A sharp focus has been waved back towards the dubstep scene. Of course, there’s your household names like Skream, Benga, Mala, Coki and Kode9, to name a few, who have been pioneering the sound to greater heights for decades. However, a surge of new artists waving the flag for UK dubstep over the last few years is stronger than ever. One budding, rising, DJ and producer Jaz Imsky is definitely an artist to watch as 2026 unfolds. Initially known for blending a range of electronic styles, she has recently gained strong traction as a producer within the dubstep scene. A series of well-received SoundCloud releases last year — including ‘FM Allstars (Shot Caller)’, ‘Yin & Yang’ and ‘I Luv U’ – have helped her gritty 140 sound catch strong attention among dubstep DJs across the circuit.
With more music on the horizon, including a highly anticipated now released ‘Ego Death’ EP on her new, exciting, label Secret Sonic Shaman Society, the future for this young and forward-thinking producer is only gathering more momentum. Her dedication to execute her vision through this new label and project is admirable.
Highlights from the past year include going back-to-back with Sir Spyro on his BBC Radio 1Xtra show, as well as appearances on Rinse FM and a residency on Reprezent Radio. Joining the 23 Degrees roster undoubtedly shows a strong sign of intent moving forward. The Singapore-born artist has indisputably been one of the most talked-about dubstep artists of 2025.
Standout performances at major events and venues such as Boomtown Festival, Outlook Festival, Village Underground, and Gemfest have further cemented her rising reputation around the country – suggesting even bigger milestones could be on the horizon in the years to come. There’s no doubt that her clear, outstanding, work ethic and innovative, fresh, vision will take her very far in this game. With new projects in the pipeline, we needed to catch up with Jaz Imsky as she talked us through her early beginnings and future prospects.
What were your early inspirations?
When I was growing up my dad was listening to a lot of rock music, & my brothers also played guitar. Artists like Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd etc were big in my household. So I’m a big fan of that music still to this day. In terms of DJing, one of my older brothers Haris taught himself how to DJ and he’d play commercial stuff at house parties in Singapore and the UK. He was the first one to show me electronic music as a kid, introducing me to UKF, so he got me into the likes of Skrillex. I still remember listening to ‘Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites’; it was like seeing a new colour. I didn’t know music could sound like that. I just really fell in love with it all. Knife Party, Deadmau5 and artists like that were what I was blasting as an 11 year old, growing up.
How early on was this?
This was in primary school, so I was quite young. I know EDM can be frowned upon in the UK scene, but it was my way into the scene. Bear in mind I grew up in Singapore so I didn’t have the same underground scene exposure. My only real introduction was through mediums like UKF that shouted a wider scope of bass music. No one else in my class was listening to this type of music so It was a weird thing for me to do at the time. I was also playing piano and doing ballet so getting into the electronic sound was definitely a contrast. I was also listening to a lot of drum & bass and heavier bass music. When I moved over to the UK I was 11. I started listening to a lot of rap artists like A$AP ROCKY, Tyler the Creator and Odd Future. I still love that side of rap. When I was 16 I got back into my electronic music through the rave scene. It was events like Breaking Science 16+ events.
What was your experience of entering the rave scene?
I was going to raves at a time where I felt pretty lonely and isolated. But through meeting like-minded people there I fell in love with the culture of it all. Covid came about and the raving stopped. When I came out of lockdown I had started my journey as a DJ, but still going to loads of raves.
What made you want to get into DJing?
I was set on DJing when I was 16 after experiencing some great moments in the rave. I started doing it on my laptop for a little bit, then my brother gave me his decks to practice. During lockdown I really locked in to becoming as good as I could be. I was doing most of my networking online, just reaching out to brands about releasing guest mixes. Then when it lifted, I began getting bookings, so I took it more seriously and upgraded to some better equipment.
What was your approach to learning how to mix?
Just having fun, playing what I would want to hear in the rave. I class myself as always a raver first. I was watching a lot of videos on Youtube. Trial and error was something that was natural. My brother also gave me some tips as and when I needed them. My brother gave me his old DJ decks and I started my journey figuring out how to mix. He encouraged me and showed me the basics. Covid came about and initially was a real curveball to trying to get sets. But I used the lockdown to practice non-stop. If it wasn’t for lockdown I’m not sure if I’d be doing what I’m doing right now. I became so obsessed and dedicated to it. I was stuck in halls during lockdown but I was fortunate to be in sociable halls so I kept sane. I studied data science at UCL. But during this isolating period I was putting mixes and guestmixes out on soundcloud, for brands like House of Hi-Fi and Dazed.
