Eli Releases Eclectic Debut EP, ‘I Can Be Whatever You Want Me To Be’

Emerging Melbourne alt dance artist Eli has officially dropped his debut EP, I Can Be Whatever You Want Me To Be. This highly anticipated five-track collection showcases Eli’s diverse range and unique style, featuring previously released singles Opening/Track ID, I Want To Feel Alright (featuring DoloRRes), and One of These Days, alongside two new tracks.

The EP’s standout track, What If/If Only, sees Eli collaborating with Melbourne artist Lucy Lamb. The song introduces a gritty, hyper-pop energy, blending Eli’s experimental production with Lamb’s haunting vocals. Eli describes the creative process as one of spontaneity and collaboration, emphasizing the song’s romantic undertones.

“When it came to bringing this song to life in a recorded setting, I was initially inspired by so much of the drum and bass chopping you might see on Vierre Cloud’s ‘Moment’.

Once I had the production fleshed-out I made an attempt at recording the vocals but wasn’t very happy with them. My friend Lucy (Lamb) had just come back from Europe, and we had wanted to make a song together for some time, so I scrapped my vocals, told her I had no lyrics for it and asked her to go crazy.

So many of these lyrics were initially written by Lucy, I can’t speculate on what she meant when she wrote some of this. But I know when I was writing to complement what she had already written, I found that for me this was a song about romance. About romanticising and the grandiose nature of what that feels like. The idea of sensitivity and how dramatic it can feel.” – Eli.

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Closing the EP is I’ll Ask Them To Go, a track Eli began writing at age 17. Inspired by Jeff Buckley’s melancholic epic style, the song has evolved through numerous iterations, culminating in a sound that is both introspective and expansive.

“I have been trying to write this song since I was 17… At 16 I became infatuated with Jeff Buckley and his music. From very early on I fell in love with ‘Lover, you should’ve come over’ and I always wanted to make a song like that. A romance song that was melancholic but felt like an epic. This song has had so many different versions. So many versions it would be impossible to tell it was even the same song. Different lyrics and different chords.” – Eli.

Eli’s debut EP is a testament to his artistic versatility, offering a fresh take on electronic music that breaks genre boundaries and promises to resonate with fans of innovative soundscapes. It’s available now, everywhere via our pals at Mammal Sounds.