Sound of the Belgian Underground 2025

After years of making waves at the iconic Ancienne Belgique, SOBU will now alternate annually between AB and the legendary Botanique, ensuring fresh energy and new perspectives with each edition. The 2025 edition of the Different Class festival will spotlight the finest of the Belgian underground, featuring electrifying live sets and DJ performances that will keep the energy pulsing into the early hours.

SOBU has earned its place as a cult favourite, offering a rare opportunity to experience a wide range of innovative artists in one night, all at an unbeatable price. This is the festival where you can discover tomorrow's talents before they blow up. The Wall of Fame includes acts none other than Loverman, ssaliva, Hiele, Chibi Ichigo, David Numwamu and Victor De Roo. 

With curators Bader Shashit (Yalla Worldwide) and Laura Conant (MONTAGE) taking the reins for the 2025 edition, SOBU continues to push boundaries, creating a space for artists and fans alike to explore new sonic landscapes. 

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Graphic Design by Laura Conant

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Laura Conant is a Brussels-based DJ, producer, designer, and developer whose work blends gender theory, technology, and sound. She co-founded MONTAGE, an experimental music label and event series focused on diversity and accessibility in electronic music. As a radio manager at LYL Brussels, Laura advocates for more inclusive line-ups. Her practice includes creating tools through coding to empower artists from the FLINTA* community. Since 2018, she’s also been part of Bye Bye Binary, a collective exploring gender-fluid typography and inclusive communication within the French language.

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Bader Shashit is a DJ, music producer, and filmmaker based in Ghent, whose work blends his cultural heritage, immersed in the sounds of Libyan Bedouin rhythms and Syrian classical music, with a passion for community empowerment. As a multidisciplinary artist and social-cultural worker for Voem vzw, Shashit amplifies voices through projects like Yalla Worldwide, which seeks to democratise nightlife. His work is grounded in creating platforms for communities to connect and express themselves and is committed to fostering authenticity, representation, and mutual support.

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<img class="editorial-image" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/61eebcc683107b99137f4423/672caba6c1df229c5dcda5e5_DC_SOBU_BADER%2BLAURA_low_35_favoH.avif"/>

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Sound of the Belgian Underground 2025 are:

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4nouki (live)

Based in Brussels, 4nouki produces an electronic project that combines experimental art-pop and ambient music. Her music reveals a dreamlike universe in which vaporous synth layers and field recordings mix with pop and melancholic sung melodies. 

<iframe width="100%" height="300" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/playlists/1711092291&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true&visual=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/olga_productions" title="Olga Productions" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Olga Productions</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/olga_productions/sets/4nouki-fallen-angel" title="4nouki – Fallen Angel" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">4nouki – Fallen Angel</a></div>

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Lilac Pavilion (live)

The work of Antwerp’s Lilac Pavilion explores the beauty in the mundane and the shifting meanings of existence. His latest album, A Shifting Presence, explores existential curiosity, blending fragmented noise with a clean, digital palette.

<iframe width="100%" height="300" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/playlists/1642947766&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true&visual=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/katharsislabel" title="katharsis" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">katharsis</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/katharsislabel/sets/lilac-pavilion-a-shifting-presence" title="Lilac Pavilion - A Shifting Presence" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Lilac Pavilion - A Shifting Presence</a></div>

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Sunchaser (live)

Sunchaser is a Brussels-based duo that combines shimmering, ethereal sounds, unconstrained by genre. Sunchaser’s music evokes a sense of dreamy exploration, chasing distant horizons.

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Birame (live)

Birame is an 18-year-old artist whose distinct musical identity is characterised by a unique blend, including electro-pop and R&B, with the occasional glimpse of jazz shining through. His lyrical inspirations often revolve around the concept of time and body, giving the songs a poetic nature. 

<iframe width="100%" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LNPJEiKGoZ4?si=HX1zKp2vSmyIrJrf" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>

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MartyrX (live)

martyrX is a duo formed by producers sadobsequeen (fka Obsequies) and o0ryxss4355. Monstrous hybridisation between hyperpop’s most noisy elements, experimental sound design and cloud rap, they create versatile pop songs with a taste for experimentation and extreme sounds. The project allows them to explore their first love for rock guitars and songwriting, fusing them into obsessive, forward-looking productions. They both challenge their artistry and give birth to shapeshifting music, frolicking freely between high-pitched vocals on contagious beats, and the coldest screamo intertwined with sound design bangers. Their debut release is scheduled for April 2025 on TTristana’s highly anticipated new label, Intimate Club Records. 

