ARTIST PROFILES
Almost every dance artist works under a name that is not the one on their passport, and almost every search for one of them starts with the same question. This is where those answers live: one researched profile per artist, checked against primary sources rather than repeated from whatever the last blog said.
What goes into each: the real name and where the alias came from, an honest date of birth where a reliable record exists, the labels and the records that actually moved, the room or the broadcast that turned them from a name on a flyer into a headliner, and a straight account of what they play. Where a fact is reported rather than confirmed, the piece says so.
They are written by a working DJ who books, plays alongside and follows these artists, which is why the profiles tend to notice the things a press release leaves out: who owns the masters, which residency did the real work, and what a set actually sounds like at three in the morning.
16 PIECES · UPDATED 23 AUG 2026
Sara Landry: The Real Name and Rise of Hard Techno's High Priestess
Sara Landry is her real name, no alias. The DJ Mag No. 1 Hard DJ, HEKATE, Spiritual Driveby, Boiler Room and her London Teletech ties, explained.
Peggy Gou's Real Name: The Kim Min-ji Behind the K-House
Peggy Gou's real name is Kim Min-ji, the Berlin-based Korean DJ behind K-house, the No. 5 hit Nanana and the 2024 album I Hear You.
Ewan McVicar: The Real Name, the Sample Myth and the Scot Who Built His Own Festival
Is Ewan McVicar his real name? Yes. The Ayr DJ behind Tell Me Something Good, the Trainspotting sample myth debunked, Pavilion and his 2026 Hi Ibiza run.
Bou: The DJ Behind Manchester's Jump-Up Takeover
Who is Bou the DJ? Real name Mohamed Amine Bouguenna, the Manchester jump-up star behind Baddadan, label Gossip and his 2026 dates, explained.
Chris Stussy: The Real Name Behind House Music's No-Phones Year
Chris Stussy's real name is Niels Christian Steenbergen. How a Leiden teenager built the PIV sound, the no-phones USS series and a career-defining 2026.
Sammy Virji: Real Name, Age and How He Became UK Garage's Biggest Star
Sammy Virji's real name is Samuel Bashir Virji. His age, Witney roots, the Skepta and Fred again.. records, and the road to Finsbury Park 2026.
Mall Grab: The Producer Who Beat the Lo-Fi House Joke
Who is Mall Grab? Real name Jordon Alexander, the Australian who beat the lo-fi house joke, built Steel City Dance Discs and became a festival headliner.
TSHA: The Self-Taught Producer Who Made Feeling Festival-Sized
Who is TSHA? Real name Teisha Matthews, the self-taught London producer behind Capricorn Sun and Sad Girl making emotional, melodic dance music on Ninja Tune.
salute: The Producer Who Made Feel-Good Dance Music a Mission
Who is salute? Real name Felix Nyajo, the Vienna-born, Manchester-made producer behind TRUE MAGIC who turned feel-good UK club music into a philosophy.
Main Phase: The Dane Who Mastered British Speed Garage
Who is Main Phase? Real name Adam Schierbeck, the Copenhagen producer who mastered UK speed garage via Rinse FM and now co-runs ATW with IPC.
MPH: The Craftsman Bridging UK Garage and the Mainstream
Who is MPH? Real name Myles Fairbairn, the Canterbury producer with UK garage's sharpest 4x4 basslines, from 132.00FM to major-label and Bangalter co-signs.
Nia Archives: The Artist Who Put Jungle Back at the Heart of British Music
Who is Nia Archives? Real name Dehaney Hunt, the Bradford jungle artist behind Silence Is Loud and the 2026 album Emotional Junglist, explained.
Barry Can't Swim: How Edinburgh's Jazz-Trained Producer Became a Festival Headliner
Who is Barry Can't Swim? Real name Joshua Mainnie, the Edinburgh producer behind When Will We Land?, Loner and festival-headlining emotional house, explained.
Fred again.. in 2026: How the Voice-Note Producer Became Dance Music's Biggest Everyman
Fred again..'s real name is Fred Gibson, born 1993 in London. The Boiler Room set, voice-note method, USB era and where the project goes next.
KETTAMA: Real Name, Age & Where He's From (Galway)
KETTAMA is Evan Campbell, born 30 May 1997 in Galway, Ireland. His age, real name, the tattoos, the G-Town sound and how the image was built before the music.
Who Is Silva Bumpa? The Sheffield UK Garage Producer
Silva Bumpa is Harry Eagle, born July 2001 in Sheffield, now Manchester-based. His age, real name, the Niche lineage and the craft behind the UKG takeover.