Elliphant

Elliphant is the stage name of Ellinor Olovsdotter, a Swedish artist from Stockholm, Sweden, born in 1985. Her work is associated with alternative hip hop, dancehall, electronic, synth-pop and trap, and her sound is often described as drawing on pop, rap and club influences.

She takes her artist name from a play on “elephant in the room”. Her music is compared to a blend of M.I.A. and Diplo, and she attracts attention in publications including The Guardian and NME.

Early releases

Her debut single is “Tekkno Scene”, released in 2012 with Adam Kanyama. The track later appears in FIFA 13, the football video game. Another early single, “Down on Life”, gains a large online audience and receives a notable response, including praise from Katy Perry. “Ciant Hear It” is also among her early releases.

In 2013 she releases her self-titled first EP, Elliphant. It contains four songs and a remix, including “Ciant Hear It”, “Down on Life”, “Make It Juicy” and “In the Jungle”, plus a remix of “In the Jungle”.

Album and collaborations

Her debut album, A Good Idea, follows in 2014 and includes “Down on Life” and “Music Is Life”. The album features contributions from several artists and producers, including Niki & the Dove. “More Fire” also appears on the album, and is noted as the first collaboration between Elliphant and Niki & The Dove.

She works in the studio with Skrillex in Stockholm, and says she is drawn to working with Diplo because of “Down on Life”. She also shares management and production links with Icona Pop and Niki and the Dove, placing her within a Swedish electro-pop context.

Travelling and background

As a teenager, she travels to India with her grandmother at the age of 16, and later spends time in India and Burma. She also travels across the UK, where she is influenced by the urban sound in London. After returning to Stockholm, she develops MC skills.

Her debut single and first EP establish her recording career, and her early output positions her as part of a Swedish wave of electronic pop artists with strong links to club music, rap and internet-era music culture.