Raised between cultures and surrounded by her father's eclectic record collection, Indira Paganotto has transformed her love of psychedelic music into a distinctive artistic identity. From Madrid's underground clubs to Tomorrowland, Coachella and Ibiza, the Spanish-Italian DJ and producer is bringing her vision of techno to an international audience through ARTCORE.
The first thing that strikes you about Indira Paganotto is the energy. Whether she is performing in an intimate club or commanding the attention of thousands of festivalgoers, the Spanish-Italian DJ approaches the dancefloor with an intensity that has become inseparable from her musical identity. Her sets are fast, hypnotic and unpredictable, moving between driving techno, acid-infused sequences and the psychedelic textures of psytrance, yet underneath that powerful sound lies an unusually personal story of musical discovery.
Long before she became known as the “Psymama”, Paganotto was a young music enthusiast growing up in the Canary Islands, surrounded by records that introduced her to a world far beyond conventional dance music. Her father's passion for DJing and his diverse musical collection exposed her to disco, jazz, acid house and Goa music, creating a foundation that would eventually influence her own approach to production and performance.
Today, those early influences remain at the heart of her sound. Rather than treating techno and psytrance as separate musical worlds, Paganotto has developed a distinctive fusion of the two, building a career around the freedom to experiment and an instinctive connection with her audience. Through her ARTCORE label, international performances and major Ibiza residencies, she has also expanded that personal vision into a creative platform for other artists.
Her journey, however, is not simply a story of moving from underground clubs to major festival stages. It is about an artist who found a way to turn an unconventional musical upbringing into something immediately recognisable, without losing the influences that made her different in the first place.
In this article:
• Italian Roots, the Canary Islands and a Childhood Surrounded by Music
• From Madrid's Underground to Her Own Musical Identity
• Psytechno: The Sound That Defines Indira Paganotto
• ARTCORE: Building a Musical Identity Beyond the DJ Booth
• Tomorrowland, Coachella and Ibiza: The International Breakthrough
• Beyond Psytechno: Collaborations and Artistic Evolution
• The Story of an Artist Who Followed Her Own Sound
Italian Roots, the Canary Islands and a Childhood Surrounded by Music
To understand Indira Paganotto's music, it is worth looking beyond the clubs and festivals where she performs today and returning to the environment in which her musical curiosity first developed. Born in 1992 and raised in the Canary Islands, the artist grew up with a strong connection to both Spanish and Italian culture, a dual heritage that remains part of her personal story. Her Italian family roots can be traced to Pianico, a small municipality in the province of Bergamo, a connection explored by local newspaper BergamoNews in July 2025.
Music was already a central presence in the Paganotto household. Her father, who had worked as a DJ during the 1980s, owned an extensive record collection that introduced her to an eclectic range of sounds, from disco and jazz to acid house and the psychedelic rhythms of Goa. Rather than discovering electronic music through a single genre or scene, Indira grew up absorbing influences that would eventually become fundamental to her own artistic language.
Goa music, in particular, left a lasting impression on her. Its hypnotic structures, psychedelic melodies and immersive arrangements offered a different understanding of what electronic music could achieve, extending beyond the straightforward relationship between rhythm and movement. At the same time, the warmth of disco, the improvisational character of jazz and the raw energy of acid house contributed to an unusually broad musical education.
These early experiences help explain why Paganotto's productions and DJ sets have never been confined to a single interpretation of techno. Her music brings together influences that might initially seem distant from one another, but which share an ability to create atmosphere, tension and emotional release. What would later become her signature sound was already taking shape through the records she listened to as a child.
Her father's influence also extended beyond the music itself. Growing up around someone who understood DJing as both an artistic practice and a means of connecting with people gave Paganotto an early appreciation of the relationship between a selector and an audience, something that would become increasingly important as she began developing her own career.
Years later, the sounds of her childhood would find a new life on the world's electronic music stages, providing the foundation for an identity that remains deeply connected to her family history.
From Madrid's Underground to Her Own Musical Identity
Before the international festival appearances and major club residencies, Paganotto's career developed through the more intimate environments of the Spanish electronic music scene, where she gradually refined her musical direction and gained experience as a performer. Madrid played an important role in that process, providing opportunities to explore underground electronic music while developing the skills and confidence necessary to establish herself behind the decks.
