Originally hailing from London, after almost a decade on the island as an all-year-round resident, Kellie Allen has more than earned the right to be considered an islander.
Ibiza is a constant source of inspiration for Kellie, whether that be in the music she makes or when it comes to recharging the batteries on downtime. Her passion for the place she calls home can never be questioned.
If you want credentials, then Kellie comes highly regarded in the industry, receiving commendations from peers such as Steve Bug, Steve Lawler and Pete Gooding. In the past, we've had a pleasure of catching her play everywhere from Octan to Amnesia and the Lost In Ibiza boat party.
While dancefloors remain off-limits, Kellie has continued to push her sound on her highly popular weekly radio show on Ibiza Global Radio. As well as bossing the airways, Kellie continues to add to a growing back-catalogue of productions.
Her music is best described as stripped-back, instrumental, deep and groovy. She counts the likes of PIV, Moan, Decay Records and Sublease amongst the labels she has released on, and is soon to appear on Deeperfect alongside frequent studio partner, Kreature.
We caught up with her to find out just how busy she's keeping, despite the pandemic.
Q&A
Hi Kellie. You've got new music dropping imminently we understand?
"Yes, my next EP is a 4-track collaboration with Kreature, coming out Friday 17 September. We are releasing on Stefano Noferini's Deeperfect label and it includes a sick remix from Rigzz."
"We made these tracks during our collective lockdowns in the UK and Ibiza, so it's great to see them finally being released into the world.
Deeperfect is a great label which has an eye for detail and is very supportive in terms of promoting the release, so we are very happy to be a part of its roster."
You've struck up quite a studio partnership with Kreature. How did the relationship start?
"Ashley is a really good friend of mine who I met for the first time on a volunteering trip in Uganda in 2019. We had a lot to talk about on the trip as far as music and production is concerned and we kept in touch afterwards.
I had a gig in the UK coming up and I reached out to see if he fancied getting together in the studio whilst I was over there. Over the course of a couple of days we had a really good vibe going in the studio and completed 3 tracks together."
Kellie & Kreature together for Lost In Ibiza
"Shortly after that the pandemic hit and we were locked down, but we still managed to keep our sanity and collab on a further few tracks together via Zoom.
He's a very talented producer and artist. I've learnt a great deal from working with him. We have actually just finished a further few tracks so watch this space!"
Let's talk about your radio show that has a big following. As well as airing weekly on Ibiza Global Radio, you also stream live from the studio. Do you think that helps you to connect to your audience on a deeper level?
"With the current situation in Ibiza the way it is with parties, nightclubs and events being restricted, it's been harder to connect with my audience.
The radio show has been an amazing outlet for me on a weekly basis and it's something I'm so grateful for. It's my fifth year working with Ibiza Global Radio. It has a fantastic team who have supported me from the beginning."
"Having gone from a monthly pre-recorded show to a weekly live set from the studio, it has helped me to not only demonstrate my sound and style, but just as importantly, it's helped me develop a relationship with my online followers.
It's always a pleasure and very heart-warming to see a group of the same people tuning into the show on a regular basis."
Away from music, you keep quite busy elsewhere too, right?
"I'm a partner in a co-working space here called theHUB. Ibiza with my boyfriend Sam.
We have been proactively creating a community of members for over four years now. It's a space for locals and tourists alike to connect, be productive, feel inspired, have fun and get shit done - all whilst being able to enjoy the island and all of the amazing things it has to offer."
theHUB. Ibiza in Santa Gertrudis
"If you have ever wondered what it's like to live and work from Ibiza, I think now is the perfect time to try it out - post lockdown, in a world where most of us are asked to work from home, the remote-working economy has fully arrived and is here to stay."
That's definitely something we can get onboard with. It's also really clear from your social media activity that you have a strong affinity for the island. What would you say to people who perhaps primarily come to Ibiza for the parties?
"Having been here for over eight years full-time, one of my favourite pastimes on the island include my morning ritual of hiking to the top of Cala Llonga at sunrise with our dog Tito.
When the weather is cooler in the winter months we like to explore a new part of the island on foot - there are still many stones left unturned in terms of places we have yet to discover, even after all these years we've spent here."
Absolutely, the island just keeps on giving. Obviously, restrictions are still tight here when it comes to partying, but we saw that you've just been back to the UK for a gig. How was it?
"It was great to return "home" recently after such a long time away and even better that I got to immerse myself in the scene again. To feel the buzz of being on the dancefloor and behind the decks, doing what I love! I felt a strong connection to my sense of purpose and came away from my trip with a very full heart. I met loads of friends and made some new connections."
And you're back again in winter, playing at fabric for a pre-Christmas party alongside Chris Stussy and Prunk?
"Yes! Very excited about this one. It'll be not one, but two big debuts for me as I'll be playing my first gig for PIV Records as well as playing in fabric for the first time. I recently met the PIV crew and they were so welcoming.
For me to be a part of such an amazing line-up as part of the PIV family at this iconic venue is a real honour."
Awesome! It was great to catch up Kellie. We may well see you there.
WORDS | by Stephen Hunt & Hannah Starkie
Trust Me EP is out now on Deeperfect Records and can be previewed and downloaded here.
