The Mix 049: Evissimax

Under three years ago, Evissimax found her true calling when taking part in a beginner’s DJ workshop. Dedicating herself to sharpening her skills from there on out, her career has since taken off like a freight train, reflected in the sunny confidence beaming out of her as she discusses her craft. And while her enthusiasm is infectious, the Milan selector’s path to self-assurance has been something of a process, fuelled by a fervent love of spinning everything from techno and Afrotech to Jersey club and ghetto house. The laser-focused drive to pursue her passion has helped her to smash through barriers — the imposter syndrome, the glass ceilings, the self-doubt — and transform at full tilt into the booked-and-busy party starter she embodies today.

Born to an Italian dad and Nigerian mother, Evissimax, real name Eva, was as influenced by the old-school Italian music loved by her father as her mother’s affection for hip hop, soul and R&B while growing up. Mixing these childhood influences with the techno she came across later on, the DJ has termed her blended approach “ghetto-techno”, a provocative, sweaty, beat-heavy, rave sound bubbling with sensuality, vivaciousness and sass.

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Having made a name for herself tearing up clubs across Europe and beyond, including a stint supporting dance-pop star Anne Marie for a spate of UK tour dates, last June saw the arrival of Evissimax’s rambunctious debut EP, ‘REBOOT-Y’, a five-track team effort made with pal and producer Ayce Bio. The record has since propelled Eva to new heights, including a just-completed “dream” tour of Asia and a recent signing with Island Records, while blistering sets on radio stations such as NTS, Rinse, Oroko Radio and Foundation FM continue to grow her following among fans of high-octane sounds.

Catching up on rest during a very short break in her schedule, Evissimax answers Mixmag’s call from sunny Milan to talk Italian club culture, her mixed feelings around phones on the dancefloor and how she went from “old lady” to reigning queen of rave — generously dropping a brand new mix for us too.

You recently came back from playing in China, Tokyo and Taiwan. How did it go?

It was so good! It was better than I could have ever imagined. Also, going to Asia has been a dream of mine since I started DJing and overall in life, so getting to go there, somewhere so far away from home, it's so different. I felt so welcomed and part of the community. It was insane to me, and every gig was incredible. Everyone was so fun and so nice and so welcoming. It was one of the best experiences of my career so far.

What was performing in Asia like compared to your experiences in Europe?

What I noticed was, first of all, the incredible attention to detail in the music. The soundsystem in every single club I went to was so good, which is not something that I see a lot in Italy – there aren’t many clubs that have incredible soundsystems. Even the Supreme store in Shanghai, there were four Funktion-Ones hanging on the ceiling. And I was like, 'How… What is happening!?'.

I noticed a real attention to making sure that the club experience is a good one, the sound quality and just the way they take care of their guests. Every place I went to, I felt taken care of. At first, I was super scared of going all the way over to Asia and not knowing anyone, but as soon as I got there, I was like, 'Okay, no, it was just all in my head. It's perfectly fine, everything is fine, everyone is super nice'.

I’ll say that the crowd is different compared with a European crowd, or an Italian one. I feel like Italians really get down – they’re dancing, they're sweating, they whistle, they do all of that. And I feel, especially in Japan because I was also told by the Japanese DJs that booked me, that the crowd is a little bit more shy. So when they give you a really good reaction, you can tell they really mean that. They were screaming, but it wasn't like dancing, jumping up and down. It's a different type of appreciation. So I got used to that, but it was incredible.

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Did you go out clubbing yourself at all?

Oh my god, no! I would say for all the gigs I played, I always tried to go there really early and, if I wasn’t the last DJ, stay until the end. I’ve kind of entered this phase in 2025 where I'm trying to be sober, I’m over the whole ‘in the club every weekend’ phase, I physically can't do it anymore. But when I DJ, I like to stay and support from the beginning through to the end. It's a way for me to see DJs that I've never seen before and really get to know the community – especially when I'm DJing outside of my home town. I want to get to know what the culture is like in that specific city, but apart from that, I'm very much at home, movies, pasta in bed energy.

I’m curious about what it was like playing in Taiwan?

