Line-up

Rami Abadir is a music producer, sound designer, DJ and music critic, master in digital media, born in Cairo.
His work focuses on experimental, club, glitch and ambient music and touches on themes inspired by fantasy, memory and cultural artifacts, but is not limited by them. Abadir in his experiments prefers the technique of mutation, in which the elements are merged until they are completely indistinguishable and transformed into a new.

ACELL — a DJ, member of the art collective and team of the techno club bULt. Together with the contemporary music ensemble «Igeru», she is a co-author of the generative concert «Music of Realization 41». 
She performed at Boiler Room’s «Contemporary Scenes» in 2021. In 2023, she played at the Rote Mühle festival and at the Zür Klappe club in Berlin. She also took part in the CHAT festival of Central Asian culture in Hong Kong, «Clouds, Power and Ornament».

Alina Zhalikova — an alternative DJ from the sunny and enigmatic Turkmenistan, inspired by energy, photography, and electronic music.
Blending various genres and styles, she creates an atmosphere that compels people to move and savor every sound.

Andrey Morozov — the founder of Fields festival, co-producer of a major annual music event, Signal. He has been putting together music programs for Russian interdisciplinary events, cultural institutions, and public spaces, including Mars Gallery, Muzeon Park of Arts, and Archstoyanie.

From day one as a curator, AM focused on highlighting inventive music from all over the world and blurring genre stereotypes and cultural boundaries. In search for out-of-the-box and left-field talent, the festival presents the most impressive  artists who work in genres such as avant-garde, experimental electronic, free jazz, ambient, folk, and unconventional pop while also covering the in-between cross-genre areas.

Bajjo — a DJ and producer, collaborates with musicians in melodic techno, progressive house, and indie dance.
Born in Tashkent, he started a professional football career at a young age but then sacrificed it for music. He believes that his sets can change the world.

Denis Sorokin is a St. Petersburg-based musician who performs contemporary academic and experimental music, collaborating with composers and musicians from the USA and Europe. He has participated in numerous modern music and art projects and festivals. Additionally, he delves into the study and experimental interpretation of medieval music.

Densk — a representative of the local scene of Tashkent, a multi-genre DJ, and an admirer of house music. He began his journey in 2018 with the Fragment project and has participated in the Voskhod and Stihia festivals. 
In his sets, he never limits himself to one genre, but recently he has been gravitating towards the sound of 90s progressive house with elements of trance, mixing it with broken rhythms and electro.

Dj Soft — «Sukhel»‎ (translated as «the brightest star»‎), the creator behind @chillya_party, emerged from the GoodVibe project, participated in Stihia 2022 festival, Caspiy tour fest (Kazakhstan), HumanDiscosi «East»‎, Weproject, and many others.
He favors melodic techno, progressive, afro, and indie dance. He calls his sets «fairy tales»‎, where he shares stories. Recently, he has been evolving as a sound producer and writing original tracks. 

Dj TSHUNK — an artist from Karakalpakstan. He performed at the Stihia(2022), and plays in bars and clubs of Tashkent, such as Grammy, Bla Bla Bar, and others.
His sets are always an experiment with sound, a mixture of styles, electronic music genres: afro house, organic house, down tempo, indie dance, melodic techno; and national instruments and melodies.

e.v.e — a multifaceted band with roots in rock and punk, combining R&B, Soul, Electronic, Dream Pop, and Psychedelic Rock. 
Live performances of e.v.e transform studio recordings by adding cosmic voice effects, interpretations, and progressive guitar solos.

Edige (Edige Nesipbek) is a Kazakh DJ and producer, a resident of ZVUK collective and a teacher at Four by Four school. His work combines techno with elements of percussion and Middle Eastern motifs. Edige experiments with Central Asian sound, remixing folk songs and collaborating with musicians of different styles. His DJ career began in 2021 after graduating from Four by Four, and since then he has performed at various stages, including the first Boiler Room in Kazakhstan and the Ethnotronics festival (by Spirit of Tengri). Recently, Edige was selected to the Batyr Lab music residency, where he won a grant to write his debut EP.

Evgeny Galochkin — co-founder of the Moscow label and promo group TOPOТ, producer and curator of the Farsh and Richterfest festivals. TOPOТ explores and documents the Russian (and beyond) experimental scene, focusing primarily on improvisational music. 
The label’s catalog features music of various genres — from free jazz and noise to outsider pop and krautrock — all of which postulate a spontaneous, intuitive approach to its creation.

Eyal Talmor is an experimental musician exploring the peculiarities of electronics and sound. His performances use a synthesizer influenced by corrupted MIDI data, making it function beyond its intended capacity. In real-time, amidst machine chaos, Talmor accesses unique, unrepeatable sounds, investigating stress conditions, chaos, and the physicality of new sounds and their impact on the listener.

