EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
Kara Okay has swiftly emerged as one of the most emotionally resonant voices in a new wave of electronic producers. Fusing the euphoria of ‘90s trance with rich piano melodies, heartfelt vocals, and gritty UK club textures, the Amsterdam-based artist creates tracks that don’t just move dance floors—they move people. With support from the likes of Peggy Gou, Job Jobse, DJ Heartstring, and Gerd Janson, Kara Okay is crafting a sound that feels at once nostalgic and entirely fresh.
His latest release, “Let Me Lose My Mind,” is a prime example: a bass-driven, UKG-influenced cut layered with his signature emotional intensity. But while the music often overflows with feeling, Kara Okay insists it’s not necessarily
“I made Let Me Lose My Mind while I was on the road, traveling between gigs. The night before, the crowd reacted to some heavy UKG-influenced stuff, and that stuck with me. I wanted to take that raw, bass-heavy energy and fuse it with my sound. The vocal brings that uplifting, emotional vibe I’m known for, but the rest of the track leans darker and more rowdy—this tension between euphoria and grit just felt right.”
capturing a moment of energy, engineering joy, and creating a shared emotional space between artist and listener. That spontaneity and emotional authenticity have become his calling cards, resonating across clubs and festivals from Madrid to Antwerp to Westergasfabriek in Amsterdam.
In this rare and candid interview, Kara Okay opens up about the creative sparks that light his process, the unexpected turning points that shaped his path— including a knee injury that redirected his focus from kitesurfing to full-time producing—and the pivotal sets that affirmed his place in the global scene. He also reflects on the moments of personal connection that drive him forward, whether it’s hearing his own track dropped mid-set by Job Jobse or the quiet joy of opening Ableton on three hours of sleep while traveling between gigs.
Playful yet introspective, Kara Okay is an artist who never takes himself too seriously—but pours serious thought into every kick, melody, and vocal chop. With collaborations on the horizon and an eye toward a future album, his vision is expanding beyond the club. If there’s one thread tying it all together, it’s the desire to build emotional bridges—between sounds, between scenes, and between people.
His productions often radiate warmth and emotional intensity, blending euphoric ‘90s trance with piano, vocals, and old-school textures. On a more personal level, he shares where do these emotional layers come from.
“For me, music is all about capturing attention, building tension, and then releasing it in a way that makes you feel something. That emotional intensity people pick up on, while producing, it’s not necessarily something I’m channeling from within, like a memory or a personal story. It’s more about creating something that sparks emotion, something I want to feel in the moment of making it”.
“If I catch myself smiling uncontrollably or dancing in my chair while looping a new idea, that’s the moment I know I’m onto something. So in that sense, it’s less about experience and more about expression—almost like engineering joy and energy. It’s a feedback loop: I build a track to feel something, and if I feel it, there’s a good chance someone else will too”.
“Let Me Lose My Mind” feels like a dancefloor release and a personal statement. Now that it’s out in the world, Kara reflects on where the track comes from and how it shows his creative self.
autobiographical—it’s about
“Creatively, it reflects where I’m at right now: not just exploring heavier sounds, but constantly pulling in influences from all over the place. Whether it’s speed garage, hard house, progressive house, or something unexpected, I’m always trying to keep things evolving while staying true to the emotional thread that ties everything together.”
His music has been supported by some of the most respected and diverse names in the scene, from Peggy Gou and Job Jobse to DJ Heartstring and Gerd Janson. About this, Kara remembers the moment in time when one of his tracks was played by a major artist. A truly magical moment.
“It’s a moment I’ll never forget. I had shared a track with Benwal, and he played it at The Loft in Amsterdam— then sent me a video the next morning. Watching it at home on a quiet Sunday was surreal. He mentioned he’d passed the track on to some of his friends, including Job Jobse, which already felt like a huge compliment.”
“A few months later, I was at Lentekabinet as a visitor, ordering drinks at the bar, when I heard Job mixing in my track. I honestly was in denial for a few seconds, then started running back to my friends in the crowd. The whole moment is kind of a blur—other people in the crowd who knew the track were messaging me, and people around us were dancing. It was complete- ly unexpected and extraordinary. Job and I had some brief contact afterward, and I’ve been sharing my music with him ever since.”
“It showed me how open and supportive the scene can be—from Benwal passing it along to Job giving smaller artists a platform. It assured me that people are genuinely in this for the love of music.”
Kara has been steadily releasing tracks and building momentum with each release. More so, collabs have become a space where he can explore creatively and have fun with fellow artists. About this, he shared:
“Every collaboration is different, and that’s something I enjoy—it keeps things fresh and pushes me in new directions. I have a collab coming up with Malugi that opened up a sound that feels super fun and almost radio-oriented—something a lot of people will connect with, I think. It’s a bit outside my usual lane, but in the best way.”
“On the other
synth- and piano-driven tracks with artists like Sam Alfred, Kyle Starkey, Dart, and NewTone. Those tracks feel emotional and high-energy—I can already picture them thriving in festival and club settings. Each collab has brought something unique out of me, and together they feel like a real step forward in how I’m shaping my sound.”
side, I’ve been working on more
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