The way the club was set up, which I appreciated as a DJ, meant I could not see anything in front of me. I was DJing and I was looking at pitch black! I couldn't tell if people were dancing. The only feedback I got were the sounds. Then at the end, when they turned on the light, there were actual people there having fun and dancing, but I had no idea! If I think about it now, I’ll say it was fun, because some part of the culture now is performing as a DJ – you have to have this big presence. If you go back to the roots, DJs weren’t really seen, so it was nice actually. I was seen, but I wasn’t seeing other people, so I was very concentrated on what I was doing. At the end, it was very heartwarming to be like, 'Oh, they really enjoyed it'. So I was doing something right!

How do you feel about being seen in general and that performative aspect of DJing?

I've been on a journey with this. I've been DJing for almost three years now, and I can see that the scene has definitely changed. Social media is such a big part of it now, whether we like it or not, it’s something that you have to accept if you want this to be your main job. This is my main job, so I think I've gotten good at knowing how to use social media for my career. But it's not really something that I really thought about, even when I started DJing. I wasn't technically the best, because I was starting out, and no one is the best when they start out, so all I could do is have fun. So, I'm gonna have fun!

I think people resonated with seeing someone enjoying what they're doing. I resonate all the time, I don't really care about technicality when I see a DJ. Obviously, it's amazing to see the incredible DJs that know how to use a console like a joystick, but I think the most important thing is just seeing someone have fun. At first I was like, I have to have the hottest outfit, and I have to do this and I have to do that. Now, not having imposter syndrome and being able to confidently say that I'm a good DJ, I don’t need all of the things that can maybe be a bit of a distraction. I'm very much black tank top, black pants, and comfy clothes because, when I go to the club, that’s how I dress. I'm never doing too much. So when I DJ now, I dress exactly how I dress to go to the club, which is in sneakers and comfortable clothing.

You've talked about confidence before, and how the name Evissimax makes you feel like a kind of superhero. What else makes you feel confident when you're performing or in your day to day?

Oh my god, confidence is such a big thing in my life and my personal journey, getting to a point of confidence. I think the number one thing that made me feel confident was my friends – creating a support system of people who truly know you. The good, the bad, the ugly. They see you in every way and they still support you, and they still understand you and they still show love. Community makes me confident, having people that are there for you, knowing that you're not doing anything on your own and you're not alone. Especially in the music industry, it’s such a daunting scene and there’s this sense of competition that you have to be better than the person next to you. I've never had that, I can't comprehend that concept. Because to me, it's: 'If I make it, you make it!'. We all help each other up. To me, the sets where I have the most fun are when I turn around and my friends are there with me, because we're having fun, we're twerking, we're dancing, vibing. To me, for confidence in my day to day life, I would say it’s my friends and my community.

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Do you have any fellow DJs or artists who are a part of that community?

In the last few years it’s become more mixed. One of my best friends is also a DJ, and we actually met through a DJ livestream. She was playing my track for the first time, and then she sent me a wave and, I'm a boomer, so I was like, 'what? I don't know how to reply to this'. I sent her a DM saying: “Hi, I'm sorry I didn't know how to reply to your wave". Then we found out we live in the same city, and we became sisters as soon as we met each other. Also, Miss Jay was one of the first people who taught me how to DJ, and now we play back-to-back together.

It's nice talking to people who understand my job and can give feedback. Again, sometimes it's very daunting – I talk to DJs who are bigger than me and we complain about the same things. It’s so hard out there for everyone, so it's reassuring and nice to hear. It’s also nice to talk with my friends that aren’t in the music scene about completely different things. I wouldn't want my life to be only this, because it can be a bit overwhelming sometimes.

Let’s talk about your debut EP, 'REBOOT-Y'. Can you tell me about the process of creating it?

The whole EP was co-produced with my friend Ayce Bio, and that also made the experience less scary knowing that there was someone else I was working with. To this day, I do consider myself a singer-songwriter more than a producer. Writing the lyrics, putting my voice in it, it's something that I never expected to do. I thought that I was gonna sample artists and other songs that I like, but then I was like, 'let me try this'. I really enjoyed it, and I didn't think I would feel so confident and comfortable performing, or even hearing my own voice on a track. I really loved it, and I really believed in it. I even got my first single tattooed on my arm!

Oh my god!

Everyone thought I was insane.

When did you get it?

A few days before the EP came out. That was also the video teaser for the track, everyone thought it was fake because you're crazy to do that. So I think 'REBOOT-Y' was my little taste of all that is Evissimax, I switched genres, it was a little bit of everything that I like to play. It's also my first baby, I will always love her. I just love it, everything, the whole team behind it – my best friend also helped me with the art direction. I'm obsessed with it!

