ill-esha “Sailing”

Elysha Zaide could run circles around most musicians in today’s scene. Aside from the mad woman-hours she’s put in to help forge the booming glitch-hop genre under her ill-esha alias, she has also taken up the titles of audio engineer, live instrumentalist, composer and vocalist (I know, right). Ready to catch even more wind now, ill-esha has arrived with her fourth full-length, Hyperbolic Space Crochet, issued by Dev79 and Starkey’s bass-barraging imprint Seclusiasis.

As an artist who prides herself on staying ahead of the curve, ill has focused her 11-track outing on the still-forming future bass stylings, without washing away her melodic sensibilities in the slightest. This point is proven clearly on today’s premiere of “Sailing,” a broken-beat boat ride off into a heavy low-end horizon. Sunset-worthy strings gently lap against her stunning vocal delivery, while swinging synths and evocative textures are pulled in with the tide.

One of the illest parts of this release is the limited-edition USB “nug jug.” The album, in both mp3 and WAV format, are loaded onto the 4GB drive, along with two visuals created by Sauce Monster, some multimedia goodies, and remix stems for “20/20.” Cop this bad boy after you hit play and read our Q&A.

Available now via Seclusiasis.
Was there one particular moment in the recording or mixing process of this track that made you feel as though you were creating something pretty damn special?
When I wrote the soaring, string-like lead that kicks in just after the one-minute mark. Often the lead or central element is the last thing to click for me, and up until then, I’d been detailing all the peripherals, creating a solid background. All of a sudden, that melody just popped out and gave me such a floating feeling of euphoria that I knew it was the right one.

Do you think advances in computer technology and gear have affected your creativity?
The closest genre name to what I make is “future bass,” and I think that says it all. I’ve always been interested in the most cutting-edge music-making technology, which is a characteristic of electronic music. You can often tell what era a track is from by what synths and drum samples are being used. For many years I’ve been chasing the most innovative stuff, simply because I don’t want my songs to be dated; I want to create something timeless, with no limits. Every time I try a new plugin, it completely changes up my process as I learn its particular flow.

Describe the best setting/activity to hear this track.
Driving through mountain ranges during the sunset or sailing a boat, of course. Any situation where beauty is all around you and the task of moving forward (literally) is meditative in its repetition. Sweeping, majestic landscapes and Lord of the Rings camera angles.

How does this production reflect your personality/ethos?
I’m a person of both light and dark, and my music is generally a battle between the heavy (bass and drums) and the fluffy (chords and vocals). Those who know me would tell you I’m silly, teasing, warm and very loving… those who know me even better have seen me just tap out from social life to get over some intense fires in my head. I’ve already gone through depression for many years, and I’m in a much happier place now, but I’ll always have these somber parts; and that’s how this song feels to me: soaring and elated, but driving and serious.

What’s your favorite sound/synth/effect/etc. used here?
I’m a film composer in my heart, and I’m really partial to orchestral arranging. I really enjoyed layering the horns and strings and programming every breath and bow stroke through multisample triggers. I’ve always said that my main frivolity as a rich person would be to have an orchestra just on-call to score my favorite moments—so I can often get lost for hours making cinematic textures.

Order Hyperbolic Space Crochet on iTunes.

Follow ill-esha on Facebook | Twitter | SoundCloud
Follow Seclusiasis on Facebook | SoundCloud