Max HeyraudFrench-Ivorian creative Maeva Yrio invites us into the world of Mystify — a boundary-blurring collective rethinking how we connect with club culture.
“I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what Mystify means — not just as a name or an event series, but as a feeling, a movement, a response,” says Maeva Yrio of Mystify. “Shiv [Four Four Magazine] and I were talking, and she suggested this piece could be a sort of ‘get to know me’ and the world we’re trying to shape with Mystify. And honestly, it feels like the right time to open that door a little wider — to let people in on what we’re building and why it matters.”
Maeva, who runs Mystify, is a French-Ivorian creative specialising in music production, DJing, set design, and art direction. We spoke to her about the collective, which is spotlighting techno in its rawest form — not just stylistically, but in how it’s physically presented. Think of the smell of wax, the unpacking of a record, the feel of a 12″ or 7″ in your hands. That’s the magic that keeps her going. It’s a tribute to the origins of the artform and the ethos of that time — the attitude and intention that birthed the culture.
“For me, creativity has never been about ego or spectacle. It’s been about connection,” she says. “I never sought out the chaos of nightlife for the sake of it — I was always searching for those rare moments where something cuts through the noise and moves you. Mystify came from that craving. I was disillusioned by the rinse-and-repeat of the club scene, the clout, the performativity. I wanted something more human. So I made it.”
Mystify blurs the lines between party, performance, and exhibition. It’s about stepping into the unknown and coming out the other side having discovered something new — about yourself, about others, about what’s possible when we’re truly present. It’s a nod to the roots of club culture — a simpler, more mysterious time. If you were there, you knew. If you weren’t, maybe you’ve heard whispers, but you’d never fully feel the force of it. Mystify seems to be trying to tap into that energy.
“This isn’t just about music. It’s about the kind of culture we want to live in. One where community comes before ego, where art is a tool for unity, where you walk away from a night not drained, but nourished.”
Their event, The Unknown Sublime, was a full leap into that vision. The lineup was kept secret until the event was over. No phones allowed. The space was dressed in sensory layers, with unexpected installations, spontaneous performances, and an intentional search for magic in every corner.
“People connected in ways they hadn’t in years,” Maeva recalls. “They played, they cried, they danced without needing to document it. That’s the power of intention.”
Next up is The Underground, happening April 11th at Wigwam. Everything folds in on itself with this one — a feedback loop of what underground means to Mystify. Dark, intimate, and textured, with hypnotic techno, low lighting, and a communal art piece co-created by the crowd during the night. Headlining is Tresor resident Kerrie — a DJ who fully embodies the underground, not just in sound but in spirit.
Following that, the team is launching a vinyl mixing programme this summer with Cailín — an artist who pretty much is vinyl culture. It’s for anyone who wants to start from scratch and finish the journey by playing a Mystify party. Full circle moments — not just in the workshops, but in the ethos.
“We’re threading vinyl energy through our bookings,” Maeva says. Cailín kicked things off at Into the Matrix back in January — a night exploring freedom, control, and code through immersive sound and performance. Now Kerrie’s carrying that torch with The Underground.
But Mystify isn’t just a series of nights — it’s an ecosystem. “We’re also holding bi-weekly Sunday sessions at Racket Space,” Maeva adds. These are informal but deeply curated community days, where people can learn, create, and connect. From cyanotype printing and Chinese tea tasting to LED sequencing and modular synth intros — these workshops are designed to make art and music more accessible, less intimidating, and way more joyful.
