LÂLKA the creator
Photo Credit : SheIsAphrodite
Borneo-born, Meanjin/Brisbane-based artist, producer, multi-instrumentalist and DJ LÂLKA has released the glossy but "hyperintense" Romance + Rebellion, the title track from her forthcoming mixtape. The mixtape will be released independently on Friday the 2nd of June, launching with an accessibility-minded hometown show on the 18th of next month. We got the opportunity to talk to LÂLKA and ask her about Romance + Rebellion, her upcoming launch and the many labels she carries proudly.
For those that haven’t heard your music before, how do you describe the LALKA sound?
Effervescent glitch future club music.
You have just released your latest track 'Romance + Rebellion', Tell us about your new song, what was the inspiration for the writing of track?
“Romance” and “Rebellion” are such contrasting words, and I love that juxtaposition. It’s about how being in love with someone can be an act of rebellion, to go against expectations.
“I love sound design and getting to craft all these sonic textures was so satisfying. ”
What did the writing process look like for you while creating 'Romance + Rebellion'?
It was really fun. I didn’t put too much pressure on myself and gave myself the freedom to experiment and play with sounds. I love sound design and getting to craft all these sonic textures was so satisfying.
Do you have a favourite line or part of 'Romance + Rebellion'?
“Spark off the riot of romance and rebellion”
'Romance + Rebellion' is the title track of your forthcoming mixtape, which is due out on the 2nd of June. What else can fans anticipate from the Mixtape?
I want people to be able to find a home for their feelings in my music. The mixtape is rich in hedonism as it is in emotional resonance, it’s pretty intense. It’s club music that isn’t vapid. Instead, it’s club music that transports you to another world.
“It’s club music that isn’t vapid. Instead, it’s club music that transports you to another world. ”
Do you have a personal favourite song of the Mixtape or one that is particularly special and important to you?
The title track is one of my favourite tracks I’ve ever written. I also love ‘R3353’ and ‘Hedonism’ - they’re really short tracks but they go HARDDDDDDD.
While you wrote, performed and produced the mixtape, you were assisted in the mixing process by Aphir. Were there any memorable moments for the two of you?
Aphir is a gem, a really good friend of mine. We’ve experienced similar life changing events in our own lives in recent times, and I know for a fact how solid she is, she has this great strength within her spirit. We have the utmost respect for each other as humans and as professionals. It makes a difference to work with someone you not only respect in their field of expertise, but also as an amazing person. I can’t sing her praises highly enough.
You have a launch show planned for Mixtape in Brisbane on the 18th of June. Are there plans for a tour in support of the album this year?
I would absolutely love to. I feel most powerful when I’m onstage, performing. At this stage, nothing is locked in, because the live music industry in Australia is still suffering. It’s a really tough landscape for artists and everyone working in the industry. Traditionally touring has been the main way for artists to connect with fans, but I’ve been trying to do it via other ways, like hosting online listening parties and voice chat sessions with my community especially when a lot of us are geographically distanced.
Another thing I’ve come to realise as a neurodivergent person who grew up on the internet, is that I’m usually much more comfortable in online spaces than physical spaces. There are parts of otaku culture that I completely relate to. Some people may say it’s unhealthy, but it works for me to exist more heavily in the digital space. This penchant for the digital space is really clear in the sound of my music, I think.
Your songs, ‘Lilith’ & ‘What if we kiss to break the tension’, have all been given support by artist launching radio station Triple J, do you think their support makes the difference in establishing LALKA as an artist into the mainstream psyche?
There’s no denying the impact and influence triple j has on Australia’s music scene, but I don’t see myself as a mainstream artist, or an artist that is present in the mainstream psyche at the moment. The support of triple j is valuable for sure, and one I don’t take for granted.
“I want people to be able to find a home for their feelings in my music”
You identify proudly as a queer artist, has this always been the case? Was it ever a hard decision to include your sexuality in your label?
It was so hard to even come to terms with it personally. So many of us get invalidated, and as a cis presenting woman who’s only ever been in hetero relationships it’s really easy to be invalidated by others and also gaslight myself. The thing that made me decide to be open about my sexuality is something a friend of mine said: he said that if I could make a difference to someone else who was confused and struggling, and seeing that representation of a queer person like me, then it would be worth it. And I agree.
LALKA, queer is not the only label you proudly carry you are also a woman of colour, so is Australia as a whole becoming better at equality and inclusion for all artists regardless of how they identify?
You know what? I don’t know. I think as a whole people are becoming more aware of equality and inclusion, but there’s a long way to go in seeing that translate to things like festival lineups. At the end of the day, the music industry is about business and the bottom line, and the artist that is able to guarantee the biggest return to the gatekeepers will always get priority.
