DJLarge

OLAN is On the Rise: Georgia-based artist OLAN has been writing songs and recording since she was 14.

“I didn’t go full on into production and DJ’ing till about 2012,” she says. “I always treated music like it was my job, but it truly came into fruition when I moved to Las Vegas and started playing shows multiple times a week. I started writing music with Mat Zo, which eventually connected me to Anjunabeats in 2020.”

She describes her sound as carrying r&b, house, rock, and big beat influences.

“I want to try making songs that would make sense for a band, and I find myself progressing in that direction most of the time,” she says. “I love hybrid acts like Little Dragon, Bonobo, the Chemical Brothers, and even go back to bands like Phantogram often for inspiration. As long as I feel free to release anything I want I feel like I’m in a good place.”

OLAN believes that this is a healthy time for electronic music, with a lot of amazing acts on the rise.

“Different types of people are finally getting a platform and a voice to share their stories and music,” she says. “While I do feel think a lot of artists are struggling to keep things interesting when making ‘what works’ is easily accessible, I feel like that will make way for us to experiment more. I would even dare to say a lot of electronic artists are starting to revert back to sounds and live elements that inspired them to start creating, and I think that’s a great start for raw, genuine, electronic music.”

Her new album is “Contra.”

“Contra was primarily recorded in my home studio during twitch streams throughout the pandemic,” she says. “There was a chunk of time I stayed I stayed in L.A. to refine ideas and record some cleaner vocals, but everything ended up getting mixed in my home studio too.”

Looking ahead, OLAN has plenty planned for the second half of 2022.

“I’ve been working with some really kind people to make my songs ready for a live show these past few months, which has been rewarding to say the least,” she says. “I’ll be alternating between live and DJ sets throughout the year with a stop at the Moroccan Lounge this summer for my album tour.”

OLAN is On the Rise: OLAN’s album Contra is out now.

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