Brooklyn-based Producer and DJ Chloe Battelle has landed on the Electronic Music scene, seeking to capture listeners with her unique fusion of nostalgia and forward-thinking sound design. Although fresh into her journey, Chloe has quickly found her footing – releasing a steady stream of tracks and honing her skills in music creation and performance, all whilst preparing for the release of her debut EP ‘Porcelain’ on EELF Records. Drawing inspiration from 90s Rave, Trip Hop, Alternative and early Techno, her music leans into cinematic, emotional and hypnotic territory, often blurring the lines between club functionality and personal storytelling.
In this interview, we sit down with her to talk about her journey so far, the inspiration behind her work, and where she’s heading next.
Hi Chloe, how are you?
Hi! I am great, thank you!
How would you describe your journey into Electronic Music, and what did those very first steps look like?
My journey into Electronic Music is a long one, stemming from a music-obsessed father and a childhood inundated with 90’s electronic, alternative, and ambient. Without fail, my dad played music on his car system to and from school, baseball games, recitals and family events and his eclectic and widespread music palette stuck with me. He took me to my first festival, Outside Lands, at 10 years old, and the experience never left me. In high school, driving for the first time, I blasted Moby and Portishead on the speakers, and when college rolled around, my common application essay described my personal growth through the metaphor of music in my life.
Music has been central to my emotional state, my friendships, my favorite memories – and although it took me a while to work up the courage to try producing it, I was never without it growing up.
Can you share a bit about your background outside of music, and how it’s shaped your perspective as an artist?
I’ve lived a lot of life outside of music because I didn’t start producing until I was 25. I was a pretty ambitious kid who loved school. From a young age, I had a dream of attending UC Berkeley – my dad’s alma mater. I wanted to be in tech and be one of those non-stop power-women leading the next-gen of business. I studied Law, Econ and Chinese at Berkeley and went on to work for 5 years at a big tech company before realizing it was not for me.
Working in tech and studying day in and day out at Berkeley primed me in unique ways for being a producer. I feel I have a work ethic that is crucial to learning music theory and production from scratch. Making music is all-consuming, you have to be in love with it. And you have to live and breathe creating it, and that requires drive, ambition and work ethic.
So, this obsession I’ve always had with learning only magnified when I started learning the skill I was most passionate about. Since then, I’ve not been able to stop.
Which styles of music influence you the most, and what is it about them that truly connects with you?
My music is inspired by 90’s Rave, Trip Hop, Alternative, and early Techno. I’ve found that I gravitate towards Breakbeat and Radiohead-style melody in most of my music. Even if I try to make a club track, it turns into something cinematic and emotional.
Music is a processing mechanism for me. My music is never linear – each song portrays an event or emotion I’ve experienced or continue to grapple with. Melody is the through line – that’s why Breakbeat, Minimal Techno mixed with evolving and cinematic pads, or Techno that’s verging on Electronica characterize my sound.
I’m drawn to music that picks your brain, that stops you in your tracks, that makes you nostalgic and think about something tucked deep in your brain. I try to emulate that in my sound. I want my music to be healing, to encourage others to relive moments and untangle them while listening.
If you could only share one of your tracks with a new listener, which would it be, and why?
Most likely ‘Anesthesia’ because, as a song, it’s closest to my core, or my heart. ‘Anesthesia’ is fast, bright, subby, deep and hypnotic. It has an arch and a story. And out of all my songs, the story and purpose come through to the listener the most. I made ‘Anesthesia’ to help me process loss, and sharing that raw and personal story through the sound is an honor. I think a lot of people can register the power of that track and can resonate with it.
When you begin creating, what’s your usual spark?
I create every day, starting at 8 am. I feel the same drive almost every time. I can’t really sleep because I have FOMO for when I’m awake and producing… I think I’m addicted to it. So, the spark is just feeling lucky I get to do this with my life, and it’s like an itch – I want to do it all the time. Finding a groove makes it an obsession. You sit down, start from zero, structure a groove, and it’s game over.
What does the idea of storytelling through music mean to you on a personal level?
It’s everything. It’s a privilege. Music should be a story, it should be an extension of the artist, and it should be intentional. I’ve tried to make more straightforward club-hitters, and I can’t without somehow integrating some personal angle into it. Telling your story through music is the most authentic way to make music. It keeps you grounded, it is your brand, it’s your language and personal currency. If asked, I will always tell a fellow artist to get back in touch with themselves, with their culture or history, or a memory when they feel a creative block.
As you look ahead, what excites you most about your current sonic explorations, and how do you see your sound evolving?
Sound design and resampling. The manipulation of tiny sounds is pretty exciting. I’m learning how to modulate on hardware as well, and that has also turned into an obsession. My sound is becoming grittier and more hypnotic. Minimal is where I am headed – inspired by Detroit Techno of the 90s – I want to make a track with 4 channels and have it be so pure and hypnotic it blows your mind. Acid and Minimal is what I keep revisiting, and it’s what I look forward to learning about every day.
Tell us about your upcoming EP ‘Porcelain’ —what’s the inspiration driving the release?
This EP is for my younger self and is dedicated to those who helped me get to where I am today. It’s for the self that didn’t have the courage to make music and the self that didn’t know who she was. I had to do a lot of work to get to the state of vulnerability that I’ve achieved, and this EP is a huge part of what led me here. It’s for everyone who feels a bit unstable, a bit lost, lonely, isolated – who needs to be reminded of home or a moment to themselves to recalibrate. It’s driving music, running music, crying at the club at 7 am music. It’s for reconnection.
It’s also an ode to Moby and his song ‘Porcelain’ that shattered everything I knew about music –completely broke the glass ceiling. ‘Porcelain’ by Moby feels exciting and important every time I listen, and reminds me what unbound hope feels like. I tried to incorporate what I learned from dissecting that song and its history into my EP.
And finally – if you had to choose a single word to capture the next phase of your career, what would it be?
CLUB-CENTRIC
From our conversation, it’s clear that Chloe Battelle is poised to make her mark – channelling a deep-rooted passion and devotion to music into work that balances forward-facing momentum with personal authenticity. As she readies for the release of ‘Porcelain,’ set to expand her growing discography further, Chloe continues to establish her place on the local and broader Electronic Music scene, emerging as a producer and DJ to watch closely. So, keep an eye on her next moves and follow along across her social channels to stay connected with what’s to come from Chloe Battelle next.
Chloe Battelle Online
