E.Lina's story starts in Kharkiv, Ukraine, where hip-hop was her first love. She spent her teenage years immersed in freestyle dance battles, beat-making sessions, and rapping. But sometimes, life has plans that you can't see coming. On Friday, November 1, those unexpected twists will lead E.Lina, now one of the most compelling new voices in Europe's electronic scene, to the booth at Bucharest's Control Club as part of the ctrl x Personnal series. Alongside E.Lina, this installment of 'Personnal' brings the local host Baron P. and Victoria, who just released her 'Mental' EP last month.
When E.Lina moved to Kyiv, her cultural world opened up. She stumbled—almost by accident—into the city’s underground rave scene. Venues like Closer and CXEMA were spaces where music was a physical experience, where the crowd moved as one body. For a dancer like E.Lina, it was an awakening. Hip-hop had taught her how rhythm could drive movement, but this music was more visceral. Before she knew it, she explored the new language of techno and house, experimenting with new sounds, textures, and emotions.
Next came Berlin. For E.Lina, like so many others, Berlin was more than a city—it was a new beginning. In this city, no one expects you to follow a formula; in fact, the scene demands that you don’t. She started to play small clubs, weaving together sets full of sexy bass lines, unexpected twists, and sensual rhythm. Her style was about flow, about guiding the crowd somewhere deeper; somewhere hypnotic. Before long, her name was appearing on lineups at venues like Watergate, Club der Visionaere, and RSO.

In her Berlin apartment and throughout the city, E.Lina spent hours sifting through crates of vinyl, digging for those hidden gems that would add depth and history to her sets. Her resulting mixes on platforms like HÖR Berlin, Trommel, Gasoline Radio, and Sundowner were created with that same careful touch, each one a story that wove together the influences and the sounds she grew to love.
Over time, she took on new roles: producer, vocalist, collaborator. With fellow Annyrock, she launched Attechtion Please!, a project where they let their creativity run wild, mixing spontaneity with a sense of playfulness. And yet, despite her growing reputation, E.Lina has a quiet, grounded quality. She never forgot those gritty, DIY hip-hop circles back in Ukraine, the feeling of music at its most raw and honest. Even now, her sets carry that same authenticity. Promoters like VBX, Slapfunk, and Off The Grid noticed it, too; she plays for the love of it and sees DJing as an art, not a career move.
In a scene where it’s easy to get swept up in the image, brand, and social media presence, E.Lina is different. She’s a curator and a storyteller. Whether playing at an underground club or major festivals like Dimensions, Butik, or Sziget, her focus is always the same: creating an experience that’s alive, one where music isn’t just heard but felt, a shared heartbeat that connects everyone in the room.