Erotika Dabra unleashes "EAT ME / DRINK ME" and connects with us to dive deep into their creative world
- STAFF
- Sep 1
- 13 min read
By: Staff
“EAT ME / DRINK ME” is a genre-defying masterwork, feral, fearless, and dripping with sonic seduction.
Something dark has been brewing in the underground, and it has just erupted into the spotlight. We spoke with Erotika Dabra about their latest sonic provocation, "EAT ME / DRINK ME", a track that pulses with raw electricity, psychological hunger, and a sense of liberation that feels both otherworldly and deeply human.
From the first guttural growl to the hypnotic tribal rhythms, "EAT ME / DRINK ME" doesn’t ask for your attention. It consumes it. It’s the kind of track that doesn’t just play in the background; it drips down the walls of your psyche. But what lies behind the sound? Who is the architect of this chaos, and how did they harness pain, power, and pleasure into something so unflinchingly bold?
What we uncovered was a story far beyond music. Erotika Dabra is more than a performer. They are a conjurer of altered states, a skater of liminal edges, and a dancer who carves identity into every bruised inch of stage. Their journey, from reclaiming a body once ridiculed to finding home on a pole, in a jungle loft, in chaos and cannabis and choreography, is a manifesto in motion. There is pole dance woven through the bassline, trauma buried in the silence between synths, and a fierce joy erupting from every beat.
This isn’t just music. This is a myth being rewritten in real time. And behind the surreal visuals and explosive sound lies a deeply personal truth, a truth about what it means to be misfit, magical, and unapologetically alive.
Dive into our conversation with Erotika Dabra as we explore how fantasy collides with reality, how self-liberation takes shape through movement, and why embracing your “too much” might just be the most powerful thing you ever do.
Here’s how it went:
Begin Interview:
Hello Erotika Dabra, we’re thrilled to have you here for this interview! We've had an amazing time exploring your music and diving into your creative journey. Now, we’re even more intrigued to get a deeper look into both your brand and your personal and professional inspirations.
Q. We loved “EAT ME/DRINK ME.” We can honestly say we have never heard anything like it. The harrowing opening, the tribal beats, and your guttural growls were such a show-stopping moment for us. But when your vocals entered, it was utterly captivating. The slow burn cadence and the dynamic bass that felt like a hypnotic trance had us floored. We absolutely loved every moment. When did you first realize the power of your creativity, and what moment in your life transformed it from a personal, intimate expression to a tool for sharing your story with the world, ultimately laying the foundation for the impactful career we see today?
A. The moment I played the final exported version of my first song (Flood of White) to a friend, without context, and they sat listening for the entire song. Once it ended, they turned to me and opened up about a really specific and personal experience, something that I never spoke about in the song yet had woven its way into the vibe of the composition of the song’s elements. I was someone who was dealing with dissociation, a neuro disorder diagnosis, and the requisite life changing experiences that come with that, so finding my agency through creative expression felt like magic to me. It took me a long time to feel confident to call myself an artist, now I wear it with pride <3
Q. After reeling over this song and sound, we felt your style and presentation were just amazing. It’s clear you’ve cultivated something distinct. Is this particular musical style something you’ve always embraced from the very beginning of your journey, or has it evolved over time from influences or other genres you experimented with earlier?
A. Yay love this question! I have definitely dabbled and experimented along the musical journey, but what has become increasingly more confident and prominent is my ability to espouse my elder emo music influences (AFI, Slipknot, System of A Down) and the grittiness I enjoyed about them with my genre-bending and creative icons (Scissor Sisters, Gorillaz, Stromae, Fever Ray). I have been brutally told by some bloggers that I was ‘too weird’, ‘too experimental’ and that I didn’t fit into their required box for a genre and therefore my music was somehow lesser and that purist mentality really frustrated me (and drove my inner emo to give them the finger mentally and move on lol).
Q. "EAT ME / DRINK ME" feels like an awakening, a moment of deep self-liberation. Was there a specific experience that unlocked this raw energy for you, or has it been a long, ongoing process of discovery?
A. Content Warning: DV
I produced an EP earlier this year that was my body’s way of expressing the toxins that had taken up residence in my body after trauma.This EP finished on the celebration of the Me that emerged, and that Me that I was suddenly left staring at was me, but somehow more than me as well. I felt like the pain, the trauma, the feelings of negativity towards my body were draped around me on the floor and I was left raw and vulnerable yet deeply in love with this person who got me to where I am. The first time I did a photoshoot I was rigid and had to be intentional with every movement. With each photo over the last year or so I have felt incrementally more Me, until I found that in spite of how others wanted me to feel, I was already deeply powerful, sexy, and I didn’t need anyone’s permission to be me. That was the moan of sheer ecstasy I referred to when describing this song, and that’s the journey I want to acknowledge with a smile but not let it define me and what I am capable of <3
Q. You describe the song as blurring the line between fantasy and reality, what’s the most powerful moment in your personal life where fantasy and reality collided in a way you didn’t expect?