I don’t think it’s healthy for artists to get sucked into a spiral of what they can’t control. Instead, I choose to focus on where I can make myself more visible and do my part in elevating others who need to be elevated.
You have recently been diagnosed with Fibromyalga and Autism, both life long conditions. How does this impact your music?
I would like to correct you there: Fibromyalgia, whilst there isn’t a cure and there is a lot of unknown about it, isn’t necessarily a lifelong condition. And Autism is just the way autistic people’s brains are wired differently from a neurotypical person.
Nevertheless, I don’t think either diagnosis has impacted my music, as my music has always been a part of me and who I am, even before I was diagnosed. Fibromyalgia impacts my lifestyle for sure, and I’ve always been neurodivergent which impacts my lifestyle, world view and relationships.
“it’s important for public figures (whether they’re artists or influencers or whatever) to keep it real otherwise the pressure to be polished and perfect all the time gets too much”
Are you ok with being a role model for so many sectors of the community? Do you you have a message for anyone struggling with coming to terms with a similar diagnosis/diagnosisses
I don’t want to put myself on a pedestal as a role model, but I understand where this question is coming from. I can only speak from my own experience, which was the feeling of massive relief upon getting the diagnoses because for so many years I KNEW that things weren’t right with my body, and medical professionals did not believe me, and I gaslit myself into thinking that my pain wasn’t a big deal. When I was diagnosed and able to identify the situation, it gave me direction to look for tools and resources to learn how to manage the challenges. So I guess if I had a message to anyone struggling to come to terms with any diagnosis, it is to pursue knowledge and resources to help yourself.
Another thing is to keep it real. On social media it’s easy to see the highlights, and it’s important for public figures (whether they’re artists or influencers or whatever) to keep it real otherwise the pressure to be polished and perfect all the time gets too much, you know what I mean? For example, I’m doing this interview right now with a bucket next to me because the pain in my abdomen and back is making me nauseous and I’m taking breaks to throw up. It’s not glamorous, but that’s reality.
How did you get your start in music?
I think it has always been in me, something so innate. I performed a lot as a child, I did music lessons and eventually went to university to study music. I trained as a classical musician, but taught myself electronic music and production. I had to teach myself music production because back then nobody wanted to work with me. So instead of giving up, I decided to do it myself.
“I’m a creator. ”
If you weren’t a musician what else would you be doing now
I would be a creator/artist nonetheless - whether it be writing, making art, making videos, making anything. I’m a creator.
Who in your crew or team deserves a shout out but never gets one? And what is they do that keeps your world turning?
This is such an interesting question, one that is rarely asked. Liz from Special Interest, my publicist, was one of the very first people in the music industry to believe in me and my music. She is someone I bounce ideas off all the time because she’s very good at what she does and is brilliant.
LÂLKA is co-managed by myself and my partner Lee. I’m the type of artist that needs to be completely involved in every aspect of the project and my career. And because of that, the artist-manager relationship for LÂLKA is quite different from a traditional artist-manager relationship. Lee deserves a shout out because it ain’t easy being on the LÂLKA team!
Where to from here for LALKA? What do you have coming up?
As an artist I always want to make my next work better than the last. Even though I said earlier that I don’t see myself as a mainstream artist, I’m always aiming to play bigger shows, make more music, and generate more critical acclaim. I’ve been exploring web3 and music, and been involved in releasing 3 songs on the blockchain, and I’m still learning and navigating that space. It’s fascinating and overwhelming but also very rewarding.
For now, I’m focusing on the most important thing for artists (besides their craft): looking after my existing community of supporters. In the old model, artists weren’t usually involved in their community of fans. I think now, it’s important (at least for me) to have more responsibility for my supporters - giving them access, attention, letting them participate, and genuinely getting to know them. I reward the genuine, super fans with access, to let them share in my success. I’m a big believer in kindness and I try to live every aspect of my life, including my online/public life with kindness at its core. So I try to get to know my super fans and show them respect and gratitude, because that’s what they deserve for being so supportive of me and my work. What that looks like is me holding voice chat sessions in my Discord server, having conversations in DM that aren’t just about MY music but also about THEIR experiences and interests. I was even invited to a fan’s 21st birthday party which was such an honour for me! This way of interaction doesn’t feel “ick” when it comes from a genuine and respectful place from both parties.
Romance + Rebellion official launch
18th of June presented by Cult Figure Club, Club Immaterial & QUIVR
w/ Artistique, Blair de Milo, DJ Nejmere, A-MUSE & Sassie Man
QUIVR, Fortitude Valley, Meanjin/Brisbane
