While recharging at her home in Lugano after a long and intense tour, and enjoying some quieter moments surrounded by the beauty outside her window, we caught up with DJ and producer Jowi. And trust us — with this whirlwind of energy, there is a lot to talk about.
Let’s start with the music. Jowi has just released her new solo track ‘Submerged’ on KRAWALL Records, the label she co-founded with Jazzy and Zatox. Blending hard techno with gabber influences, the track carries the kind of energy that is hard to resist.
KRAWALL, which in German roughly means “to cause an uproar“, perfectly reflects the intensity of her sound. But for Jowi, it also represents something positive. “I think KRAWALL can also represent something positive: being loud, taking up space, expressing yourself, and creating energy,” she tells us in our interview.
Because for Jowi, music has always been about more than just making noise.
We also spoke with her about creating space for different emotions and ideas through her label, why she prefers a more “go with the flow” approach when producing, and her desire to create a sense of “we” through music.
Photography by Stela Alusi and Styling by Sophie Eilenberger
and courtesy of press
Hello Jowi, it’s so nice to talk to you! Where are you right now and how are you? (smiles)
I’m doing really well, thank you. For the first time after a very long and intense tour throughout May, I finally have some time to recover and recharge.
Right now, I’m at home in Lugano, enjoying being home for a little while before things get really busy again in July and August. During the summer I’m barely home, so I really appreciate these quieter moments.
At the moment, I’m sitting here looking out at the mountains from my window. We have a summer thunderstorm passing through, and it’s absolutely beautiful. Being surrounded by nature always helps me slow down and reconnect with myself. What’s also amazing I have finally some time to work and answer the interview (laughs), some time to produce music, and most importantly, some time to simply enjoy being home.
Congratulations on your single release ‚FILTH’! What new upcoming releases do you have planned?
Thank you so much, ‘Filth’ is close to hit 1 million streams soon, we are very proud of this track! Actually, just a few days ago I released a new solo track called ‘Submerged’ on Krawall Records. It’s a hard techno track with some gabber elements and it came out last Friday. I’m really proud of it and very happy with how it turned out.
As for what’s coming next, I have a lot of unreleased music waiting in the background. There are several tracks and some exciting collaborations that are just waiting to find their way into the world.
There will definitely be more music coming soon, though. I can already say that at least one more track will be released this summer. I’m not going to reveal which one yet though, let me surprise you.
Filth marked the launch of your label KRAWALL Records together with Jazzy in October 2025. What kind of home do you want this label to be — musically and emotionally?
I think KRAWALL is a home for artists who push dance music into a harder direction, regardless of genre. For us, “hard” isn’t limited to Industrial, Hardcore, Rawstyle, or any specific sound. It can take many different forms, and that’s exactly what makes it exciting.
Emotionally, we want the label to be as diverse as possible. We’ve already released tracks that range from euphoric, high-energy records to darker and more experimental sounds. Rather than focusing on one style, we’re interested in creating space for different emotions, ideas, and creative approaches.
At its core, KRAWALL is about artistic freedom. We don’t want to put artists into boxes or tell them what they can and cannot create. Instead, we want to give them a platform where they can fully express themselves and, in turn, take listeners on a journey through many different emotions.
“At its core, KRAWALL is about artistic freedom.”
KRAWALL in German means something like “to cause an uproar.” Do you also intend to stir things up in that sense — or do you sometimes feel that in today’s world it might be better to keep things quieter?
We spent a long time thinking about the name KRAWALL and went through a lot of brainstorming before we settled on it. For all three of us Zatox, Jazzy, and myself it felt like the perfect fit.
And yes, the idea of “causing an uproar” was definitely part of the meaning. But not in a negative or destructive way. I think KRAWALL can also represent something positive: being loud, taking up space, expressing yourself, and creating energy.
If you’ve ever seen us perform, you know that we bring a lot of intensity to the stage. Our music can be aggressive and powerful at times, but that’s very different from promoting aggression itself. For us, the name reflects the strength and impact of the music we want to share with people.
So, in that sense, KRAWALL is exactly what it was meant to be a statement, an energy, and a celebration of harder music.
On Soundcloud you’ve uploaded a Groove-Set, you have been playing Boshka b2b’s with the Dutch artist Boery, there’s a f2f planned with Hardcore-Legend Mad Dog and you are known yourself for hard industrial productions. How did you develop such diversity and where do you draw your creativity from?
That’s exactly my intention. I don’t want to put myself into any fixed category or box. I’m actually moving a bit away from ONLY the very hard industrial sound I was strongly associated with before. When I play a closing set, I would go hard but I am enjoying more to mix a lot of different music and keep tension in my set instead of going really hard from the beginning.
