!K7 Records

For Sofia Kourtesis, joy is a living practice. It's evident in her effervescent stage presence and bombastic sets, which confidently traverse through house, electro-pop and melodic techno. Joy manifests in her own productions, such as on her 2023 breakout debut album, Madres, which paired her buoyant vocals with soulful groove to build a feeling of euphoria, and her 2025 EP, Volver, which expanded her purview of sisterhood. The Peruvian DJ and producer has forged a vibrant and illustrious career that has taken her to all corners of the globe—from her native Lima to the coveted booths of the world’s biggest clubs and festivals, to her current base of Berlin, where she revels in what she calls the "messy, beautiful emotional soup that makes music so powerful."

Indeed, Kourtesis's debut DJ-Kicks mix is a potent blend of the beautiful, complex emotional soup that has made her connect so deeply with her fans. But during the compiling process, Kourtesis grappled with one of the most difficult emotions she's ever had to endure: unbearable grief. "Losing my mother, my idol, knocked the wind out of me. But as the seasons shifted, I found myself back in Peru. Being there made me feel close to her again, like she was in the air. Slowly, music started to come back to me, not as noise, but as strength. It felt like reconnecting with her spirit, honouring everything she gave me. This chapter of my life has forever changed how I hear music. It's more fragile now, and in a strange way, it feels like a gift she left me; a reminder that even in loss, there's still beauty and connection."

The mix is a chameleonic voyage through the moods, sounds and emotions that made up her interior world during the compilation process. She flits through the electronic spectrum with ease, not only indulging the needs of the dance floor but the quiet moments of introspection, too. "DJ-Kicks is a series that shaped how I think about DJing and listening. I played the DJ Koze mix an unhealthy number of times, to the point where it basically lives in my DNA now," she smiles. "Those mixes taught me that the best ones aren't about showing off; they're about taking people on a journey. They move, twist and surprise you. They give you goosebumps when you least expect it."

If Kourtesis mother's memory is a gift that has the power to comfort and heal, then this DJ-Kicks entry is Kourtesis sharing it and paying it forward; a heartfelt offering of love, movement and eternal gratitude. "This mix was about bringing together all the different sounds and emotions I carry with me. The highs, the lows, the warmth, the weird little left turns. That's basically how my brain works when I'm behind the decks. This is my way of letting those worlds collide, overlap and dance with each other," she says. "That's exactly what I wanted to do here. I wanted emotion, tension, release. I wanted this mix to feel alive."