Her early approach was considerably broader than the sound with which she is now associated. Drawing from house, disco and techno, she experimented with different musical styles rather than immediately committing to the fast, psychedelic direction that would eventually distinguish her from many of her contemporaries. That period of exploration allowed her to understand how different rhythms and arrangements could influence a dancefloor, while also giving her the freedom to discover which elements felt most natural to her.
As her experience grew, so did her determination to create a musical identity that reflected her personal influences rather than simply following the expectations of a particular scene. Incorporating psytrance into techno was not always an obvious choice, especially within environments where the boundaries between genres could be rigid. In interviews, Paganotto has discussed the challenges she encountered during her development, including resistance to her musical approach and the difficulties of establishing herself within the industry.
Nevertheless, she continued to pursue the sounds that interested her, gradually bringing together the hypnotic foundations of techno and the psychedelic energy that had fascinated her since childhood. What initially appeared to be an unconventional combination became increasingly central to her performances, giving her sets a character that audiences could recognise.
Her growing reputation eventually brought her into contact with established figures in international electronic music. Among the most significant was Charlotte de Witte, whose support provided opportunities for Paganotto to appear at KNTXT events and introduce her sound to audiences beyond Spain. Performing within that environment helped expand her international visibility while allowing her to maintain the musical identity she had developed through years of experimentation.
As her career moved into larger venues and international line-ups, Paganotto continued to embrace the same eclectic approach that had shaped her early years. Rather than abandoning her underground influences in favour of a more conventional festival sound, she began adapting them to increasingly diverse audiences, developing a style that could retain its hypnotic intensity while delivering the energy required by major electronic music stages.
That balance between personal expression and dancefloor impact would eventually become one of the defining characteristics of her career.
Psytechno: The Sound That Defines Indira Paganotto
The term psytechno has become closely associated with Indira Paganotto, describing the musical territory she occupies between the driving intensity of techno and the psychedelic complexity of psytrance. While the combination itself is not an entirely new concept, her approach has helped bring it to audiences who might previously have experienced those genres in separate musical environments.
At the centre of her sound is a powerful rhythmic foundation, often supported by rolling basslines, acid-inspired sequences and hypnotic melodic patterns. These elements create a continuous sense of movement, allowing her performances to develop through changes in tension, tempo and atmosphere rather than relying exclusively on individual drops. The influence of Goa and psytrance is particularly evident in the intricate textures and psychedelic arrangements that appear throughout her productions.
What makes Paganotto's approach distinctive is the way she integrates these elements into a framework that remains connected to techno. Her music retains the physical intensity and repetitive structures of the genre, but introduces the more expansive and unpredictable qualities associated with psychedelic electronic music. The resulting sound can move between darker passages and euphoric moments without losing its underlying identity.
This approach has also influenced the way she constructs her DJ sets. Rather than simply moving through a sequence of high-energy tracks, Paganotto places importance on the development of the overall experience, using contrasting musical elements to create a sense of progression. The relationship between rhythm, melody and atmosphere becomes particularly important, allowing her to build performances that feel immersive as well as physically powerful.
Her nickname, “Psymama”, reflects both this musical identity and the relationship she has developed with her audience. It has become closely connected to the community surrounding her work, representing a shared enthusiasm for the psychedelic influences that distinguish her from artists working within more conventional techno structures.
Yet reducing Paganotto to a single genre would overlook the diversity of her musical background. Her interest in disco, jazz and acid house continues to inform her creative perspective, while her willingness to collaborate with artists from different scenes suggests that she views psytechno as an evolving musical language rather than a fixed formula.
That philosophy would become central to her next major undertaking: the creation of a record label capable of reflecting her musical identity while offering other artists the freedom to explore their own.
ARTCORE: Building a Musical Identity Beyond the DJ Booth
When Paganotto launched ARTCORE in June 2022, the project represented a significant step in her development as an artist. Having established a recognisable approach to techno and psytrance, she wanted to create a platform through which that musical vision could develop beyond her individual releases and performances, while also providing space for other producers working across electronic music.
The label made its debut with Guns & Horses, a release that introduced ARTCORE through the same combination of driving rhythms and psychedelic influences that had become central to Paganotto's sound. The project, however, was conceived with ambitions extending beyond a traditional record label, bringing together music, live events and a broader creative community.
