Esya

Name, where are you from?
Ayse Hassan from South East London

What do you do?
Musician / Artist: Solo as Esya (+ Savages, Kite Base, 180dB).

Describe your style in three words?
I Do Me.

What’s the best gig you’ve ever been to?
Nine Inch Nails at Radio City Music Hall (NYC) - I have been inspired by them since I was 16. Then last year one of my bands was the support on their North American tour. So I got to play at Radio City then watch them deliver a visually stunning and sonically intense set - It was an epic moment for me.

If you could be on the line up with any two bands in history?
The Cure: Everything about their music inspires me. I remember purchasing their guitar tab book at 13 as they made me want to play an instrument… and thankfully I ended up buying a bass instead of a guitar.

Nirvana: In Utero and Insecticide got me through some tough moments as a teenager.

Which subcultures have influenced you?
I felt most connected with the Post Punk scene - I loved fanzines, the independent record labels and I found a wealth of inspiration in the movement; initially the DIY ethics (the writers, cinema, avant-garde political scenes such as dada and postmodernism).

The first song I ever learnt on bass was Track: 'One Chord Wonders' by The Adverts.

If you could spend an hour with anyone from history?
Eartha Kitt - When I first saw/heard her singing ‘Black Little Angels’ which was being shown at an exhibition in New York - She was full of heartbreak and passion. I cried as I was so overcome with emotion and that led me to research more about her. She’s incredible as an activist, author, comedian and more. I would love to have a moment in her company.

Of all the independent venues you’ve played, which is your favourite?
The Fox and Firkin in Lewisham. It was round the corner from where I used to live with my parents, they created a safe and fun space for young people to experience and share music. I played on their stage many times over the years and met so many people that helped inspire me to keep making music.

Your greatest unsung hero or heroine in music?
V.Vale - V. "Valhalla" Vale - The Countercultural Anthropologist exploring subcultures of industrial music, movies, body modification and more with his Search and Destroy Zine then his RE/Search book series. One of my favourite books is his Industrial Culture Handbook.

Also

Pioneering Electronic artist Delia Derbyshire (and the equally influential Daphne Oram & Glynis Jones) who carried out influential work at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop during the ’60s. You would have most likely heard her work through her electronic arrangement of the theme music to Doctor Who.

www.instagram.com/ayse_hassan/