Airrica dives into her latest release on Factory 93 Records, her excitement for playing Escape Psycho Circus for the first time to celebrate Halloween, and more.
Erica Bell, better known as Airrica, is a house artist originally from New Hampshire who now splits her time between Los Angeles and Tulum. Her rise in the scene has been propelled by big releases on Gorgon City‘s Realm Records, Higher Ground, Sola, and Damian Lazarus‘ Crosstown Rebels and Rebellion labels. She’s also been no stranger behind the decks, having regularly taken the stage at festivals and clubs in North America and Europe, winning a growing number of fans along the way.
Airrica’s most recent release a two track EP on Factory 93 started as a collaboration with Southside Nova after hearing a song of theirs at the gym. Both tracks, “Fight Club” and “Make Me Feel Alive,” are dancefloor bombs. While the former is perfect for those peak time moments in a set, whether it’s a club or outdoors, the latter is a big spoken word synth-y tune, that’s groovy and atmospheric, showcasing the dynamic nature of her sound.
Before her set at Escape Psycho Circus this month, Airrica swung by to answer some questions about this new release and what has been inspiring her. Stream Fight Club on your favorite streaming platform and read on for the full chat!
Stream Airrica – Fight Club EP on Spotify:
Hey Airrica, thank you for joining us today. Let’s jump right into it. How did you first get into electronic music? And what inspires you today?
Growing up, I first discovered electronic music and was really into trance/euro dance/techno. When I first started DJing, I was very influenced by Marcel Dettman, Rodhad, Ben Klock, and Marron. I explored genres since then, obviously, but lately I’ve been sneaking a couple of heavier records into my sets to go back to my roots. There is something a heavy, rolling techno record particularly does to me that gets me completely lost in the sound. I get inspired by this feeling still.
When you make music, do you have certain goals in mind, like targeting a certain label or certain feeling on the dancefloor?
The only thing I want my music to do to people is to get lost on the dance floor while dancing, exchange smiles with a stranger next to them, and feel part of the community I’m building.
How would you describe your style of house music?
I like to keep it groovy, high energy, and hypnotic. Good music!
Let’s talk about Fight Club with Southside Nova. How did that release come to be? And to be released with Factory 93, what has it been like to work with them?
I was in the gym and there was a record playing with a cool vocal, I Shazammed, and it was Southside Nova. I reached out to him to collab & he sent me some really dope vocals. When I visualized the record in my mind, I kept envisioning a boxing scene, which is how I came up with Fight Club. Factory 93 has always been one of the freshest labels, so it was a real honor to release both records of the Fight Club EP! I’m excited to have more future releases with them.
You’ve played Fabric, The Warehouse Project, Awakenings, and CRSSD Festival. How do these different club shows and festivals influence what you play?
I get the opportunity to play different music in each, which gives me full freedom as each venue, festival, or club pulls a different crowd. I played Time Warp this year, which allowed me to really push on the heavier side. Fabric I’ve played twice, and each time the crowd really appreciates being taken on a journey where I can play some funkier music and build up a set. I really enjoy the versatility in shows!
You’ve performed alongside artists like Damian Lazarus, Chris Lake, and Black Coffee. Has any advice or experience from those artists stuck with you?
I will never forget Damian’s advice once on a beach in Tulum when he told me his story of how staying true to his vision lead him to starting Day Zero amongst his other mind-blowing projects. The story itself gave me inspiration to truly stick to my true self as an artist.
What are you most excited for next? Is there anything coming soon that you can tell us about?
I’m playing Escape for Halloween and I am soooo excited! One of the festivals I always hear amazing things about, I’m planning a very special set.
Finally, if you could shape how people describe an “Airrica set” five years from now, what would you want them to say?
A collective pulse of euphoria and pure connection. The way I imagined the ’90s rave scene felt, a community built on the love for house.
