring a spare trackie with me because I knew I was out for the long haul (thanks Mark Thompson). But I guess thanks to social media I’ve been able to use it to brand myself and I suppose it’s a part of the work I make in some way? ‘Trackie’ allows me an alias to make more honest work. But it isn’t some Sasha Fierce shit don’t worry.” His art is intrinsic and tackles the generational gap of missing mental health support for men who struggled to openly talk about their feelings due to lad culture being rife.

When asked about the Scottish creative scene he has affixed to, Trackie is equal parts appreciative and honest about the hindrances it has “I think the Scottish creative scene now relies on creatives going off and doing their own start up, I’m lucky to know a lot of really talented people who have their own small businesses that keep the creative scene here fresh and flourishing. Otherwise, job-wise? Three years since I graduated – I now see why people migrate to London.” Juggling his creative work while maintaining a job in retail, Trackie is on the fence about seeing the 90s and early 00s trend coming full circle again. “I love and hate it at the same time. I sell Von Dutch hats and Juicy Couture trackies to tweens who haven’t even heard of ‘The Simple Life’. But aye seeing Y2K come round full circle having lived it the first time around makes me feel nostalgic but also old. For me, the trend isn’t a fad but once it’s filtered down to the High Street sales, we’ll be on to dressing like it’s 2010 – bring back shutter shades and The Klaxons.”

A collaboration with MV Brown

Words by Tegan Jaimie

Using clothing as a medium for more intimate and nuanced narratives, Morag Seaton is the Scottish designer of her namesake brand and the co-founder of Worn Workshop. A creative project set up with her friend Abigail Jubb to challenge negative fashion culture and entice educational conversation around the value of clothes.

“I think clothing, because they’re such an everyday thing, people tend to forget how powerful they are, and how much of an important role they play in understanding ourselves and the world around us as well.” She explains. Morag as a student at Glasgow School of Art started interviewing people about their clothes and their relationship with them and quickly collated an archive of stories. “They talked about everything from their identities, society and gender to race, culture, occupation, everything. So it’s quite incredible the kind of the role that clothing plays in our lives.”

As a designer, Morag’s current output is a range of handmade bags, all featuring a crafted pocket, another point of interest for Morag. “I think it’s because they’re just a very functional aspect of a garment. I always really liked creating technical samples and could spend hours creating them with pockets. They always come up in conversation during Worn Workshops and I think it’s just really funny when you have these conversations, people talking about all the weird things that they find in their pockets, but also because it’s a feminist issue as well, in terms of the lack of pockets in female clothing.” Acknowledging and relating to the glee women feel when discovering a hidden pocket in an item of clothing.

Morag also expands on the importance of reclaiming the word ‘boob’ back for her aptly named boob bag. “I was a bit hesitant about calling it that, particularly because of the negative connotations. But it’s a favourite of mine that I have been reworking over the years.” Celebrating the body, Morag dissents from the archetype and embraces the asymmetry humans naturally have. “One boob that’s bigger than the other and things like that. It just felt very human. I love when it’s really sculptural and functional, but still looks a little weird.”

It’s no secret that the industry fetishises over-consumption and the need to negate impulsivity when it comes to consuming. Realising the significance of an item of clothing is only one aspect of Worn. “It’s also things like understanding issues in things like sizing and inclusivity. This comes up a lot in the conversations that we have. I think it’s really about engaging people with the personal significance of their clothes, but also the environment. It’s also about getting people to think about who makes their clothes and everyone involved in that process as well. Because these are the ones that are often forgotten about. So it’s really important to talk about them too.”

As for a garment of personal significance to Morag, she is particularly sentimental about the tartan skirt that her Granny made in the ’80s for her mum from the excess tartan of her dad and uncle’s kilts. “Me and my sister have one which is really nice and I think that’s what’s special to me. As well as the Scottish heritage.”

Being a quarantine project, Worn Workshop inception began during the pandemic, Morag has appreciated the digital reach the lockdown has given it. “It started off as digital and it has mostly been digital, which in some ways has been difficult. But it’s also been amazing because we’ve built these relationships with people which we never would have met under different circumstances.”

Find Morag’s Worn Workshop here, or shop Morag’s boob bags and envelope pouches here.

T LABEL is the newest addition to LUNCH. Crafted by Taylor-Bea Gordon her designs are saturated in narratives of romanticism. Each piece delicately reimagined from sustainable fabrics. Using deadstock satin, all T LABEL’s glove bralettes are handmade-to-order and are the pinnacle of a new wave of femininity. With inspiration steeped in bygone decades T LABEL is definitively in the now. Seeing huge success over social media and editorially featured in the likes of Vogue, L’Officiel, PUSS PUSS Magazine to name a few, LUNCH is thrilled to serve the designer on the menu.

Shop T LABEL now

Words by Tegan Jaimie
Featuring Oona
Assisted by India Gill & Hannah Gordon

Words by Tegan Jaimie
Featuring TAAHLIAH
with thanks to Untitled Recs
Makeup by Kala Williams

For lots of us, Lockdown resulted in putting the breaks on life, slowing down, and taking a pause, but the same cannot be said for Glasgow-based DJ and producer TAAHLIAH. From being the first Black trans artist to be nominated for the Scottish Alternative Music Awards and winning both Best Electronic and Best Upcoming Artist, a first for any artist, to releasing her 7-track EP, Angelica with untitled (recs) just last month it is fair to say TAAHLIAH has had a busy 12 months.

Despite being a breakout act TAAHLIAH is quickly carving out a name for herself as one of Scotland’s most exciting names in the electronic music scene. LUNCH met with the artist as she discusses her autobiographical EP, Angelica.

You have recently released your debut ep, Angelica, could you expand on that creative process and where do you channel your inspiration?

Angelica is surrounded in newness and experimentation. I was still learning when making the record, I still am learning presently. About myself, music, sound, life. The record touches on several integral experiences I’ve harnessed through my identity. That’s where my main source of inspiration comes from however, there are multiple threads that all make up me as an artist and my practice.

Retrospectively speaking, how do you think the pandemic and the lasting lockdown have impacted you as an artist? 

Yes completely, it’s inevitable. However, in what ways I am unsure of. My career took off during lockdown so I don’t have anything to compare it to. I do miss performing however, and that’s the one thing I’m looking forward to experiencing post-COVID. Alongside, collaborating with other artists and making new music to dance to.

Talking about the industry, what are your thoughts on the Scottish Music Scene? What other Scottish artists are on your playlist right now?

It’s fun and interesting, a lot less saturated compared to London, for example, which I like. There’s a friendliness I feel, a particular solidarity there. Like with any social structure influenced by capitalism, there’s a lot that could be better. KAVARI, Lucia and The Best Boys, Nova. Walt Disco too. They’re who I’ve been listening to currently.

Looking at the creative industries as a whole, how does fashion play a part in who you are as an artist?

Fashion allows me to express my personality, style and gender all at the same time. It’s integral to my identity and I look at it as an art form in a lot of ways. Through fashion, I can tell a story which in turn further enhances the music. I believe in experiencing life at its fullest and most bright.

What are you looking forward to for the rest of 2021 and beyond?

Anything that involves making music and dancing.