An emblematic artist of the Palestinian underground scene, SAMA’ is one of the first DJs and electronic music producers to emerge from the region. Her sound, an original punchy kind of techno, is dry and musical all at once and has quickly made its way across Europe and beyond.
 
SAMA, meaning ‘sky’ in Arabic, started mixing in 2006 in parties around Ramallah, Palestine. Several years later she started producing her own music and expanding her interest in synthesis in 2010, with a focus on techno, house, and other deeper sub-genres of electronic music.
 
The artist graduated from the United Kingdom with a BSc in Audio Engineering and Music Production, then moved to Cairo where she worked as a sound designer for film, became a music producer and then instructor. SAMA’ now runs her own Audio Engineering & Sound Design company working across films and documentaries in the Middle East. In 2017, she was selected as a Laureate by the French Institute, and during that time attended a residency at the International City of Arts in Paris. SAMA’ also runs a publishing company called Awyav, representing independent artists from the Arab world.
 
In late 2018, SAMA’s Boiler Room performance and the associated documentary about the scene in Palestine went viral and more and more people are seeing that music has no boundaries. SAMA’ was recently listed in SheSaid.So’s Alternative Power 100 List, and plays a high-profile set at Ibiza’s World Heritage Site of Dalt Vila for the International Music Summit in late May. She is currently working on a studio album.

Standing at the forefront of the techno scene, DJ producer Shelley Johannson has been entertaining the masses with her unique skills behind the decks and in the studio for over a decade. Introduced to electronic music at a young age and inspired by the likes of Daft Punk, Ferry Corsten, Mike Push, The Advent, Takkyu Ishino and Joey Beltram, she has been determined to stretch the boundaries of techno and build a world of her own making.

So much so, that she started her own record label Turn Recordings and hosts a monthly show ‘One-Eighty’, breaking the latest talent for the past five years. Performances all over North and South America such as the world-renowned BPM Festival and Detroit’s Movement are a serious nod to how highly regarded she is in the industry. Two appearances on Digweed’s ‘Transitions’ show and performing alongside him at Bedrock showcase events are statements that she is now an integral part of the dance music’s pantheon of premier artists.

Emotionally driven, impactful and melodic, her music makes huge sweeping gestures which take listeners and dancefloors on that fabled journey into darkness and light. Raw beats, thudding bass with elegant synths, her music bears witness to a producer at the top of their game who will not be defined by others’ expectations.

When it comes to the world of techno dreaming, Shelley Johannson is the DJ and producer that can lead us to new heights and brilliant experiences. Join her on her ride as she takes you on a trip to the future and a vision of sound exploration. 

Inquires: info@shelleyjohannson.com

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