Abdul Raeva

A bond first formed around their love for oddball rhythms and energetic dance music, the pairing of Steffan Todorović and Joonas Arro under their Abdul Raeva alias has accounted for some of the most consistent no nonsense club bangers to emerge in recent years. Whether it’s shape-shifting psychedelia, spongy basslines or punchy grooves, fun is always the core element of their sound - never letting their egos get in the way of a good time.

Individually, both artists have left their mark on the scene in Northern Europe and further afield. Steffan first set up the pioneering Gestalt Records in 2018 right around the time he met Joonas at his workplace Sveta Baar - a performance venue and queer club where Steffan would end up DJing, with the two later becoming close friends through a shared love of electronic music. A few years previous, Joonas had already established himself as an experimental dreampunk artist under the name Rashida Prime, before going on to explore vaporwave, new age and industrial techno under the aliases Idol and Ray Faded. Joining forces together a year later as Abdul Raeva was the next natural step for the pair, with their strong DIY ethos creating the perfect hotbed for individuality and artistic expression.

Following their debut release on US imprint Dance All Day Records in mid 2020, the duo have gone from strength to strength with their signature driving club sound, featuring on key contemporary labels like Duality Trax, Echocentric Records and Mint Tea. Although fairly new to the scene, the pair have amassed a growing number of gigs across Europe, with their sound even bringing them as far as Central America. No strangers to hard graft, their recent successes haven’t stopped their unfaltering commitment to their own individual projects, with Steffan now running an additional three labels in the form of Hidden Assets, Coymix and Terrazzo, and Joonas recently completing a fifth studio album under his Rashida Prime guise.

Collectively the duo compliment each other's skill set and their focus has always firmly been on the music. In an age where social media reigns supreme, it’s Abdul Raeva’s authenticity that breaks the clouds with their passion for both supporting and creating timeless yet forward-thinking dance music.