Prolific Egyptian-Australian DJ & producer moktar needs little to no introduction. Known worldwide as a multidimensional multihyphenate, his work bends elements of techno, IDM, jungle & breakbeats with homely inflections of Arabic instrumentation, creating hypnotic speaker thumpers. His debut self-titled EP released via Steel City Dance Discs in 2022, becoming a defining statement of intent; receiving widespread praise for its raw emotional weight, genre-defying production and deeply personal exploration of identity, migration and belonging. The release established moktar as one of the country’s most exciting new electronic voices, earning support from DJs, radio stations and tastemakers globally.
Over the last few years, moktar’s rise has accelerated rapidly. He has toured internationally across Europe, the UK and Asia, played iconic festivals including Glastonbury Festival, Dekmantel Festival, RISING and Sugar Mountain, and sold out his largest headline show to date at Carriageworks during Sydney’s Vivid Festival. Along the way, he has shared stages with some of electronic music’s most revered names, including supporting The Prodigy on tour, while also closing Sónar by Night. His mixes and selections have also found a home on globally respected radio platforms including NTS Radio, Rinse FM and Seoul Community Radio — further cementing his reputation as a boundary-pushing selector with an instinct for emotionally charged, forward-thinking club music.
moktar’s instinct as a selector has also seen him earn recognition from Resident Advisor, who featured both his Strawberry Fields and Meredith sets as part of their celebrated “Mix Of The Day” series. Moving fluidly between dubbed-out pressure, percussive club mutations, jungle, techno and Arabic-inflected sounds, his sets have become known for their emotional intensity and unpredictability. His mixes have also been invited onto NTS Radio by artists The Avalanches and Ben UFO.
The moktar listening experience is shamanic in nature; encompassed by melodic textures, swirling layers of bass, percussion and synths, and spirited sampling that harks back to his Middle-Eastern roots. His music is a feast for the ears; a delicate display of sound unafraid of assumed “unconvention” – forever leading with feeling.
Incessantly breathing new life into tradition, moktar’s fusion of sounds is intentional. His 2022 EP ‘Immigrant’ traverses a sonic world set between the sandy plains of North Africa and the concrete bunkers of Australia’s electronic underground, crafting moments that aren’t fleeting, but ruminative. Samples of the oboe-like mizmar dance alongside the darbuka, providing precise breathing space for his flickery techno production to soar.