FO2YOU is a project of famous Uzbek DJ, producer and restaurateur Ochil Takhtamuhamedov. Ochil has been on stage since 1998 and has performed with such stars as DAVID GUETTA, TRIPLEX, LEONID RUDENKO, DJ SMASH, THE MANEKEN, JERRY ROPERO, YVES LAROCK, QUINTINO, SHAPOV, ROMPASSO, MR.WHITE, OLESYA KHIN, MR.BASIC, MONIQUE, LIST, NOPOSTAR, DJ DEN aka DENATA, CULTURE. Since 2011, he is the first Uzbek resident in Ibiza. Today he is a resident of the leading clubs in Tashkent and Almaty, and is engaged in music as a hobby. Ochil organized a huge number of music and club events, as well as after party format. FO2YOU project is the musical brainchild of Ochil since 2018, the purpose of which is to create high-quality dance electronic music, with ultra-melodic modern sound.

Howie is an acclaimed Chinese electronic musician and composer known for his unique blend of traditional Chinese elements and cutting-edge electronic music. His albums, including «7 Weapons» and «Birdy Island», showcase his versatile style and innovative approach to music production. In addition to his work in music, Howie is a talented composer for video games.. He’s also recognized for his dynamic live performances with Teom Chen, which incorporate stunning audiovisual elements using the Unreal Engine. Howie’s work pushes the boundaries of electronic music and underscores his commitment to creative innovation.

IANIIIRON — DJ and producer from Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Inspired by the local promo-group called “Fragment” she became seriously interested in electronic music. For a year and a half of her activity she managed to play in all the iconic parties of the capital, as well as at the local festival “Stihia”. Last summer she rocked the Mutabor main stage at the “Sun” event and later appeared on Rinse France with a mix. In her mixes she gravitates towards an eclectic mix of broken rhythms of breakbeat and jungle with a dark straight techno groove.

Mirabella Karyanova, also known as Ishome, is a prominent figure in Russian electronic music. Born in Nakhodka, she started creating electronic music at 14 and quickly transcended traditional genre categories. Her multifaceted music incorporates intricate UK-garage percussion, solid techno rhythms, ambient textures, and melancholic melodies.
Her debut album, «Confession», released in 2013, remains one of the most relevant records among post-Soviet countries. The album resonated with a broad audience, attracting attention from figures like Nina Kraviz and Yuri Saprykin, and the track «Ken Tavr» became the anthem of the Kazantip festival.

Island is a DJ and sound producer from Uzbekistan, participant of Stihia, Cosmic Picnic and Kol Fest festivals, prefers deep house, minimal, house and progressive.
He is the founder of Loop events and organizer of the “Day in the Museum” festival, which aims to develop interest in the cultural heritage of Uzbekistan and develop electronic music events.

Electronic artist/producer, representative of Tashkent underground culture. The artist’s creativity, as he himself says, can be described as «symbiosis of introverted nostalgia, with ambient sound, electro and techno with its own atmosphere». His live performance opened the first Boiler Room in Uzbekistan.

The music combines rough rhythms, dark melodies and pulsating drum lines to create a powerful soundscape. Old, somewhat rough synths and a bit of lo-fi sound add warmth and authenticity to the music. Such a sound can evoke a sense of indirect nostalgia and create an atmosphere of intimacy.

In March 2023, Josef opened the first Boiler Room in Uzbekistan with his live performance.

Kebato is a passionate vinyl record collector and DJ from Tashkent. 
He prefers minimal, eclectic sets that transition into intense techno.

LOUD373 are two music producers from Kokand. Their music is an event: a party where techno, breakbeat, DNB, and dubstep are mixed with a wedding, traditional music, performances by humorous storytellers, and memes from Uzbek TikTok.
Here, irony doesn’t contradict respect for cultural heritage, but offers to reinterpret and develop it.

Maria Breslavets — a musician, DJ, producer, former member of the FRAGMENT movement, co-founder of FRUMOS parties and the HUDUD art space in Tashkent.
She will present a selection of techno, trance, and acid music.

Mcloud.VD — a DJ, producer, and co-founder of the musical formation “Punch ODC”. He promotes “a culture of deep bass, sharp punchlines, dirty slang, and wild ad-libs”.
He has been the organizer of musical events, active leisure events in Tashkent and beyond.

Merlin Ettore is a creative freak: a virtuoso drummer, masterful producer and coveted visual artist. With a long-established artistic persona proving as polymorphic as his skillset, his message cuts as striking and uncompromising, defined by a bold aesthetic-noire he can call his own. Whilst the intense, polyrhythmic powerplay that underpins his live performances leaves a compelling mark, his compositions reveal a mastery of both the acoustic instruments and analog equipment that define his sound.

