Based in Rotterdam with Dutch and Kurdish roots, DJShahmaran finds his musical beginnings with KLAUW Collective, a platformcentering Queer POC folks. Like most of us he felt out of place the majority ofhis childhood. While restlessly moving from Sofia to Istanbul and back to hishomebase in The Hague, DJ Shahmaran sees the importance of unifying andsupporting local communities through dance, music, organizing and creating spacesof relationality. Since the focus of KLAUW club nights went beyond the dominantassumed importance of the DJ, his exploration of sound is marked by an eclectictaste and style of mixing that puts importance on the raw elements ofimprovisation.

Focusing on energy rather than genre, DJ Shahmarandraws inspiration from rave, jungle, juke, electro; anything and everythingcarried through breakbeat rhythms. He is particularly inspired by the euphoricelements of house, pop, and UK breakbeats while contrasting them with the darkelements of electro and other hi-tech percussive genres. Having a seriouslytrivial attitude to mixing in general, his mixes are overwhelmingly high inenergy marked with episodic moments of reflection. Named after the myth ofShahmaran, his intention with mixing is to lure you into her cave filled withnocturnal critters and together embark on a dramatic journey through escape,ecstacy, and love; the groundwork for you to dance away the contradictions oflife.

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