Kara Okay: Something real

Kara Okay has swiftly emerged as one of the most emotionally resonant voices in a new wave of electronic producers. Fusing the euphoria of '90s trance with rich piano melodies, heartfelt vocals, and gritty UK club textures, the Amsterdam-based artist creates tracks that don’t just move dance floors—they move people. With support from the likes of Peggy Gou, Job Jobse, DJ Heartstring, and Gerd Janson, Kara Okay is crafting a sound that feels at once nostalgic and entirely fresh.

His latest release, “Let Me Lose My Mind,” is a prime example: a bass-driven, UKG-influenced cut layered with his signature emotional intensity. But while the music often overflows with feeling, Kara Okay insists it’s not necessarily autobiographical—it’s about capturing a moment of energy, engineering joy, and creating a shared emotional space between artist and listener. That spontaneity and emotional authenticity have become his calling cards, resonating across clubs and festivals from Madrid to Antwerp to Westergasfabriek in Amsterdam.

In this rare and candid interview, Kara Okay opens up about the creative sparks that light his process, the unexpected turning points that shaped his path—including a knee injury that redirected his focus from kitesurfing to full-time producing—and the pivotal sets that affirmed his place in the global scene. He also reflects on the moments of personal connection that drive him forward, whether it’s hearing his own track dropped mid-set by Job Jobse or the quiet joy of opening Ableton on three hours of sleep while traveling between gigs.

Playful yet introspective, Kara Okay is an artist who never takes himself too seriously—but pours serious thought into every kick, melody, and vocal chop. With collaborations on the horizon and an eye toward a future album, his vision is expanding beyond the club. If there's one thread tying it all together, it’s the desire to build emotional bridges—between sounds, between scenes, and between people.

His productions often radiate warmth and emotional intensity, blending euphoric '90s trance with piano, vocals, and old-school textures. On a more personal level, he shares where do these emotional layers come from.

“For me, music is all about capturing attention, building tension, and then releasing it in a way that makes you feel something. That emotional intensity people pick up on, while producing, it’s not necessarily something I’m channeling from within, like a memory or a personal story. It’s more about creating something that sparks emotion, something I want to feel in the moment of making it”.

“If I catch myself smiling uncontrollably or dancing in my chair while looping a new idea, that’s the moment I know I’m onto something. So in that sense, it’s less about experience and more about expression—almost like engineering joy and energy. It’s a feedback loop: I build a track to feel something, and if I feel it, there’s a good chance someone else will too”.

“Let Me Lose My Mind” feels like a dancefloor release and a personal statement. Now that it’s out in the world, Kara reflects on where the track comes from and how it shows his creative self.

“I made Let Me Lose My Mind while I was on the road, traveling between gigs. The night before, the crowd reacted to some heavy UKG-influenced stuff, and that stuck with me. I wanted to take that raw, bass-heavy energy and fuse it with my sound. The vocal brings that uplifting, emotional vibe I’m known for, but the rest of the track leans darker and more rowdy—this tension between euphoria and grit just felt right.”

“Creatively, it reflects where I’m at right now: not just exploring heavier sounds, but constantly pulling in influences from all over the place. Whether it’s speed garage, hard house, progressive house, or something unexpected, I’m always trying to keep things evolving while staying true to the emotional thread that ties everything together.”

His music has been supported by some of the most respected and diverse names in the scene, from Peggy Gou and Job Jobse to DJ Heartstring and Gerd Janson. About this, Kara remembers the moment in time when one of his tracks was played by a major artist. A truly magical moment.

“It’s a moment I’ll never forget. I had shared a track with Benwal, and he played it at The Loft in Amsterdam—then sent me a video the next morning. Watching it at home on a quiet Sunday was surreal. He mentioned he’d passed the track on to some of his friends, including Job Jobse, which already felt like a huge compliment.”

“A few months later, I was at Lentekabinet as a visitor, ordering drinks at the bar, when I heard Job mixing in my track. I honestly was in denial for a few seconds, then started running back to my friends in the crowd. The whole moment is kind of a blur—other people in the crowd who knew the track were messaging me, and people around us were dancing. It was completely unexpected and extraordinary. Job and I had some brief contact afterward, and I’ve been sharing my music with him ever since.”

“It showed me how open and supportive the scene can be—from Benwal passing it along to Job giving smaller artists a platform. It assured me that people are genuinely in this for the love of music.”

Kara has been steadily releasing tracks and building momentum with each release. More so, collabs have become a space where he can explore creatively and have fun with fellow artists. About this, he shared:

“Every collaboration is different, and that’s something I enjoy—it keeps things fresh and pushes me in new directions. I have a collab coming up with Malugi that opened up a sound that feels super fun and almost radio-oriented—something a lot of people will connect with, I think. It’s a bit outside my usual lane, but in the best way.”

“On the other side, I’ve been working on more synth- and piano-driven tracks with artists like Sam Alfred, Kyle Starkey, Dart, and NewTone. Those tracks feel emotional and high-energy—I can already picture them thriving in festival and club settings. Each collab has brought something unique out of me, and together they feel like a real step forward in how I’m shaping my sound.”

