EVGHENIIA’s (hi.iam.jay) Hado just dropped on SATYADGTL built around the Japanese idea of energy, vibration, and wave.
The EP moves as a sequence rather than a loose group of tracks, opening quietly, turning inward, and then closing through a rework that gives the music a second life. That structure fits the way EVGHENIIA talks about DJing too, where the set is less about forcing a reaction and more about staying connected to the room long enough for the story to reveal itself.
The Lisbon-based DJ and producer has spent more than 15 years moving through some of the most respected spaces in club culture, with performances at Fabric, Space Miami, Burning Man, BPM, Garbicz, and Fusion, as well as a radio residency from a lighthouse in Cascais.
Her work has also crossed into audiovisual spaces, including a presentation at Shibuya Street Festival in Tokyo, and her productions have charted on Beatport while earning support in rooms like Panorama Bar. Hado feels connected to that broader background because it treats music as both physical and emotional and that intersection is where the real magic in DJ culture can really thrive.
In the interview below, EVGHENIIA talks about staying grounded in high-energy environments, learning to look up from the decks, and finding the confidence to trust her own taste instead of playing it safe. There is a clear throughline in her answers: the crowd can feel when the artist is actually enjoying the music.
That kind of authenticity is easy to talk about and harder to protect, especially when travel, pressure, and outside expectations start pulling the set away from the person playing it.
Interview With EVGHENIIA
What helps you stay grounded and connected to yourself while performing in high-energy environments?
Before I start, I would just like to mention that English is not my first language, so bear with me. I will do the best I can.
It always takes me a few minutes to get into the flow, but knowing I have my music prepared and my crew to support me is the best feeling. I have been lucky to play recently in some of my favorite clubs and festivals, with the best crowds ever, and I feel the love.
Good rest before sets is also one of those important things. Simple as that.
Have you ever looked back on a set and realized you felt totally disconnected during it?
It has happened to me in the past.
When I played, I was sometimes not interacting with the crowd or even looking up. I used to be so focused on my sets, too much, and I forgot how important it is to be in touch with people on the dancefloor, do the vibe check, smile, and see all the support from them.
There have also been times when my schedule was so intense and not well planned with travel, and you get to the point of being extremely tired and restless. When that happens, it is hard to be aware of a lot of things.
How do you navigate the balance between giving the crowd what they want and staying true to your style?
That is a very interesting question. Recently, I had a thought about the same topic and remembered that at the beginning of my career, when I was preparing a playlist to play, I would sometimes try to go the safe way and play some bangers to make sure people would love it.
I realized that, in the end, it came from a fear of not being accepted with the music I liked myself. I was very young, and there were a lot of different factors and opinions around me. Some places were overwhelming for me.
That was part of the experience I went through, and it eventually led me to find the actual music I love to play. This energy of enjoyment is so strong that the crowd can feel it so well.
I can mix so many styles but never lose my groove, and that is why it puts people on some kind of journey. You never know what is coming next.
What does authenticity mean to you when you are DJing, and how do you protect it?
I was in a few situations a long time ago when promoters asked me to play a certain style of music, which is very upsetting.
I believe the artist should be booked for their own style and never be asked to play something like “this.”
Are there signals or moments in a set that help you feel like yourself again when you have drifted?
For me, there is a difference between making mistakes and concerning yourself with things that are out of your control.
The important thing is to find a flow state so that the music brings good energy into the room.
Has performing ever taught you something unexpected about yourself?
I have always been overly critical of my own productions, probably because I come from a family that is musically trained and has high expectations.
Feeling the response from people dancing and receiving so much support when I play one of my own songs is very empowering, and it has given me the confidence to make more music.
It kind of reminds me of the reason why I started: to express myself and to talk to this world through melodies. I believe that music itself can be very healing for others and for the artist as well, as every set is kind of a journey, a story to tell.
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.