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OLGA (live)

OLGA escaped from a Lynch film and has since been creating electronic dark pop/punk in her bedroom. OLGA has become a specialist in the danceable identity crisis. Through synths and autotune, she now rediscovers who she is in this dystopian, earthly world.

<iframe width="100%" height="300" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/playlists/1677617901&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true&visual=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/zita-de-aguirre-7603402" title="OLGA" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">OLGA</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/zita-de-aguirre-7603402/sets/my-feet-are-wet" title="MY FEET ARE WET" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">MY FEET ARE WET</a></div>

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WE IN THE ZOO (live)

WE IN THE ZOO is a flow of sound, mémoires du monde, RAP discipline and a storm of feathers coming from Brussels, by poets JASMIN and SVDU.

<iframe width="100%" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VOiZH_iYmZc?si=Qov95deNBeBMT0Gy" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>

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Brainrot Cowboy (live)

Brainrot Cowboy is a Brussels-based experimental duo navigating through weird sounds, dizzy noises and dismembered rhythms. Embodying influences from noisy post-punk, experimental rock or dystopian electronic music, they articulate sonic pieces leaving space for improvisation.

<iframe width="100%" height="300" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/1926547808&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true&visual=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/kioskradio" title="Kiosk Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Kiosk Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/kioskradio/brainrot-cowboy-kiosk-radio-30" title="Brainrot Cowboy @ Kiosk Radio 30.09.2024" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Brainrot Cowboy @ Kiosk Radio 30.09.2024</a></div>

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Félicette (live)

Félicette is a project by Sam (Brorlab, fur knights, Kotskat). Originally created as a means to experiment with turntablism and sound, the project gradually evolved into more traditional singer-songwriter with folk elements. Somewhere between the ethereal atmosphere of Grouper, h hunt, and the noise of teen suicide. Live, Sam is assisted by Mathilde Luijten (I'm The Hug, Overlast) and Abel Ghekiere.

<iframe width="100%" height="300" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/playlists/1826287368&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true&visual=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/toverberg-collective" title="Toverberg" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Toverberg</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/toverberg-collective/sets/felicette-ep-2" title="Félicette - EP 1" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Félicette - EP 1</a></div>

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Kiche + Mich (live)

Kiche + Mich present their audiovisual show full of bouncy electronics and absurd abstract visuals. The duo explores eye and ear candy, working with sticky sounds, jumping beats, and skewed ‘n tickly images.

<iframe width="100%" height="300" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/1833121284&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true&visual=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/kioskradio" title="Kiosk Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Kiosk Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/kioskradio/kiche-kiosk-radio-29-05-2024" title="Kiche @ Kiosk Radio 29.05.2024" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Kiche @ Kiosk Radio 29.05.2024</a></div>

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Yalla Soundsystem with 5amaseen, Acid Ponch & Bader (live)

Yalla Worldwide brings its live sound system, featuring a collective of DJs and producers—Bader, Acid Ponch, and their friends—serving up an eclectic mix of rhythmic genres.

<iframe style="border: 0; width: 100%; height: 120px;" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/track=393155511/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/artwork=small/transparent=true/" seamless><a href="https://bader1.bandcamp.com/track/bader-x-alsharqi-bab-hadid">BADER X ALSHARQI - BAB HADID by BADER</a></iframe>

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echofarmer (live)

echofarmer (BE) is the alias of Brussels-based producer and musician Arne Nuyts. With a sound equally suited for clubs and headphones, Nuyts crafts enchanting miniverses. Rooted in off-kilter grooves and deep bass-lines, echofarmer fuses digital synths, acoustic instruments, and field recordings. Combining childlike joy with surgical precision, every live set is infectiously unique, all unified by his tactile approach to sound and relentless experimentation.

<iframe width="100%" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GG9tRUBOWiI?si=k3cPfafnj5CZK9B3" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>

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Forbidden Fruit (live)

Toon Janssens, the mastermind behind Forbidden Fruit, is renowned for his dynamic and fully improvised live sets that captivate dance floors across genres from Chicago Acid to Detroit Techno, and Italo Disco to Boogie Funk. Using iconic machines like the SH-101, TR-707, and JUNO-106, he crafts everything from scratch, bringing authentic old-school vibes to modern dance music.

