Suze Ijó is a house DJ. She works in the lineage of that word not just as a name for a genre of dance music, but a mood, a way of moving, an ethic and cultivation of spirit. Ijó grew up in Rotterdam, Europe’s largest seaport, and was surrounded by hip-hop, Caribbean music and Eurodance – products of cultural import and synthesis from the house sounds of Chicago and New York. By the time she was 18, Ijó began going out to clubs with an orientation towards these very sounds; she also started working on local nightlife production teams and as a door host, and later on as a booker. Through these experiences, she developed her taste for the genres she often plays out today: deep-cut RnB, warm and pulsing soul house, interlocking waves of polyrhythms and vocals and timbres all speaking to a profound transhistorical groove.

After beginning to study for a degree in social work, Ijó pivoted to working full-time in music and nightlife: for three years she did sales at Rotterdam’s Clone records, as well as being part of the former collective First Floor. These days, she curates the podcast series for United Identities along with Carista, and is playing gigs full-time. However close to the heart, her sound has been ringing out in industry-lauded European venues such as Panorama Bar, De School, Lux Fragíl, Kaiku and regular slots at Dekmantel Festival; additionally, the last years have seen Ijó make tours of Oceania and South America.

Despite the busy schedule, her club sets reflect an intention and focus granted to each individual space and evening – again, this is “house” as a feeling, not necessarily a musical structure of BPM-range. Ijó almost always brings incense to her gigs, wrapping the space in a sensual vividness: her take on the club night is not just a series of DJs showcasing tracks or finesse, but a collective bodily and spiritual event crafted by all those involved, from the bar staff to the crowd to the lighting to the soundsystem. Likely one won’t have to wait too long before Ijó plays in a club nearby, but luckily, one gets a sense of this even in her numerous radio shows, with broadcasts on NTS, The Lot Radio, and the Dekmantel Podcast series.