Born and raised in Brussels and bred from a hip-hop background, DJ/Producer Sifa waltzed into electronic music by way of dance, landed in an underground scene dominated by a rather hard techno-leaning sound, yet unswervingly cultivated his own style. The Belgian’s longstanding affair with music, guided by intuition and inspired by artistic freedom, cannot easily be defined in words as it never let itself be defined. Sifa’s promising career was jumpstarted as he channeled his passion for electronic music and dance into event planning, a serendipitous endeavor which led him to cross paths with Ancestral soul guru and Offerings Label owner, Boddhi Satva. In 2016, Sifa’s connection with Boddhi bedecked another layer, as the latter entrusted the former the role of Label Manager of his prominent Afro-house label.

While kept occupied by the day-to-day demands of running a successful label, Sifa drew on his boss’ mentorship to further hone his skills as a producer as well as enkindle synergies with fellow artists with a common impulse and stimulation. On May 2016, Sifa was put on remix duty for Zimbabwean artists Sons of Africa and DJ Nascent’s EP, Arising, and did more than deliver. Less than a year after his debut, Sifa expressed his artistry and acumen through his own remix of Mr. ID & Kawtar Sadik’s ‘Salat Ala Nabina,’ a fervent and soul-stirring dancefloor igniter that has earned a much-coveted spot on playlists of some of the genre’s most selective and esteemed DJs – Dixon, Solomun, Guy Gerber, Frankey & Sandrino and Lehar, to name a few. 

Melodramatic soundscapes with perfectly balanced rhythm and groove, sophisticated and well-structured buildups set Sifa’s DJ gigs and mixes apart from the ordinary, and has rewarded the wanderlust the gratification to play in various parts of the globe. It takes consistency and gusto to play alongside DJs such as Art Department, Black Coffee, Omar-S, Catz ‘n Dogz, Adam Port, David Mayer, Kenny Glasgow, Culoe de Song, and Boddhi Satva, and apparently, Sifa makes the cut as he had done just all of that. 

As though running a label, dabbling with music production, curating inspiriting and climactic DJ sets, and fulfilling all simultaneously and gracefully, were not enough, the multitasking artist also expanded a casual get-together turned event series into a record label. With Depth, a unique undertaking sustained by genuine concurrences with not necessarily similar minded, but similarly passion-driven and talented rising artists, Sifa adds Label Owner into his repertoire. Sifa has mastered and navigated many courses into the electronic music arena’s main playfield, but the game has just begun with no intention of calling it draw within the tangible horizon. Together with UK-based vocalist, Oluhle and Depth family member, Ivory, Sifa recently released on the Berlin-based label, Sol Eterno, and is currently finishing a joint project with Ivory and Terranova. Needless to say, #sifaishere, and he, along with all the tricks he got up his sleeve, is here to stay for the long haul. 

WWD: How are you, where are you, are you locked down?

Hey guys. Yes as like most of the world population, I’m locked down.

WWD: How has it been? How have you kept busy?

As I’m being by myself it has ups and downs. It’s kind of a weird feeling to put into words. Some days you like it, some days you hate. I’m fortunate to still be able to work from home a few days a week. Besides that, I have more time for myself now and managed to finally finish some overdue music projects.  On the other side trying to learn my native language – Swahili – but far from mastering it. 🙂

WWD: What have you learned about yourself?
I’ve learned that I love to be by myself and that at the end of the day it’s ok to be on your own. Just keep yourself busy.

WWD: What was your route into dance music? How did you come to be a DJ and producer?

Compared to some artists, I’m not from a family of musicians. My sister took me to a dance school and from there on I used to perform different types (mostly urban). Growing up I realised that I was more interested in the music than the performance (as a dancer). So I bought some equipment so it all started. The rest after that has been a natural process in order to try to get your name out there. 

WWD: How did you come to your sound, it’s melodramatic soundscapes? What inspired that? 

I always need to visualize a story or situation I’ve been in. I don’t know why but I do have something with dramatic pads. They just tell a story on their own in my opinion. Plus I’m not an outgoing person so it’s kind of a translation of my thoughts and emotions into long notes. 

WWD: Tell us about Depth, the vision, the sound, what music you look for on the label?

There is not really a sound to the label. If the music is good and I feel it’s something I would play then it’s fine. That you have released on that label or worked with this person, to be honest, I don’t care. Just let the music speak. 

WWD: How much hip hop do you listen to now? Does it still influence you?

I listen to Hip-Hop every day. It’s hard to not listen to it as it’s everywhere. It does still influence me as I use some Hip-Hop elements in my productions. I have to admit that since the lockdown, I’ve mostly been listening to Lenny Kravitz’s Raise Vibrations, Miguel’s Wildheart and Jhené Aiko’s Trip. Cuban music is also on heavy rotation at the moment.

WWD:What else have you got coming up?

I’m looking forward to the song made with Boddhi Satva and vocalist LOV. It’s not the usual type of songs I’ve made but I can’t wait to see if people will like it or not. 

WWD: Can and should dance music be political and socially challenging or is it more about escapism?

As the world evolves it’s important for it to be political and socially challenging. So many people are listening to dance music today or following trendy dance music artists that it could be used as a tool to push positive and forward-thinking ideas without losing integrity.

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