EFFY: Before Maya Jane Coles, All The Electronic Music I Listened To Was By Men

In the last few years, the UK’s EFFY has cemented herself as one of the UK’s most exciting new producers and DJs. In 2022, she’s so far played events like Parklife Festival, Terminal V Festival and Snowbombing, DJing alongside artists such as Mall Grab (who she produced 2021’s “FMG” with) Avalon Emerson, Joris Voorn, Patrick Topping and more, and has gigs lined up this summer at Amnesia ibiza with HE.SHE.THEY. and at Albania’s ION Festival with legends like Craig Richards and Jeff Mills.

As a producer EFFY broke out with her 2020 debut single “Fluffy Clouds”and has been on a roll since, dropping the “Planet B” single a few months later, followed by “Ara,” “Bodied,” “Raging” and more — all released released on her own EFFY Music.

She’s now readied a banging, bass-heavy four-track EP called Not What It Seems, which is out now on Not Yours and sees EFFY once again work with Mall Grab on the slamming single “Run It.”

To celebrate the release, we caught up with EFFY to find out more about the role models who inspired her journey into dance music.

Who has most inspired you on your journey to becoming a DJ/producer?

The Prodigy.

How did you first discover them?

I remember when “Smack My Bitch Up” was released and my sister was singing it. I bought it on my iPod purely for those lyrics and then was exposed to The Prodigy sound. I had every single song, from Fat of the Land and Invaders Must Die albums on my chunky iPod and used to run to it every day. When I was on my last mile or feeling tired I’d play the tune “Invaders Must Die” and sprint home.

What made them someone you wanted to emulate?

I think it’s important to be inspired by, but not emulate. There are many other genres and artists who inspire me, like dubstep, grime and d&b. I hope my music is a melting pot of all of them. It’s hard to self reflect and know what really inspires you because a lot of it, for me, is subconscious. I just know that when I listened to The Prodigy as a teen, I was hyped up by the music they made and sounds I’ve never heard before. I remember always being a bit blown away — and gassed. I can hear a lot of influences coming out in my music, like the UK breaks and synths. Even when I don’t plan it, it’s wired in my subconscious brain.

Have you ever met them in person? Or worked with them?=

Nope! I wish. Although I saw Liam Howlett in the street once, if that counts!

Did you have any other mentors along the way?

My friends in the industry have inspired me so much in helping my confidence; friends who are at the same stage as me help in ways that we’re both trying to figure it all out, so it’s nice to not be alone in that. And friends who have been in this industry longer than me help me a lot too. My first mentor was Giuliana Hilton, who was one of Dusky’s managers. I interned at involved Management at the time and assisted her and Alan. She taught me a lot, mainly about being a confident businesswoman in this industry.

Why is representation so important in the music industry?

Without representation it would be very boring. Music is a pool of creativity with people’s different life experiences and talent. If you just streamline one section of it, it’d become very boring with no innovation.

It would also kill people’s dreams. If you see someone like yourself doing it, then it helps you to think that you can do the same. When I heard Maya Jane Coles’ “What They Say,” that’s when I thought I could be a producer. Before that, all the electronic music I listened to was by men.

Do you hope to one day serve as an example for the next generation?

I don’t think too much about that at all. All I do is keep my head down and stick to one message which is telling underrepresented people and minorities to take up space. If anyone is inspired by that then that makes me so happy, and if not then that’s ok. I say it to myself a lot as a reminder to do just that and be a confident woman in this industry, because people are quick to take advantage of you, so you need to use that confidence to stand up for yourself and others.