London-born, Berlin-based Perera Elsewhere emerged this fall as a solo artist after years with Jahcoozi, releasing a downtempo single, "Bizarre," and an odd music video to justify the track's name. Her debut LP, Everlast, comes out October 28th via Friends of Friends, and its up for preorder now. To get pumped up, light some incense, download this exclusive mix and read an interview with Perera about teaching producers in Bangladesh, playing Boiler Room and cooking fresh coconut sambal.
Download: Perera Elsewhere's FADER Mix
What were you doing before Everlast? Living in Berlin (for over a decade). Touring lots with my band Jahcoozi (me, Robot Koch and Oren Gerlitz), We've done five continents and have made four albums together. I also DJ. I live in Kreuzberg and have good friends in my hood. I speak German fluently, thus feel very comfortable in the city.
How was Bangladesh? You were just there helping people learn Ableton? Yes, it was part of a project called SoundLab, which was initiated by a blog called Border Movement, which profiles electronic music from South Asia. I was a mentor/instructor for a group of four guys. Some of them have been producing on FruityLoops for years while others were pretty new to production. In four days i showed them how I make tunes and record external sound sources using Ableton. They each made a tune with Ableton, and then I helped them prepare their track to perform live using controllers and triggering loops etc. Long hours and actually quite a lot of pressure as some of them have never performed live. At the party in Dhaka at the end they performed their tracks and I DJed. I've been involved in music exchange projects in a few places—Nairobi or Lagos—where I collaborated with people. But this 'teaching' thing is more stressful as I feel like I have to take more responsibility than just being an artist…
And then, judging by Instagram, you went to Sri Lanka? What did you do there? I'm having a quickie on the way back from Gangbangladesh, just seeing the few members of my family who didnt leave during the 30 years of turmoil. Getting some beach time to decompress and tanking up new energy for Perera Elsewhere Live on Boiler Room next week. It is only our third gig! It's an unsequenced live band, i.e. no backbone beat for safety. I feel much more naked with Perera Elsewhere than I do with Jahcoozi, as I'm not able to hide behind massive basses and clubby production. More concentration and less Vodka is required!
Describe where you are right now as you're typing this. Blue skies, big waves, proper curries, Perera signs everywhere (it's my mum's surname, as common as the name Smith in the UK—my dad's is far more exotic and unpronouncably non-colonial)… dictatorial shitty government, high inflation. It's a bit like Switzerland in comparison to Bangladesh though.
What type of food do you like to cook, and how do you make it? My mother is known for being a bad cook, so I made my own shizzle from an early age. i cook with fresh herbs and ingredients… coriander, basil, fresh fennel, pumpkin, loads of garlic, lemon grass, ginger, parsnips, sunflower seeds, nuts etc. Fish and vegetarian stuff is my thing, and occasionally some meat. I'm not a big fan of butter or fatty stuff when I cook. I also cook Sri Lankan food, especially fresh coconut sambal that requires using a coconut grater—looks like an old school pencil sharpener that you clamp to a table. It gets physical. Lime, chilli, fresh coconut. Yuummmmmm.
Tracklist:
Perera Elsewhere feat. Aremu - Ebora
Hegenbart+Martin Siewert-A-02
BLKKATHY - Dem Bones
Brrd - Hail di King
Fis - Love Drama Stress
The Orb feat Lee Scratch Perry - The Observer In The Star
Perera Elsewhere - Lightbulb (Shlohmo rmx)
Lil Silva - Mask
Principal Dean - Pay Up
Visionist - Come In
Ol & Yoin - Sink
Robot Koch - Poder del Pedro
Taku - I Miss You
Inga Copeland - A World In Danger
King Midas Sound - Cool Out
Paveun - Get Up
SLV - Dagger
Felix K - Flower of Destruction #4
Brrd - Gold 93 Instrumental
Born in Flamez - Easier Like That
Perera Elsewhere - Bongoloid
Amman Mushtaq - Spendin 3
Polica - Chain My Name (Perera Elsewhere Rmx)
* * *
FADER Mix Archives