Why Arktoi May Be The World’s Next Superstar DJ
The world in our current cough recession cough is breeding another era of dance music, famous party scenes, and superstar DJ’s.
Artists like Tiesto, The Chainsmokers, and Zedd are considered multi-platinum EDM artists — better known as the largely boys club of Superstar DJ’s that have taken the reigns in big room electronic music production.
Zedd at Palm Tree Beach Club Opening Weekend, Las Vegas Nevada, May 2025, mixing for America’s ultra elite.
What is a Superstar DJ? A Superstar DJ is a DJ/EDM Producer who is an internationally known DJ, with topping charts in multiple countries concurrently. Sounds like a bygone era — well because it largely was, until now.
With the rise of more visibly Queer Women in music like Billie Eilish, Doechii, SOPHIE, and shygirl, we are brewing in the perfect storm of what could be the next era of festival headliners becoming largely queer icons.
The EDM scene has begun heating back up in the late 2010’s to 2020’s with the meteoric rise of EDC, Insomniac Events, and the fusion of genres honestly has created a potent mix for the next era of EDM, head thrashing hyperpop, phonk, DnB, and remnants of 90’s Happy Hardcore coming back.
The only thing this recession needs? The “blow-up” of the next superstar DJ, and I am going to tell you why DJ Arktoi is exactly it.
Arktoi mixing at the Foundry for Sapphic Pride, June 2025
DJ Arktoi (Pronounced Ark-Toy) electrifies clubs across America with modern beats, building up bangers with everything from jungle and nostalgic techno melodies, complete with vocals from a variety of well curated crowd bangers.
Cracking the code for club EDM is a difficult journey for many DJ’s, and is really what separates the successful Club DJ from the Wedding DJ — only a small number of Club DJ’s have that certain air when the decks are turned to them. The DJ who is meant for more than just the remixes and warmup sets; one who does not just mixes music but is the music.
The set DJ Arktoi performs is an equilibrium into the world of dance. This modern day DJ knows the vastly different but all equally popular genres so intimately that they can fuse them through melodies and beats of any era — and DJ Arktoi has further perfected this fusion of genre with what I call a Fibonacci Sequence-esc Set, building upon itself in momentum, hype, and production. Arktoi is an architect for what the next dance renaissance will look like across the world, and it potentially will spark from this Queer Mexican DJ who loves cats, posts dank memes, and has a forklift license.
Arktoi is not afraid to begins sets fast and intense, which is what the 20’s crowd is currently begging for. The stack continues to build, with expertly planned bridges sparse but graciously welcomed. Lyrical selection is vast, diverse, and is sure to continue to expand as Arktoi’s crate and repertoire grows as well.
Club music is evolving before our eyes, we saw COVID usher groundbreaking DJ’s raised by the music of the Internet, and with inspirations powering DJ Arktoi’s muse like Charlotte De Witte, Miss Bashful, and BTSS while also dipping into the world of Drum & Bass and Jungle is where the world’s sound is going next.
The world of DJ’ing is on the cusp of its next great renaissance, and you can feel it with Arktoi.
Arktoi is one of the first of this brand new generation of DJ’s and may very well be one of the best.
Arktoi at the QUEEN OUT Day Party, June 2025
The future is fused by what comes before us. The dedication to queer culture, genre, and detail this DJ has is absolutely unmatched; Arktoi can read a room, Arktoi can play to an empty hall, Arktoi will mix on their phone outside the bar.
I have really listened to EDM all my life — and I can tell you now that this DJ is a true student of the craft and is making something special.
We also must note the roaring success of SF Sapphic Pride, an event in which Arktoi co-founded with San Francisco DJ’s Mamasan and Mashallah. Arktoi has what it takes to go from club DJ to headliner and their set at Valentino Kahn’s Bay Area takeover, to building musical synergy in the queer community at events like QUEEN OUT, U-Haul, and Out & About has confirmed this.
Every single time Arktoi plays a set, no matter what time of day, there is ALWAYS more people on the dance floor at the end of the set than at the beginning.
If you are the first person on the floor for an Arktoi set, you will always walk out in a crowd.
Arktoi recently went on the Arktour in the Fall of 2025 where they played in Queer Hotspots like Chicago, New York, and San Diego. Sources say that music will be produced rather soon, and we hope to be some of the first to break those releases to you.
Today was 1015 Folsom, hoping tomorrow will be EDC, Ushuaia, and Las Vegas.
Katterhaus can’t wait to see where Arktoi goes on their journey, and we hope to bring you beats both musically and journalistically this 2026.
Want to Support Arktoi? Connect with them on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and Soundcloud.
Note: DJ Arktoi uses she/they pronouns and the pronouns are used interchangeably through this article.
Katterhaus is a publication by artist Kate Carlin that appreciates the extraordinary from the ordinary. From queer nightlife to niche hobbies to new places, KC is on an adventure to never stop creating, no matter what it may be.
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