Chloe MooreSahana is a Dublin-based DJ originally from New York City, known for blending a range of genres from tech-house and funk-laced minimal to darker, Detroit techno.
She hosts a monthly show called “Mast Hour” on Dublin Digital Radio, highlighting DJs of colour. A previous resident of legendary Dublin club night, The Midnight Disco, they have shared lineups with artists like Objekt, DJ Fart in the Club, and Hyperaktivist. Sahana has supported renowned acts including HAAi, Eliza Rose, Paranoid London, Saliah, Denis Sulta, Sofia Kourtesis, Surgeon, The Trip, Nils Hoffman, and Robert Hood, among many more. She has performed at notable venues such as Index, Yamamori Tengu, Cafe Balearica NYC, and The Cause in London.
Sahana has made waves in the last few years, making appearances on Rinse FM, NTS, Foundation FM, RadioRadio Amsterdam, and Subtle Radio London. She has played numerous festivals, including AVA Belfast, Forbidden Fruit, Electric Picnic, Fuinneamh, and All Together Now. To add, Sahana made an appearance on Ireland’s first Mixmag Lab in collaboration with Radio Al-Hara and The Great Oven at All Together Now festival, where her set combined Eastern rhythms with the heavier sound of the West, all honouring Palestinian liberation and culture.
Sahana’s music is dynamic and diverse, effortlessly shifting from classic groove anthems and hard house to tribal, warehouse techno. Their genres span over the years, sticking to the core of an eclectic yet cohesive sound.
We sat down with Sahana to talk about the journey that shaped her – from growing up surrounded by trance, house, and New York club CDs, to navigating an industry still struggling with representation, to the community-focused vision she brings to every dancefloor she touches.
Sahana, thanks for taking the time to chat with us! You’ve had such a packed schedule between shows, travel, and creative work; you have just finished up a busy festival season and are moving onto an even busier A/W schedule. How do you find balance and stay grounded through it all?
Thanks for having me! Always honoured to be asked to do something for Four Four. The last six months have been super busy; it still hasn’t fully hit me yet. This summer was unreal. I did four festivals, which may not sound like a big deal to lots of DJs, but for me it’s such a privilege, even with all the work and travel involved.
I’d say A/W has been my busiest yet, as I’m also juggling a master’s degree during the week. My friend Said told me I’m Hannah Montana, ahaha. Spending time with friends, going to therapy, chatting with my family, and doing other hobbies are all things that keep me grounded and help me stay aware of the balance needed when pursuing a music career. I’m not perfect, so sometimes it’s hard to stick to a routine, but having support from loved ones makes it much easier. Your mental health and sanity are far more important than doing lots of gigs.
Can you tell us about the moment you first fell in love with music and realised you wanted to become a DJ?
I would say when I was 13 or 14 years old, I knew I wanted to DJ. We had family friends who would DJ at my parents’ parties, and I thought it was so sick, especially since my parents used to party a lot in NYC and even went to Creamfields. I used to listen to CDs from clubs my mum went to, like Green House and Pacha, when she dropped me off at school, and my grandma was really into trance and techno, Ferry Corsten and Armin van Buuren, so electronic music wasn’t new to me.
I remember discovering Menace II Society by Mall Grab and thinking, “this music is nuts,” which sent me down a deep dive into the underground scene, Boiler Room and all that stuff. Being neurodivergent, every time I listened to music I would visualise myself DJing, kind of like Honey Dijon’s Sugar Mountain Boiler Room set, so maybe I manifested it. I should also mention that this kind of music wasn’t big in the US or among my generation at that point, so coming to Ireland and seeing that everyone knew who KETTAMA was, when no one in New York did, was such a WTF moment.
How would you describe your signature sound, and how has it evolved?
I always say house and techno. People say my music is very New York and loud, so that’s probably the best way to describe it. Lots of groove, techy bits, but I love the raw analogue sound of the 808. I started with Chicago house, made my way to garage/jungle and deep tech house, but now I’m more into the tribal heavy house and Detroit-Berlin darker techno. But I don’t limit myself, I can play any genre as long as the setting and the crowd are having fun and vibing to music.
There’s been a lot of discussion around the lack of female representation on festival and club line-ups. From your perspective, what do you think drives that imbalance, and what real changes would you like to see?
Maybe I’m too blunt, but I think a lot of festivals and clubs, especially in Ireland, are lazy and scared to book FLINTA artists on their line-ups. This is a worldwide issue, but when you look specifically at Ireland and Dublin, many collectives and bookers are very male-dominated (mostly cis, straight white men) who feel comfortable booking themselves, their friends, or people they’ve worked with before.