Every artist has someone to admire or to look up to, in Kara´s case that person is “Spray”

“Technically, his productions are incredibly well-crafted—super crisp, detailed, and dynamic—but what impresses me is how much energy and drive they still carry, both in his tracks and his DJ sets. There’s a perfect balance between precision and feeling, which I admire. I also enjoy working with deeper, rolling, more proggy sounds from time to time, so I feel like we’d meet in a really interesting middle ground. A collab like that would be a dream.”

“He also has a more playful alter ego, Spriitzz, which shows how much personality and versatility he brings as an artist. Beyond making a great track, I’d love to just be in the room with someone like that—see how he approaches structure, groove, and sound design, and hopefully take away some creative insight that pushes me forward.”

PH: Puck Van Dijck

Touring often comes with highs and lows—adrenaline-filled nights followed by solitary travel, brief connections, and constant movement. Still, it is refreshing to hear that Kara gets so much energy from it and translates that creatively into some of the great tracks and projects we all enjoy from him

“I wouldn’t say I experience real lows on the road—it’s mostly just tiredness, to be honest. The travel can be draining, especially with my day job during the week, but I still find it energising overall. What keeps it exciting is the people—the openness from promoters, organisers, venue staff, and the crowd. Even if the interaction is brief, there’s often a genuine interest in my music that makes it all feel worthwhile.”

“I’m also really blessed that creating while traveling suits me so well. Even on very little sleep, I often get the urge to open Ableton and work on something. There’s something about being in motion, between places, that unlocks a different kind of creativity. And yeah, I’ve become a fan of the disco nap—often that quick rest before a late set makes all the difference.”

Out of all your live sets, some stand out in his memory not for the size of the crowd, but for the emotional connection he felt in the room. Sometimes there´s an energy you just can´t fake, especially the first time you play at places like Madrid or London.

“There are two sides to this for me. On one hand, some of the most special moments have come from playing in cities like Antwerp, Madrid, and London. These were my first gigs in each of those places, and seeing people connect with my tracks, so far from home, was honestly surreal. There’s something really powerful about realizing your music has reached people you’ve never met, in completely different corners of the scene.”

“On the other hand, playing in Amsterdam is always special to me. Recent shows at IJland, Levenslang, and Westergasfabriek have felt incredibly meaningful because so many friends and the team I work closely with were there. It’s not just a set—it becomes a shared moment with your close environment. In the end, it’s about connection, whether it’s across borders or right at home.”

The name 'Kara Okay' is playful, yet it stands out in a scene often dominated by minimalism or mystique.

“The name came to me on a bike ride home—one of those random thoughts that just stuck. A lot of my tracks are pretty vocal-heavy and melodic, almost like they’re made to be sung or shouted along to at a karaoke. I split the word and landed on this alter ego: Kara Okay. It felt playful without overexplaining itself.”

“Since then, a surprising number of people have told me they expected Kara Okay to be a somewhat older woman from the UK making these '90s dance anthems, which, honestly, sounds kind of iconic. I usually have to disappoint them by just being an ordinary Dutch guy.”

After suffering a knee injury, you took a step back from the physical side of life and leaned deeper into music.

“Before the injury, a lot of my focus was on sports—kite surfing specifically—it was a big part of my routine. When that suddenly stopped, I naturally shifted more into music. I re-discovered producing as something I could do anytime, every day, anywhere—just with headphones and my MacBook. That freedom stuck with me.

What surprised me was how quickly things could move. I could finish a demo in the morning, send it out that afternoon, and see videos of people playing it that weekend. Now I can test it out in a set later that week myself. That kind of instant feedback loop made it all exciting. Strangely, I’m happy it happened—it gave me a reason to fully dive into something I love and probably wouldn’t have explored as seriously otherwise.”

Looking toward the future…

“Looking beyond just releases and gigs, I’d love to work toward an album in the next few years—something with more variety in sound, genres, and collaborations. It feels like a natural next step and a chance to show different sides of what I do without always thinking in terms of club tracks.”

“I’ve also been getting more questions about how I make music, which has made me think about sharing more of that side. Similar to my brother, who works in music education, I’d love to do something for younger kids or aspiring producers one day. Before that, I might have to clean up my projects before anyone takes me seriously.”

What sets Kara apart is his ability to walk the tightrope between accessibility and depth. He makes music that works for dance floors, for late-night drives, for solitary listening sessions — yet it never panders. There’s a certain elegance in the way he builds tension and release, often with subtle gestures: a filtered vocal, a perfectly placed break, a bassline that holds back just enough to tease. He doesn’t scream for your attention — he earns it, and then holds it quietly.

Speaking with him, it’s clear his artistry isn’t performative. There’s no facade, no overly polished narrative. Kara Okay speaks like someone who’s still in love with the process, still curious about where the next idea might come from, still fueled by the kind of questions that make great music inevitable. It’s that inner fire — modest but steady — that gives his work its staying power. You don’t just hear it; you feel it, and then you want to return to it.

If this moment in his career signals anything, it’s that Kara Okay is playing a long game — and playing it well. He’s not just releasing tracks; he’s shaping an identity, one that doesn’t rush but resonates. And in a landscape that too often mistakes immediacy for impact, his slow-burning, soul-forward approach is not just refreshing — it’s essential.