Sensing Antenna - Shakolin

To build a musical identity is not to simply choose a sound, but to find what was already yours and learn to trust it. For Shakolin, that process has unfolded across decades of digging, years as a resident at one of Ukraine's most respected clubs, and countless nights reading rooms, from Kyiv to stages far beyond it. His reputation as an exceptional selector is not just the result of taste alone, but of a long and deeply personal relationship with music, built on instinct, conviction, and the willingness to go further than most. We spoke with him about identity, intuition, and what it really takes to find your sound and keep it.

You've been playing for many years, but at some point you start being drawn to something more specific. Was there a moment that first made you think: this is the direction?

I think it’s rarely one clean “aha” moment. Usually, it’s more like a chain of small shocks that slowly narrow your focus. 

At first, when you start getting seriously into music, everything feels exciting because you react to it emotionally. And I think one of the most important feelings is that original sense of excitement and emotion that music gives you. Sometimes you suddenly come across something new and unexpected, and you feel that same spark again, almost like discovering music for the first time.

That’s probably the most beautiful thing about this world to me: it feels endless. There’s always somewhere deeper to go, always something that can surprise you, help you discover yourself, or connect you with other people. 

When you're surrounded by as much music as you are, how do you know what actually belongs to you and what is just something you admire from a distance? 

I think it’s probably both. Some records hit you instantly on a very instinctive level, almost physical, where you immediately feel that they belong somewhere in your world, even if you can’t fully explain why yet. But at the same time, taste is also something that gets shaped through years of listening, playing, digging, and slowly understanding yourself better. 

There’s a lot of music I deeply respect, but not everything feels personal. The records that really stay with you usually reveal something about your own emotional language, space, beauty, or chaos.

Looking back at the years when your identity was still forming, what did you actually do to develop it, and what do you think most young DJs get wrong when they're trying to find their sound?

Looking back, I think a big part of developing your identity is simply giving yourself enough time to absorb things deeply instead of constantly trying to define yourself too quickly.

And honestly, I still feel like it’s an endless process. I don’t always fully know who I am musically, and even now, when I’m going to play somewhere, I often don’t really know what the night is going to sound like beforehand. 

Of course, in some way I’m limited by my own musical knowledge and by the records I decided to bring with me, but even within those limits there’s still a mystery to it. That’s what makes it exciting for me. Every night can unfold differently depending on the space, the people, the energy, and your own state at that moment. 

I think a lot of young DJs feel pressure to become recognisable too fast. They try to create a finished identity before they’ve really had enough experiences to shape one. But for me, your sound is never completely fixed, it keeps evolving together with you.

Beyond the records, how did you figure out not just what you wanted to play but what kind of artist you wanted to be?

I think that took even longer than understanding what kind of music I wanted to play.

At some point you realise that being an artist is not only about records or technical skills, but also about the kind of energy you bring into a room, the experiences you create for people, and the values you carry through your work.

For me, a lot of it came from observing different scenes, different DJs, promoters, dancers, and realising what actually stayed with me emotionally after a night ended. Sometimes it wasn’t even the “perfect” set technically. It was honesty, risk, atmosphere, sensitivity, unpredictability, or the feeling that someone was truly present in the moment instead of performing an image of themselves. 

And honestly, I still don’t think I have a final answer. It keeps changing together with life itself…

Once you found something you recognised as yours, did you ever face pressure from bookers, promoters or crowds to play something more expected? And did you ever give in to that?

I think those situations exist for every DJ at some point. There are always expectations coming from promoters, crowds, trends, or even from the image people create around you over time.

But personally, I never really saw myself as an entertainer in the traditional sense. I see myself more as a guide. At least that’s how I feel about my role when I play. I’m not trying to constantly give people exactly what they expect or chase reactions every second. I’m more interested in creating a journey, tension, surprise, sometimes even discomfort… because I think those things can make a night feel more real and memorable. 

How do you know when you're genuinely evolving versus drifting away from what made you interesting in the first place?

I don’t think there’s ever a completely clear answer to that, and maybe that uncertainty is actually an important part of evolving.

Because if you repeat yourself forever just to preserve an identity people already recognize, eventually it stops being alive. But at the same time, changing only for the sake of change can also disconnect you from the things that originally felt honest and personal.

For me, the difference is usually emotional. Even if my sound changes, I still need to feel genuinely curious and emotionally connected to what I’m playing. That feeling is hard to fake. 

At a certain point a DJ's identity stops being just about what they play and starts being about what they build. How much of Delirious' sound is a direct extension of who you are?

I think Delirious is very much an extension of the way I see music and nightlife. But at the same time, I also don’t want Delirious to become only a reflection of me personally. 

With Delirious, I never wanted to build something that feels too functional or predictable. I’m much more interested in tension, contrast, sensuality, unpredictability, and that feeling of losing your sense of time… 

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