London based DJ/Producer and label boss Elkka (AKA Emma Kirby) paid a visit to Headrow House to cap off her first ever headline tour, a three-part excursion that also saw her inspire crowds in London and Manchester. However, she was no stranger to the city, having recently supported Caribou at a huge O2 Academy show.
Elkka’s unique blend of house, electronica and various other elements was perfectly captured in the opening song of her set, ‘Stay’. Her ethereal vocals were a focal point of the performance, warming up the crowd and getting feet moving. After finishing the track, she explained that the bottle of Tequila gifted to her was far too much for just one person, so understandably the bottle was then shared amongst the crowd. An incredibly thoughtful gesture.
Later on, crowd favourites such as ‘Harmonic Frequencies’ and ‘Burnt Orange’ exploded the city centre venue into life, filling the room with blissful, pummeling beats. The warmth of these tracks was further emphasised by Emma’s performance, her emotive dancing giving feeling and thought to every knob-turn and press of a button. Many of her tracks were inspired by affection for those around her, such as ‘Alexandra’, a masterfully building piece dedicated to her girlfriend that uses chopped vocals to create a resonating human feeling. Similarly, ‘Burnt Orange’ is named after the curtains in her grandparents’ house. This love was further accentuated live, creating a sense of oneness with the strangers around you.
The surprise incorporation of Britney Spears’ ‘Toxic’ into her set made perfect sense knowing her original inspirations. Female pop-stars such as the Spice Girls and Rihanna were incredibly impactful towards her love of music and origins as a singer/songwriter, prior to her present day focus on production.
One can only hope for many more headline tours into the future, as this was a truly unmissable night. For those that missed out, be sure to catch her this summer at festivals such as Wide Awake and All Points East.
Words by Elliott Booth