At the heart of ARTCORE is the idea that electronic music should offer room for individual expression, particularly for artists whose productions do not fit comfortably within established genre boundaries. This philosophy reflects Paganotto's own experience of developing a distinctive sound in environments where musical expectations were sometimes more restrictive.
As the label evolved, ARTCORE began expanding into dedicated events and showcases, creating opportunities for its musical identity to reach audiences in different countries. These performances allowed Paganotto to develop a recognisable atmosphere around the project, connecting the music with visual presentation, artistic collaborations and the shared energy of the dancefloor.
The development of ARTCORE also changed the nature of Paganotto's role within the electronic music industry. Alongside her work as a DJ and producer, she became increasingly involved in curating line-ups, supporting other artists and shaping the direction of a project that could exist independently of her own performances.
In 2025, ARTCORE received recognition as Best New Label at the Beatport Awards, marking an important milestone in its development and highlighting the growing visibility of the imprint within the international electronic music community.
What makes the project particularly relevant to Paganotto's wider story is the relationship between her personal influences and the creative environment she has built around them. ARTCORE provides a space where the psychedelic sounds that shaped her childhood can coexist with contemporary techno, allowing her to explore new ideas without abandoning the musical foundations that have defined her career.
Rather than treating the label as a separate commercial venture, Paganotto has integrated it into her broader artistic identity, transforming ARTCORE into a platform through which her vision can continue to evolve.
Tomorrowland, Coachella and Ibiza: The International Breakthrough
As Paganotto's reputation developed, her performances began reaching an increasingly international audience, taking her from the underground club circuit to some of the world's most recognisable electronic music events. Appearances at Tomorrowland, Awakenings, EXIT Festival, EDC Las Vegas and Circoloco introduced her sound to different musical communities, demonstrating its ability to connect with both dedicated techno enthusiasts and audiences accustomed to the scale of major festival productions.
This transition was particularly significant because her rise did not depend on abandoning the unconventional elements of her music. Instead, the combination of techno and psytrance that had initially distinguished her within smaller venues became a defining feature of her international performances. Her sets retained their psychedelic character while developing the intensity and impact required by larger stages, allowing her to move between different environments without fundamentally changing her artistic identity.
Coachella and the growing international visibility of Psytechno
One of the important moments in Paganotto's international development came with her appearance at Coachella in 2025, where she performed alongside Sara Landry and Amelie Lens. Bringing together three artists associated with different interpretations of contemporary techno, the back-to-back performance highlighted the diversity of sounds and approaches that have contributed to the genre's growing presence at major international festivals.
For Paganotto, the appearance offered an opportunity to introduce her psychedelic influences to an audience extending beyond the traditional techno and psytrance scenes. It also placed her alongside two other prominent female artists whose individual careers have developed through distinctive musical identities, demonstrating how contemporary electronic music accommodates a wider range of sounds and creative perspectives.
The growing visibility of Paganotto at events such as Coachella and Tomorrowland reflects the broader interest in high-energy electronic music, particularly sounds that combine the intensity of techno with the immediate impact of festival-oriented production. Her performances occupy a space within that evolution, retaining the hypnotic qualities of underground music while appealing to audiences seeking a more expansive and energetic experience.
Ibiza: From international DJ to resident artist
Ibiza has also played an important role in Paganotto's career, providing a setting in which she could develop her musical identity across multiple performances rather than through isolated festival appearances. Following her Curated by Indira Paganotto events at Amnesia, she secured a 14-week residency at Hï Ibiza in 2025, marking another significant stage in her progression as an international artist.
A residency offers a different creative environment from a single festival booking. With the opportunity to perform regularly in the same venue, an artist can develop a more sustained relationship with the audience, explore different musical directions and build a coherent identity around a series of events. For Paganotto, this format was particularly compatible with her ambition to expand ARTCORE beyond its origins as a record label.
That relationship with Ibiza continued in 2026, with ARTCORE announced for a Sunday residency at Hï Ibiza, running from May 31 to October 4. The programme further connected Paganotto's individual performances with her broader creative project, allowing her to introduce audiences to the musical world she has developed through the label.
From Madrid's underground clubs to Ibiza's major venues, her career has therefore evolved in a way that reflects the gradual expansion of her artistic ambitions. The DJ who initially developed her identity through experimentation and intimate dancefloors is now involved in creating and curating musical experiences for international audiences, while maintaining a strong connection to the sounds that first inspired her.