A. As with many young people going through life, escapism can be deeply appealing and can take myriad magical forms. Alice in Wonderland and its permeations rippled through my life, from making short films growing up, to being foundational in the framework I have lived within. It can be deeply painful to confront some things, and living with cPTSD/amnesia creates a very different lived experience that I have struggled previously to articulate. I spent years thinking it was a negative, however I have since learned that not only was using my fantasy and imagination a way of ‘making sense of reality’ but it was not my greatest super power and underpins the creativity I can unleash <3
Q. Your music has always been known for its underground energy, but with “EAT ME / DRINK ME,” there’s a sense of unapologetic sexual power. What role does reclaiming that sexual power play in your journey of artistic expression?
A. I am at a point in my life where I am trying to be grateful for all the experiences I have had as they have made me the person I am today. As a Non Binary experimental artist, it felt like my first steps were not only in the dark, but with ground that could crumble away at any moment. I wrote, produced, then choreographed + filmed the music video (with a community of course!) in under 2 months and that process by channeling that sexual power I had previously not been able to access in a creative, fun, and authentically me way until now. With EAT ME/DRINK ME, it felt like even though there will always be some nerves, I now step with confidence and consequence, knowing who I am and what I am worthy of <3
Q. In your music, movement seems just as crucial as sound. How does your experience in pole dance feed into the creation of your music? Does one influence the other, or do they exist as separate forms of expression?
A. I have had the pleasure of working with many talented choreographers, dancers, musicians, who have used their mediums to communicate, feel, or liberate in wonderfully human ways. This relationship between sound, proprioception, and emotional experience is proudly informed by the SWers who understand this interaction and built pole dancing from its origins in clubs and they have changed many lives along the way. Some dance to the beat, others to the bass or ‘that little scratchy sound’,, then there are the wildly chaotic yet loveable lyrical people who find pleasure in ignoring the beat and dancing to the whims and journey of the vocals. I work with discordance when I want to convey that inner feeling (like in my I Wonder EP), but then I also have this inner rhythm that wants to come out and move my body that haunts my bones. That feeling came through strongly in EAT ME/DRINK ME <3
Q. “Self-liberation” seems to be a recurring theme in your work. Can you share a personal story where music or dance allowed you to break free from a limitation you once had and how did this emancipation make you feel?
A. I had cystic acne for years, and hated my body in a bunch of ways. When I started pole, it took me a few months but eventually I was comfortable to take off my shirt in a class. Dancing at The Brass Room is wonderfully vibrant and supportive, and I felt nothing but support for who I am and what I want to do with my body and art since taking off that shirt. Now I walk around in 8 inch heels on stage as if I was raised like this, so I will forever be grateful for the many women, SWers, and other gender expressive lovelies whose shoulders I have been able to stand/full split on <3
Q. There’s such a palpable sense of intimacy and electricity in your work. When you’re creating a piece, what’s the space you go into emotionally and mentally? Is it a place of chaos, calm, or something entirely different?
A. My tranquil space is one of chaos and creation, and this comes through in how I approach play or Me time. I enjoy creating, the act of reaching into the chaos and grabbing onto a thread to see what comes out makes my brain happy. It also means that the thread doesn’t end until I see the project ‘completed’, whether that be in a live pole performance, or with a music video that bends the brain in the right ways to suit the song. I have prescription cannabis to help with gestures at all the things (the seizures are particularly nasty) and this has honestly helped me to smile on days where I didn’t think I could, but also to allow me to life a creative life of my dreams that then feeds back into my creative self <3
Q. The track pulses with a certain eroticism that isn’t just physical but emotional and psychological. Do you feel like your work invites people into a conversation about the unspoken and often taboo layers of desire?
A. I hope so! As adults we seem to have this false dichotomy normalised between being professional/successful (hustle culture for eg) vs joy and fun whereas I want to live in a world where you can aspire for joy in all that you do, and in how you do it. Sex is vulnerable, raw, and real, and yet it’s something that gets wrapped up in stigma, shame, and disempowerment. Our bodies do so much for us, they keep us alive on this wild journey, and the act of learning to love what you are and give love to that body that deeply deserves it feels rebellious yet it could be the norm. Ask more questions, respect and dignify SWers and clubs as spaces for people to learn and explore, and don’t let anyone tell you you’re not sexy <3
Q. You’ve mentioned how pole dance helped you reclaim ownership of your body. Was there something in your life that stripped away this feeling? How has that relationship with your body evolved throughout your career as both a performer and a creator?
A. Every time my ex told me to ‘stand like a man’, every time II was called a f*ggot, every moment I feel the disgust on someone’s face when I walk past in a dress and heels, it cuts me. Pole dancing (and music) is a way to grip those pieces that have been hacked away at back together and remind myself that I am more than the boxes others put me in. My art has become increasingly more playful, and the confidence in my voice when I listen to EAT ME/DRINK ME sounds like a version of me from the dreams of past me <3
Q. The upcoming music video for “EAT ME / DRINK ME” seems to be another step in pushing boundaries. What can you share about the choreography process and how you’ve incorporated your community into this project?
