Mustafa Ismaeel (@mustafaismaeelmusic) has built his name the long way, through records that move people and sets that hold a room together from the inside out. Based in Toronto, with roots in Iraq and formative years in Canada, he brings a perspective shaped by cultural range, club experience, and a real attachment to groove, pressure, and feeling.
Over the years, that has carried him onto labels like Crosstown Rebels, Narratives, Rebellion, The Soundgarden, MDLBEAST, Steyoyoke, Manual, and KŌSA, while earning support from artists including Damian Lazarus, John Digweed, Nick Warren, Steve Lawler, and Behrouz.
He has also put in the work across the circuit, from Hï Ibiza, Akasha, and Get Lost Miami to Burning Man, Afrikaburn, Stereo Montreal, Coda Toronto, and Do Not Sit. That kind of range gives weight to what he says here, because he has seen firsthand how club culture changes from room to room and city to city. His answers come from someone who still measures a set by tension, timing, and crowd response, not by what might end up clipped and reposted the next morning.
That is what makes this conversation useful. Mustafa talks plainly about what phones change on a dancefloor, why risk can disappear when content enters the equation, and how the nights that stay with you are often the ones that never get documented properly. There is a clear thread running through all of it, and it comes back to the same thing every time: serve the room, trust the moment, and let the music carry the memory.
Interview With Mustafa Ismaeel
Have you ever felt like sets these days are being recorded more than it was being felt?
I think that a lot of the DJ scene now has shifted towards attention and media coverage instead of focusing on creating magical moments and taking the crowd through a journey.
I feel that the DJ had one main focus which is to work the crowd, personally I still go by that about every single time. In fact a lot of times I find it challenging to fit in my own tracks when I’m playing if the track is not the absolute best option to play at that moment right there.
For me, syncing with the crowd and the vibe of the event is the big win. The rest just follows.
How do you navigate the balance between creating a memorable moment and getting a viral clip?
I really don’t even think about getting a viral clip when im playing, I play what I feel and what I think the crowd is going to resonate with at that specific moment. That in my opinion makes it a memorable moment that we all live for, and that can lead to making the clip viral if it is meant to be.
Virality in a set is not the objective but a side product.
Have you changed the way you prepare or play because you know people might be filming?
Not at all, people can film as they like but I am in my own state of flow. I will still play that track that there are a few clips of me playing already if I feel that this is what this moment needs. If it’s good, it’s good I don’t care about the rest.
What’s something that used to matter more in club culture before everything became a photo op?
I think being in the moment and letting go, being immersed in the sound was something we all enjoyed before that’s somewhat not the same now although sometimes it is.
Also the crowd being comfortable to express themselves and be free on the dancefloor without having someone filming or taking photos of them which makes them more self conscious. One more important factor is that a lot of events and clubs now focus more on the looks of the party rather than the sound quality and acoustics of the room, which is much more important for the quality of the event.
Do you think the pressure to look good behind the decks has affected how DJs perform?
Yeah, I think it definitely did for some DJs, especially the ones who are very self-conscious in that matter. For me, thankfully I don’t really care, I think I’d rather look weird and kill it during my set than look good and not play the best set.
Sometimes I look too focused, in an awkward position or with a heavy drop face but the crowd engages with that true expression and feels that true raw emotion, I pride myself in that.
What happens to risk-taking in a culture that values content over presence?
I think that’s exactly what goes missing, thinking about content while playing gives the DJ only restraints.
Like having to play your own tracks when they don’t fit the moment just kills the vibe. I’ve seen this happen so many times and with some DJ friends, when you look at them at that moment they tell you loud and proud “this is my track” and in my head I’m like “Well it does not sound good right now BRO!” Lol
Have you ever had a night where nothing went viral, but the vibe was unforgettable and that was enough?
So many, I’ve played many unforgettable nights where filming wasn’t allowed like StereoBar Montreal or late night after parties that you don’t want to share but the vibe was something you thought about for days after.
I had some crazy b2b’s and sets at after parties that never saw the light and yes that was enough, these sets are usually the personal highlight for me, these memories stay in my mind and heart. If you know, you know!
Will Vance is a professional music producer who has been involved in the industry for the better part of a decade and has been the managing editor at Magnetic Magazine since mid-2022. In that time period, he has published thousands of articles on music production, industry think pieces and educational articles about the music industry. Over the last decade as a professional music producer, Will Vance has also ran multiple successful and highly respected record labels in the industry, including Where The Heart Is Records as well as having launched a new label with a focus on community through Magnetic Magazine. When not running these labels or producing his own music, Vance is likely writing for other top industry sites like Waves or the Hyperbits Masterclass or working on his upcoming book on mindfulness in music production. On the rare chance he's not thinking about music production, he's probably running a game of Dungeons and Dragons with his friends which he has been the dungeon master for for many years.
