Photographer Thomas Lizzi captured ISAbella and BASHKKA ahead of their sets at Paco Club Chapter 2, Rabanne’s official Paris Fashion Week party, where two distinct forces in contemporary club culture came together behind the decks. Hailing from Barcelona, Colombian-born ISAbella has become a leading figure in the city’s queer nightlife as co-founder of MARICAS, the LGBTQ+ party, collective and record label bringing a fresh perspective to electronic music. Her vibrant blend of house, techno and trance has since taken her from the local underground to international stages including Glastonbury, Primavera Sound and Dekmantel Selectors.
Joining her, Munich-born BASHKKA channels the spirit of New York’s Ballroom scene, shaped by a decade spent in the city and the Black and Brown trans women who influenced her artistic identity. A regular at Berghain’s Panorama Bar and resident at Munich’s Blitz Club, she is known for her uncompromising sets and outspoken commitment to queer and SWANA representation. Beyond the dancefloor, both DJs share a belief in club culture as a space for community, self-expression and cultural change. We caught up with them following Paco Club Chapter 2 to learn more about the DJs behind the decks, the sounds and scenes that shape their identities, and what it takes to make a night truly unforgettable.
Meet Bashkka
You joined the Paco Club lineup alongside Ben Klock, Jeff Mills and of course Isabella. What does it feel like to be part of this particular night?
Was interesting to be amongst such different artist from different eras and walks of life.
Nightlife can be a space for freedom, experimentation and self expression. How do you create a sense of connection between yourself and a crowd without ever speaking to them?
Music is ancient. I don’t know any other form or thing that’s been connecting humans to their own source and the higher source altogether.
Do you think the way people experience nightlife has changed with social media? Is the phone ever competing with the dancefloor?
Let me put it like this. If I had to choose between eating crow or be on social media – I’d eat crow. The mental enfeeblement of humanity and our scene caused by social media is real. I wish people would just forget about capturing a moment and BE in the moment.
What does a truly good club space need beyond good music?
A crowd that understands, respects and lives the essence of club culture. An educational dancefloor that also practices hedonism.
What do you want people to take away from your set at Paco Club?
That the opening set, which I played, is probably the most important slot to set the tone for the whole night (which I learned over the 16+ years DJing).
What’s next for you? Is there a particular sound, project or direction you’re excited to explore?
My next EP titled CORE coming out November 6 on Fabric Originals.
What’s your ultimate 3am track?
Something rolling, drummy and percussive even a bit trippy without a lot of big drops or relentlessly screaming vocals. By that time I’m in the vortex and want to stay there.
What are you wearing when you DJ when nobody is taking your picture?
Anything that I would wear if people would take a picture of me lol
What is one club you think everyone should experience at least once?
Panorama Bar
Meet ISAbella
You played Paco Club in Paris during Fashion Week. What does a night like this mean to you?
I love when music becomes part of a bigger cultural moment without losing its identity. Fashion Week brings a very particular energy to a city, and playing Paco Club felt like being inside that collision of fashion, nightlife and art.
Paris Fashion Week brings together fashion, music, art and nightlife in a very particular way. Where do you see those worlds naturally overlapping?
They all have this obsession with creating a feeling. A good outfit, a good record, a good club night. I think the overlap happens when none of them are trying too hard to explain themselves. It’s instinct, attitude and energy.
What makes a crowd in Paris different from crowds in other cities you’ve played?
Paris has a very strong sense of style, but I also find the crowd quite instinctive. There’s a certain coolness to it, but once people connect with the music, they really let go. I like that contrast! very composed on the outside, completely unhinged on the dancefloor.
Do you think fashion still has a meaningful relationship with underground club culture, or has that relationship changed?
I think they naturally feed into each other. Club culture gives fashion new references, silhouettes, attitudes and ways of expressing identity, while fashion brings new visual languages, characters and ideas into nightlife. They’ve always been influencing each other. You can see it in the way people dress for a club and then see those codes come back into fashion, and vice versa.
For me, the most interesting part is when that exchange feels organic. When fashion isn’t just taking the aesthetic of the club, but actually engaging with the people, the energy and the culture that created it. That’s when the two worlds can really nurture each other.
Rabanne has always had a connection to glamour, futurism and nightlife. What does glamour mean to you when you’re behind the decks?
For me, glamour is confidence. It’s not necessarily about being polished or looking expensive. It’s the feeling of walking into a room and knowing exactly who you are. Behind the decks, glamour is probably when the music, the room and your energy all become one thing.
What makes a great night memorable for you?
When something happens that you couldn’t have planned. I don’t like preparing a set too much because the best moments usually come from reacting to the room. A great night is when you lose track of time, the dancefloor is completely locked in, and there’s this moment where everyone is moving together without really knowing why.
What are you listening to at home right now that might surprise people?
I actually don’t listen to that much electronic music at home. Lately I’ve been obsessed with Judie Tzuke’s The Chrysalis Recordings. It’s been on repeat. I have these little obsessions that come and go: my current day obsession is Kiss Me by Kiss-O-Matic, and my week obsession has been Loveless by My Bloody Valentine, which I think I’ve listened to an embarrassing number of times.
I really like listening to all kinds of music because it constantly expands my musical vocabulary. I think the more you listen outside of your own world, the more references you have to draw from, and that inspires me a lot when I’m playing or making music. It doesn’t necessarily have to sound like what I play in a club. Sometimes it’s actually more interesting when it doesn’t.
Finally, what song/track can instantly rescue a questionable dancefloor?
Duke-So In Love With You (Full Intention 12” Mix). It’s one of those tracks that can completely change the energy in a room. If that doesn’t rescue the dancefloor, I’m probably going to need a miracle.
