A model by day and DJ by night, French-American producer sofii serves up a healing mix that she – accurately – describes as ‘good for the soul’
A model by day and DJ by night, French-American producer Sophie Koella is also known by her alias sofii. She’s one of the artists behind More Hard Feelings, a Paris-based collective and rising club night, which she co-heads alongside Emma DJ, Julia Lemaire, and Matière Noire. The party has gained a coveted reputation within the European underground despite only being three nights in, having already scored the likes of Skrillex, Varg2TM, Safety Trance, and Bill Kouligas on its line-ups.
Last year, Koella stepped into music direction alongside Erwan Sene for French designer Courrèges in 2024, before establishing herself as a solo producer. Now, she’s releasing her debut solo EP, I want this feeling to last forever, on experimental electronic label Soul Feeder. From the pulsing synths in “Remember”, which features a looping, hushed mantra that goes, “For every situation there is something parallel happening”, to the atmospheric “Pocket Dial”, in which Koella samples a three-minute voicemail from her grandmother, the EP is meant as a trance-like exploration of “nostalgia for something we don’t yet know or have lived – also known as anemoia”.
This is reflected in the record’s sonics, where whispered vocals and electronic textures feel like a dream sequence or a guided meditation, albeit one you can listen to in the club. Koella elaborates, telling Dazed: “It’s about a moment in time that stands perfectly still, a fraction of a second we wish would never end.”
Ahead of her EP launch, Koella shares an exclusive Dazed mix, featuring a healing selection of tracks, which she describes as being “good for the soul”. We can 100 per cent confirm. Listen to it below.
Congrats on the launch of your debut EP! Can you tell us a little of what we can expect?
Sophie Koella: Thank you. You can expect a lot of emo strings, ASMR whispers, and loopy synths.
Tell us about More Hard Feelings! How’s it going?
Sophie Koella: More Hard Feelings was founded about a year ago alongside my friends Julia Lemaire, Emma DJ, and Pierre Dagba and Felix Ward from Matière Noire. We’ve only had three editions so far but have been really blessed to have been able to host some incredible DJs and musicians. The last edition we did was in collaboration with another Paris-based collective called White Garden. It was a huge endeavor and production, almost like a mini festival [we had 15 artists]. We took a bit of a break after that, but now we’re back in the kitchen and you’ll be hearing from us soon!
Where do you see club music going? Any trends you’ve observed lately?
Sophie Koella: I hope to see it go in a more sexy and genre-fluid direction. I also predict more ambient [music] in the club.
What are some of your earliest music memories?
Sophie Koella: Well, my dad is a musician, so definitely some of my earliest music memories involve him, and being on the side of the stage watching him play. I also was obsessed with this Mozart CD as a very young child, I think that was my first fangirl experience.
How important is collaboration to you?
Sophie Koella: Collaboration is honestly my favourite thing. Music, to me, is a language rooted in generosity and being able to dialogue with someone in this language, exchange ideas, and feed off each other’s strengths is such a beautiful process. Trust is also very liberating and I find it all to be so enriching to the music itself. I’ve actually always worked in collaboration with people, and this EP was no exception. I worked with an amazing Greek producer and dear friend, Raed Raess, on a track and all of the mixing, as well as Lux18 on two tracks. And everything from the music video to the artwork, to the live performance is an extension of that collaboration as well.
What’s the best and worst advice you’ve ever received?
Sophie Koella: YOLO.
What are you listening to at the moment?
Sophie Koella: Been listening to this ambient remix of Flo Rida’s “Wild One” by Forever United on repeat.
Tell us about your Dazed mix.
Sophie Koella: This mix is all about butterflies and good-for-the-soul music. Hope you enjoy.
Tracklist:
Aires - “Your Breathing as ASMR”
Drumloop - “A2. Forcefield”
4TUNA - “puddles always trying to say something”
K2dj - “keys”
nueen - “Droppin’ jewels (Young Thug)”
Forever United - “Wild Ones”
avril23 - “what’s good”
Europa - “Hero”
Kalione - “Secret side”
Bambinodj - “Love Nautics”
Jetty - “Rain Sounds (20 hour loop)”
Camille Keller - “That Can’t Score”
10009openness - “Bhad Bhladee 2 2”
Two Heavens - “X9889”
Valley Springs - “turn back time edit from sanctuary mix”
sofii - “iwtftlf”
sofii, Raed Raees - “Cry for Me”
sofii’s debut EP I want this feeling to last forever releases June 27. She will be hosting a launch party at Paris’ Main Room on June 12. Tickets available here.