Peruvian DJ and producer, Sofia Kourtesis, is a vibrant blend of electro-pop, rhythmic house, and techno melodies. Manifesting joy throughout her life, Kourtesis radiates high energy into each of her projects, including her 2023 breakout debut album, Madres, pairing soulful cadences with euphonious vocals. Describing the power of music as a “messy, beautiful emotional soup”, it’s evident that Kourtesis values the intimacy of music, as well as the emotional connection with her fans. 

Her latest album release, DJ-Kicks, is a melodious collection of love, beauty, and pain, as Kourtesis navigates grief after the loss of her mother. Kourtesis shares, “Losing my mother, my idol, knocked the wind out of me. But as the seasons shifted, I found myself back in Peru. Being there made me feel close to her again, like she was in the air. Slowly, music started to come back to me, not as noise, but as strength.” 

As a compilation of the emotions she battled in the creation process, this new mix flows from a meditative form, capturing the electronic sounds and movements of the dance floor, both loud and soft. Giving Kourtesis a new perspective on her form of DJing, she explains, “these mixes taught me that the best ones aren't about showing off; they're about taking people on a journey. They move, twist and surprise you. They give you goosebumps when you least expect it." 

Complemented by soft vocals, nostalgic musical tones, and several harmoniously talented contributors, this new mix reflects the love and joy that Kourtesis emits throughout her music, sharing the gift of gratitude that her mother gave her. Speaking truly from the heart, she shares that, "this mix was about bringing together all the different sounds and emotions I carry with me… I wanted emotion, tension, release. I wanted this mix to feel alive." 

Being from Peru and based in Germany, what inspires you from both places in your music?

Both places inspire me in different ways. When I am in Peru the world is more colourful, the people are from everywhere - as in Berlin - but in Peru, there are Peruvians from every region, all together.  You can hear more traditional music from the Andes but at the same time music from Bad Bunny, Rosalia. They are living in a much different reality than we are in Europe, including musically. And what I love about Berlin is that all the time I am learning more about electronic music and it is a place where my musical heroes are. I also love how moody and cool the city is. 


What was it like for you, working through this period of loss and grief alongside this project?


Working while experiencing the grief is hard, because when you are grieving you are in a very vulnerable place, you are scared of everything, scared of showing up at the studio, scared thinking if you could still write music, scared if you could still be happy as before. And I think I also lost the child inside me, but I was trying to find it back while working on this project.  



What kind of emotional journey do you want listeners to experience when they hear this mix?

My idea was to start the mix in a very melancholic way, with your eyes closed and very open minded about what was to come. The emotional journey is for them to feel like a birth of a new era. I would say that is the soundtrack of a life, that’s why for me selecting the songs was a privilege but also very difficult to do.



There’s a strong sense of intimacy throughout the project, even in its biggest dance-floor moments. How do you create closeness in your music?

I think I create closeness on the dance floor because I can express what’s inside my mind through my music. That’s how I communicate with people. It’s also very intimate to dance in front of someone and make them dance.



Collaboration is central in this mix. What does community mean to you as an artist?
Community means everything to me. My real family, the family that I built for myself, the LGBTQIA+ community. I wouldn’t be here without them today and all their support.

If this DJ-Kicks entry is an offering, what do you hope listeners carry with them after the final track fades?
I just want them to feel like they talked to their best friend. I want them to feel listened to, comprehended and hugged