Walthamstow with Elijah
Elijah’s been around long enough that most people have come across him in one way or another. Butterz, Rinse, radio, DJing — it’s never really been about one thing, more a way of working that’s stayed consistent. Yellow Squares came out of that. If you know, you know. It’s something he’s been building over time, and that same thinking has started to move into physical form too, most recently through his AlphaTheta controller.
Elijah’s based in Walthamstow. It’s changing, but it still feels residential, lived-in. Not like Brixton or Hackney where everything’s always outside. “People move here when they’ve got families. No one’s arriving thinking, ‘where’s the party?’ That’s what makes it interesting. There’s loads going on, it’s just a bit more tucked away. These are the spots that make it what it is.
Where do you go for that proper Saturday feeling?
Leyton Orient. Every time I say it, people are like, “What, there’s a stadium right there?” and I’m like, yeah, it’s literally in the borough. A lot of people live here and never actually go to a game, but they should. It’s easy, you just buy a ticket online and go. Whether we’re up or down, it’s a nice Saturday out. I’ve been going for about 10 years now. Definitely been ups and downs and seen some shit. But it still has that old London feeling to it. Very local, very community.
Where’s somewhere you end up staying longer than you planned?
Dreamhouse Records on Francis Road in Leyton. It’s not just a record shop, you can sit outside, have a coffee, and catch up with someone. If you’re around midweek or in the afternoon, it’s a nice quiet-ish spot. Francis Road in general is just good for that as it’s pedestrianised, a few cafés and bars, easy to wander. I go maybe once a month if I’m nearby. Last time I picked up a few things — I think one was the Little Simz record.
What’s a night out that still feels a bit unexpected?
There’s an all-women’s wrestling promotion called EVE at Big Penny Social on Blackhorse Road. That’s a good night. They bring in wrestlers from the US, Japan and the UK, it’s like pro wrestling meets burlesque, big energy. It happens in this hot warehouse space. It feels like something that maybe used to happen more now when you find it, it feels kind of perfect.
Where feels important for the local creative scene right now?
The Filly Brook in Leytonstone. It’s a music spot in quite a residential area, which is what makes it interesting. Historically, we haven’t had loads of music in the borough, so now when things do happen, you can get bigger artists playing in unexpected places. I think over the next few years we’ll see more of that — artists in more residential parts of Walthamstow and Leytonstone. That’s good for the ecosystem. It gets people out.
Where do you get your coffee?
Weirdough Bakery is the one — probably the best spot in the borough for baked goods. I keep it simple: black coffee, plain croissant. I’m quite plain Jane with it. But if that’s done well, that’s enough.
Who are you spotlighting right now?
Mike Calandra. He’s been bringing together Black creatives in London through music and food for nearly ten years — through different projects, and by opening up his home so people can actually build friendships. That’s rare now. Creatively, his work as a filmmaker will get more eyeballs once he has a breakthrough moment, but the place to start is his documentary for British-Ghanaian producer Hagan, Yenki Taxi — that’s how we first crossed paths.