We open up talking about the whack things coming out of the scene at the moment – “Listening to all the kinds of music that ends in ‘step’”, Eliza says of her day, with a giggle. “How is that even possible, Burial-step! An artist-name and step! What is ‘step’ anymore? It could be anything!” This aversion to the confines of genre becomes evident in their music – borne from a partnership between two talented musicians from vastly different worlds.
Dysphemic, known to his parents as Julian Treweeke, has a well-established career in electronica, with a number of fiercely good releases to his name, and cites a wild variety of scenes in his successful career as a producer. “I’ve done a lot of experimental electronic music – hardcore techno, a lot of jungle, DnB – I had a big break from that and did a lot of hip hop and vocal stuff, and kind of moved back to DnB and dubstep,” he says, of his past. “The stuff I’m doing at the moment with Miss Eliza and MC Hines – merging all of those styles into one project.”
The other half of the couple is Miss Eliza aka Eliza Quirit. A classically-trained violinist since five, Quirit grew up in the concert halls of Australia performing and winning over forty awards as a soloist with Australia’s symphony orchestras, as well as performing abroad in China and the Phillipines, and is a graduate of both the Victorian College of the Arts and Monash University. “I did that for a long time! I’ve always loved performing as a soloist for orchestras,” she says. These days she’s known for her riotous, individualistic stage presence in an altogether different scene – asked about it, she laughs, and says of her past in classical music: “I was never really a team player, I never really wanted to sit – I wanted to be up the front with the big dress, taking bows!”
How did she find her way into the dark and mysterious realms of electronica, then? “I grew up on classical music, of course, and nineties RnB but my second eldest brother Christian was really into it – the rave scene, the mid-nineties!” They both become rather animated when it comes to the topic of nineties dance, mentioning rave culture and hanging out in London, ’92 when drum and bass was huge. It’s also where they first met. “We met behind the decks at a party,” Treweeke explains. “Eliza played me some of her IDM/experimental stuff, and a lot of her stuff was very melodic – I think we just really clicked.” It’s a collaborative process that has impacted more than just their careers in music – the two are boyfriend and girlfriend who live together. They love it: “We get to spend all this time together doing things!” Quirit says, happily. “And a lot of opportunity to practise with each other to get it really tight.”
The results are off the chain, as the monstrous recordings of the duo’s onstage antics that have surfaced on YouTube reinforce. With Treweeke blasting out broken beats as Quirit wields her violin like a weapon, ripping out melodies with fearsome precision – juxtaposing her delicate compositions with the murky depths of electronica. It’s a dream come true for Quirit. “I get to live my classical violin dreams – I reckon it’s like a violin making love to a subwoofer!” Treweeke agrees – “I think collaborating with Eliza and other people has really opened up my mind to different things.”
Their website and Sloth EP launch party is at Roxanne Parlour this week. “We’ve got some special plans for next Friday!” Eliza says excitedly. “We’ve got a few new tracks that no-one has heard yet, and MC Hines is going to be rapping with us, too – he’s on the new album.” Treweeke describes the gig as a chance to showcase the new direction their music has taken – a teaser for audiences waiting to hear their work together on record.
Their album Classical Remix, will hopefully drop by the end of the year. “We’ve got some mixing down to do, but it’s gone so fast!” says Quirit, of the album’s birth. So, what to expect? “Some crazy violin action,” she begins. “And triple-time violin shredding,” Treweeke interjects, and they both laugh. Quirit continues: “Triple-time rap, and some really beautiful melodic luscious landscapes”. Exciting.
