BIIA Builds Her Own World With DYSTONIA
BIIA on DYSTONIA, Die For Youth and creative freedom.
Portuguese DJ and producer BIIA is entering a new chapter with the launch of DYSTONIA, her own label and creative platform built around freedom, movement and artistic expression.
The imprint arrives alongside its debut release, Die For Youth, a track that pairs BIIA’s driving techno foundations with a more melodic and emotional edge. Centered on themes of youth, freedom and nostalgia, the release offers an early glimpse into the broader musical world she hopes to build through DYSTONIA.
The launch follows a major summer for BIIA, with appearances at Tomorrowland, Awakenings, Monegros, Neopop, Sziget Festival and Hï Ibiza, while adding another milestone to a career that has already included releases with KAOS, Ones and Zeros, and Tomorrowland.
6AM caught up with BIIA to discuss the creation of DYSTONIA, the meaning behind Die For Youth, finding greater creative freedom, what she learned from a defining summer on the road, and her vision for turning the label into something much larger than a home for her own music.
Hi BIIA, Thanks so much for talking to 6AM! For anyone discovering BIIA for the first time, starting your own label DYSTONIA feels like a good place to start. After putting music out with KAOS, Ones and Zeros, and Tomorrowland Music, what made you feel that now was the moment to build something of your own, what does the name DYSTONIA mean to you, and what can you express through the label that you could not fully explore before?
I think Dystonia came at a point where I felt I had something very specific to express and I wanted to create the space for it to exist freely. Releasing music through different labels allowed me to explore different sides of myself as an artist, but eventually I felt the need to build something where I could have a more complete vision, not only musically but also in terms of the identity, the artists I want to support and the community I want to create around it.
“Die For Youth” is the first release on DYSTONIA and centers around youth, freedom and nostalgia. What inspired those ideas, and why did you want them to introduce the label?
For me, time and youth, whether that means age or simply a state of mind, are some of the most important things in life. So I wanted the first release on DYSTONIA to be an anthem around those ideas. DYSTONIA is about music, art and movement, and I wanted its first release to reflect that spirit. The melody and lyrics of Die For You, which I really enjoy delivering in my own way, carry that feeling and made it the right introduction to the label.
DYSTONIA also gives you more freedom to explore outside what people may expect from BIIA. What are you hoping to discover about yourself creatively through that freedom?
I think I have a much clearer sense of my own style today, even though I’m constantly evolving, and that’s something I want to keep exploring. DYSTONIA gives me the freedom to explore different sides of myself without feeling the need to fit into specific expectations, and to follow an idea or feeling without immediately thinking about where it fits. I also want to create that freedom for other artists, giving them a platform to explore what they genuinely like, as long as it connects with the musical world of the label.
You have had a huge summer playing Tomorrowland, Awakenings, Monegros, Neopop, Sziget Festival, Hï Ibiza and more. What has this period taught you about yourself as an artist?
This summer has reminded me that hard work eventually finds its way to the places you once only imagined. Playing at festivals like Tomorrowland and Awakenings, which I had dreamed of for years, felt like a quiet confirmation that I’m on the right path. Every crowd and every country has its own language, and the culture of each place shapes the way people experience music. I also decided to show up as I truly am, musically, without fear, and to trust that the music will speak for itself.
Looking ahead, what do you want DYSTONIA to become beyond being a place to release your own music?
Beyond being a place for my own music, I want DYSTONIA to become a space where artists can really give freedom to their creativity. I want to connect artists at different stages, from established names to emerging ones, and create a dialogue between different forms of art. We’ve already done this through our events, bringing together DJs, painters, photographers and fashion designers. Ultimately, I want DYSTONIA to be a platform where people feel free to create and express themselves.
Musically, do you see DYSTONIA moving in a specific direction, or do you want the label to remain open to different genres and sounds as it evolves?
I don’t want to limit an artist’s creativity, process or essence. The foundation will always be techno, because that’s what I play and what I naturally feel most drawn to. From there, there’s room for the influences I love, whether that’s trance, acid, hard groove or hard house. But I don’t want to put the music into boxes. If something feels right musically, even if it sits outside these genres, I’m open to exploring it.