By Azzam Bilal 
HangupsMusic.com – Berlin, The global electronic music community has long looked to the !K7 DJ-Kicks series as a definitive barometer of taste, a curated window into the minds of the world’s most influential selectors. Today, that legacy expands as Sofia Kourtesis, the Peruvian-born, Berlin-based producer who has become one of the most vital voices in contemporary house music, announces her upcoming contribution to the storied franchise. Slated for release on Friday, March 27th, Kourtesis’s installment marks the first entry of the series for the 2025 calendar year, signaling a sophisticated start to the label’s seasonal output. Along with the announcement, Kourtesis has unveiled a centerpiece of the compilation: a brand-new collaborative single titled "Los Poemas No Siempre Riman," featuring the Afro-Peruvian collective Novalima.
The announcement comes at a pivotal moment in Kourtesis’s career. Following the stratospheric success of her 2023 debut album, Madres, she has moved from a rising underground favorite to a central figure in the international festival and club circuit. Her DJ-Kicks mix is not merely a collection of tracks but a carefully woven tapestry that reflects her dual identity, blending the rhythmic soul of South America with the precision and atmosphere of European electronic music. The inclusion of "Los Poemas No Siempre Riman"—which translates to "Poems Don’t Always Rhyme"—serves as a mission statement for the project, emphasizing that beauty often lies in the unexpected, the asymmetrical, and the emotionally raw.
The curation of the mix is a testament to Kourtesis’s broad palate and her deep respect for the genre’s pioneers and modern innovators. The tracklist reads like a masterclass in diverse electronic textures, featuring contributions from ambient-techno luminary Jon Hopkins and the elusive IDM architect Aphex Twin. It also highlights the work of contemporary peers who are currently reshaping the dancefloor, including Axel Boman, Sedef Adesi, Chloé Caillet, and Luke Alessi. Furthermore, the inclusion of artists like Octo Octa, Logic1000, Ahadadream, and Avalon Emerson suggests a mix that moves fluidly between deep house, breakbeats, and high-energy percussion, ensuring a listening experience that is as suitable for a home sound system as it is for a late-night club environment.
Central to the appeal of this DJ-Kicks installment is the wealth of original material Kourtesis has produced specifically for the release. Beyond the lead single with Novalima, she has contributed three new solo productions: "It’s You," "Texas Changing," and "A Brief Look In Your Eyes." These tracks are expected to bridge the gaps between the licensed material, providing a narrative thread that is uniquely hers. For Kourtesis, the opportunity to contribute to this series is the fulfillment of a long-held creative ambition. She has spoken openly about the profound impact the DJ-Kicks catalog has had on her development as an artist, citing one specific entry as a foundational text for her musical philosophy.
“DJ-Kicks is a series that shaped how I think about DJing and listening. I played the DJ Koze mix an unhealthy number of times, to the point where it basically lives in my DNA now,” Kourtesis remarked during the announcement. Her reference to DJ Koze’s 2015 contribution is significant; that particular mix was celebrated for its eccentricity, its disregard for conventional beat-matching in favor of mood, and its ability to turn a DJ set into a surrealist journey. Kourtesis appears to be chasing a similar lightning strike. “Those mixes taught me that the best ones aren’t about showing off; they’re about taking people on a journey. They move, twist, and surprise you. They give you goosebumps when you least expect it.”
This philosophy of "the journey" is what sets Kourtesis apart in a field often dominated by technical bravado. Her approach to the mix was guided by a desire to represent the full spectrum of her internal world. She describes the project as a collision of highs and lows, warmth and "weird little left turns." This psychological approach to track selection mirrors the way she navigates a live performance, where the goal is less about maintaining a steady BPM and more about fostering a sense of collective vulnerability and release. “I wanted emotion, tension, release,” she explained. “I wanted this mix to feel alive.”
The timing of this release allows for a deeper reflection on Kourtesis’s trajectory since Madres. That album was a deeply personal work, famously dedicated to her mother and the surgeon, Peter Vajkoczy, who performed a life-saving operation on her. The emotional stakes of her music have always been high, and that sincerity has resonated with a global audience. Singles like "Vajkoczy" and the title track "Madres" proved that house music could be a vessel for profound familial love and gratitude without losing its effectiveness on the dancefloor. Her DJ-Kicks mix seems poised to continue this narrative, using the music of others to further articulate her own story of resilience and joy.
The collaboration with Novalima on the lead single is particularly noteworthy. By integrating the sounds of an Afro-Peruvian group, Kourtesis is actively working to decenter the Eurocentric narrative of electronic music. Novalima has spent decades blending traditional Afro-Peruvian instruments and rhythms with modern production, and their partnership with Kourtesis feels like a natural evolution of her "Protesta" spirit—a term she has used to describe music that stands up for identity and heritage. "Los Poemas No Siempre Riman" acts as a sonic bridge, connecting the dusty grooves of Lima with the neon-lit basements of Berlin.
For !K7 Records, securing Kourtesis for the 2025 debut of the series is a significant coup. The DJ-Kicks brand has remained relevant for three decades by consistently identifying artists who possess a distinct "authorial voice" in their mixing. From the early trip-hop explorations of Kruder & Dorfmeister to the techno excursions of Carl Craig and the modern house sensibilities of Peggy Gou, the series has always been about more than just a promotional tool; it is a historical record of electronic music’s evolution. Kourtesis fits perfectly into this lineage, representing a generation of producers who view the DJ booth as a place of emotional honesty.
As the March 27th release date approaches, anticipation is building for how Kourtesis will handle the technical transitions between such disparate artists as Aphex Twin and Avalon Emerson. Yet, if her previous work is any indication, the "how" will be secondary to the "why." Her ability to find common ground between a cold synthesizer line and a warm vocal melody is what has made her one of the most beloved figures in the scene.
In a landscape where the sheer volume of digital content can often feel overwhelming, Sofia Kourtesis’s DJ-Kicks promises to be an intentional, meditative, and ultimately humanizing experience. It is an invitation to step into her "brain behind the decks," a place where the poems don’t have to rhyme to be beautiful, and where the dancefloor serves as a sanctuary for the weird, the emotional, and the unexpected. With four new tracks and a curated selection of some of the finest electronic music ever recorded, Kourtesis is not just adding to a series; she is defining the sound of the year to come.