Beneath the Lights

A talk with Indira Paganotto.

Indira Paganotto’s journey through the world of psy-techno has been shaped by a relentless drive to stay true to her craft and evolve as an artist. From underground beginnings to headlining global festivals, she has always sought to create a space where music transcends and connects people on a deeper level. Reflecting on milestones like her debut at Tomorrowland, Paganotto reveals that these moments felt surreal yet were merely stepping stones in her pursuit of authenticity. Even when faced with challenges, she remained committed to her sound, embracing the freedom of taking risks and staying genuine. Her passion for music, unshaken by the noise of trends, continues to guide her as she explores new realms of sound and expression.

Your journey started in small clubs, grinding with no money and pure passion. Now, you’re headlining the biggest stages in the world. At what point did you feel like you had truly “made it,” or do you still feel like that moment hasn’t arrived yet?

Honestly, I don’t think there was a single moment where I thought, “Okay, I’ve made it.” My journey has been a slow burn of passion and persistence. There have been surreal milestones – the first time I saw my name on a big festival lineup, or when I played the main stage at Tomorrowland – those moments felt like a dream. But even then, I remember stepping off the stage thinking about how to improve and what’s next. That hunger and love for the music never goes away, so in a way I’m still chasing the next chapter rather than feeling I’ve fully “arrived.”

From the underground to the global stage—what does it mean to be the first female DJ to close the main stage at Monegros? How do you prepare mentally and sonically for a set of that magnitude?

It’s hard to put into words – being the first female DJ to close the main stage at Monegros is a huge honor and a responsibility. Monegros is legendary in Spain, and to be making history there gives me goosebumps. I feel like I’m representing not just myself but all the women in our scene who have been grinding in the underground. To prepare for a set of that magnitude, I really immerse myself in the music and the moment. Mentally, I visualize the desert horizon and the crowd energy – I imagine that final sunrise moment as I play the last track. I channel any nerves into excitement, reminding myself that I’ve been training for this my whole life. Sonically, I prepare a special journey: I dig deep for tracks (and make exclusive edits) that fit the epic vibe of a Monegros closing. I want to deliver something powerful and psychedelic that resonates with the desert atmosphere. It’s about pacing the energy for a long set, keeping the crowd engaged till the very end. It’s going to be a wild ride, for sure.

Your music is a fusion of cultures, emotions, and raw energy. Beyond the beats, what is Indira Paganotto really trying to say with her sound? Is there a deeper message you want your audience to feel when they listen to your sets?

For me, music has always been a language to express what words can’t. With my sound – that fusion of psytrance and techno, plus all the cultural influences I carry – I’m trying to tell a story of unity and freedom. Beyond the heavy beats and wild energy, there’s a message of connecting worlds. I blend sounds from different cultures (like an African rhythm or a hint of Indian vocals) into techno because I want people to feel that we’re all connected on that dancefloor, no matter where we come from. Deeper than that, I want my audience to feel free. When you’re at my set, eyes closed, bass thumping, I hope you can let go of everything and just be in the moment. There’s a spiritual undertone too: I’m a very positive person, and I believe in the good vibes and the “love” part. My tracks often have emotional breakdowns or melodies. In short, I want people to leave my set not just exhausted from dancing, but also uplifted, like they went through a meaningful, almost cathartic journey with me.

You’ve never compromised your artistic vision, even when people didn’t understand it. Was there a moment when you questioned your path? How did you push through, and what gave you the confidence to stay true to your sound?

There have definitely been times when the path wasn’t clear and I wondered if I was doing the right thing. Early on, when I started mixing psytrance elements into techno, not everyone understood it. I’d have people tell me, “This is too crazy,” or suggest I play more conventional styles that were popular at the time. There was a moment, especially before the term “psy-techno” caught on, when I played some gigs where the crowd didn’t get it, and I questioned myself: Am I pushing too hard against conventions? Should I simplify my sound? What pushed me through was this gut feeling that I just couldn’t compromise my vision. My truth was this sound in my head and heart. Even if ten people in a small club were totally vibing with me while others were puzzled, those ten people’s energy gave me confidence. Also, I had support from people who believed in me. So I stayed my course, and over time more and more listeners opened their minds to what I was doing. Seeing that payoff – like a crowd going wild to a psy-techno drop at a major festival – confirmed that sticking to my guns was worth it. It’s all about patience, faith, and a bit of a warrior mindset to stay true to your sound.

14 weeks in Ibiza—what’s the vision for your residency at Hï Ibiza? What unique experience are you curating across the summer, and how do you keep the energy fresh over three months?

