Grooves Of Joy: Introducing Eve Alai, Pop-Savvy Newcomer To The Local House Scene

The local house scene has a new arrival (Credit: Courtesy of Umami Records)

Jubilation, warmth, and gusto are just some elements that swirl within the essence of house music, triggering a gust of euphoria that takes over mind and body. Such untainted bliss hovers all over the oeuvre of Eve Alai, a Singapore-based, Sri Lankan producer whose work shows perfectionism beneath this fledgling stage of his journey. Having clinched a music degree from LASALLE College of the Arts since relocating here, the beatmaker kicked off his Eve Alai project during the languor of lockdown, combatting the dreariness with his jaunty, feel-good tunes. House music was made to heal. And in an electronic scene currently shackled and bogged down, the tracks of Eve Alai are a much-needed elixir.

A rhythmic mastermind, Eve Alai makes components as simple as a pristine, punchy kick drum or a shrewdly placed hi-hat pop and shine. Layering them with bright, melodious hooks, he forges tracks that are commercially digestible, capable of exploring the paradisiacal quality of deep vocal house or the nostalgic, bass-heavy bounciness of nu-disco. And as a finishing touch, he sprinkles more mass appeal by working closely with guest vocalists – including fellow Sri Lankan, Senara, and our very own Naomi G – to transform his dancefloor jams into sing-a-long belters. With these tricks firmly in his pocket, Eve Alai has the perfect recipe for breaking his house works into the pop market, and it looks like it just might work.

Sitting on a debut, six-track EP that will be released by Umami Records over the course of the year, the promising composer hopes to cement himself in the scene he now calls home. Get to know more about Eve Alai, as he shares his budding story in this interview.

Eve Alai grew up in Sri Lanka with progressive house as his staple (Credit: Courtesy of Umami Records)

So let’s start at the beginning. How did you first get into production, and how long have you been doing it now?

I first got into guitar at the age of 13. When I wanted to record an original, I approached some studios back home in Sri Lanka. I was disappointed that I couldn't translate the sound in my head onto record and thus, I started experimenting with production at home!

Do you remember how you first got into house music? Any house heroes?

Being a teenager during the reign of progressive house was a fever dream. I would constantly get kicked out of class with my best friends for banging on tables while singing Swedish House Mafia songs.

What’s fascinating about your work is that you fuse several subgenres into your style of house, from the lushness of deep house to the basslines of nu-disco. What other genres are you influenced by?

I love hip-hop, mainly ’90s West Coast hip-hop. I also grew up listening to a lot of thrash and nu-metal. I try to incorporate out-of-place samples, rhythms, and melodies from various genres. I have yet to find a sound palette that is truly mine, I think.

Is there a reason why you prefer coming up with shorter, bite-sized tracks instead of extended cuts?

I try to analyse pop songwriting a lot. Due to streaming, songs have become shorter and shorter. I try to experiment with song structure in that aspect. I’ve found that giving the listener just short of enough makes them want to replay the song!

Ebullient vocals are a recurring component in his tracks (Credit: Courtesy of Umami Records)

Is DJ-ing something that’s on your plate? Do you intend to play out in the future when things go back to normal?

Yes! I would love to DJ. I’ve been doing my research and getting advice from DJs I am in touch with. A local legend back home is Clifford Isaac. He loves to spin underground house. An international DJ that I keep up with is Anna Lunoe.

There’s clearly a heavy vocal element in your tracks. Do you come up with the lyrics yourself?

Lately, I focus on melody while coming up with concepts and phrases. I try to piece everything together with the vocalist.

Eve Alai collaborated with up-and-coming vocalist, Naomi G, on “Who? (Ah Vi)” (Credit: Courtesy of Umami Records)

Can you elaborate on your studio setup, or the types of plug-ins you like to play with?

I produce in the box mainly. My favourite plugin for 90% of the sounds you hear synth-wise is Serum which is a staple in EDM production. In terms of drum sounds, I obsessively collect samples. I set aside days in the week to cut, chop, synthesise and blend drum samples to create my own unique samples. I am also obsessed with drums that sound melodic and share note information with the song.

What can you tell us about your upcoming debut EP? And what does it mean for you personally?

What I want to explore and discover on my upcoming EP is a definitive ‘Eve Alai’ sound that is different from my influences, yet pays homage at the same time.

The producer has come a long way from fiddling on the guitar (Credit: Courtesy of Umami Records)

What can you tell us about the music scene over in Sri Lanka?

The music scene back home is extremely vibrant and diverse. Some of the standout acts that you can check out are The Soul, Arnon Ray Pereira, Anuja Ranasinghe, Asela Perera, Hibshi, Costa and the fathers of metal in Sri Lanka, Stigmata.

Did you have any personal or creative struggles when you made the move here?

The main struggle was distancing myself from the guitar in order to set my mind on being a producer. The struggle was worth it!

“Since my venture into the electronic scene under Eve Alai, I’ve educated myself on the electronic scene in Singapore.” (Credit: Courtesy of Umami Records)

You completed your degree in music here at LASALLE College of the Arts. What major takeaways did you obtain from that experience?

The main takeaway was to always be kind to people. Work on your people skills, because that is your value in this industry.

And to wrap up, since moving to Singapore, have you gotten to know the electronic scene here a bit better?

I started Eve Alai during lockdown. Before that, I was and still am producing music for artistes in the hip-hop and pop scenes here and in Sri Lanka. Since my venture into the electronic scene under Eve Alai, I’ve educated myself on the electronic scene in Singapore. My personal favourites at the moment are Myrne and Duumu who is a fellow student at LASALLE. Fingers crossed, we can all meet at an electronic show soon!

You can now listen to the tracks of Eve Alai on Spotify. He will be releasing his debut EP over the course of the year. Follow his Instagram page to stay updated.