Khadija is a Berlin-based music producer and DJ whose deep, soulful House sounds can be heard on the excellent Dunya I via REK’D. The artist discusses her diverse influences, thoughts on club culture and deeper, heartfelt reflections here at Magazine Sixty.
Welcome to Magazine Sixty, Khadija. I think the Dunya I EP for REK’D is an incredible piece of music. I was also struck by the accompanying video directed by mokarii. How was the video created and in what ways, do you think the visual
Salam everyone, thank you for the invitation and thank you so much for the feedback on Dunya I. I’m very happy that the EP is out and can now be discovered by the world.
The video was actually produced in the past for a different song, a trip-hop track called Hayat. Since I work as a creative director and usually take care of complete creative concepts for brands or other artists, it was clear to me that I also had to create a full package for the EP. We originally wanted to produce new visuals, but because of the Christmas period, when everyone spends time with family and everything is very limited, it wasn’t possible time-wise.
I couldn’t let go of the idea of releasing the EP without moving images, because for me it’s important to present a whole creative world, and sound and motion go hand in hand for me. So last minute I remembered this footage from the past project, and as fate would have it, it fits Dunya I very well. Dunya means “world” in Arabic, and since we’re starting with the first chapter, the element of water fits beautifully. Especially because we all originate from liquid, and water also symbolizes depth for me, which works perfectly with the deep house tracks.
One of the many qualities within your music is the sense that the sounds communicated are saying something more than just notes. Your collaboration on No Phone alongside Stacey Hotwaxx Hale x Kekura is a case in point. What, for you, are the most important attributes music can have?
Music should ideally make you think, and most importantly, make you feel. No Phone with Stacey came out of a conversation about how desensitized we’ve become because of new technology. We don’t really talk anymore or greet each other on public transport – everyone is staring at their phone. The theme came from my frustration and my observations in the Berlin U-Bahn: the crooked posture, the inability to just endure the ride. As soon as someone is alone, they pull out their phone. It makes me sad how much we’re becoming victims of this technology and how little we’re present in the moment.
Originally, I even wanted to create an exhibition where you’d see sculptures of people in a dark room – some standing, some sitting – all with this hunched posture, and the blue light shining on their faces like stage lighting. Stacey also found the conversation very engaging, and that’s how a song about our phone addiction came out of a simple conversation. Without Kekura, we would never have been able to create such a great music production. His way of working, his respect, draftsmanship, and understanding are 10 out of 10.
Your website captures moments in your life through a series of illuminating images. How do you feel about social media and its influence on society in today’s world – positive and/or negative? Could you imagine being an artist before the internet?
I wish I could have existed as an artist before the internet, because as a millennial, I still know what life was like without it. Yes, it was often boring, but because of that I started writing poetry or drawing at a very young age – because we had to do something with our time. Ringing your neighbors’ doorbells, going to the playground, those old rotary phones where a phone call cost a fortune, let alone calls to Eritrea or London where a lot of family members live… different world, honestly. I wish for it more often.
On the other hand, I have to admit that I also have a soft spot for technology. My first contact with a computer, when I was around 12 or 13, opened up a completely new world for me. Fast forward to today: without a PC or the internet, as a working-class kid, I would never have been able to play piano, produce music, or express myself creatively. I taught myself most things over many years through the internet and then practised them in the real world. I just wish there was some kind of internet pause. Like, internet only until 6 pm or something. I also believe that freedom needs its limits.
Listening to some of your DJ mixes I was struck by the heavy American House influences running throughout. What does House music mean to you in 2026, and who are your most important influences from that continent?
Yes, the Americans really know how to do entertainment, similar to the British and the French. Look, musically I was completely socialized through these three nations, among others, culturally and socially. I’m a huge jazz, blues, hip-hop, and R&B fan. I love Dinah Washington, Billie Holiday, Nina Simone, Michael Jackson, 2Pac, Aaliyah, Donell Jones – the US influenced me a lot, no doubt. My influences are therefore very diverse.
Outside of music, who influences your life most? Are there any particular writers, painters or movie makers etc?
My main inspiration is the Quran when it comes to spiritual texts, social critique, and similar themes, Bell hooks is one of my fav writers as well. I love architecture, and German Expressionist films like Metropolis shaped me a lot. The painter Jeremy Geddes or Basquiat but also Banksy, the early seasons of Black Mirror, the movie Inception, Ray Charles, and comedians like George Carlin or Dave Chappelle inspire me.
