Photo by ELLA MAXIMILLION

Meet GiRLIRL: the first duo to take part in FBi’s Dance Class, supported by V MoVement. GiRLIRL consists of  ♀ venus ♀ and ZEFGIRLCLUB – although in the day time, you might know them as Holly and El.

These two DJs teamed up as part of our comprehensive DJ training for female dance music lovers. GiRLIRL have been mentored by Sidechains DJs, Denzel Sterling and Flexmami, learning the ropes and playing sets on their Sunset show on FBi. Since, they’ve also DJed an online pool party and even ventured ‘irl’ for a live set at a Sidechains party at Plan B Small Club (now Hudson Ballroom).

As their name suggests, GiRLIRL united over a hyper-internet aesthetic that bleeds into their neon-tinted sound. They bounce between Kreayshawn samples and steel drums, sped up to an industrial rhythm matched by PC Music-esque chipmunk vocals.

Experience the aesthetic overload – blast the mix below while scrolling through the web, or, since you’re already on this page, read our interview with them below.

Tell us about the mix you have made.

Our mix is filled with loads of thumping tracks. We can sometimes fall into the habit of playing the classic songs we want to hear and know work, but for this particular mix, we’ve made an effort to play outside a lot of those tracks. We wanted to branch out a little more and share not only our usual sound, but hints of some of the other genres we are huge fans of, like vogue, jersey and grime.

In saying that, we still feel it out as we go in regards to what we play. But that’s kind of exciting, as we get to explore in an almost genre-free way. We’re already into so much music and love the idea of sharing that with people.

What is your favourite thing about being in a DJ duo?

Being a part of a duo is a totally different experience to solo DJing. When you’re solo, everything is in your own head. You’re processing what track you’re going to play next, and after that one and the next one. Collaborative DJing is about bringing different points of view together and working alongside each other for a common goal – a banging set! You always have to be in your own head and the other person’s head at the same time. You need to know what they’re going to do to come up with smooth transitions on the spot. It’s definitely a good position to be in if you want to pick up some extra skills and learn to focus on your set as a collective, not just what you’re playing in the moment. Being a duo has immensely helped us to improvise and create on the fly, which is always exciting.

Tell us a bit about the online PC Music-esque community you’re a part of.

The internet is the best place for finding music. We’ve both spent a lot of time trawling the web for new tunes. It’s such a great feeling stumbling upon a piece of unearthed gold or a really good mix in the depths of Soundcloud. Facebook groups and forums are great spaces for sharing new stuff and making little communities. A lot of acts we appreciate have actually come out of these spaces and continue to grow.

For us, the internet is the ultimate platform for music, fashion, and the culture we have crawled our way into. The same goes for many of our friends and connections, and the clubs we enjoy. It hits both ends of the spectrum. You can find new influences that help to build your portfolio (whatever that may consist of), and you can use it as a platform to share your own music and style. It’s a beautiful cycle of creative and positive energy, with some of the most interesting and prominent people in our community.

What has been the most valuable lesson that you have learned?

Definitely working together when DJing. I (♀ venus ♀) always saw it as a solo pursuit, and ZEFGIRLCLUB never considered the possibility of being a part of a duo project. Yet working as a duo has really helped both of us expand the craft. It helps build improvisational skills, but it also helps build trust and allows you to let go of a vision in order to create a larger experience. Ultimately, it’s expanded our work and taught us how to manage ourselves as a duo and as solo DJs. It can be tricky to focus on two major projects at once, and it has been difficult to combine different creative energies at times, but the variety is far from boring.

In addition, just working on the other side of radio, after being a fan for so long, is such an important experience we have both valued. Seeing what’s on the other side, interacting with the listeners, working the panel and everything else has all been such an unreal opportunity.

What plans do you have for you DJing and music once the program is over?

Nothing is really set in stone, but we know for sure this isn’t the end of our collaboration. Perhaps we’ll start our own club night or streaming party. We might even get into production or start our own little collective. There are so many things we want to do, and so much opportunity to do it! We will both pick up on our solo projects, which will be interesting to return to in full focus after spending so long collaborating together. We are also looking into continuing to work with FBi – so hopefully, some great things are on the way.

I (ZEFGIRLCLUB) definitely do not see us returning to how we were before. This duo has influenced the way I work as a solo DJ, the way I put across a vibe that people are going to perceive, and even the way I manage brands and ‘business’ opportunities in general. In some sort of creative sense, we will probably be working together for a really long time.

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Follow GiRLIRL:

Facebook | Soundcloud | Instagram