This residency is a dream come true for me, and I see it as a journey that I get to take with the Ibiza crowd. The vision is to bring the full ARTCORE experience to the island. Ibiza is used to certain sounds, but I’m injecting my psy-techno energy into Hï Ibiza in a big way. Every time, when I take over the Club Room, I want people to feel like they’ve stepped into my universe for the night. Across the summer, I’m curating each week to be unique. One week might lean more hypnotic and psychedelic, the next might get a bit harder or feature some surprise classics. The aesthetic of the night is going to be dark, opulent, and moody – so it really feels like an underground rave within the super club. Keeping the energy fresh over three months is all about evolution. I treat it like a story arc: the opening night sets the tone, and then I gradually build new chapters. I’ll test out unreleased tracks from my album, switch up my intros and finales, and respond to the crowd’s vibe each week. Also, living in Ibiza for that period, I’ll soak up inspiration from the island – the sunsets, the sea, the legendary club history there – and channel that into the sets. And honestly, the energy of the people gives me life. By the end of the 14 weeks, I want us all to feel like we went on an unforgettable psychedelic voyage together.

Coachella 2025—your debut performance on one of the most influential festival stages. With its broad musical landscape, do you adapt your set for a more diverse audience, or do you go full-force with your signature psy-techno sound?

Honestly, I’m going in with full-force warrior energy. My philosophy is that I got invited to Coachella because of my signature sound, so I’m not about to dilute it. Of course, the audience at Coachella can be super diverse – you have people who might wander into my set out of curiosity. I actually love that challenge: turning new ears into fans by just being authentically me. That said, I’m mindful that it’s a different setting – it’s a festival where someone might have just come from a hip-hop or rock act. So I craft my set in a way that can hook anyone. I’ll make sure to include a lot of musicality and emotion in the first few minutes to grab those newcomers. But after that, you bet I’m dropping the heavy psy-techno basslines and taking them on a rollercoaster. I actually think the contrast will wow people. People might not know what psy-techno is at first, but ten minutes in, they’re dancing like they’ve been rave kids all along. So yeah, I won’t water it down – I’ll just present it in the most impactful way possible, with maybe a surprise or two.

How do you balance the chaos with your own well-being? What keeps you grounded in an industry that’s designed to keep you moving non-stop?

Balancing the chaos is definitely one of the biggest challenges, because this life can get intense. For me, the key is remembering I’m human first, DJ second. What keeps me grounded is going home and reconnecting with simple things. Honestly, my family is everything in that sense – after a crazy run of shows, I’ll fly back to Gran Canaria and the first thing I do is let spent time with my family. That warmth and normalcy resets my brain and soul. I also find solace in nature. I love to surf or even just walk by the ocean when I get the chance. The sea, the mountains, even playing with my dog – all those little moments keep me sane. Another thing is having a great team and friends who look out for me. They remind me to rest, to say no to some things if I’m feeling overloaded. In an industry that’s non-stop, you have to create those pauses deliberately. At the end of the day, I stay grounded by remembering why I do this – for the love of music – and by surrounding myself with people and activities that have nothing to do with the nightlife. That balance keeps the passion alive and keeps me, well, me.

With ARTCORE stages now leading some of the biggest festivals worldwide, how do you translate the essence of your sound into a large-scale live experience?

When I take the ARTCORE concept to a massive festival stage, I want the crowd to step into my world completely. It’s more than just me DJing; it’s an immersive experience. I translate the essence of my sound into visuals and storytelling on a large scale. For example, we incorporate custom visuals – think trippy psychedelic art, cosmic imagery, even anime-inspired characters like the ninja and warrior avatars that represent the ARTCORE vibe. It’s like a live anime techno saga unfolding on the LED screens while the music plays. Musically, I design my set to have a narrative flow, almost like a movie plot. I take advantage of that huge sound system and the big stage dynamics – starting with atmospheric, tension-building intros, then dropping massive, driving beats to shake the ground. In the breakdowns when the visuals are center stage, I might weave in a spoken sample or a cinematic soundscape that makes people feel like they’re part of a story. The idea is that every element – the lights, the visuals, the sound – works together to amplify the emotion of the music. If you’re at an ARTCORE stage, you should feel completely transported. Whether it’s 5,000 people or 50,000, I try to create an intimate connection through that shared experience. In essence, I’m taking the raw, underground energy of my sound and blowing it up to festival scale without losing the soul of it. It’s still me jamming out with my warriors, just with a few extra fireworks around us. And by the end, I hope everyone feels like they’ve been on an epic adventure, not just a night out.

From headlining festivals to launching merch drops, ARTCORE has grown beyond just music. Give us some spoilers about this huge collab.

I wish I could spill all the details, BUT I’ll give you a little tease. ARTCORE has definitely become more than a label or event series – it’s kind of a whole universe now, and I love collaborating with creative minds outside of music too. We have a huge collab coming up that I’m super excited about. Let’s just say it merges two worlds I’m passionate about: music and fashion (with a twist of art). Imagine a line of merch that isn’t just t-shirts with a logo, but a full-blown collection with its own storyline. I’ve been working with a designer who really gets the psychedelic, warrior-inspired aesthetic of ARTCORE. We’re talking custom shirts, maybe some anime-inspired artwork prints, and even a scent for those rave nights. This collaboration is about bringing the ARTCORE spirit into everyday style – so fans can literally wear that energy. It’s unlike anything we’ve done before.
I’m always about pushing boundaries, so we wanted to do a merch drop that’s not just buying clothes, but experiencing a piece of the ARTCORE lore. My lips are sealed beyond that, but trust me, my warriors are going to freak out when they see what’s coming. Stay tuned, it’s going to be muy loco and very ARTCORE.