This year there are a lot of exciting B2Bs coming up that really show my versatility. I’ll be playing again with Boery, Ush, Yoshiko, Negitiv, Dyen, Toxic Machinery, Natte Vistick and many more which will be an interesting contrast.
I also love exploring unexpected combinations. There are discussions about doing a F2F set that blends bounce influences with gabber elements which excites me a lot creatively.
I already played a F2F set with Mad Dog, which was an amazing experience it really clicked. We covered so many genres in just two hours, and there was a very natural flow between us. We both felt it should definitely happen again.
In general, that’s been a pattern (laughs), like every B2B I’ve done so far has felt so good that we’ve talked about repeating it.
“I give energy, and I get it right back from the people in front of me.”
Do you see yourself more as a DJ who also produces, or as a producer who DJs? (smiles)
That’s honestly a difficult question for me, because looking at how I started, I would definitely say I began more as a DJ. Interestingly, I had Ableton on my computer for a long time without really using it. I kept starting and stopping, never fully committing. At some point, everything clicked when I downloaded FL Studio. It just felt more intuitive to me, and from there, producing became fun.
So, if I look back, I was definitely more of a DJ in the beginning. Today, I would say it’s much more fifty-fifty.
Both sides still give me a lot of joy, but in different ways. Producing is something that constantly expands my horizon musically. It pushes me creatively and helps me grow a lot. On the other hand, I know the DJ setup, CDJs, and mixers inside out, and I still love performing and reading a crowd.
At the moment, I find producing slightly more interesting in terms of creative development. But in terms of DJ especially B2Bs and playing different genres keeps things exciting in a completely different way.
Producing is a very personal process. Do you have routine you follow in the process of producing or do you „go with the flow“?
It really depends, but I wouldn’t say I follow a fixed routine anymore. I’ve tried having routines in the past, but I often ended up overthinking things, getting stuck on vocals or spending too much time perfecting something. At some point I realized it was holding me back more than helping me.
Now I usually start with whatever inspires me in the moment. So, I would say I’m more in the “go with the flow” team.
Whenever people talk about you, they mention your aim of creating a sense of “We” through sound. So, what does “We” mean for you personally?
For me, what I mean by a sense of “We” is very simple. I really enjoy going into the crowd and actually meeting people. A lot of the time, when I walk through the venue, people ask for photos which is totally fine and something I appreciate. But I also wish there was more space for real conversations, asking how people are doing, sharing a drink, and just getting to know each other a bit more.
I’ve had moments like that already, and I really value them. I don’t see myself as being above the crowd or more important than anyone there. If anything, I try to stay as connected as possible whether it’s with other DJs or with the people dancing in front of me.
At the end of the day, we’re all there for the same reason and that’s the music we love. And I think we should look out for each other and being human with each other. I genuinely feel like I have a beautiful community around me, and every weekend I meet people I could easily see becoming friends. That’s really what the “We” means to me.
“I’ve tried having routines in the past, but I often ended up overthinking things,… now I’m more in the “go with the flow” team.”
Scrolling through your Instagram, I really love the energy you share there. What do you do on days when that energy just isn’t there?
Honestly, that almost doesn’t exist for me (laughs),. I can’t really remember a gig where I didn’t have energy.
Even after sleepless nights or complicated travel schedules, I might feel tired before the show but as soon as I step on stage and see the crowd, everything changes. The energy of the people just gives it straight back to me.
I don’t really know where it comes from. It feels a bit like something magical. Sometimes I’m surprised myself how I can be exhausted, barely have slept, and still feel completely present the moment the music starts. It’s a beautiful exchange. I give energy, and I get it right back from the people in front of me.
What’s a feeling you haven’t yet managed to capture in a track — but would love to one day?
‘I Love You’ was already a very emotional track for me, especially with the arpeggios I used for the track I hit the emotional direction. Back then, I was trying to capture something heartfelt, and at that time it felt completely right. I didn’t have the same level of production knowledge I have now, but I was still proud of what it expressed.
Now I feel like I want to take that idea even further. I’m really interested in creating a synth that truly gets under your skin, that kind of sound that gives you goosebumps in a very beautiful way.
“I think we should look out for each other and being human with each other.”
And finally: for you, what is the most important thing in life?
I think the most important thing in life is to be happy.
I got this idea from Jazzy she always used to ask people whether they are happy, and I always thought that was such a beautiful question. Of course, health is incredibly important as well, and I think the two are very closely connected. It’s hard to be truly happy without being healthy, and in many ways, they influence each other.
Follow Jowi for more:
www.instagram.com/jowijane
