FIFI FORTE’s (@fififortedj) Gain My Trust EP lands on Diggin’ Records with the kind of house music that does not need to over-explain itself. The London-based DJ and producer keeps the release tight: three cuts, rolling drums, deep basslines, crisp percussion, and enough ’90s house memory to give the tracks character without turning them into retro costume.
That economy is the point.
“Gain My Trust” brings the biggest vocal-led energy of the package, “444” pulls things deeper and more hypnotic, and “Ur Just Fine” leans into warmer Latin-tinged grooves. The EP follows recent releases across Hottrax, Deeperfect, Pakate, and Libero, with support around her music from names including Dennis Cruz, Joseph Capriati, Jamie Jones, Nicole Moudaber, Marco Faraone, Chicks Luv Us, Marco Carola, Nic Fanciulli, Franky Rizardo, Danny Howard, Archie Hamilton, and Manda Moor.
The interview below looks at what happens when those records move into the room. FIFI talks about flow, warm-up sets, longer pacing, statement tracks, surprise, and the difference between having a plan and being trapped by it. Her answers fit the EP well. Gain My Trust is not built around excess.
It works because it knows how to settle into a groove and let the details do their job.
Interview With FIFI FORTE
When you’re preparing a set, what elements are you thinking about most — mood, flow, energy?
I’d say all three, but flow is probably the biggest thing for me. I’ll have an idea of the mood I want to create and the kind of energy I want to build, but I don’t like to over-plan it. Especially with a warm-up set, I’m thinking a lot about how the tracks work together and how I can gradually build the set.
Do you consciously think about the shape of a night, or does it reveal itself as you play?
Personally, it’s a bit of both. I’ll have a rough idea of where I want to take the night, but I don’t want to be too fixed on it. Once you’re actually playing, I think it’s important to be able to let go of any expectations and respond to what’s happening in the room. For me, that’s part of what makes DJing exciting.
How do you approach pacing across a longer set?
I think pacing is about not giving everything away too early. Across a longer set, I like to be patient with my track selection and keep enough variation so the set stays interesting.
Do you usually anchor a set around a few key records, or build it more intuitively?
It really depends on the show. Sometimes I’ll have a few records in mind that feel like statement tracks and build around those moments, but other times I’ll go in with a much more open selection and build the set intuitively. I like having a few tracks I’m excited to play, but I don’t always want to know exactly where they’re going to come in.
What helps you weave in surprise without losing coherence?
It comes down to knowing your music and trusting your instincts. Sometimes a track might not be the obvious choice, but if it feels right in the moment and still fits with what’s happening in the room, I’ll go for it. I think those unexpected moments can be some of the best parts of a set.
Can you recall a night where everything unfolded exactly as you envisioned?
One that really stands out was playing a recent festival set in Bulgaria alongside Dennis Cruz and Jamie Jones. The crowd brought so much energy from the moment I started playing, and the whole atmosphere was incredible. Definitely a night I won’t forget.
How much of that arc is planned, and how much emerges in the room?
I usually have a playlist of tracks that I think could work and how I see the set building, but once I’m in the room, it can change. It really depends on the crowd and the energy in that moment, so I like having that starting point but not being too attached to it.
Closing Thoughts
FIFI’s answers are strongest when she talks about not giving everything away too early.
That is the kind of DJing language that sounds obvious until you watch how often it gets ignored. A room can be pushed too soon. A warm-up can become impatient. A longer set can flatten itself by chasing the same level of energy for too long. FIFI’s instinct is to let the night breathe before asking too much from it.
There is also a clean link to Jaguar B on flow, restraint, and reading the room. Jaguar’s best points were about presence and trust: knowing when the groove is already doing enough, and resisting the urge to force a bigger reaction. FIFI’s answer about longer sets sits in that same pocket. Patience is not a lack of control. It is one of the ways control shows up.
The Diggin’ Records EP also pairs well with ATLAC’s interview around You Can Move on Hottrax. ATLAC talked about keeping the track ahead of the branding, and FIFI’s Gain My Trust EP follows a similar kind of directness. The release does not bury the groove under unnecessary dressing. “Gain My Trust” gives the vocal and low-end the front of the room, “444” strips the idea back, and “Ur Just Fine” brings a warmer daytime swing without drifting away from the EP’s club function.
That is what makes Gain My Trust feel like the right title for this stage of FIFI’s run.
Trust is exactly what a DJ needs before taking a floor somewhere less obvious. It is also what a producer needs when a track is built around groove rather than maximal drama. The EP asks the listener to lock in, and the interview explains why FIFI is comfortable letting that happen gradually.
The larger read is that FIFI’s rise is being built on restraint as much as drive. The support names and Paradise dates tell one side of the story, but the music says more. She is making records that understand their job in a set, and she is approaching sets with enough flexibility to let those records move differently from one room to the next.
That is where the confidence sits: not in over-planning the night, but in knowing the music well enough to let it change shape when it needs to.
Will Vance is a professional music producer who has been involved in the industry for the better part of a decade and has been the managing editor at Magnetic Magazine since mid-2022. In that time period, he has published thousands of articles on music production, industry think pieces and educational articles about the music industry. Over the last decade as a professional music producer, Will Vance has also ran multiple successful and highly respected record labels in the industry, including Where The Heart Is Records as well as having launched a new label with a focus on community through Magnetic Magazine. When not running these labels or producing his own music, Vance is likely writing for other top industry sites like Waves or the Hyperbits Masterclass or working on his upcoming book on mindfulness in music production. On the rare chance he's not thinking about music production, he's probably running a game of Dungeons and Dragons with his friends which he has been the dungeon master for for many years.
