From supporting stages across Asia to commanding 4000-capacity crowds at Fusion Festival, Avis Vox has carved an unconventional path through electronic music’s evolving landscape. Her journey reads like a map of the genre itself—beginning as a trance vocalist in 2008 with early support from Tiësto, pivoting into introspective downtempo experimentation as Loolacoma, and ultimately finding her voice in the hypnotic realm of melodic techno.
Now based in Frankfurt, the city where techno’s European story began, Avis Vox is experiencing a career-defining moment. Her upcoming single ‘Phantom Touch’ marks her debut on Adam Beyer’s legendary Truesoul imprint, with support from scene heavyweights including Richie Hawtin, Pan-Pot, and Adriatique. The track, inspired by the existential questions posed in ‘Ex Machina’, represents an AI’s desire to feel human emotions, a fitting concept for an artist who believes our imperfections will ultimately preserve art’s value in an increasingly automated world.
In this conversation, Avis Vox takes us through her creative evolution, the challenges of performing live vocals in festival environments, and why Frankfurt’s electronic heritage continues to shape her sound today.
1. Can you take us back to your early musical beginnings in 2008 as a vocalist in trance, and what initially drew you to electronic music before that transformative move?
Hi, thank you so much for having me, it’s a pleasure to share my story. I first got into electronic music back in 2004. As schoolkids, my friends and I would go to the first raves in our city. These were both techno and trance parties – everything was mixed together for us at that age. We listened to music that most people around us didn’t understand – we fell under the influence of electronic sounds and were extremely proud of it. Then in 2008, my future husband asked me to sing for his electronic trance project and I agreed. That collaborative track, performed in both English and Russian, received support from Tiësto, which led me to start touring with his project.
2. After years touring across Japan, France, Ukraine, Russia, China and India as a front vocalist, you took a creative detour into downtempo as Loolacoma in 2012. What drove that shift toward more introspective, ambient textures, and how did that period shape your artistic identity?
Honestly, at that time I had no idea how to write club music with a direct beat, so intuitively I ended up creating slow electronic music. It’s a bit easier to write when you experiment and don’t follow strict rules, so it came naturally to me. Around the same time, I discovered James Blake and FKA Twigs – these two musicians are still important references for my sound today.
3. 2022 marked your return to club music under the Avis Vox name, but this time with melodic techno. That’s quite a journey from trance to downtempo to your current sound. How do you view this evolution, was it a natural progression or did specific moments catalyze these changes?
The catalyst was my move to Germany. Like for many people, Germany is closely associated with techno and you can feel that it’s everywhere here. At the same time, I felt something inside me stir specifically when listening to melodic techno tracks. For me, it’s very important that a track has both a bright melody and a brutal groove at the same time and that’s exactly what this style offers.
4. Your upcoming single ‘Phantom Touch’ marks your debut on Truesoul – a massive milestone with support from artists like Richie Hawtin, Pan-Pot, and Adriatique. How did this release come together, and what does landing on Adam Beyer’s imprint mean for your career trajectory?
Right now, my dream is coming true and I am very grateful to Adam and the team for noticing my track. Actually, the thought that I might have a chance to release on the legendary Truesoul came when I heard Adam Beyer play my track ‘In Code’ [Siona Records] at Drumsheds in London in April this year. That’s when I realized it was the right moment to send my new demo. Sometimes, you just need to wait for the right event.
5. Could you tell us more about your creative process behind the single?
When I started working on ‘Phantom Touch’ I had the idea of creating something deep and immersive. Some of my recent tracks were more about releasing energy rather than accumulating it. I began searching for the right sound and found it in the software-emulated Korg MS20, which even in its virtual version has a very warm “analog” tone. I wanted to create a hypnotic sequence with a growing atmosphere. As for the conceptual inspiration, it came from the film ‘Ex Machina’ by Alex Garland – so ‘Phantom Touch’ represents the monologue of an Artificial Intelligence that wants to experience human emotions.
6. Being based in Frankfurt, how has the city’s electronic music heritage and current scene influenced your artistic development? What makes Frankfurt unique as a creative base?
Yes, Frankfurt has played a huge role in the early development of techno and electronic music in general. Although clubs like Omen, Dorian Gray and U60 no longer exist, the spirit of that time can still be felt at events here or when you play in the city. My friend A*S*Y*S, who was part of that historical period, tells me a lot about the club scene in Frankfurt 20–25 years ago. Living in Frankfurt has directly influenced the melodic techno I now create.
7. Your have a live setup with live vocals and instruments. How did you develop this hybrid performance style, and what challenges did you face in making it work seamlessly in club environments?
I have two performance formats: a Dj set and a Live Vocal set. I arrived at live performance after making several videos with my team for social media and of course, my experience as a vocalist played a big role. I love singing live, although it’s always a big challenge, especially in large festivals. But singing live gives me a special feeling on stage, and I can tell you it’s something more than just a DJ set. As I gain experience, I always strive to improve my performance technically. For example, at the SonneMondSterne festival, I added another Minifreak synthesizer to my setup.
8. As an artist who blends traditional electronic production with live performance elements, what’s your perspective on AI’s growing presence in music creation?
It’s funny, but I think it’s precisely because of the rapid development of AI, and music in particular, that we’ll gradually reach a point where the value of human-created art, even with errors or flaws, will once again exceed anything we get from AI. It’s precisely because of our imperfections that we’ll be able to preserve art.
9. From performing at 4000-capacity stages at Fusion Festival to joining Innellea’s world tour, your rise has been remarkable. How do you balance touring life with studio work and what do you enjoy more? Are there any challenges while touring?
I remember Fusion Festival with great love – it was my first Live show and the audience was incredible, I will never forget that feeling. Touring with Innellea was very exciting as well, since these were some of my first dj sets. I’m grateful to Michi, Sanny and Kai for believing in me and giving me such a start.
As for balancing studio work, so far my schedule allows me to combine it with performing and writing new tracks. If my touring schedule becomes busier, I’ll learn to write music on the road.
10. What advice would you give to upcoming producers and DJs trying to develop their own unique voice while navigating the competitive electronic music landscape today?
The electronic scene today is a vast mix of genres and subgenres, including traditional, hybrid and experimental sounds. I think the first step is to find something in this diversity that resonates with your inner self. Then, once you’ve identified yourself, try to bring your personal experience, your unique sound and distinctive traits that no one else has to that style.