For live listening sessions, we have teamed up with local initiatives CultureHub and FOCUS. Every month, upcoming DJ talent is selected to showcase their extraordinary taste and skills on the decks. This month, it is up to DJ Shahmaran to take control of the decks.

“Hailing from occupied Kurdistan and the Netherlands, DJ Shahmaran currently has found his home in the Rotterdam queer scene. House music was his first introduction to electronic music, a genre near and dear to his heart, while also having an affinity for producers who rather than trying to re-create the past are expanding our imaginations for a better future. From Breaks, Jungle, DnB, high paced electro with dirty baselines and queer vocal samples, to electronic music that combines Middle-Eastern percussion with bass music, what is most crucial for DJ Shahmaran is the catharsis which electronic music provides; avenues for discovery and exploration; a way to express oneself without having to provide disclosure.”