Aya, is a UK-based experimental musician, producer, and performer whose work sits at the cutting edge of electronic music. Originally from Huddersfield and now based in London, aya first gained recognition under the alias LOFT before releasing her debut album im hole on Hyperdub in 2021, which was a fearless exploration of gender, trauma, and transformation. Her 2025 follow-up, hexed!, pushed even further into visceral territory – an intense, cathartic deep-dive into addiction, panic, and recovery, wrapped in fractured club rhythms and spectral noise.
But aya is not just a producer – she’s a performer in the truest sense. Her live sets are notorious for their raw energy, humour, and unpredictability. Combining high-concept ideas with DIY aesthetics, aya uses voice, electronics, and razor-sharp wit to blur the boundaries between performance art, rave, and stand-up comedy. Her shows can feel like a shared exorcism – funny, chaotic, sweaty, and emotionally charged. One moment she’s unleashing distorted beats that rattle your bones, the next she’s playfully dissecting cultural theory over a kick drum. There’s an intensity to her presence that makes each performance feel like a unique event, not just a set.
“The album roves, swarms, and stews like a mind starving for intensity, galloping along to the next high on bleeding legs. Deep in its mesmerising glut are some astonishing works of synthesis. Sound bristles, foams, bursts, and oozes, lashing its acid against Aya’s newly ferocious vocals.” – Pitchfork