Seeing one token woman on a line-up in an opening slot is so insulting because it essentially says, “We’re not sexist, but she’s not good enough for a main support slot.” It’s embarrassing. I genuinely think a lot of it comes down to ignorance, but also marketing.
I know many female DJs who don’t want to play for certain collectives or clubs because the people running them don’t prioritise safety and inclusivity. I remember not being let into clubs before my own sets because of aggressive bouncers. They didn’t believe someone like me could be a DJ and would laugh in my face. If this were a man, they wouldn’t think twice.
I want to see safer dancefloors. When I’ve worked as a promoter, the most successful and safest nights have been when the crowd was majority FLINTA. I really hope to see big clubs booking more female headliners, offering more FLINTA support slots, and featuring more FLINTA artists on festival line-ups.
There’s a growing community of women and non-binary DJs supporting one another right now. Are there any collectives or mentors who’ve played a role in your journey?
I always feel grateful to Skin&Blister for giving me to do my first ever mix 4 years ago, which really gave me a start and notice in the Dublin circuit. Having older and more experienced female DJs in the scene really makes you feel more comfortable as a DJ starting out.
You have recently started a residency at Klub Sukar, which is amazing! How do you see your role in such a community-focused event, not just as a performer but as someone helping shape the vibe?
Yeah, it’s nuts that I’m part of Sukar! I was previously part of the now-defunct Midnight Disco, so being a resident in a collective that fosters community like TMD is really nurturing for the soul. I think Jamal’s vision of creating a community for POC and SWANA people is really inspiring, especially as there’s no other party in Dublin doing that. Having him as a mentor has been great as I continue learning how to navigate DJing and performing in Dublin, while also helping to shape an inclusive, safe environment on the dancefloor for people of colour.
How open do you think Dublin’s nightlife is to culturally diverse club music right now?
Dublin has changed a lot since I first arrived. It used to be mostly house and techno, but now we’re seeing sound system nights like those at Tengu, culturally diverse sounds like baile and amapiano, and even Arab fusion through Club Sukar. I think Dublin is receptive to change because there have always been people in the city listening to culturally diverse club music, so when those people see parties that cater to them and diversify the dancefloor, they’re going to show up.
When you’re preparing for a guest mix, how does your approach differ from a solo set?
I really love recording mixes; it’s a space where I can just work and express myself without the pressure or presence of anyone. I feel freer and more experimental, wanting to play things I would never play in a club. For example, my Rinse mix for Amaliah was much slower and more minimal, and then I went full tribal in the last ten minutes, which is something I’d usually avoid in a solo set.
In a club set, you want to capture the essence of the night and the party or headliner while staying true to yourself, which can add a bit more pressure.
What inspired you to create the Mast Hour series on DDR, and how do you develop each episode differently?
I had featured on Efa O’Neill’s Out-of-Space show, and that really showed me how much I loved radio. I wanted to create something that no one had done in Dublin before: a radio show for people of colour and creatives and DJs who don’t always have the platform or opportunities to express their identity and music.
I actually have a list of artists I want on the show, and I reach out to them, but I also try to space it out so each mix is properly seen and spotlighted, rather than just being another guest filler mix. I’ve had so many people on already, with many more planned for the future, and it’s been really great to see the diversity in genres, styles, and techniques. It’s been over three years now, and I’m so happy with how far it’s come. I’m really grateful to Matt from TMD for putting the show forward and to the entire DDR crew.
You’ve worked in both Dublin and NYC. A frequent topic of discussion here is how much earlier venues close compared to other major cities. How does this earlier closing time influence your set planning or the overall energy curve of a night?
Yeah, I didn’t party as much in NY compared to how much I go out in Dublin. I think it’s pretty normal that big global cities like NY and London have earlier starts and later closing times because they’ve had established club cultures for decades.
Set planning is more affected when I’m doing an all-night-long or a closing set, because you’re trying to fit as much music as possible into a shorter period of time. If I were doing an ANL in NY, I’d probably have around six hours of playtime, which allows for so much more creative freedom, even though it’s more exhausting.
I should add that when I’m playing support for an international headliner, the time is much shorter, as they usually have only 90 minutes to two hours to play. That means your support slot is more limited, and you have to make sure you maintain the energy before the act comes on.
To wrap things up, what exciting plans do you have coming up? Any new music, projects, or gigs we should look out for?
I’m super excited to be supporting Mount Kimbie’s Tunnelvision tour with DJ Python at Centrepoint at the end of November, which will be massive. I’m planning to play more hybrid genres that I’ve never played in the club before.
I have two mixes coming out, both recorded from support sets I played in the club, so hopefully they’ll be out before the end of the year. Lastly, I’m trying to get back into production, hopefully working towards an EP next year, with more analogue sounds using my synth and other hardware. I’m also trying to take it easy over the next two months while juggling college and postgrad life.
