Emika was born in the UK, of Czech heritage. As a young woman she studied classical piano and composition. She waitressed to save up for her first Apple Mac and copy of Logic. She was living in Bristol as the city transitioned from d&b to dubstep and she went to the first parties organised by Pinch. “I continue to be a part of this culture which has spread worldwide now.” She now lives in Berlin, where she works as a sound designer for Native Instruments. “I am focused on the world of sound and the power of the human voice, the instant connections it makes with listeners, in music. In general I feel there is a lack of vocabulary in the field of electronic music. Therefore I feel uncomfortable talking about it” In Berlin she discovered the legendary Berghain nightclub: “It is intense, dark, boundry-less and safe. Berghain is whatever you want it to be.” In 2010 she began making field recordings in the Berghain. “From the recordings I made a sample library which I gave to all the resident producer/DJs to make music from. The resulting compilation of music became the club’s label, Ostgut Ton’s anniversary release, called ‘Fünf’. All her songs are based on narratives: “I start with an idea, a story, and then I seek to find the sound world that best dramatises my story, making it into a song. I try very hard to stay faithful to my narratives and not fall into the trap of genre conventions which is why I’m shy of genre references.