Two restless minds emerging from Manchester’s underground scene , one live-wire ritual: Elf Traps fuse acoustic drums, machine rhythms, and synth breath into a real-time conversation where friendship becomes friction and improvisation sparks the current.
A hypnotic exchange of rhythm, the music twists and evolves in real time, moving from meditative ambient passages to explosive, adrenaline-charged rhythmic peaks. No two performances are ever the same.
The brainchild of Mercury Prize nominee Rob Turner (Mammal Hands, former–GoGo Penguin) and Liviu Gheorghe (former–Matthew Halsall / Gondwana), it began as most things seem to happen: by having a conversation in the kitchen, late at a house party - around 5 am. They wanted to explore the connection between improvisation and technology, making the acoustic instruments communicate with the electronics.
How did you come up with this name, and does it have a special meaning or story behind it?
It has a double meaning: ELF stands for Extreme Low Frequency, while Traps is an old American term for "contraptions." It referred to the extra bits—drums, whistles, and sound effects—used for silent films and radio, serving as a precursor to the modern drum kit. It also refers to Terence McKenna’s "machine elves," which some Buddhist monks viewed as further distractions and "traps" for the mind, rather than true insight.
You cite influences ranging from Squarepusher and the Four Tet/Steve Reid collaboration to Pharoah Sanders and even the art of Friedensreich Hundertwasser. How do these references shape your creative process?
They’re less about sound-alikes and more about the approach of blending acoustic jazz performance with electronics, Hundertwasser’s art influenced our sense of structure: organic, asymmetrical, and alive, rather than rigid. And not being afraid of colour and a bit of madness.
Your bio also mentions Buddhism and Star Trek as influences. Do you incorporate any spiritual or sci-fi themes into your music or daily practice?
We’re definitely "Trekkies." There’s such cool sound design in the show, and they’re always talking about pulse waves, harmonic distortion, and spectral frequencies, which is how synth nerds speak. Meditation practices and music go hand-in-hand away from the commercial aspects of music; there are a lot of similarities in the practice and struggles of both disciplines.
Your debut EP, Sunflowers in a Blue Sky, is a two-track record that “distills the energy of Elf Traps’ underground live shows.” What is the concept behind this title, and how do the tracks capture your live sound?
The concept is heliotropism and how sunflowers chase the sun through the sky. They try to grow towards the light, and that resonated with us as we were leaving other projects. The early shows were pretty chaotic; the tech we used (and still don't fully understand) sometimes had a mind of its own. Making the record involved a lot of "happy accidents." We just try to capture those moments when sound is happening and we aren't exactly sure how we’ve made it.
Your music is described as an “improvisation-driven sound” that shifts “from ambient stillness to explosive rhythmic peaks.” In practice, how much of each set is improvised versus pre-arranged?
It’s a balance. There are structures—starting points, tempos, or textures. There are sections we know, like paths we’ve walked a lot, but the majority of what happens is improvised. The setup with the electronics is full of gremlins; sometimes it does what it’s programmed to do, and other times it does something totally unexpected.
How have your experiences in GoGo Penguin and with Matthew Halsall influenced your approach in Elf Traps?
It’s about personal experiences for both of us and growth—taking the bits we enjoyed out of those projects and forging a new sound that feels more akin to who we are now.
What hobbies or interests do you pursue outside of music?
Liv’s been getting into collaging, nature walks, checking out more art, and the neuroscience of music—looking at how music can affect the brain and the potential for rewiring connections and healing.
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