You've obviously got a big mix of different genres that you’re into. What from your upbringing inspired your music taste today?

Oh, I think because being biracial – my dad's Italian, my mum's Nigerian – they're both very proud of their cultures and heritage. So they really instilled in me that I’m a proud Italian, and a proud Nigerian. Whenever people would ask me which I prefer, which is also such a weird question to ask, I'm like, what?! I would always say they're both the same to me.

Both of my parents have always had very distinct tastes. My dad is very much rock 'n' roll and old skool Italian songs that are very gut wrenching and beautiful. My mom has always been into R&B, soul, and hip hop. I grew up listening to both since I was a kid, I was an emo girl and would listen to Lil Wayne and Linkin Park, and those were my two extremes. I think that just evolved into me kind of appreciating everything. I've tried to make a set that’s just one genre, but I get bored. I think it's fun to dabble in a little bit of everything.

Is there anything linking the genres that you dabble in? What is it that draws you to those sounds do you think?

That is such a good question… hmm! In my DJ sets, which is different from what I would listen to day to day, I really like to go for things that make you feel good. I like that feeling of movement and things that make you want to just move and celebrate life in some way. Whether it's very hard-hitting techno, or it's a groovier sound, or Jersey, ghetto, rap. The club experience is a celebration, that’s genuinely how I see it. It's a room, almost like a sermon, and we're all just celebrating before we go back to our daily lives. But in that moment, we're celebrating life – we're celebrating being there. That's always how I try to see it.

So what’s club culture like at home in Milan? Is it still going strong?

COVID did a big number on the club scene, there was definitely a shift. I think there's still a big need for diversity within the scene here, to be honest. Everything is very Eurocentric, and in my opinion, there's only one party [diversifying the scene] right now in Milan, which is Trrrmoto, and it's a Latin Core party. Everyone is queer, everyone is Latinx, and that’s the only party that does that which is crazy to me. They started out less than a year ago, and they're doing amazing things. I'm so happy for them, but we need more of that. We need more marginalised communities coming together and creating a space within the alternative dance realm, because there are parties that are Afro and ghetto, but I wish that there was a party for all of us. Just having fun and a safe space where I could go and see people that look like me and feel represented, and it’s not only one specific genre of music, but celebrating all genres of music.

I've actually been trying to host my first party for such a long time, and finally, I'm going to throw it in April! I've been waiting for so long because it's my goal, aside from DJing, I wanted to get to a point of having my own party and my own space for people to come into, and just get into my world. I want to create something that's for everyone. It's our space, it's our community, we have fun, and that's it.

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So how have you personally navigated that Eurocentric landscape as a mixed race woman? Has it been hard to work through those obstacles, and have you felt the presence of those barriers?

I've definitely felt those barriers. It's never something that I try to focus on because I don't want to think about it too much. But I've been told that the only reason why I get booked is because I'm a woman or because I'm Black. I've always, since the beginning, felt that pressure. I put so much pressure on myself, because I know that I have to be the best to even be put on the same level as people who are, and this isn’t to shade on anyone, but it's just how it is as a society. On the same level as people who might be mediocre, I have to be the best I can be to be given the same opportunities as someone who’s not trying their best. So I put that pressure on myself all the time.

I've never skipped a gig, I even played when I had a 40-degree fever. I've done all of this because I don't have the privilege to be picky or to say no to things, or to not give 100% every time. So that's how I feel in my own personal experience, that I navigate through it and I hear it, and in a way, it gives me that push to think, 'I have to be the best'. But not in the sense of competition, just in the sense that it's literally what I have to do to be given the same opportunities.

It’s a motivator, right? You're saying, 'No, actually, I deserve a space here, so let me show you how great I am'.

Exactly. I have to be at the point where no one can say shit to me. I can say confidently, I'm a good DJ, and no one can say shit to me. The confidence of being able to say that, because people are gonna say shit about me regardless

Yeah, just dust it off and keep owning it. How has your music and DJing developed since you first began?

