On Saturday 21 February, Dots presents the Sri Lankan debut of Elias Mazian.
One of Amsterdam’s most compelling musical storytellers, Elias Mazian is an artist who thrives on unpredictability. His DJ sets are high-energy yet deeply emotional, built on a house music foundation that can twist effortlessly into jungle, techno, leftfield electronics, or an unexpected pop moment that lands exactly when it should. Each set unfolds as a journey — expressive, romantic, and charged with feeling, shaped by years spent reading dance floors across Europe’s most respected clubs.
A former resident of Club Trouw and De School, Mazian represents a generation of artists who see the club not just as a space for release, but for connection. His sound reflects a lifelong relationship with music, from childhood living-room dance sessions soundtracked by Prince and Michael Jackson, to formative nights discovering freedom and identity on Amsterdam dance floors. That tension between joy and melancholy, intimacy and intensity, runs through everything he does behind the decks.
His musical path began in hip hop, performing for Dutch rap heavyweights before falling in love with house music after moving to Amsterdam. Releases such as Future Times and Duplicate on Voyage Direct established him as a producer with both taste and depth, while his more recent work as a singer and songwriter pushed his sound even further outward. His album Vrij van Dromen, released on De Vlieger, explores love, longing, and heartbreak through warm synth-pop and vulnerable songwriting a rare openness that also defines his DJ sets.
Beyond the club, Mazian’s long-running radio show Private Hearts has become a cult favourite, offering a space for music that sits between listening and dancing, and further underlining his refusal to be boxed into any single genre or format.
Opening the night is Kahli, one of Sri Lanka’s most exciting selectors. Blending electronic sub-genres with R&B, reggae, and hip-hop influences, Kahli brings a bold, forward-thinking approach that connects local dance floors to global leftfield sounds, from breaks and electro to bass-heavy club music.
A rare debut, a fearless artist, and a dance floor built for movement, emotion, and release. This is a night designed to stay with you long after the lights come up.