Anyone that has visited dance and vinyl specialists, Kristina Records in Hackney would most likely have had the joy of meeting, Emile. The Bulgarian born but UK based artist can usually be found serving coffee whilst simultaneously sharing his encyclopaedic knowledge of electronic music to customers at the East London record store. When he’s not supplying London’s DJ community with its fix of wax, Emile keeps busy curating his DIY (Deep Inside You) event series at Two More Years in Hackney as well as planning his monthly Bloop London residency. A regular face on both London and Sofia’s minimal and tech house circuits, Emile’s exemplary mixing and ear for quality electronic music is testament to his commitment to the scene. With plans of launching his own record imprint in the not-so-distant future, I wanted to learn more about the DJ, promoter and vinyl enthusiast prior to his debut for SNUG at The Blue Posts. 

Q1. Emile, welcome to the YAMA Meets series. All of us are very much looking forward to your debut for SNUG at The Blue Posts, Soho. Would you like to tell us what we can expect from your set on March 1st?

Thanks for the invite, guys! I’ve been a big fan of the label for a long time, and I’m super excited to play for SNUG at The Blue Post. Expect the unexpected, haha – not really, I’m trying to be a bit more consistent with my sets, so loads of groovy deep and tech house! I am quite versatile and always adapt to the crowd and environment – so if Soho wants to go harder, I say “let’s go!”.

Q2. When you’re not performing one of your London based residencies, you can be found at Hackney’s vinyl emporium, Kristina Records. Tell us more about the day to day running of a record store in 2025?

Every day is different at Well Street (which is where KR is based). I meet all sorts of musicians and artists daily, it’s so much fun. I spend a lot of time talking to DJs and producers that pass by the shop, however my favourite days are when we get a new collection! There is nothing better than spending hours going through old records, and discovering new artists and labels. We also organise regular in-store events (which is where we actually met!), so finishing off the day with a party is a must!

Q3. As someone who works at the coalface of the DJ and vinyl industry, what new trends do you see emerging in the world of electronic dance in 2025?

I find London to be very much trends driven, which of course reflects on the music industry. I remember someone (not naming names, haha) that came to the store asking for the music that was played at Houghton! I have definitely seen a darker, electro and breakbeat shift of DJs’ picks in the past several years. What we get in the store also reflects on this – who remembers that Giegling collection that we had last summer?!

Q4. Another endearing quality of Kristina Records is your policy of buying second hand vinyl. You must have more have more than a few tales of rare gems and music hauls. Are there any that have been particularly special?

Such a difficult question – I experience this on a daily basis! The Giegling back catalogue was super nice, and of course sold out in a week! However, my focus has always been more on the minimal and tech house sound, so I would say that discovering labels such as Laus and Trelik records was super exciting. I can talk about this for hours (which is essentially what I do at KR!).

Q5. Following your set for us at SNUG, what other plans do you have for the furture.

The summer is coming, and we know that it’s going to be another busy one! I am continuing with my concept DIY* at Two More Years in Hackney Wick every Friday, which is a vinyl only event. My next big project is finishing off the label, as I have so much new music! I would also like to concentrate on smaller venues in east London this year – so thinking of doing something at the Glove That Fits or perhaps at Starlane. There will undoubtedly will be a few sets in Sofia, which is where I am from.