What did the picture look like for you coming out of lockdown as a budding DJ?
When covid restrictions were lifted I was keen to jump on any opportunities to get behind the decks. In my second year of university I joined the radio Rare FM and electronic music society. I got invited to a livestream session, Bleached Club, which later introduced me to people including Akira who runs Buntai. Alongside going out more, to stuff like sit down raves at the old The Cause venue, I met a lot of new people that ended up being an important part of my journey. Corsica Studios was the first club I ever played at back in 2021. Years later, not too long ago, I played as support at MPH’s event at the same venue. I feel like I’ll always hold that venue dear to me. My first booking outside of university was with Modern Funktion in Shoreditch. My early warm-up club bookings were so crucial to getting to grips with the club set up. I really started out as a drum & bass DJ to be honest, then later into 170 jungley footwork type of stuff. Shout out to Samurai Breaks & Super Sonic Booty Bangers.
Nowadays people associate you with dubstep. Where did the crossover to dubstep come DJ wise?
My drum & bass and general 170bpm bookings lasted for a few years. I did try my hand at a few genres during this period like uk garage, breaks and dubstep. It was through Buntai where I started playing dubstep more. As we mentioned earlier, it was one of my first passions in electronic music, so being given the chance to push it as something I could perform was great. If my memory is correct, the first Bog Bristol event I did was for Zero’s Bangers Only takeover where myself and Akira played and the focus shifted to dubstep, not only for me but Buntai as a brand. We played a full dubstep set and the content surrounding it was getting a lot of reach. I was so excited because I really love playing the heavier darker stuff, I always felt like I had to hold back – but this was the moment it clicked. I was getting booked to play more dubstep. My first track I produced was a speed garage track, however the second drop was dubstep focused. I love the focus on the low end weight, for me it’s so much fun to create and play – so when I kept sharing content online and people enjoyed it, it kept affirming my need to do it. From then on, I decided to focus on producing dubstep. This all aligned nicely and brings us to today.
Let’s talk about Buntai and your relationship with the brand.
My relationship with Buntai started properly when I was a student marketeer for Red Bull. They asked me if there were any cool brands or parties that they should know about, to put together an event. I hit a few people up but Akira was the most committed and the event went really well. He invited me to play, and from then on I became a part of Buntai. I’ve got to shout out Akira and Mia so much. When I first met them, I’d only just gotten into the world of DJing and was just finding my feet. Having their backing means a lot. The friends and general community around Buntai is a special thing to me. I’ve met wonderful people, made amazing memories & received many opportunities from being a part of the brand. It’s allowed me to achieve things I might not have done at this stage of my career. There’s always been a mutual, professional reciprocation with projects over the years where we’ve helped each other out. I’m very lucky I found friends in Buntai and it’s a real comfort knowing they’ll support me through my career. The music, crowd and curations are so diverse, arguably one of the most diverse in the scene. I feel very seen and it’s a space where I feel like I belong.
How did your production journey start and do you have any advice for young budding producers?
I started in 2024. I was mostly self-taught to begin with. After DJing, it felt like the next step for me in terms of creative expression. I’d always wanted to know how to make music and just got going with it. I feel like you just have to go with it and be okay with things being not okay. No one ever starts making great tunes from the get go. There’s so many layers to it. If you do it because you really love it, you’ll push through it. As you start to make loads of tracks, you start figuring things out. It’s no secret the more you watch other people do it, whether that be on youtube or a friend, the easier it becomes to grasp certain concepts. You never know when you’ll make something that resonates with a lot of people. Your job as an artist is to create, not to judge. That’s for other people to do. You’ll make things that some people love and some people hate. Even tracks I’ve made that I’m not a big fan of, like the ‘Shot Caller’ flip, does way better than you think. That’s my best Soundcloud stream to date. I believe you’ve just got to share your art and stay true to what you’re trying to make. You’ll find your audience.
Who’s inspiring you as a producer at the moment?
My favourite producer is Djrum. I’ve never heard anything like his type of sound. His embodiment of spirit & emotion within his tracks are inspiring. I think that’s what makes a true artist. He’s got such a complex body of composition to his name. Being able to get real feeling and emotion behind sound is something that is very difficult. Sonically, Ivy Lab, EVA808 and Klinical are artists I really resonate with. I love that darker sound. Skrillex will always be one of my favourites. From day one he’s been someone I’ve looked to. I’ve got to include Cesco, Drone and Imanu. I love their style. And also Jai Paul & Bengal Sound.
