Aytiwan on Why Afro House Needs Its Soul Back

With a sound rooted in the rhythmic depth and soulful energy of Afro House, Belgian DJ and Producer Aytiwan continues to build his presence on the international Electronic Music scene. From gaining support from Black Coffee to performing at Tomorrowland and Eden Ibiza, his journey remains grounded in his enthusiasm for the genre, the craft of music production and performance, and a commitment to bringing emotion to the dancefloor.

Through his productions, performances and his label and event brand, Afrosteria, Aytiwan continues to demonstrate a clear creative vision: pushing forward with dedication and a desire to create meaningful connections with audiences worldwide.

We caught up with Aytiwan to explore his artistic evolution, the experiences shaping his journey and his ambitions for the future.

Interview with Aytiwan

Take us back to the beginning of the Aytiwan project. What first drew you towards Afro House and Afro Tech, and how did your sound begin to take shape?

Honestly, as far back as I can remember, I’ve always been drawn to African sounds. I started DJing more than 20 years ago and those grooves were already in my sets.

A few years ago, I decided to go all in and make it official, which meant leaving my old identity as Nico P behind. I was already releasing Afro House under that name, so it wasn’t really a break. It was a natural step, and it paid off almost immediately.

What keeps me here is the soulful side of Afro House. It’s music that means something. It carries an emotion and a message that not many genres have.

In just a few years, you’ve progressed from Belgium’s local club circuit to building a growing international presence. What do you see as the key turning points that have driven that momentum?

Let’s be honest, the key moment was when Black Coffee started playing Kususa’s remix of my track “Iphathi” all over the world, from Ibiza to Madison Square Garden.

That changed everything. It opened doors I could never have knocked on myself, and my network expanded almost overnight. People started reaching out to me instead of the other way around.

After that it was about staying consistent and producing as much as I could while that energy was around me.

From performing at Tomorrowland to headlining Eden Ibiza, your live profile has developed alongside your releases. Which performance milestone has given you the strongest sense of how far the Aytiwan project has come?

Eden Ibiza, and for a very personal reason. It was the first club I ever set foot in, the very first time I visited Ibiza, years before I had any idea I would ever play there. Standing behind the decks in that room, on one of the best sound systems on the island, did something to me. A full circle moment.

Tomorrowland came not long after. Being contacted by the biggest electronic festival in the world means something anywhere, but as a Belgian it hits differently. Everyone here knows Tomorrowland. My whole circle was talking about it, and even the local newspaper of my town wrote about it.

As that momentum continues, where is your creative focus currently? How would you describe the sound and energy defining Aytiwan today?

I want to bring emotion to the dancefloor. I want to see smiles, arms in the air, people reacting to the drops.

That’s what I have in my head the entire time I’m producing. I picture the crowd’s reaction before the track even exists. And when I catch myself reacting to my own track, that’s when I know I’ve found the sound I was looking for.

I also love working with vocalists from all over the world, mostly in South Africa. There is so much talent there that deserves to be heard.

Alongside producing and DJing, you’ve expanded your creative world through your own label, Afrosteria. What was the vision behind launching it, and how do you see it developing?

I wanted a label that reflects who I am and what I do, and a place where every artist gets a chance to be heard. There are so many unknown and underrated artists out there who deserve to be discovered. I look for those gems and try to give them visibility.

It’s also an experience where you meet incredible people. Real, passionate people who do this for the right reasons.

Then my friend Lexx suggested we do something together here in Brussels, and that’s how I started running events for the label. We do them at Scène, which has to be one of the most beautiful venues in the city, and it worked straight away. People love the sound my guests and I bring them. The atmosphere is exactly what I had dreamed of: a great crowd, smiles, people shouting, everyone there for the music, very few phones in the air. Everybody in the present moment, in communion with the artists and the music. I couldn’t have hoped for better.

What are your ambitions for this next chapter, and what’s coming up next for Aytiwan?

For Afrosteria, I want to keep expanding the brand with more events and to keep climbing alongside my artists. I don’t want the label to stop where it is. I’ve also started creating Afrosteria clothing. I have a huge number of projects in my head and I’m trying to bring as many of them to life as I can.

For Aytiwan, it’s about touring in more countries and bringing that energy to new crowds. And releasing some big tracks, with a lot of new music on the way.

The one I’m most excited about right now is my edit of “Vacaciones en Chile”. Black Coffee has been dropping it absolutely everywhere this summer, and in some incredible places: Buda Castle in Budapest, the Royal Palace open air in Brussels, North Coast in Egypt, Hï in Ibiza.

I actually heard it with my own ears. I was standing a few metres away from him when he mixed into my track. Seeing an artist at that level play something you made, with your own eyes, is an indescribable feeling.

HOT TAKE #1  ·  ON THE GENRE AND THE INDUSTRY

Afro House has gone global, and that’s beautiful, but a lot of what carries the label right now has almost no African music left in it. The rhythm and the soul are the whole point, not the tag.

HOT TAKE #2  ·  PRODUCTION

Don’t follow trends and don’t produce a copy of what someone else already made. If you’re following a trend, you’re already late.

HOT TAKE #3  ·  WHAT ARTISTS SHOULD PAY ATTENTION TO RIGHT NOW

We should go back to the roots of the job. Disc jockey means playing records and taking people on a journey through the music. The point was always to make an audience discover something, not to replay what they already heard ten times in the car on the way to the event.

One or two classics never hurt, but a set built entirely on them is the easy option and, in my opinion, not very rewarding artistically. Before Shazam and Spotify, crowds travelled a lot further with the DJ.

As Aytiwan looks to the next chapter, he remains focused on connecting with new audiences and continuing to build Afrosteria as a platform for musical discovery, whether through his own releases or the music of fellow Artists on the scene. With his sights set on expanding his reach, Aytiwan continues to pursue his vision while remaining grounded in the influences and values that first drew him to Afro House.

So, stay connected with him across social media to keep up with his latest music, performances and news.

Aytiwan Online  

Beatport | Instagram | Spotify   

Afrosteria Online  

Website | Beatport