AIDA ARKO

Aida Arko enters 2026 with a sharpened sense of purpose and a sound that no longer hesitates. After years of evolution across scenes, cities, and identities, she now stands firmly rooted in complex dance, channeling high-impact energy, emotional intensity, and a renewed creative confidence. Her recent output reflects this clarity, from club-ready reworks to narrative-driven originals that aim squarely at peak-time dancefloors.

Based in Ibiza, Arko’s current chapter is defined by movement and control. The launch of her own label, Ark Angel, marks a decisive step toward complete artistic independence, while projects like her acid rework of “Feels Like a G6” and the forthcoming TechnoGermany EP underline her ability to fuse nostalgia, tension, and scale. What emerges is an artist shaping not just tracks but a cohesive world, one in which sound, place, and intention are deeply intertwined.

How are you stepping into 2026, both creatively and personally?

Right now, I feel a stronger sense of identity than ever after years in this industry. I’m clearly representing a particular sound, and my current direction sits firmly in the hard dance space. I have many releases aligned with this new chapter, including collaborations, remixes, and reworks that I’m genuinely excited to share with my audience.

The launch of my label, Ark Angel, also marks an essential step in my creative journey. It gives me complete artistic control over my vision and allows me to present my music exactly as I intend.

You’ve just released a free download, your acid edit of “Feels Like a G6”. What initially drew you to this track, and what did you want to reinterpret or reclaim by reshaping it through an acid and club-focused lens?

It’s such a classic track, and the vocals were looping in my head for a long time. At some point, I just felt I had to re-edit it for my sets. When I began playing it out, the reaction from people was fantastic, and that’s what made me decide to finally share it publicly as a free download.

Your edit transforms a mainstream pop anthem into something raw and club-driven. How do nostalgia and acid aesthetics function in your sound, and why do you think this tension resonates so strongly on the dancefloor right now?

Nostalgia and acid both create strong emotional reactions, but they do it in different ways. Nostalgia connects people to memory, while acid brings tension, movement, and a timeless club energy that also links back to classic sounds like the original lyrics. For me, they complement each other perfectly.

You’ve envisioned presenting this release through an Ibiza-based visual narrative. What does Ibiza represent for you creatively, and why did this feel like the right setting to introduce the edit?

Ibiza is not just a backdrop for me; it’s part of my everyday life and my creative identity at the moment. Living here has deeply influenced how I think, how I feel, and how I create. Many of my recent ideas are inspired by the island's spirit.

Presenting the edit through an Ibiza-based visual felt organic because it reflects where I actually am in my life right now. It’s real, not staged. I want to represent Ibiza beyond clichés and show it as a place of inspiration, beauty, movement, light, and contrast. From nature and landscapes to the rhythm of daily life, the island shapes artistic expression in subtle but powerful ways.

Alongside this release, you’re announcing the launch of your new label, Ark Angel. What motivated you to start your own imprint at this point in your journey?

Starting Ark Angel came from the need for creative independence. It is the right time in my journey to take full ownership of my artistic direction and also to support younger artists whose music I truly believe in.

What does running your own label give you that releasing music elsewhere does not? How hands-on do you plan to be as it develops?

For me, it’s essential to create music that I actually play in my own sets and that truly represents me as a DJ. I want my productions to feel like highlights in my sets, not just tracks that exist separately.

Running my own label gives me the freedom to focus entirely on it without compromising release schedules or creative vision. Right now, I’m focused on big dancefloor and festival energy, strong melodies, and impactful moments, while keeping things stripped down, direct, and driven by euphoric vocals.

I’m moving deeper into a harder dance direction, and having my own label allows me to follow that path fully. I plan to stay very hands-on with Ark Angel because it’s an extension of my artistic identity.

You have several projects lined up this year, including the TechnoGermany EP. What story are you exploring through this release?

The TechnoGermany EP represents a particular vision for me. It’s a four-track project designed like short episodes that together form a bigger story. The narrative is about awakening, finding the will to act, and turning the light on in a dark room. It reflects a personal shift I went through over the past year and the clarity that followed.

Sonically, the EP is intentionally diverse. It blends the techno I love with trance influences, big room and EDM elements, groove, bounce, and emotional intensity. I collaborated closely with talented vocalists, writing and composing together, so each track carries a strong message beyond just the sound. This EP feels like a novel rather than a collection of tracks.

How do your upcoming releases differ from your earlier work?

My sound is becoming more focused and more recognizable. Compared to my earlier work, I’m leaning much more into considerable dancefloor energy, higher tempos, grooves, and bolder melodic elements. It almost feels like a ritual, music that pulls you forward toward purpose.

I’m drawn to creating tracks that generate momentum and impact. The direction is clearly moving toward complex dance. It feels more confident, more captivating, and constantly evolving.

You’ve spoken about presenting Ibiza through your own lens. What side of the island do you feel is often overlooked?

Ibiza is often seen only through the lens of parties and nightlife. While its electronic music history and iconic clubs are significant, the island offers so much more.

There’s a very special energy here, a sense of freedom, wildness, deep blue water, intense summer sun, and a way of living by the sea that genuinely changes you. Ibiza connects people. It encourages spending time together and celebrates Mediterranean traditions like long dinners, generous seafood, community care, and togetherness. I’d love to show that side of the island and everything it has to offer creatively and emotionally.

When people look back at this period of your career, what do you hope they recognize as the defining elements of your world?

I was born in Iran and grew up there until my teenage years. After that, I became a world refugee, living and traveling through many different places. The biggest lesson I learned from that life is about playing the long game and understanding that everywhere can be home.

That principle shapes my vision for electronic music. I’m always curious. I know what I want, but I’m not attached to outcomes. My artist profile comes from that place, from my heart and my vision, and that’s what I hope people will recognize when they look back at this chapter.

With Ark Angel now in motion and a run of releases that point firmly toward more complex, more purposeful territory, Aida Arko’s current phase feels less like a transition and more like a statement. Her music is no longer searching for direction; it’s asserting one, built around clarity, scale, and emotional impact.

What defines this chapter is not just sound, but intention. From Ibiza’s influence to her narrative-driven productions, Arko is shaping a world that reflects lived experience rather than abstraction. As 2026 unfolds, her work suggests an artist fully in control of her language, her platforms, and her long-term vision, confident enough to let the music speak at full volume.