And you’ve had some new releases come up.
Recently, I dropped ‘Magick’ with Duppy. It’s funny because I wrote this after a crazy crystal ball reading. I use it as a form of meditation. It was a really vivid experience, quite dark, but it led me to create the track in one sitting. I sent it to Duppy and he really liked it so decided to jump on it. Prior to that, I released an ethereal grime bass record with an artist called REESE called ‘Let Go Of Me’. It really merges my different influences. Both are released on my new label ‘Secret Sonic Shaman Society’.
Talk to me about your new label.
At its essence, ’Secret Sonic Shaman Society’ honours bass as vibrational healing, rave as ritual. As artists, we are conduits of energy. My mission is to understand & practise how to use music to elevate collective consciousness & create unity. Everything I create grows from this larger vision. I am intentional about what I create and why, from the sound to visuals. I thought I may as well release my work how I envisage it.
And the EP you’ve got coming out is called ‘Ego Death’, I’d love to hear more about this.
In a world where an overinflated ego drives today’s problems – war, greed, hate etc – ‘Ego Death’ is a call to return to the self. Inner change creates outer change. It frames destruction as a necessary stage in the cycle of creation – reflecting a universal process that extends beyond the individual into collective transformation. I represented this in the cover art by painting a Kali Ma – inspired piece. Each track takes you on a sonic, transformative journey, mirroring process. In order, you’ve got the first track ‘Roots’ which is the foundation. Then ‘Magick’ explores the unconscious, shadow self. With ‘Yin & Yang’ it explores divergence & duality. We go to ‘Butterfly Effect’, demonstrating the ripple into rebirth. I’ve got a really eerie interlude there with ‘Enter The Void’ before the final track ‘Ego Death’. I’ve sampled loads of things from my life which makes this very personal to me. It’s a practice of inner alchemy; I have to undergo my own creative ego death in order to become my highest self as an artist. From creating the music, even using my own vocals, to painting and learning touchdesigner to execute my vision – I forced myself out of my comfort zone for this. Although it’s anecdotal of my past, it’s also about my present and future self. I hope anyone who listens to this can feel this journey sonically.
I’m guessing you’ve got some exciting things in the pipeline.
Yes, definitely. I’ve begun working with Deep Medi which is a dream come true. I’m excited to be playing at Boomtown, Outlook Croatia and Thailand, Worried About Henry in Malta and Gemfest. I’ll also be playing in France for the first time for Chateau de Perche Festival this summer which is very exciting.
What’s it been like to be under 23 Degrees agency?
So far it’s been incredible. Big love to Tremayne and the team. I’ve always been picky agency-wise, but they’ve looked after me so well & already helped my artist development massively. Promoters shout tremayne@23degreesevents.com if you want me to tear up your rave. Management wise I’ve been working with John Brogan. He’s been a huge help in refining my millions of ideas, big shoutout to him too!
2026 has got off to a great start for you. Are there any shows that stand out?
Going back-to-back with Flava D & Skalah at Fabric in January was definitely a favourite. Not only are they such talented producers and DJs but also such great people. It was an honour to rep the incredible female talent in the scene alongside them. I played in Sweden not too long ago for a brand called Bangers & Mash. It was my first time ever going to Sweden, and the first time my mum came with me to a show. I absolutely loved the crowd, soundsystem was 10 out of 10 and the space, Kolgurvan, was wicked. Shoutout to everyone who made that happen.
Can you pick out your top 3 moments from 2025?
Definitely Boomtown. The set I did with Jolie P at the Sub Lab stage was a real highlight.You can catch us there again this year. The Buntai boat at Outlook Croatia was a really special moment too. Finally, playing at Warehouse Project back-to-back Urma for Sexy Lady Massive on the Nia Archives night was unreal too. Big up ‘Sexy Lady Massive’ everytime.
Favourite back-to-back’s over the years?
I’ve got to shout out Akira and Modula from Buntai. Those sets are always the most fun to play. Going back-to-back with Skalah and Flava D at Fabric was crazy too. Also back-to-back with Sir Spyro. Watching his tekkers is insane. I felt like I learned so much in that set duration.
Have you got any dream back-to-back’s you’d love to do one day?
Skrillex, Mala, Lou Nour and Hamdi. Legends.
