Akua

Akua is a Ghanian-American artist based in Brooklyn. Her practice as a DJ and producer has developed throughout the years to uniquely encompass her passion for music – not only as an apparatus for dance, but one of self discovery, community building, & unrestricted knowledge. Drawing influence from the kinetic freedom of 90s midwest techno, the unifying velocity of dancing, & the frenetic pace of life, Akua has since helped redefine the techno sounds emerging from NYC through the multitude of her evocative, mind bending sets & exuberant mixing techniques. Akua’s tireless dedication to more freakish strains of techno & finesse encapsulates the sublime, chaotic potential of the present, while harkening back to the innovative methods & experimentation of DJs throughout history. Weaving threads of sounds new & old into a signature style of supersonic rhythm shifters, every mix of hers courses with timelessness & the most empowering qualities of rave – time dilation, expanded perspective within the mantra-like repetition of electronic rhythms, & the continuum of black futurity at dance music’s core.

All this plays out in Akua’s blazing sets heard around the world, from a residency on London’s beloved Rinse FM station, playing forward thinking European festivals including Dekmantel, Draaimolen, and Horst along with a bombastic closing slot at Berghain for Berlin’s CTM Festival, to all across North America at hot spots like NYC’s BASEMENT and Nowadays, Pittsburgh’s Hot Mass, & the annual Sustain-Release festival. Further praise for her work has come from publications Crack Magazine, Pitchfork, & Resident Advisor. Original productions of hers have appeared on compilations via platforms including Electronic Beats & HAUS OF ALTR, further giving form to the inner velocity & metaphysical momentum Akua seeks to cultivate.

Through her journey in life & music, Akua aims to help others find understanding within themselves by harnessing their personal power & channeling it into the power of dance. Her message through techno represents a deep dedication to research and bringing forth narratives about the genre’s history. Her work honors the original, authentic, and rebellious old school values of techno – the sort that luminaries like Underground Resistance defined so early on – while also breaking modern expectations with a fresh sense of attitude. Her recontextualization of techno centers it’s long lineage for contemporary audience, transmuting the boundless genesis of rave onwards towards buoyant possibilities for the future.