In Cairo, a new wave of artists is reshaping the city’s contemporary music scene.

“There are a lot of different collectives across different sounds,” says 28-year-old producer Azzouni, who makes grime, bass and hip-hop-leaning tunes. “The longest-running project in Cairo is JellyZone. Then you’ve got Irsh, run by ZULI and Rama; you have Sound of Noize, run by Essperx; Dhamma, of which Yas Meen Selectress is a part; and C0D3X, run by Jana. And my own crew, MOSHTRQ…. There needs to be more spaces, but overall, these are hopeful times.”

Azzouni

Azzouni is a Cairo-based producer, DJ, community organiser and co-founder of the collective and net label MOSHTRQ. With releases on IRSH, Air Texture, and across various aliases online, his work moves fluidly through hip-hop and dance music – “stuff on the emotional edge between crashing out and locking in.”

In this mix, made for when the night is almost over but you don’t want to slow down, Azzouni drifts through dub, dancehall, leftfield bass and beyond.

Who: Yaseen El Azzouni, a.k.a. Azzouni.
Where: Cairo, Egypt.
What: Mainly stuff on the emotional edge between crashing out and locking in.
When: For when the night is over but you want to keep it going with a close crew without burning out; a lil spacey, a lil bouncy, not too overstimulating, but just enough to keep the heart rate going.
Why: Music has gifted me a community, an emotional channel, and worlds to explore.

Jana

Blending bass, breaks and deconstructed club with her own take on underground Egyptian sounds, Cairo-based DJ, producer and guitarist Jana’s sets feel both rooted and forward-facing, with recent releases, including MASROOF OXYGEN and TES3EEN, seeing her pushing further into vocal collaborations and warped rap textures.

In this mix, Jana moves through deconstructed club, bass, grime-influenced beats, baile and more, with cuts from artists including EsDeeKid, Fakemink and Vince Staples. 

Who: Jana.
Where: Cairo, Egypt.
What: Deconstructed club music, heavy bass sounds, hip-hop and baile.
When: [This mix is for] a chill set-up in my friend’s living room.
Why: It sounds cliché, but music saved my life. It inspires me to express myself. It makes me feel alive and self-fulfilled with every gig, production or small advancement in my career.

Rozer

Half-Egyptian, half-Palestinian artist Rozer blends a deep knowledge of traditional instruments, regional sounds and Arabic maqamat such as Bayati, Saba, Hijaz and Nahawand, with modern electronic music. Rooted between Gaza and Cairo, his work mainly fuses electro shaabi with drums, deep bass, and unconventional sound design.

This mix leans into that range, built for the late hours when the floor settles and the crowd locks in.

Who: Rozer. I’m Egyptian/Palestinian.
Where: Originally from Arish, Gaza, currently based in Cairo.
What: My sound moves between different spaces. I work with electro shaabi, oriental club sounds, and experimental music. Sometimes the music is raw and rhythmic, sometimes more atmospheric and abstract. I enjoy blending traditional Middle Eastern melodies and textures with modern electronic drums, bass, and unconventional sound design.
When: This mix is made for the late hours of the night when the dance floor becomes a little hypnotic, and people are fully inside the rhythm. It sits somewhere between high-energy movement and deep, trance-like moments.
Why: Music inspires me because it creates a space where emotions, memories and imagination can meet. Through sound, you can build worlds, tell stories without words, and connect people who come from completely different places. For me, it’s about exploring that freedom and turning feeling into rhythm.

El Kontessa

From her 2023 debut album Nos Habet Caramel حبة كراميل نص to her 2025 track Sehet Badri for New York’s Rare Frequency Transmissions, producer, DJ and multidisciplinary artist El Kontessa has found her sound in a collision of influences – bass-heavy textures, deconstructed club, and the percussive sound of mahraganat.

Here, she curates a 45-minute mix built for peak club intensity.

Who: El Kontessa.
Where: Cairo, Egypt.
What: I mix a lot of genres. My sets are shaped by mood and space, with a polyrhythmic approach, flying through different places.
When: This mix is for late-club time: dark, pulsing lights, speakers shaking the walls, and the kind of energy that makes everything feel intense and alive.
Why: Making music and DJing inspires me because it’s healing. It’s a way to process emotions, find relief, and connect with people.

El Mokh

Drawing inspiration from the sounds of his grandfather’s tapes and the pulse of local rap and electronic scenes, Mansoura-born producer El Mokh crafts music as a deeply personal soundtrack to his life and emotions.

This hour-long mix – the final one he created before leaving his hometown for Cairo – flows through shaabi, bass and experimental club sounds.

Who: Ahmed Mokhles – Mokh.
Where: Mansoura, Egypt.
What: Shaabi and electronic.
When: This is the last set I made in my hometown before I move to the capital.
Why: Because I have a lot of stories about the people in my hometown. My hometown had a big influence on me – my pace, my thoughts, everything. And I do it to document my feelings in life. I’m a Gemini; when I feel something, I just think about what the opposite of this feels. So I’m just talking with myself with my tunes through the years.