A. I have been super privileged to perform at a growing list of venues from awesome small bars supporting local talent (thanks Menagerie of Misfits!) to theatre stages for hundreds of people (Ms Pole ACT, MUSEXBRASS), and what has hit me every step is the immense passion and hard work of the community of creatives who make this magic possible. When I wanted to make a music video for this song, I didn’t have to look beyond my outreached hand to find the choreographer (Ellixir, a friend who has risen up to become a super star), dancers (all friends from dancing together through The Brass Room), and videographer (Holly, a wonderfully talented artist who understood me and the community with dignity and kindness). Elixir and I spent a few hours at the studio to block, choreograph, and film the group choreography, canon sections, and my solo. After I storyboarded it for the videographer, we were able to teach the choreography, then film the entire video in 3 hours. The best part was that everyone enjoyed it, it was a reflection of the joy and community around me that organically and magically materialised <3
Q. You describe your music as a "sonic awakening for misfits and outsiders.” This feels like such an anthem of empowerment? What do you want your fans to feel when they listen to your work?
A. There is dignity in trying to paint the world with your dreams, and finding yourself is as unattractive and difficult as it is rewarding. The grunge will always be present in my music, that reverberation and acknowledgment of the chaos around us, but the Erotika Dabra primal beat that haunts my bones is my offering to get you to dance and stare down this chaos, making friends with it and embracing it. You don’t need permission to dance, you don’t need permission to be sexy, and you definitely don’t need permission to be your misfit self <3
Q. "Shattering reality" is a powerful concept. In your own experience, have you ever had a moment where your own reality felt so deeply altered by your art that it changed how you view the world?
A. This one was a wild one for me. Barthes speaks of the death of the author, and experiencing this concept playing out has been such an emotional and joyous experience. Sparkles, a song I wrote about finding the inner power fantasy? Went viral on a reel about a surprise pregnancy. A song I wrote about DV darkness? Has some great lyrics that work well for workout videos! This part of being an artist is genuinely fun and surprising <3
Q. You’ve been described as a creator who exists between genres and realities—do you ever find that your audience struggles to categorize your work, and how do you feel about that ambiguity?
A. Absolutely, and I feel like I almost need to apologise before I release anything or provide an exegesis to explain its context! But as above with the death of the author, I need to let each piece speak for itself and allow my journey to be perceived in its spiky weirdness. The moment someone calls me predictable instead of experimental, I have lost my Erotiika Dabra magic <3
Q. Outside of music, who or what has had the biggest influence on your personal growth or artistic perspective?
A. When I was diagnosed with cPTSD I taught myself to skateboard. It was something I had always wanted to do, but felt too ‘queer’ and afraid. The process of learning to find fear, and push through it to the growth and learnings beyond it helped me to do the same in my head. Now I skate everywhere and it is one of the best parts of my day to glide somewhere listening to my favourite music <3
Q. What do you want people to remember most about you after hearing this song and reading this interview?
A. If you believe in magic, you will start to create it. I considered myself a broken system, yet now I have the power to realise my ideas into the world in ways I could have never imagined. I never want someone to look at what I am doing and think ‘I could never do something like that’. I want people to look at me and think ‘what would my creativity look like?’. The world is more vibrant with more people expressing <3
Q. We’d love to dive deeper into the story behind your artist name, Erotika Dabra. Now that we’ve had a chance to experience your music, it’s clear that your fans will be equally curious about the meaning behind the name that accompanies your sound. How does Erotika Dabra connect to the music you create, what significance does it hold for you personally, and what is the origin or backstory behind the name?
A. I was reflecting on this recently as I had a picture of me that slapped me across the face with ‘this is what Erotika Dabra is’. I made the name while feeling like that broken system, not at all sexy, not at all confident, yet it hit the witchy, ookie spookie vibe that smouldered inside of me. I live in a tiny loft that I turned into a greenhouse jungle, so I am very much a hag witch vibe person and magic has always been part of my escapism. To combine the cheekiness of erotika with the idiom of abrakadabra felt like a perfect fit for me even though I couldn’t yet see who that would become. The other name I nearly settled on, is going to be the name of my first album so I can’t tell you yet ;) <3
Q. And finally, Erotika Dabra, we can't thank you enough for sharing these intimate details! So, what's next? Can you give us the inside scoop on your upcoming projects and what fans should be excited about? We'd love to be the first to share the news!
A. The video for EAT ME/DRINK ME is dropping shortly after I write this article so you can go and watch the magic unfold. This was my first professional music video, and it sets off a project whereby I’m revisiting and rerubbing my existing discography in new genres/flavours to work with different choreographers/styles and dancers. My next one is an Erotika Swing version of My Own Magic with Neoburlesque vibes! I’m going to turn it into a digital album, then potentially a travelling act :) I’ve also got some more original songs coming before the end of the year, just need more time each day!
I have had a wonderful time doing this with you, thank you for taking an interest in me and all things Erotika. You are wonderful and I appreciate all you are doing.
Magically,
Erotika <3
Erotika Dabra, thank you so much, we appreciate you taking the time to talk to us!
End Interview
We’re happy to have shared Erotika Dabra’s exciting journey with you and uncovered such inspiring insights about their creative process.
