Live
Apr 3, 2026
Elf Traps supporting Henge @ Gloucester Guildhall - Gloucester
Elf Traps supporting Henge @ Gloucester Guildhall - Gloucester ,
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Apr 2, 2026
Elf Traps - supporting Henge @ Komedia - Bath
Elf Traps - supporting Henge @ Komedia - Bath,
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Mar 14, 2026
Chiasso Jazz Festival, Chiasso
Elf Traps @ Chiasso Jazz Festival, Chiasso
Feb 27, 2026
Paribu Art Performing Arts and Cultural Centre, Istanbul
Elf Traps @ Paribu Art Performing Arts and Cultural Centre, Istanbul
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Feb 21, 2026
Control Club, Bucharest
Elf Traps @ Control Club, Bucharest
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Feb 20, 2026
Domicil Dortmund, Dortmund
Elf Traps @ Domicil Dortmund, Dortmund
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Feb 19, 2026
GRETCHEN, Berlin
Elf Traps @ GRETCHEN, Berlin
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Dec 6, 2024
808 State / Elf Traps @ New Centrury Hall
808 State / Elf Traps @ New Centrury Hall ,
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Jul 6, 2024
Electric Daisy @ Derby
Electric Daisy @ Derby,
Mar 14, 2024
Elf Traps @ The Old Abbey Tap House
Elf Traps @ The Old Abbey Tap House ,
Nov 29, 2023
Band on the Wall, Manchester
Elf Traps @ Band on the Wall, Manchester
Nov 24, 2023
Canvas, Manchester
Space Cassette @ Canvas, Manchester
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Nov 2, 2023
The Jam Jar, Bristol
Red Snapper / Elf Traps @ The Jam Jar, Bristol
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Oct 25, 2023
Band On The Wall, Manchester
Elf Traps @ Band On The Wall, Manchester
Sep 27, 2023
Band On The Wall, Manchester
Elf Traps @ Band On The Wall, Manchester
Aug 30, 2023
Elf Traps @ Band On The Wall
Elf Traps @ Band On The Wall,
Jul 26, 2023
Band On The Wall, Manchester
Elf Traps @ Band On The Wall, Manchester
Jul 14, 2023
Elf Traps @ Beat-Herder Festival
Elf Traps @ Beat-Herder Festival ,
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Jul 8, 2023
Lost In The Hills Festival , Watts Russell Arms Hopedale Alstonefield Ashbourne DE6 2GD
Elf Traps @ Lost In The Hills Festival , Watts Russell Arms Hopedale Alstonefield Ashbourne DE6 2GD
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About
Elf Traps is the new project from Manchester-based musicians Rob Turner (ex–GoGo Penguin) and Liviu Gheorghe (ex–Matthew Halsall) — a collaboration born from creative restlessness and deep friendship.
After years inside the traditional frameworks of the music world, both felt the need to follow instinct over expectation. So they stepped back — from their bands, from the noise — and started again.
With no plan and no genre in mind, they began experimenting. What started as two friends jamming in a room evolved into something deeper: a hybrid system rooted in improvisation, where acoustic drums, analogue synths, and laptops interact in real time. A space to explore sound without rules — vivid, messy, and completely their own.
At first, they weren’t thinking about audiences. But gradually, they began sharing it — with friends, in basements, at warehouse parties and DIY spaces around Manchester. The response was real. Fellow travellers began to gather — drawn to the raw spirit at the project’s core. 808 State legend Graham Massey and instrument innovator Piotr Raczyński (Polyend) were among the first to catch on, sharing their wisdom and encouraging the duo to stay true to their instincts.
Their sound blends spiritual jazz, glitchy electronics, jungle, ambient, and beyond —weaving influences from Squarepusher, Kieran Hebden & Steve Reid, Buddhism, StarTrek, and the vivid, organic forms of artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser. Turner’s iconic, glitch-inflected drumming merges with Gheorghe’s textural, expansive synths to create a fresh, immersive sonic landscape.
Now, after quietly forging their path in the underground, Elf Traps are preparing to release their debut EP — a snapshot of their evolving sound. It’s not about nostalgia or genre, it’s about what happens when you strip everything back and trust the process.
Two musicians. One conversation. Infinite possibility