In January 2026, Different Class and Ancienne Belgique join forces again for Sound of the Belgian Underground (SOBU), a night spotlighting the freshest talent from Belgium’s underground scene. SOBU is where you catch tomorrow’s talents today. Two artists of the lineup, DJ Soft:machina and singer Amina808, open up about their creative journey and the sounds shaping the next wave of the Belgian underground scene.
How did your journey into making music begin?
Nana (Soft:machina): I’ve spent the past ten years dancing in clubs. Electronic music reshaped the way I see the world. It’s like hearing someone speak for the first time and suddenly everything makes sense. From the moment I connected with electronic music, I felt a sense of belonging, and I knew I would eventually find myself behind the DJ desk. I just needed time to observe and explore different aspects of nightlife first. One year ago, I started performing at after-parties and open decks. Since then, I take every opportunity to practice and grow.
Amina (Amina808): Since I was little, I loved the feeling of opening my mouth and letting music flow out. I was hooked to the TV, watching music videos, especially of women I could relate to. At the age of 19, I discovered electronic music - the genre I still mostly listen to now. That’s when things made sense: I realised this was the sound I wanted my own music to have.
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How would you describe your style?
Amina: I had a ‘wow’-moment when I realised I could mix African sounds with futuristic electronic elements. I couldn’t find this afro-futuristic sound anywhere else at the time. Now it’s coming up, though, which is super cool to see.
Nana: My style is hybrid: deep, percussive and emotional. Bass music is the foundation, but I like to blend it with speed house, break and techno from today and the 90s. I want to find the perfect way to connect all these types with an energy that’s between ambient and hardcore.
Electronic music reshaped the way I see the world. From the moment I connected with it, I felt a sense of belonging, and I knew I would eventually find myself behind the DJ desk
Are there any recent projects that you’re especially proud of?
Nana: I’m still at the beginning of my journey, but recently I had the chance to close out C12 at Furie (a drag show, performance and DJ set). I played for three hours, and I could have kept going!
Amina: I’d say my EP. It’s the start of what I’m trying to achieve, and it helped me find an audience. I used to be scared that I wouldn’t get enough opportunities if I didn’t fit into the perfect commercial box. The EP helped me gain confidence.
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What do you love about Brussels’ underground music scene?
Nana: The underground scene in Brussels is still where you’d expect it to be: spontaneous events and afterparties on streets or in apartments, outside the capitalist framework. It also happens at protest parties, fundraisers for Palestine, events supporting marginalised or trans communities, or even just to keep alternative venues alive when the government threatens to shut them down.
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How did you see the Belgian underground scene evolve?
Nana: It has to be more organised now than ten years ago. We’ve lost many alternative, self-managed venues, where the underground could evolve more freely.
Amina: I’ve also noticed changes in the audience over the past five years. Now it feels more like a performance: people want to show that they’re ‘alternative’ and Instagrammable. It’s all about the outfits and the cool places that you've been to. That also makes it harder for the few remaining underground venues to survive, because the audience isn’t always genuinely moved by the music.
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You’re both performing at SOBU2026. What does this mean for you?
Nana: It’s a dream. Ancienne Belgique is a big, historic venue, where many of my idols have performed. For this gig, I want to do something that truly reflects me because the curators know my style and have specifically chosen me. I’m also curious to see what kind of audience will come, and I hope it’s the crowd we really want to speak to. The last time I was at AB was the day before Pride, and it was beautiful. The crowd was full of queer people. In AB! That’s when I realised it’s possible. I think we can create a truly beautiful crowd in this venue.
Amina: Yes! The underground community deserves to come together in a venue that’s big enough for all of us, not cramped into tiny spaces.
The underground community deserves to come together in a venue that’s big enough for all of us, like AB, not cramped into tiny spaces
How do you experience performing your music live?
Nana: Sometimes I’m hyper-focused, like I’m not even there. Other times, I feel a huge connection with everything around me.
Amina: A song transforms when I perform it. In the studio, I can let all my creativity flow without anyone watching. I can push my boundaries, fail and improve. But on stage, I become an elevated version of myself. I’m completely in my element: I can express myself, move my entire body and enchant the crowd with my energy.
A song transforms every time I perform it. On stage, I become an elevated version of myself, completely in my element, moving my whole body and enchanting the crowd with my energy
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Are there any projects or collaborations you’re currently working on?
Amina: I’ve been working on an album for almost two years now. It’s going to be about my journey, navigating my identity as a black, queer woman who hasn’t always had the best relationship with my mother. I’m really excited to share it soon.
Nana: I’m just at the beginning of my music project. My goal for now is to connect with like-minded people. I want to meet more emerging artists who represent diversity and aren’t driven by capitalist or business energy. Music has the power to bring together people with different stories and lives. For me, it’s key to support each other.
<div class="editorial-banner"> <div class=“editorial-credits”>@4mina808 <br>@extreme.nana</div></div>
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