But what fascinates me the most is Michael Jackson as a complete body of work and success story. His catalog is one of the most valuable ever, his impact goes across generations – that fascinates me. And Eritrean history and culture as a whole: there’s so much to discover.
There is a picture of you playing a piano on your website. Tell us about your love for that instrument and where you learned to play? Do you prefer minor or major chords?
Oh look, I’m not that good at showing emotions, but when I hear emotional piano notes or chords, or when I play them myself – fun fact: while I’m writing this interview, I’m listening to calm piano music – something opens up inside me. Call it heart, call it emotional intelligence… I can’t really describe it properly, but it touches me deeply.
I think it would be very hard for me to create music without using the piano. That’s also why strings often emerge within my productions. I have a very special emotional connection to the piano. You can do everything with it: rhythm, melody, chords, accents. For me, alongside strings, it’s the mother of all instruments.
My dream is to one day have a grand piano in the middle of my living room. It symbolizes elegance, culture, and emotional closeness for me. Short version: I love it.
When you create a piece of music, talk us through the process (one of the tracks from the Dunya I EP if you like) and about the studio you work from? Are there any favourite pieces of software or hardware you like to use?
I only use Logic Pro. The process is actually very simple. For example, with Dreaming, I start with one element and then adapt all the other elements – kick, chords, etc. I always say I paint with sounds so that it becomes a coherent overall picture. It’s about whether the sounds fit together, like solving a puzzle: every piece is relevant, but in the end it’s about whether the puzzle comes together.
Music is a lot of logic, but from the start and until the very end it has to feel right for me – I have to feel it in my heart. Towards the end of the production, I close my eyes, or go for a walk, or get on a bus, because I think that’s where you can really see and feel whether a track reflects time, whether it captures the moment I’m currently living.
Does it fit the car driving by, the cyclist, the rain, the snow falling down? Does it fit the streetlight and the rhythm of the rain reflecting in it? It has to feel like a physical experience. If I don’t feel it, it’s out. With Dreaming and Soul Clap, I felt it. That’s why I emphasize that Dunya is a heart project, because the only measuring device from start to finish was and remains my heart.
Does music have the power to change the world, or more simply, soundtrack events? Do you think that Dance Music says enough?
No, I don’t think we have enough tracks that reflect the current time. And I understand why – the global political climate feels escalating, and people long for a healed world. I think it’s good that we can live that out within club culture.
At the same time, it’s pretty disturbing to know that just a few kilometres away, someone is fighting for their life, or that there could potentially be a threat of war, even here in Europe, including the UK. I do believe that music can change things, but I also believe that there are no songs anymore that everyone hears. The world feels divided into groups. Of course, there are bigger groups where a song’s message can reach many people.
But I think people from different groups would have to come together and create something together – you know what I mean. Something like We Are the World might not be possible anymore today, but even moving slightly in that direction would give me more hope. Nevertheless, I continue to admire artists like Mustafa the Poet, Yasiin Bey, Cleo Sol, SAULT – artists who make music with content and hope.
Tell us about your involvement with the RAFIKI BERLIN collective and its aims?
Yes, the Rafiki crew consists of four members: Anele, Katerinha, Njeri, and me. We’re friends – which is also what the word Rafiki means. We’re a creative collective of friends who organize daytime events together in Berlin. Our next one is already coming up in April, where we’ll welcome summer in Berlin together with the Kedi Bounce collective and the community.
Our focus on daytime events is intentional – not only because we’re a bit older ourselves, but because we personally like going out early and not coming home too late, or still having other plans after the party. All Rafiki events have a very friendly vibe. Our first party was a house party, and then it kept growing. The principle is still: tell your friend to tell your friend. It’s a day where everyone can feel comfortable, attend house dance workshops before the event officially starts, and overall just have a good time with friends – Rafikis.
How would you describe your relationship with living and playing in Berlin?
It took me seven years to call Berlin home. Berlin is a culture shock, and as I always say, my love-hate or hate-love relationship. After 15 years in Berlin, I can say: thank God I moved here in my early twenties. I had never experienced this much freedom before, but that’s exactly what I needed to define my own boundaries. Especially since I come from a conservative home where rules were part of everyday life – and I never liked them, not even at school.
Playing in Berlin is beautiful. Berlin has this beauty of non-judgment, and people here love culture. And in Berlin, you know that if people support you, it’s real support, because the city has so many events and artists.
Berlin will always be in my heart. I’m very grateful to have survived the madness here. It wasn’t always easy, but growing up in Berlin is truly special – though definitely not for everyone.
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