<iframe width="100%" height="300" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/playlists/1691233911&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true&visual=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/forbiddenfruit87" title="Forbidden Fruit" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Forbidden Fruit</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/forbiddenfruit87/sets/we-are-various-radioshows" title="Forbidden Fruit Radioshows @ WAV Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Forbidden Fruit Radioshows @ WAV Radio</a></div>

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Stanislawa (DJ)

Living between Brussels and Amsterdam, she is well known for providing the crowd with her top-tier selected 90’s trance, sexy techno grooves and progressive house bangers. Founder of the queer party collective Deep Down East (2017), she also initiated 'Slava' a fund-raver for Ukraine, together with Veselka and Zaika collectives, and 'Rave Against Fascism' where she gathered many Belgian Flinta+ collectives. She strengthened her presence in the Belgian scene, gracing iconic venues such as Fuse, Decadance, Funke, Modul’air, Ancienne Belgique, Kompass and C12 where she works in the curation team.

<iframe width="100%" height="300" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/1837440234&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true&visual=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/stanislawa" title="STANISLAWA" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">STANISLAWA</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/stanislawa/stanislawa-operator-radio" title="Stanislawa @ Operator Radio 14.05.24" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Stanislawa @ Operator Radio 14.05.24</a></div>

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Holy Coco (DJ)

Holy Coco is a Brussels-based DJ and producer originally from Liège. As a resident DJ on Radio Vacarme and Lyl Radio and a regular contributor to Kiosk Radio, she is known for her unique approach to electronic music, with a special focus on amplifying the voices of FLINTA artists. 

<iframe width="100%" height="300" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/1934169110&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true&visual=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/gimic-radio" title="GIMIC" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">GIMIC</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/gimic-radio/holy-coco-gimic-12-october-2024" title="Holy Coco @ GIMIC - 12 October 2024" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Holy Coco @ GIMIC - 12 October 2024</a></div>

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Gomar (DJ)

Emerging from the heart of Brussels, GOMAR is a pioneering artist known for their relentless exploration of sound. Blending dancehall, reggaeton, Brazilian baile funk, and rave culture, their music defies boundaries and resonates with a diverse audience, a kaleidoscope of eclectic influences.

<iframe width="100%" height="300" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/1942153523&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true&visual=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/gimic-radio" title="GIMIC" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">GIMIC</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/gimic-radio/gomar-gimic-25-october-2024" title="Gomar @ GIMIC - 25 October 2024" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Gomar @ GIMIC - 25 October 2024</a></div>

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Xaxalxe (DJ)

Xaxalxe is a Brussels-based musician and DJ who played at Recyclart, HE4RTBROKEN, and Kiosk Radio in the past. Her DJ sets are a fusion of hard dance bangers, experimental electronic textures, and reworked pop anthems. She’s a musical explorer, always pushing the boundaries of sound.

<iframe width="100%" height="300" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/playlists/1851847734&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true&visual=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/xaxalxe" title="xaxalxe" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">xaxalxe</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/xaxalxe/sets/half-step-outside" title="half step outside" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">half step outside</a></div>

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Gucc Imane (DJ)

Molenbeek photographer and DJ Gucc Imane brings the underground scenes of Brussels and Paris to life with her electrifying mixes. Known for her signature blend of rap, trap, R&B, and dancehall, she balances hot and cool with every set. Her goal is simple: to evoke every emotion in her audience through diverse sounds.

<iframe width="100%" height="300" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/1970151631&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true&visual=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/kioskradio" title="Kiosk Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Kiosk Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/kioskradio/gucc-imane-femife-kiosk-radio" title="Gucc Imane &amp; Femifè @ Kiosk Radio 29.11.2024" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Gucc Imane &amp; Femifè @ Kiosk Radio 29.11.2024</a></div>

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Malo Z (DJ)

Malo Z is a Brussels-based DJ, heavily inspired by old-school club sounds from the 90s, balancing electrifying percussions and hypnotic melodies with a touch of trance.

<iframe width="100%" height="300" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/1936179263&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true&visual=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/malo-z" title="Malo Z" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Malo Z</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/malo-z/maloz" title="Malo Z ꩜ Horst Club" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Malo Z ꩜ Horst Club</a></div>

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<div class="editorial-banner"> <div class=“editorial-credits”> Buy your tickets here or become a Different Class member and get access for free. </div></div>