Opening Night: AliA invites Mala & more

On March 16, we kick off FTI and&! After a free parcours in STUK, you can dive into the night with local legend AliA at Het Depot! And she's not coming alone. MALA, Stenny, Neffa-T, Mankiyan, and FRAQ444 will blow your mind (and your ears). You don't want to miss this.

Line-up

MALA

Mala is like the OG of dubstep. As one half of the legendary pioneer collective Digital Mystikz, he produced several groundbreaking musical pieces and is the owner of the highly acclaimed Deep Medi Music label.

STENNY + NIC PARANOIA (live AV)

Raised in the industrial suburbs of Turin, Stenny is one of the most longeve Ilian Tape affiliates. His research draws from club culture and avant-garde electronics, fusing elements of Techno and Bass Music. He offers an adventurous and versatile DJ set, dodging genre boundaries through precise and intuitive technique. In 2019, Pitchfork magazine described his debut album 'Upsurge' as a counter-argument to the more rigid strains of Techno, "an impressive testament to introspection and personality."

NEFFA-T

Neffa-T's meteoric rise includes a remarkable 6-deck mix, gaining global recognition from Pioneer! His DJ skills push boundaries, captivating listeners with mind-bending audio journeys, showcased on platforms like Keep Hush and Boiler Room. Beyond genres, Neffa-T fearlessly blends 140, dubstep, grime, techno, and more, crafting a mesmerizing fusion. As a producer, he collaborates with industry leaders like SUBPAC and White Peach, earning acclaim for notable releases. Neffa-T's evolving discography reflects his dedication, promising captivating projects that showcase his role as a musical visionary.

MANKIYAN

Only a handful of years in, and Mankiyan is already taking Belgium by storm. A sure favourite of the scene, this powerhouse of the new generation is marking her territory. Mankiyan’s mixes are full of depth, spatiality and intuition, spanning across heady dub, rave, UK bass and grime. She toys with complex rhythm sequences and easily switches genres, with healthy splashes of bright twists – but always with an impeccable sense of pace and flow. Mankiyan is injecting community-driven, unpretentious and unadulterated love for rave culture back into nightlife.

FREQ444

freq444 are two Brussels based cousins who found a common love for electronic music. After individual musical wanderings in Saint Petersburg, Seoul, Paris and Amsterdam, Laurens and Alex, two cousins who grew up at a stone's throw from each other, found themselves confined in their small Belgian village. As a dj/producer duo they travel the lines between bass music, breaks and IDM while not shying away from showing the heavy influence they got early on from jungle and dubstep. With tension-heavy dj sets and absorbing live performances, any setting is fair game.

ALIA
AliA is the host of the evening and carefully curated the night! Among all the rising stars in the ever-expanding DJ universe, AliA shines the brightest. In Belgium, she has swiftly established herself despite the setbacks we all know about. Nowadays, the Leuven native frequently tours across Europe with a record bag full of house, UK garage, breakbeat, and jungle. Get ready for a hyper-eclectic set from the crown princess of the Belgian underground.