Your father was your first musical influence, shaping your eclectic taste from an early age. If he could see where you are today, what do you think he’d say? And how much of his influence still lives in your music today?

My father is my hero, truly. He was the one who planted the music seed in me. His influence is all over my music, even when I didn’t realize it. Growing up, our house was filled with all sorts of sounds – from jazz and disco to acid house and the trippy Goa stuff he loved. Every time I mix in a classic trancey riff or an old-school groove, I feel like I’m channeling a bit of my dad’s spirit. I think he’d say he’s proud of how I’ve stayed true to myself, and he’d probably joke that I finally understand why he loved Goa trance so much. His ethos of playing from the heart definitely still lives in me every time I step on stage.

Collaborations are shaping 2025—Armin van Buuren, Depeche Mode, Sara Landry… Each of these artists comes from a different sonic universe, yet you’ve found a way to merge their worlds with yours. What draws you to these collaborations, and how do they challenge or expand your vision for psy-techno?

I’ve always been drawn to collaborations that might seem unexpected on paper, because that’s where the magic happens. Each of those artists you mentioned comes from a very different corner of the electronic world, and that’s exactly what excites me. I’m naturally, and I love learning – when I work with someone like Armin or Sara or get to remix a band as iconic as Depeche Mode, I’m stepping into their universe for a bit and inviting them into mine. What draws me in is the challenge of finding that sweet spot where our sounds intersect. These collabs definitely expand my vision for psy-techno. Take Armin van Buuren – he’s a trance legend. When we got together, I brought my psy basslines and he brought those big melodic lifts. It challenged me to weave more melody and trance euphoria into my usually dark, driving sound, and the result was like psy-techno on steroids with this beautiful emotional touch. With Sara Landry, she’s from the hard techno/industrial realm. She brings a fierce intensity. Working with her, I learned to push the aggression in my music while still keeping the psychedelic groove. It’s like iron sharpening iron – two badass women feeding off each other’s energy, and it took my intensity to a new level. And Depeche Mode, well, they’re synthpop/electronic pioneers; approaching a remix for them expanded my perspective on songwriting and atmosphere. Each collaboration forces me to think differently: different tempos, different moods, different studio techniques. It’s refreshing and keeps me from ever getting complacent. I come out of each collab with new tricks up my sleeve and a wider horizon of what my music can be. And it proves that music is universal – you can merge psy-techno with anything if you do it with respect and creativity, and that’s a big part of my mission.

Depeche Mode is a legendary name in electronic music history. How did this collaboration come about, and what was it like reworking “People Are Good”? Did you approach the remix with a specific vision, or did it evolve organically through the process?

This was such a pinch-me situation. When I first got the call, I was honestly in disbelief. Depeche Mode are legends. So I was incredibly honoured (and a bit nervous) to take on one of their tracks. When I heard “People Are Good,” I really connected with its message and mood. The title itself resonated with me because I’m all about positive energy. I approached the remix with a clear vision: I wanted to respect the spirit of the original song – especially Dave Gahan’s haunting vocals – but bring it into my psychedelic techno realm.My goal was to kind of escort the song from an arena vibe to a 4am warehouse rave vibe, if that makes sense. It was a pretty organic process once I got started. I didn’t overthink it; I let the original speak to me. As the remix progressed, it naturally evolved – a blend of Depeche Mode’s melancholic soul and my trippy, high-energy edge. I was tweaking details till the last minute (because I’m a perfectionist with these things), but I’m really happy with how it turned out.

Looking back, you started in small clubs with vinyl and no money—now you’re headlining global festivals. If you could go back and give 16-year-old Indira one piece of advice before she played Moon Club, what would it be?

I’d tell 16-year-old Indira to just go for it with all the confidence in the world. I can still picture that girl, nervously packing her vinyl bag for Heaven Club, not sure how the night would go. If I could whisper in her ear, I’d say: “Relax, disfruta (enjoy it), and trust yourself. You are way better than you think, and this tiny club is just the first step of a beautiful journey.” I’d remind her to soak in the joy of every track she plays, because that pure passion will carry her through the tough times.
I’d also tell her, “Don’t be afraid to be different.” Back then, I was already spinning some unusual stuff for my age, and maybe I felt a bit out of place. I’d reassure young me that sticking to my unique vibe is going to pay off big time. And maybe most importantly, I’d say, “Keep that warrior spirit.” There will be obstacles – empty gigs, skeptics, moments when you’re broke and tired – but those will make you stronger. Your mantra will be ‘heaven is for warriors’ – even if you don’t know it yet – and if you fight for your dreams every day, incredible things will happen. Basically, I’d give her a big hug and let her know that she’s on the right path, and to enjoy every minute of the ride, because it’s going to be beyond anything she imagines.

Beneath the Lights / A talk with Indira Paganotto

Credits:

Artist: Indira Paganotto / @indirapaganotto
Interview: Elena Murratzu / @elena.murratzu
Editor: Anca Macavei / @ancamacavei

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