A native of Erfurt in central Germany, Mary Yalex has been residing in

Leipzig for the past decade, a city with a suitably industrial past that’s

often reflected in her own music. Like many in her chosen field, Yalex

grew up in a musical home, with a piano-playing mother who passed

along a deep appreciation of classical music. From an electronic music

perspective, hers is a story that can be traced back to a teenage

obsession with all things Warp Records, a future-facing British outfit

with a sound that seemed a million miles away from the streets of

Erfurt. As such, Yalex is a live act who boasts a complex sound

palette — and one that’s as likely to incorporate house and techno

sounds as it is to veer toward more ambient planes.

Prior to her move to Leipzig, Yalex spent much of the early ‘00s in

Austria, a move that would play a profound effect on her musical makeup.

While here, she immersed herself in electronic music and spent

years learning to master a diverse array of synths and samplers.

Reinvigorated by her appreciation of hardware, she decamped to

Leipzig soon after, from where she launched her Mary Yalex project,

as well as its accompanying label, Yalex Recordings.

A vehicle for her numerous EPs as well as her two albums, ‘Hidden

Poetry’ and ‘Beyond Borders’, Yalex Recordings is quickly emerging

into a label of serious distinction, with Yalex’s own impressive. artwork

adorning each and every release. Yalex has also signed music to

map.ache, Sevensol and Bender’s Leipzig-based KANN imprint,

where she first featured on the ‘Avocado Dreams’ EP alongside Leafar

Legov, Bender, Mary Yalex and Matt Karmil. It’s a relationship that’s

been explored further over the past few years, with Yalex contributing

again courtesy of her solo debut, the stunning ‘River’ EP. With further

KANN releases in the pipeline, a release on Sean Mallion’s Tokyo based

ADSR Collective and live appearances at Conne Island and

Nachtdigital 2018 to follow, Mary Yalex is a musician really beginning

to find her stride.

Text by Kevin McGlynn, EUREKA ARTISTS