A wolf in a women’s body, Lupa dares to be one of the freshes talents in techno. Brandishing a unique style of new wave, the creative reinvents the wheel of traditional club sound. Inspired by the likes of I Hate Models, Sara Landry, and Mark Dekod, Lupa’s sound is all-encompassing gritty darkness. Creating music and art with the viewer in mind, the now-22-year-old artist cut her teeth on the music of the UK underground before deciding to pursue DJing and production full-time.
With the occasion of launching her debut EP, Insatiable, on mau5trap, we had the opportunity to speak with her and learn more about this passion for underground, dark, techno love.
Hi Lupa, so nice to have you here today! How is everything going?
Things are going pretty great right now!
So your debut EP Insatiable is out today on mau5trap, tell us more about it.
I’ve been making music for three years now and have made several EPs. I never released them because they weren’t good enough for a “debut” and instead deleted them in frustration. I continued this process for a while until I actually started enjoying the music I was making. This EP is some of my favorite music I’ve made so far and I’m honored to share it.
As a young techno queen, tell us about your connection with this genre. What makes techno such a legendary lifestyle?
My first experience with techno was on a study abroad trip during my freshman year of college. I went to the UK and fell in love with the underground techno scene, but didn’t think there was anything similar in the US. I started making music and going to more dance music events and eventually met people who also liked techno. There’s a certain edge in techno that you don’t get in any other genre. While it’s hard to put into words, there’s a raw grittiness within the genre that feels comforting. It’s one of the many reasons why the genre is so special.
Who are you looking up to in the techno scene? There are many big names, tell us your top 3.
There are so many techno artists I love right now but I personally look up to I Hate Models, Sara Landry, and Mark Dekoda. Their music is phenomenal and the stage presence is magnetic.
You said that in your free time you do music and art. Both these passions need a huge amount of inspiration. Tell us where you get yours.
Sometimes, when I’m not feeling naturally inspired, I’ll just go in the notes app of my phone and write whatever comes to mind. Sometimes it’s describing a particular moment or emotion in my past, other times it’s just writing to make sense of the world around me. I also watch a lot of tv and film.
What advice did someone give you in the past that came out as being actually useful?
Back up your hard drive.
Any advice you’d give to someone that considers becoming a techno producer?
Simply have fun with the music. Enjoy the process of creation and experiment with new ideas. Allow yourself to fail and just keep writing music.
And last one. If you could be an animal for a day, what would you be?
It’s a tough decision but I’m gonna have to go with wolf.
Listen to Insatiable below:
Follow Lupa on her Website | Spotify | SoundCloud | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