When I started DJing, obviously I was still trying to find my sound and find my feet within this new world. The tracks that I played in the beginning, I still love them. I still listen to my old stuff. It’s so fun, amazing, 10 out of 10. When you're starting out, and I love to quote my queen Doechii, you're allowed to be bad at it, so I allow myself. I was bad at it because I was learning. I think my taste evolved, and more so than my taste, I found what is personally important for me during a set, which is the flow of it. As someone that plays different genres, it was hard for me to get to a point of figuring out how to maintain a stable flow while still mixing in different genres, because it's very easy to do that when you're playing one specific thing. If you're playing hard groove, hard house, techno, and you're doing the same thing, it's very easy for you to just go with the flow. Meanwhile, you're playing different genres, and when I go to the club, I like to be able to shake my ass and twerk. I also like to lock in and be really into what I'm hearing, and into the set. So I like to find a way to merge those two things, of twerking, but still locked in! Locked in twerking.

Tell me more about the event you're launching…

The name of the party will be ‘Gyrate’, because I really like the idea of uncontrollable movements. I'm very excited! This is kind of a spoiler, but it's going to be announced very soon.

You've previously said that you didn't used to like clubbing, but it sounds like you’re into it now?

Oh my god, I was such an old lady. My friends were so shocked when I started DJing. They're like, 'what the fuck!'. I always loved music and, this is still my biggest issue, I am quite extreme. Balance has been what I've been trying to achieve for the last three years. I either stay until the very end, or I don't go. This was who I used to be, I would come from the very beginning, because I’m like, I have to get my money’s worth! I would stay until 5:AM dancing the whole time. I love the club, to be honest, and I love when the club is clubbing, when people are dancing and having fun – that’s what I go for. I don't like when I go to the club and there’s too many lights, and the focus isn’t on the vibe but more so on the DJ. To me, the focus should be on the people dancing. I should be curating the night for the people that are dancing, not for the DJ. The DJ is going to do the thing either way, but the people, they have to have fun.

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So what do you think of phones on the dancefloor?

The best parties that I've been to? No one is on their phone. Obviously, because you're locked in. As a partygoer, no phones ever. As a DJ that’s aware of the importance of social media, I understand that people having phones is the reason why a lot of people get booked, because they film the key moment. I've talked to promoters who have literally told me that I got booked only because of my social media, which is like… Why are you telling me that?! Like, you didn’t hear my mixes? Okay!

For my party, I don't want to specifically tell people not to bring their phones. There’s a really cool party, and I'm trying not to make them become too mainstream. What I like about it is that they haven't really pushed anything, things have happened organically. They don't put any stickers on phones, but no one is on their phone because they've curated the night in such a way that the people who go there appreciate the culture. I think that if you curate your night well enough and you create a community that resonates with the party that you're throwing or with yourself, it’s gonna happen, because if you're the only person with your phone out, you're gonna feel weird. So, I feel it also slowly trains the people around you without outwardly saying: 'You have to put a sticker on your phone'. I also think sometimes it's fun to have videos and it's a cute moment. I don't know! I have contradicting feelings about it. I still haven't decided what I feel, but I’m leaning more towards no phones in the club, personally.

And finally, can you tell us about your mix?

This is a classic Evissimax club mix, very high energy from beginning to end while playing around with genres. Some hard drummy ghetto rap techno fun!

Henrietta Taylor is Mixmag's Digital Intern, follow her on Twitter

Tracklist:
1. De Schuurman - Scratchin’
2. Sterlmakh - Motherfucker
3. Resonaid - Code Red
4. MZA - Holy Energy
5. Guza - Peak
6. Cyberhacksystem - Kerv
7. Dj Sliink - R4 Work It
8. Wasta - Dododo
9. Ambrukt - Rata
10. HESO HYDR8 - Open This Up (Oldyungmayn Remix)
11. None-Tone - No Hay Marcha Atras
12. Cucarazha - Ketostop
13. Makornik - Know Thy Self
14. God Aloen - Feeling On Tic (Doubt Remix)
15. DJ THADZ - Bounce That Big Booty
16. ERAM - In Brasa Juke (ft. Tabu)
17. Entranas - Punal
18. Perc - Resistor (Tassid Remix)
19. Trap N Trees - Peggy (Philly Club Remix)
20. Perc - Fire in negative (Million Remix)
21. Hard Target - Roadblock (Rush Me)
22. Skrpump - Rhodesia
23. Jerb - Nft Bounce
24. Valerie Ace - Bass Horn Tears
25. Teamcro - La Manina
26. TASO/DJ SPINN/DJ RASHAD - Good Newz
27. Terrorrythmus - Car Park Rave