Ettore has developed a richly textured and hyperkinetic mode of performance which takes the form of a kind of multidisciplinary improvisation exploring the interplay between acoustic, analog and computational processes.

Meros ( from the Uzbek language means «heritage») is a collective, partly consisting of musicians from the legendary ensemble Omnibus. Behind them is a twenty-year baggage of various concerts and performances at prestigious festivals and concerts around the globe. Traditionally, the team dedicates its works to the architectural ensembles of Uzbekistan, creating a unique synthesis of traditional music of Uzbekistan — classical, academic and jazz, in general «world music».

Members:
Damir Fakhullin — percussion;
Ravshan Tukhtamishev — chang, santur;
Sanjar Nafikov — keyboards, drums;
Sanjar Yusupov — violin (gijak);
Sukhrob Nazimov — bass clarinet, wind instruments.

miasm — a multi-genre project by Sanzhar Ismatov, drawing inspiration from atmospheric and transcendental art. 
For the upcoming event, Sanzhar is preparing a live set, experimenting with ambient and downtempo.

Minor Unit a.k.a. Oybek Yuldashev, is a beginner DJ and collector of electronic and underground music since 1997. DJing is Oybek’s main hobby, which he devotes his free time to in between his professional work. His mixes are mainly a mixture of progressive, organic and tech-house genres.

Nikina is a stunning young star and the leader of the Zvuuuk label (moc hub, “Жемчуг”, Tashkent). She is a resident artist at the Stihia and Groza festivals. Nikina composes music in the indie and dream pop genres, with themes centered around growing up, new experiences, love, and friendship.

A musical project that emerged during the pandemic, combines the piercing sounds of traditional instruments and oriental melodies with the aesthetics of modern electronic music. Each track of QARAQOOM is a caravan journey into a world of fabulous landscapes, where ancient cultures and modern rhythms meet.

REM AKA — a DJ and brand marketer from Uzbekistan, co-organizer of the annual private rave party in the Chimgan gorges. He specializes in progressive, deep, afro/ethno house.
His love for music emerged 15 years ago after traveling through Scandinavia. In his sets, he often refers to ethnic motives, especially to Hindu, Persian, Arab, and Slavic.

Saida Sova — since 2015, co-founder of the techno parties Ploshadka in Astana and a resident of the experimental techno space bULt.
In her sets, she prefers not to be confined to one genre, focusing on rhythm, groove, and a heavy sound. «I select music with my body, so it resonates in every muscle».  

A DJ and producer who was born in Tbilisi and recently moved to Berlin. Her sound covers the horizon from electro to acid and techno, often colliding and thereby transforming it. Her sets are balanced and subtle, but at the same time they put you in a hardcore dance trance.

Sao

Sao is a resident of EMM, Synergy, TYN, Aylan bar, co-organizer of AfterToy, and participant in many other Central Asian events.
Her sets take you on an intense journey through various genres: trippy techno, breaks, old-school house, elements of trance, electro, breakbeat, and Eastern rhythms.

Sha Gen is an electronic and experimental music producer from Tajikistan. He is the head of the creative association MUZA and the electronic music festival MUZA CAMP. At the «Stihia» festival, he will present specially prepared original music.

The alter ego of one of the main heroes of the Russian electronic scene Ishome. If Mirabella creates introverted soundscapes full of melancholy and otherworldly charm within her main project, in the guise of Shadowax she shows maximum freedom, experimenting and having some self-irony. Rhythmic techno and extreme hardcore, allusions to pop music and creepy variations on the theme of hip-hop — the motley repertoire remains one of Shadowax’s signature sounds.

While borderlining the loupe of impractical terms, such as techno or avantgarde, the Swedish duo has for the past decade built a reputation for their sonic finesse rather than clear dramaturgy. Away from idolatry and escapism their music embodies a primitive urge to be alive.
Opposites attract and within that framework their performance continues to be a four leafed clover in contemporary club environments worldwide. By deconstructing the core of tomorrow’s dance floors SHXCXCHCXSH continually manages to create and destroy everything the consumer seeks and enjoys. Where context is nothing, impression is everything and the beholder remains in center.

So

So is an organizer and resident of the famous techno festival, The Labyrinth, and one of the most respected and experienced DJs in Japan.
The Tokyo selector employs smooth mixing techniques that prioritize subtlety and restraint, with mixes consisting of tracks rich in texture and groove.

SORCERY emerges as a distinct and captivating force within experimental electronic music. His sound offers an obscure abstraction of dance music, blending elements of techno, dancehall, and IDM into a powerful fusion geared up with trampling horsepower.
In his live performances, SORCERY consistently delivers precision-engineered live sets with X amount of club torque, meticulously tailored for the sweaty and energetic dance floor.

