Cover Photo: @samarheidi
Babilonska (Zagreb, Croatia) is a DJ inspired by styles ranging from eccentric jazz, hip hop beats and psychedelic soundscapes to noisy riffs from the depths of hell. She has been active as a DJ for over a decade, be it at nightclubs, corporate gigs or student radio. In her sets, she mixes a wide range of genres, focusing on heavy bass and playful percussion, but always with a pinch of psychedelia and drama.
By night she is Babilonska and by day she is Nina Maštruko, an active member of the local independent scene with experience working on various culture-related projects. She was a curator ofZEZ Festival for 8 years, which features experimental music and sound art (Colin Stetson, Matana Roberts, Duma, Félicia Atkinson, Puce Mary, Shabazz Palaces, dälek, Lucrecia Dalt, Brötzmann/Leigh, ABADIR, Petbrick, Jessica Moss, IC3PEAK…). She co-founded Subtilno, a DJ collective dedicated to drum and bass, footwork & jungle, and hosted Slušaj drugačije, a radio show dedicated to experimental musical expression.
Babilonska has been performing in festivals and club events around the ex-Yu region regularly for the past 6 years. In 2021, she performed at the first Croatian Boiler Room event. Within the past few years she has shared the stage with the likes of LCY, Coco Bryce, Blawan, Deft, DJ Travella and many regional and local artists. She performed at Fusion Festival in Germany, the Hamburg club Hafenklang and the Forum Klub in Graz. In the past year, she’s had guest mixes at Cashmere Radio, Refuge Worldwide, and Black Teeth Radio.
The guestmix she prepared for INSITE is hard to define by genre, but it’s definitely full of drama and psychedelia. Check out this boldly high-energy mix on our YouTube channel or SoundCloud:
INSITE: If you could have a drink with any DJ/producer, who would it be?
BABILONSKA: The first person that comes to mind is Lyra Pramuk, she seems like a good conversation sorceress.
Favorite Track?
This is one of those impossible and ever-changing questions, so instead here’s a timeless track that first introduced me to drum and bass back in high school: Black Sun Empire – Arrakis
