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"The mix isn’t made to soundtrack the ride itself," she says, "but it ìs about motion. About building a journey from different phases, energies, and genres. That’s basically how I’ve always seen Horst."

She put the tracklist together by going through every Horst line-up since the beginning, selecting tracks that held a personal emotional resonance. "There’s some deep, minimal, housey stuff in there, but also more dubbed-out grooves and even some more broken percussion rhythms; basically everything I’ve always loved to play. I felt a strong urge to start from some of the sounds that got me into electronic music in the first place. Artists like Flako, Floating Points, early Hessle Audio stuff, and that dubstep-house crossover records from around 2005 were the starting point for this mix, which turned out to be a personal tribute set to my Horst history".

The mix also includes a lot of music that defies genre. "For me, it’s always about groove and soulfulness. That’s the red thread in literally every set I play. I’m drawn to tracks that are timeless and don’t fit neatly into one box. That’s what I wanted to reflect: music that reminds me of Horst, not just for how it sounds, but how it feels." Listen to the mix here:
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"I’m drawn to tracks that are timeless and don’t fit neatly into one box. That’s what I wanted to reflect: music that reminds me of Horst, not just for how it sounds, but how it feels."
_{— AliA}

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Growing (up) with Horst

AliA’s involvement with Horst didn’t start behind the decks. "I was a visitor before I was a DJ," she says. "I remember paying 13 euros for a day ticket back in Holsbeek. That was right around the time I started digging for music and figuring out what I liked. And it just so happened that the artists playing Horst in those early years were exactly the ones I was drawn to."

That early connection shaped her as an artist. "I was triggered by the idea of discovering new artists. I'd come home from the festival and immediately start digging into the names I'd just seen live. Horst really had an educational side for me. It wasn’t just partying. It was about learning."

She started playing at the festival in 2018, and has returned nearly every single year since. In that time, she’s watched Horst evolve substantially. "Of course it’s grown – more stages, more people, a wider reach. But the essence hasn’t changed. It’s still built around community. A very close-knit one. I grew up in Leuven, just like the founding team, so I felt welcomed from day one. There’s an openness at Horst that makes you feel like you’re part of something."

That sense of trust has been crucial. "Horst has always supported me in showing all the different sides of what I do. I’ve played openings, peak time, closings, and every kind of slot in between. I’ve followed or preceded artists from completely different musical universes, and it always felt natural. That's pretty unique, because not every promoter understands the kind of range I bring."

She also reflects on how the crowd has changed. "The first time I played was on a hidden stage in the forest, built on scaffolding. Back then the crowd in a way felt more ‘uniform’ – but maybe I was just too young to really see the nuance. Now, each stage has its own loyal following. Soleil Rouge draws the apero lovers. ‘The pit’ is for the younger ravers who go bonkers on high energy all day long. Moon Ra is for dancers seeking intimacy. And the new Garage is for the heads. What’s so special is that Horst brings all these different groups together without losing the true Horst spirit. And I think that’s beautiful.”

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"Of course it’s grown – more stages, more people, a wider reach. But the essence hasn’t changed. It’s still built around community. A very close-knit one."

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With that change also came the new Horst Club, another important chapter in her story. She speaks about the space with genuine love. “I used to travel to other cities just to see certain artists play,” she says. “And I’d always end up discovering clubs that had invested so much in their sound system and atmosphere. That made a big impression on me. Being able to hear some of my favourite artists play in those places - clubs like De School or Open Ground - really shaped the way I think about DJing.”

She sees Horst Club as part of that lineage. “It’s one of the few places in Belgium that brings that level of care and intentionality. The team clearly understands club culture. You feel it in every room. And even if you need a break, there’s space for that too. It’s safe, it’s generous.”

“Additionally", she continues, "locals don’t just get the opening slots, they get time and space to play longer sets and really develop their sound. There’s a healthy balance between international guests and homegrown artists. And everyone’s treated equally. That’s crucial if you want to grow.

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Core Memories

Among the many times she’s played at Horst, a few moments stand out. "One of the most special was 2022, when I played the Bodies in Alliance stage right before Mala and Coki. That moment changed a lot for me. I was insanely nervous, but it ended up opening doors. Mala started booking me for his own parties afterwards – which is surreal, because he’s always been a big inspiration. I grew up with his music. I caught the tail end of the dub and drum & bass revival in 2014, and it shaped me massively as a DJ. Mala is a true originator. That set was one of those moments where everything came together. It’s still one of my most treasured memories."

Another pivotal moment happened even earlier. "Back in the day, one of Horst’s programmers would sometimes ask me to grab coffee and talk about music. During one of those chats, I suggested booking Sherelle – this was before her breakout. They took the suggestion seriously, booked her for the first edition at Asiat in 2019, and I got to open for her. That was a huge moment of trust. It gave me confidence in my instincts as a curator and programmer. I realised I really love that side of the work too, and I still have a profound love for curating myself up to this day."

Even as a teenager, Horst left a mark. “Being able to see selectors like Shy One, Mr. Scruff, Gilles Peterson and others really opened my eyes. It helped me understand how powerful it is to move between genres in a single set without losing coherence. Watching those kinds of artists made me feel comfortable embracing my own broad taste in music. It was reassuring and inspiring to see that versatility isn’t a weakness, it’s a strength.”

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"Being able to see selectors like Shy One, Mr. Scruff, Gilles Peterson and others really opened my eyes. It helped me understand how powerful it is to move between genres in a single set without losing coherence".

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The road ahead

This year, AliA plays back-to-back with UK artist Mia Koden at the Weaving Weeds stage (formerly known as Rotunda or Vesshcell, lovingly nicknamed 'The Pit' by many). Their approach? Pure instinct. "I almost never prep too much for a b2b. It's stressful, but it keeps things alive. Mia and I don’t live in the same country, and she tours a lot. So we trust the moment." Their connection goes back a while. "I booked her for Funke last year and that turned out to be an amazing night. I knew her from her Sicaria Sound days, but I only found out later she went solo to expand beyond dubstep. Her first EP blew me away. She’s one of the few in the-nowadays sometimes generic and uninspired-bass scene who really brings depth and originality."

"She knows so much – from jazz and dub to reggae and soul. You hear that in everything she does. That’s what convinced me to do this b2b. She gets the history. She’s not stuck in a lane." AliA has become known for that unpredictability. Her unforgettable set on New Year's Eve in the new Horst Club stands as proof. "I remember playing this super weird latin jazz track at 8:30 in the morning, to close the night. Everyone was confused, but I loved it. I didn’t want to stop playing, and I thought: fuck it, let’s go full mindfuck."

Reflecting on her trajectory, she feels deep gratitude. "I’m so thankful Horst has always trusted me to be myself. They’ve seen and respected my musical identity since day one. Not every festival gives you that kind of freedom." And after this year’s b2b? "Who knows. Maybe next year I’ll end up opening the festival with ambient on a floating stage. Or playing jazz on the back of a moving bike. It’s Horst. Anything’s possible."

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AliA will be soundtracking the Peloton on the first festival day, Thursday May 1st.
The Horst Peloton is made possible thanks to the generous support of our partner Bosch eBike Systems.

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