From: Las Palmas, Gran Canarias

DJ style: “Psy-techno.”

Best known for: “Energetic performances and a glowing smile.”

It's something of a cliche to say that DJing is in someone's blood, but for Indira Paganotto, it's true. Her dad was a famed DJ back in Goa's heyday in the 1980s and that love of all things psychedelic has carried on into her music. She doesn't shy away from punishing BPMs, but her music still has a feeling of lightness to it — little bursts of melodies bloom like fireworks over the steel-plated drums. She's long been a favourite of those that know (Charlotte de Witte has described her as one of her favourite DJs), but 2023 brought this sound to the masses, especially after her widely acclaimed Essential Mix for BBC Radio 1 earlier this year. She also found herself playing bigger and bigger stages with acclaimed performances everywhere from Exit to Tomorrowland to Awakenings. 

In between all this jetsetting excitement, she still found time to put her machines to work in the studio. At the start of the year she released the excellent ‘Lion Of God’ EP, capturing her signature interplay of light and dark. Her Artcore label also continues to set the stage with some of the most in-demand peak-time fare around. Paganotto remains a force of nature moving into 2024. 
 

Hero of 2023: “My entire ARTCORE team! Working with me is a bit difficult as I'm super-perfectionist but we are very close.”
 

Fave tune of 2023: “Interactive Noise ‘Where Is My Mind’.”
 

Best DJ set you’ve seen in 2023: “Skrillex at Exit festival, the day after I closed the Dance Arena.”
 

What was the most exciting tech development of 2023? “The rise of AI in music. From art to facilitating everyday life, the usage of AI is really versatile.”
 

Rising star DJ/producer of 2023: “Sumia."
 

What gives you hope for 2024? “My brand ARTCORE. Developing this has been a childhood dream. I have always had a genuine interest in fashion and art. It took years to achieve this, countless hours of work for me and the entire team.”