An Interview With Valeria Croft

Valeria Croft is a deep tech/minimal artist based in Finland who is a talented DJ and skilled producer. We interview her to know better. She plays regularly at some of Helsinki’s best underground events and her productions have been released on labels such as Meatbean Germany, RA+RE France, Kanja and Render Obedience.

Her new release is out now on Canadian imprint Suleiman Records and along with her two original tracks it also features a remix from French artist The Mekanism. We caught up with Valeria Croft to find out more about her new release…

When and how did you get your interest in electronic music? How did you decide to move into production?

I started to be interested in electronic music when I was 14-15 years old. First, I shared music with school friends on CDs, then I started to visit record shops and bought albums by artists like Leftfield and Fatboy Slim. I visited parties and always chose particular artists to listen to, then with the help of a friend I started to practice my DJ skills in a small club. So, step by step I started to play. Firstly, I played only vinyl, as in those days that was the only format you could use to change the tempo and beat match.

Could you tell us about your new release, and your relationship with the Suleiman label?

My upcoming release ‘Thankful’ was made at my studio in Helsinki, Finland. When those two tracks were finished, I was thinking about labels for this one. In a few days, Suleiman Records came to mind. Firstly, Darem who runs the label doesn’t release strict genres, so it could be more techno, it could be minimal or more house focused rhythms. Secondly, I’ve worked with Suleiman in the past and I find them very professional.

Tell me something On your new EP released, “Thankful EP”

Well, it’s hard for me to give any genre names for this release, as it’s got elements from a few different styles, but it’s quite house music orientated and both tracks are ready for the dance floor. For these tracks, I used my own voice for samples as well as the voice of an old friend of mine called, Rita. Initially I made a much more melodic styles, but then switched around the rhythms and drum patterns to make what became the final versions.

Where would you like to see yourself in 5 years’ time?

This is a hard question to answer, as I try not to look too much further into the future to make sure I enjoy the present.

What can you tell us about the scene of your city? What would you improve?

Helsinki’s electronic music scene is more vibrant in the summer time as you could find different underground events ranging from techno to minimal, jazz and funk. I prefer deeper music, but in the winter, I’ve found that most people here tend to love techno and harder styles. Anyways, there are labels like The Sound Collective run by guys from Romania and Finland who make events with the music I like. Maukast Records is a label based in Turku, Finland and sometimes they also run some cool parties here in Helsinki. For me, I think it’s a good sign that people and artists don’t concentrate only on one genre, and of course, it could be great to have more local events!

Finally, what can you tell us about your future projects, do you already have more plans for working with Suleiman again or other labels?

I am planning to take a few more educational courses for sound design and continue to focus on producing my own music. I haven’t yet discussed with Darem any of our future collaborations with Suleiman, but it would be a pleasure to work with Suleiman again.