Beyond Psytechno: Collaborations and Artistic Evolution
Although Paganotto is widely recognised for her energetic performances and distinctive interpretation of psytechno, her work as a producer provides another perspective on her musical identity. Across her discography, she has explored different aspects of electronic music, using individual releases and collaborations to develop ideas that extend beyond the immediate requirements of the dancefloor.
Projects such as Guns & Horses, Lions of God, Himalaya and Red Ninja demonstrate her interest in combining hypnotic rhythms with psychedelic textures, while also reflecting the musical diversity that has informed her career. These releases are connected by a recognisable production aesthetic, but they also reveal an artist willing to experiment with different arrangements, atmospheres and musical influences.
Her collaboration with Nina Kraviz on “white horse”, released through Kraviz's трип (Trip) label in March 2023, brought together two artists known for their unconventional approaches to underground electronic music. Both have developed careers around distinctive musical identities, making the project an interesting meeting point between different interpretations of techno and experimental club music.
Paganotto's willingness to explore other musical environments is also reflected in her remix work. Her official reinterpretation of Depeche Mode's “People Are Good” offered an opportunity to approach material from outside the traditional techno scene, connecting her electronic production style with the legacy of one of the most influential groups in alternative electronic music.
Another notable collaboration arrived in 2025 with “Arte Como Amante”, featuring legendary guitarist and producer Nile Rodgers. Bringing together artists associated with different musical generations and traditions, the release reflected the breadth of Paganotto's influences and her interest in developing electronic music through unexpected creative connections.
These projects are particularly interesting when considered alongside her childhood musical experiences. The artist who grew up listening to disco, jazz, acid house and Goa music has continued to draw on that varied background, even as psytechno has become the most recognisable element of her work. Her collaborations suggest that she does not view her signature sound as a limitation, but rather as a foundation from which to explore other possibilities.
That willingness to experiment also helps explain the direction of ARTCORE, which provides an environment for creative development beyond the boundaries of a single artist or genre. As Paganotto continues to balance her work as a performer, producer and label founder, her artistic evolution remains closely connected to the freedom that initially inspired her to pursue an unconventional musical direction.
The Story of an Artist Who Followed Her Own Sound
Indira Paganotto's journey from the Canary Islands to the international electronic music circuit is a story shaped by cultural influences, musical experimentation and a strong sense of artistic identity. What began with her father's record collection developed through years of experience in the underground scene, eventually becoming a distinctive approach to techno that has found an audience across some of the world's most prominent clubs and festivals.
Her Italian family roots, Spanish upbringing and early exposure to different musical traditions have all contributed to the way she approaches electronic music. Rather than separating these influences into individual creative phases, Paganotto has brought them together through a sound that reflects her personal history, allowing the psychedelic character of Goa and psytrance to coexist with the rhythmic intensity of contemporary techno.
The development of ARTCORE represents an important extension of that philosophy. By creating a platform for music, events and other artists, she has moved beyond the traditional role of a DJ and producer, building a creative project through which her musical vision can reach new audiences and continue evolving.
Her appearances at Tomorrowland, Coachella and major Ibiza venues demonstrate how far that vision has travelled, but the connection between her present-day performances and her earliest musical influences remains particularly compelling. Even as her career has expanded internationally, the psychedelic sounds she discovered through her father continue to play a central role in her artistic identity.
For Victor Bendo Selections, Paganotto's story offers an interesting perspective on the relationship between musical heritage and contemporary electronic music. Her career illustrates how influences from different cultures, genres and generations can come together to create a recognisable sound, while her work with ARTCORE demonstrates the possibilities that emerge when an artist develops a creative platform around a personal musical vision.
At a time when electronic music continues to move between underground cultures and increasingly large international stages, Paganotto occupies a distinctive position within that landscape. Her music connects the hypnotic traditions of psychedelic electronic music with the intensity of contemporary techno, bringing those influences to audiences who might otherwise encounter them in entirely separate settings.
From her Italian roots and her father's records to the international rise of ARTCORE, Indira Paganotto has built a career around the sounds that shaped her, turning a lifelong fascination with psychedelic music into an artistic identity that continues to evolve.
And as ARTCORE expands, her story is far from finished.
