A move from her birthplace of Kiev to Chicago, where she grew up, gave DJ and producer Alinka her first taste of house music. Getting her early education from radio shows like Sonic Boom and tracks from local heroes like Cajmere and DJ Funk, she soon became completely engrossed in the dance music scene, leading her to start DJing herself and begin taking on odd jobs at local parties in the city. 

In 2001 she was invited by Justin Long to be a resident at his .Dotbleep party at the legendary Smartbar, where she went on to hold a residency for a decade. Her movements in production came after following a chance meeting with Hercules vs Love Affair vocalist Shaun J. Wright, now her best friend, which led to the pair launching their record label and party Twirl. This would become a home for a lengthy string of collaborative releases, as well as several records via the likes of Crosstown Rebels and Classic. 

Earlier this year, from her now homebase of Berlin, Alinka launched a new label called Fantasy Life with an inaugural EP of infectious house cuts; a solid pre-cursor for what's to come next on the imprint. 

We got her on board for this week's Wednesday Alternative mix, and trust us, you're in good hands...

Read + Download

Alinka - The 'Wednesday Alternative' Mix

Dj, Producer, and label head at Firm Tracks


firmtracks@gmail.com for booking

Ransom Note is an online music, arts and culture magazine. We provide a home for readers and writers with boundless enthusiasm, esoteric knowledge, fierce opinions and impeccable taste.

With our core team immersed in all aspects of dance music, we publish news, articles, and interviews covering the greatest in innovative, underground culture from across the globe. We offer regular, exclusive music and mixtapes from our favourite artists, and publish features shining a light on everything from the freshest new artists to the untold tales from rave history.

Alongside this we offer musings on film, books, life, and art, generating some context and controversy as an antidote to the reheated PR that clogs up the internet. Our office is fuelled by Tunnock’s Bars, cat memes, hangovers and a ridiculous, never ending love for our culture.

We're always interested in getting new writers on board – feel free to get in touch if you’ve got a story to tell.

With love until the grave.

Independent Label & Music Community

👇 For Premieres / Demos
contact.jadefr@gmail.com

run by @strktur

“There are at least a few people in this thing determined to keep House Music weird. Chicago’s Alinka is one of them.” – Terry Matthew, 5Magazine

Alinka is the kind of DJ other DJ’s will tell you about. She has a unique power on the decks that comes from lifelong passion and time served, with a focused devotion to her first love – house music. Raised on Chicago’s vibrant house sound with toes dipped into Detroit techno, Europe’s more robust approaches to bass music and the myriad of genre’s coming from cities like Berlin, London and Paris.

Born in Kyiv, Ukraine, her early childhood included reluctantly learning the piano, her mother is a pianist, while trying to convince her parents to let her play guitar. Her exposure to Western music was limited, living in a communist country where censorship was common practice. Her family eventually immigrated to Chicago as Jewish refugees in the late ‘80s as the USSR crumbled. This was her first experience of pop music and she fell head over heels for the chart sounds of Madonna and Janet Jackson. Then came house music from local radio shows where you could frequently hear tracks by Chicago legends like Cajmere and DJ Funk, and shows like Sonic Boom helped expose underground music to the masses.

By the late ‘90s, music had taken over her life. Teenage Alinka immersed herself in the dance music scene spending her summer pulling double shifts at a local pool and moonlighting for rave promoters to build up enough cash to buy decks. After a year of skipping class to relentlessly practice her mixing skills, she began her full-time musical pursuit. Working for various club promoters, doing odd jobs passing out flyers and helping with party logistics - anything just to get into clubs underage to see her favourite DJs - all while spending hours digging for tracks at Chicago’s legendary record shop Gramaphone. In 2001 Justin Long recruited her to be the opening resident for his .Dotbleep party at Smartbar where she honed her skills for the best part of a decade.

In 2012, an impromptu meeting with former Hercules and Love Affair vocalist, Shaun J. Wright, changed her life forever. Their evolving friendship resulted in what would be the first of many musical collaborations. The pair launched their Twirl parties and label, continually strived to inspire each other both musically and spiritually, the result has been an impressive catalogue of material for both of them collaboratively and individually on the likes of The Classic Music Company, Jackathon Jams, Crosstown Rebels, Leftroom, and of course Twirl, where as well as their own material the duo have welcomed renowned artists like Spencer Parker, Virginia, LA-4A, Kim Ann Foxman, and Jason Kendig onto the label.

Recent years have seen Alinka really hit her stride as a producer with successful releases on world renown labels like Rekids, Crosstown Rebels, Need Want, Permanent Vacation, and Peggy Gou’s Gudu Records. She also turned out a standout collection of remixes for labels Me Me Me, Live At Robert Johnson, Correspondant, and Get Physical.

Now living in Berlin, Alinka has well and truly found her feet and inspiration. Alinka has used this base to throw down at parties across Europe from Berghain/Panorama Bar to Circoloco, with regular visits back to the US to play standout clubs like Smart Bar and Ukraine's famous ∄ club in Kyiv, where she stands as club’s first international resident, playing a minimum of six shows per year including a curated show.

Her evolution continues with the recent re-launch of her Twirl imprint, highlighted by the ‘Day Dreamer’, ‘Sorry For Not Trending’ and ‘Edgewater’ EPs that finely balance Alinka’s future-focused ethos, with a unmistakable, proud passion for her Chicago heritage.

UK based music publicist at The Prizm Network. 

Projects have included Cassy's label Kwench Records with Fred P, Chris Carrier, Ian Pooley, Ron Trent; Ellen Allien's BPitch Control and UFO Inc; Jasper James' label Mitchell Street Records; Steve Bug's imprint Sublease Music; D'Julz's Bass Culture; Juliet Fox; Fabio Florido with his label RUNA; and Cocoon Ibiza. 

Current clients include Acid Pauli and Nico Stojan's label Ouie, UK duo Wayward, Berlin house label HOME AGAIN and Sävy Records from Scotland-based Finnish producer IDA.