Introducing: ELIIZA On Energy, Patience, And Building Pressure With Intent
- Undrtone Blog
- 10 hours ago
- 3 min read
For ELIIZA, dance music has never been a sudden switch. It has been present, evolving quietly, long before stepping behind the decks. Growing up with music embedded in family life and shaped closely by her brother’s career, her relationship with sound formed early and continues to define how she builds sets today.
“I fell in love with dance music early through house and drum & bass,” she explains. “It was always about the experience first. Raves, festivals, the freedom, the community, and that feeling of everyone locked into the same energy.”
Those early styles still sit clearly within her sound. House taught her patience and groove, the power of simplicity holding a room. Drum & bass taught her momentum, pressure, and how to keep energy moving forward without forcing it. Together, they underpin a sound that feels bouncy and uplifting on the surface, but weighted with intent underneath.
Growing up around her brother also changed how she listened. “Being around him made me realise there’s a whole other layer to it,” she says. “It’s the build, the restraint, the small choices that make people lean in.” That awareness now shapes how she approaches direction and flow, letting the groove lead before gradually increasing intensity so the shift feels natural rather than imposed.
Unlike many DJs, ELIIZA’s entry point was not the booth, but the studio. Starting with production gave her a different relationship with tracks before ever mixing them. “Starting in the studio taught me to hear music from the inside out,” she explains. “I got obsessed with the little details. Where the energy rises, where the groove locks, what’s driving the track forward, and what’s just filler.”
Learning production from the ground up demanded patience, especially alongside someone she viewed as naturally gifted. That process taught her to trust her ear, refine relentlessly, and value phrasing and conversation between tracks when DJing. “I’m thinking about how two tracks speak to each other,” she says. “Where I can stretch the energy, or tighten it, without people noticing the seams.”
Travelling across Europe to watch her brother tour marked a turning point. What began as support became education. “I wanted to see the reality of it up close,” she explains. “What tour life demands from you, and whether I could adapt to it.” Seeing how crowds responded differently across cities taught her that no set is universal, and that reading a room starts long before pressing play.
One moment stands out. “I remember being in Malta and watching the whole room change,” she recalls. “You could feel the shift. I knew then I didn’t want to be on the outside watching. I wanted to be the one driving it.”
Seeing artists like Hannah Laing and Sara Landry operating unapologetically at scale cemented that belief. Their presence shifted her mindset from possibility to permission. “It wasn’t just about representation,” she says. “It was about watching women trust their music and lead with their sound.” She draws inspiration from both ends of that spectrum, Hannah’s high-energy bounce and Sara’s darker, industrial pressure, balancing uplift with weight.
Energy control now sits at the centre of her approach. “The first track for me is about building trust,” she explains. “Once I know I’ve got them, then I start pushing.” Her sets are designed so the rise in intensity feels almost invisible, patience masking drive until the room is fully locked in.
That balance extends to her relationship with bounce and harder dance music. For her, bounce lifts the room without sacrificing intensity, offering movement and groove alongside pressure rather than replacing it.
Originally from Manchester and now based in London, both scenes have left their mark. Manchester instilled rawness, speed, and community. London pushed experimentation, scale, and confidence when blending sounds. Together, they shaped an artist comfortable moving between weight and release.
With early appearances already including XXL Malta, Creamfields, and Hidden Manchester, ELIIZA remains focused on foundations rather than fast outcomes. “I’m not trying to rush anything,” she says. “I’m focused on building something that feels uniquely me.”
Before any records land, she wants her identity to be clear. Sound led. Intentional. Recognisable. An Origins story still being written, but already grounded in patience, pressure, and purpose.
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