AISHA

Born in Scotland and based in Berlin, AISHA´s artistic path has been anything but conventional. From distributing flyers in the streets of Glasgow to now lighting up dance floors around the world with her signature blend of psychedelic techno, AISHA’s journey merges tradition, rebellion, and introspection.

Her recent tour of India marked more than a series of gigs—it was a pilgrimage to rediscover her cultural, ancestral, and spiritual lineage. This encounter with her roots awakened a deeper understanding of the music she plays and the states of consciousness she seeks to evoke.

“One of my earliest memories of Indian music is my mum playing ‘Kabootar ja ja ja’ from the movie Maine Pyar Kiya on tape,” she recalls.

That nostalgic detail threads into the larger story of how Indian classical, folk, and devotional influences have subtly—and not so subtly—seeped into her sets.

This article takes a deeper look into AISHA’s insights shared during a recent interview, where she explored themes of identity, sonic philosophy, burnout, and the contradictions of touring life. Through her words, we dive into the complex intersections between Indian musical traditions and hypnotic techno structures, the realities of mental health in a demanding industry, and the importance of community, history, and purpose. As we analyze her reflections, a nuanced portrait emerges—of an artist who is simultaneously grounded and exploratory, vulnerable and visionary.

“I think unconsciously the sounds have always had an emotional calling to me,” she says.

This pull toward the ancestral manifests in her sonic architecture—sets that spiral through “Intricate melodies, rolling basslines, and pulsating rhythms sprinkled with highly euphoric breaks.” She frames this as more than aesthetic—it’s a journey, a link back to family, culture, and the deeper emotional registers music can unlock.

She acknowledges the overlap between traditional Indian music and the trance-inducing power of techno.

“There is a relationship with psychedelic trance and traditional forms of Indian music that emerged in the Goa scene (albeit with some appropriation as well as appreciation),” she notes with clarity and caution.

AISHA doesn’t romanticize her heritage nor techno’s adoption of it. Instead, she occupies a thoughtful middle space—honoring influence while advocating responsibility.

When asked about incorporating mantras and repetitive rhythmic structures, her answer touches on intuition rather than design:

“Looking back, it seems the sounds emerge naturally in my creative process.”

This intuitive process suggests a subconscious musical memory, one awakened during her India visit.

“It never occurred to me just how much the meaning is deeper than just enjoying it until I went to India recently and met a lot of my relatives.”

This moment—reconnection through kin—offers a powerful reminder that musical expression often begins long before we start composing or mixing.

The idea of raving as ritual is central to AISHA’s philosophy.

“Music is a way to put your brain into a trance, and raves are a vehicle to transmit new ideas to each other,” she says.

She connects the dots between traditional ceremonies and electronic gatherings—not as equivalents, but as parallel modalities for collective catharsis and transformation. In this light, her sets become communal rites—temporary sanctuaries for shared transcendence.

Yet behind these transcendent experiences lies a personal toll. Touring, for all the outward glamour, can be a grind of excess travel and sleep deprivation.

“Doing what you love can be emotionally draining because we care so much about it!” she shares candidly.

She highlights the pressure to be both performer and content creator—“like the way musicians are forced to become content creators at the moment, instead of just music creators.” Her solution is simple but profound: rest.

“A good piece of advice I received recently was to take breaks from music sometimes… to help give our brain space for new inspirations, which makes our art form even better.”

This advice might seem basic, but in a hyper-accelerated industry, it’s a radical act. Stepping back is not quitting—it’s essential to longevity.

Her wake-up call came through panic attacks— “It turns out that two years of constant touring without a break is not good for the brain.” With disarming honesty, she reveals the human cost of the DJ rat race.

“What DJs forget is that we are our bosses, so we can say no whenever we want… I hope to see this culture change.”

Her call to decelerate is not just personal—it’s collective. Burnout is not a badge of honor. It’s a warning. Berlin, her adopted home, has influenced this recalibration. Ironically, it’s where she slowed down.

“Recently, I’ve been laughing at people saying I feel like the only person who moved to Berlin and immediately quit the sesh haha!” she jokes.

Yet beneath the humor lies a truth: AISHA has found a way to engage with nightlife without being consumed by it.

“I’ve been partying regularly in Berlin for 9 years… I think the city where I’m from, Glasgow, also has an intense party culture… but Berlin seems to be a bit more understanding of sober life from my experience.”

Understanding her own needs for sustainability—not just as an artist, but as a human navigating extremes - shows AISHA’s maturity and grounding as an artist here for the long haul.

On her musical journey, AISHA exudes gratitude and groundedness.

“The first time that I decided I wanted to make music was back in 2017… I did childminding as a second job to save up to buy my first pair of Technics, a mixer, and speakers.”

There’s no myth of overnight success here—just grit, hustle, and self-belief. “It’s taking those first steps that matter the most in your career because you’ve had the courage and faith in yourself.”

That message—of betting on yourself—is a mantra for emerging artists everywhere.

Working at Soma Records for 7 years sharpened her industry acumen, too.

“The experience of working at that iconic label laid the total foundations for my career.” It provided a lens into clubbing culture, music history, and the structural issues still facing the scene.

“Being part of the scene for so long (12 years!) also carries some frustrations… like diversity in lineups…It’s unfortunately regressing.” AISHA isn’t afraid to speak truth to power, advocating for a future that honors inclusivity and transformation.

Finally, on the evolution of her sound, she remains focused on the psychedelic path:

“Honestly, I am still really concentrating on honing my psychedelic sound at the moment because there is so much more to explore.”

She champions the underground and seeks out music that is “hard, dark, weird, and wacky.” There’s joy, too, in the occasional sing-along track—a nod to the playfulness that often gets lost in harder genres.

AISHA’s outlook is a blend of vulnerability and strength, vision and pragmatism. She knows the scene, the pressures, and her limits, and doesn’t sugarcoat it. She doesn’t pontificate but tells it as she sees it on heritage, burnout, and belonging.

AISHA doesn’t always have to be the loudest in the room. Instead, she’s forging her legacy - something that feels honest, weird, emotional, and deeply hers. That’s rare.