Ata Ebtekar, known as Sote, is an acclaimed electronic music composer and sound artist from Tehran, Iran. With releases on labels like Warp and Sub Rosa, Sote merges traditional acoustic and electronic instrumentation into unique soundscapes. He believes in breaking conventional rules, transforming modal codes into synthetic sounds. A key figure in Tehran’s electronic music scene, he founded Zabte Sote, a sub-label of Opal Tapes for Iranian composers, and co-founded the SET Festival. His innovative work has been recognized worldwide, with performances at major global festivals and venues.

SSTROM is one half of the mysterious techno-duo SHXCXCHCXSH. His works on VOAM, Rösten, and Semantica are characterized by immersion based on intense immediacy and spontaneity.
Narratives are framed by subtle 4×4 pulsations, with rich layers of texture emerging from a warm, yet alien, flow.

The Wire Soundsystem is the DJ branch of The Wire magazine, which has been covering the activities of the most far-sighted and inspiring, subversive and radical, marginal and underrated musicians of the past and present for over 40 years.
This year at the Stihia festival, Shane Woolman, a radio host and author of The Wire, will present a selection that includes avant-rock, electronic music, hip-hop, jazz, improvisational, contemporary, traditional music, and genres in between.

Toir Asqar & Alen Ismailov — a collab between Toir Asqarov, a celebrated artist of Uzbekistan, one of the country’s most prominent instrumental musicians, and Alen Ismailov (dr1ambient), an oriental, drone ambient, minimal dub, live musician who experiments with genre minimalism, the stringed instrument tar, and live electronic music.

VAGAN is a Tashkent-based multi-genre producer and DJ of Armenian descent who merges sounds and cultures, genres and atmospheres. 
His tracks can often be heard at events such as Private Person, System 108, STVOL.TV, and so on.

Varkal — Alexander Varkalist, ideological inspirer, participant and PM of the creative association FRUMOS. He prefers deep sound and dance rhythm, loves experiments ranging from acid and industrial techno to italo disco. 
Varkal is the pioneer of the Stihia festival and the owner of the unofficial mascot of this festival, which will be presented this year as well.

Luc Kheradmand, also known as Voiski, stands as an iconic figure in the techno music landscape. With a sound characterized by elements of his Iranian roots and classical minimalism, Voiski maintains an influential aura in an ever-changing scene. Besides his solo work, he’s a part of several collaborations, including the popular Polar Inertia, and operates under numerous aliases like Vrilski and Superski.
A prolific musician’s discography spans more than 200 tracks and 20 EPs, released on top-tier labels such as Bassiani and Dekmantel. His unique approach to techno champions groove and presents an alternative to the genre’s ‘harder, better’ mantra. Whether in his live performances or DJ sets, Luc crafts deeply charismatic techno that captivates and resonates with audiences worldwide.

Wacław Zimpel, a classically trained clarinetist, composer, and producer, strides the music scene as a true chameleon. Akin to his diverse background, his artistry navigates through realms of free jazz, minimalism, and global roots with the same level of flair and profoundness. His 2016 album «Lines», with its innovative use of analogue electronic instruments, marked a significant turning point, transitioning his work into the sphere of electronic music festivals and collaborations with the likes of James Holden and Shackleton.
His latest solo work, «Train Spotter», released in 2023, exemplifies the ability to intertwine the ordinary and extraordinary. It captures the raw sounds of city life, from tramlines to bouncing basketballs, and shapes them into a unique audio experience. Also notable is his past work on «Massive Oscillations», which displays his improvisational prowess and spontaneous creativity. Whether performing solo or collaborating with music’s leading figures, Zimpel’s music remains a conduit of versatility, innovation, and profound depth.

X.Y.R. is an electronic musician and producer from St. Petersburg, Vladimir Karpov. His synthesizer passages are distorted into mirages of desert landscapes and lost worlds, from where soft timbres, wavy ambient, and soothing «new age» are heard.
The abbreviation X.Y.R. stands for «Xram Yedinennogo Razmuwlenuja» (Temple of Solitary Reflection) — as the character Manilov from «Dead Souls» calls a deserted pavilion, in which he indulges in lonely dreams.

Xyarim is one of the bright representatives of Tashkent’s underground parties, the curator of the Sublimation label, and a resident of the @sublimation.id collective, which is based in Tashkent and Riga.
Xyarim participated in the first Boiler Room in Uzbekistan, which took place in mid-spring. In his sets, he explores crossovers between hard techno, hard groove, and neo-trance.

Yõldosh is a resident of the Stihia festival and has participated in the Samarkand Marathon, Bukhara Night Race, and Ultra Zaamin. He began his musical journey in 2018, influenced by the growth of the local scene and the first Stihia festival.
In his day-to-day life, Marsel is involved in development, enjoys skateboarding, and assists in organizing various music festivals.