ELLI ARAKAWA

Elli Arakawa has earned a reputation in Tokyo’s tight-knit techno scene for her uncompromising DJing sets, which deftly traverse different ends of the genre spectrum as well as frequently veering beyond techno entirely, always with meticulous precision. Psychedelic, hypnotic sonic details are frequently a focus of her selections, reflecting the influence of Japan’s rich selection of outdoor electronic festivals. Underneath, lies a layer of rolling percussion and an unrelenting intensity more likely to be associated with the densely packed energy of a warehouse rave, or the charged atmosphere at one of Japan’s local staples, like “Future Terror” where Elli has played on several occasions. These juxtapositions and hybrid elements reflect her own diverse background as someone who has dual heritage, a multi-hyphenate creative career, and whose very identity resists categorisation.

Elli has performed around the world and alongside many of the most respected names in the electronic music scene, but has also consistently contributed to the Tokyo scene that has, in turn, informed many of her stylistic choices. From 2014 onwards, she ran her own event “DUCE” at Daikanyama Air, which featured guests such as Levon Vincent and DJ Shufflemaster, and has now turned her attention to a brand-new event concept called “omni + directional”. The concept of the event is rooted in the inherent potential for music to break down borders and forge new pathways, much like Elli has demonstrated in her own career. The first guest will be Taiwan’s Diskonnected – resident DJ at Smoke Machine and Organik Festival – followed by Thailand’s Sunju Hargun and Amsterdam-based Beste Hira, with plans to extend the event’s footprint beyond Japan in the future.

Whether as a woman in a male-dominated society, as a young and ambitious artist in a scene renowned for its age hierarchies, or as someone who has been written off as a DJ because of her prominent modeling career, Elli has been no stranger to challenges over the past decade and more. But despite being faced with these hurdles and the reductive labels that come with them, she has, year after year, proven herself as a standout DJ in the most effective way: by letting the music do the talking. Now there is a maturity to her artistry: respect for the craft, evident in the way she rigorously prepares for every gig; renewed self-confidence, embedded in each of the head-turning, unpredictable flourishes that she weaves into her sets; and, simply, a high degree of skill and technique that she has nurtured in the spirit of craftsmanship, audible in every immaculate transition. There has never been a better version of Elli Arakawa than the one DJing in 2024, and few people would argue that she is a strong ambassador for the Tokyo techno scene as she grows her international presence and global renown.

東京出身。2007年よりDJとしての活動をスタートして以降、献身的とも言える活動を続けてきた。 近年はRainbow Disco Club やFujirock Festival 等の野外での活動が増えたが、今までもFuture Terrorを代表とする国内の様々なパーティーや 「日独交流160周年」を記念したドイツ大使館主宰イベントにてドイツテクノ大使に任命されるなど、テクノを軸としたスタイルで、独創性のあるストーリーを創り上げる成熟したアーティストに育ちつつある。

フロアの温度感を感じながら、異色な楽曲もスムーズに繋ぎ合わせ、如何なる現場にも対応出来るDJであることを証明しており、彼女に信頼を置くアーティストやプロモーターは数知れない。