I am Dr. Hayim Katsman, a lecturer of philosophy and politics. I studied Arabic during my graduate studies at the University of Washington, Seattle, where I got my Ph.D. in international studies. During my studies, I discovered the underground electronic Arabic music scene. I fell in love with this musical language and it is my goal to expose it to broader audiences.

My DJ sets are a musical journey crossing countries and genres. I mix Arabic trap music from Egypt, Palestinian protest hip-hop, Algerian Rai, Syrian electro-dabke, and EDM, house and techno from the nightclubs of Beirut.

I believe that music has the power to build bridges across cultures.

“If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his own language, that goes to his heart.”

– Nelson Mandela

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On October 7, 2023, during the Hamas attack on Israel, Hayim was in Kibbutz Holit. He and his neighbor hid together inside the safe room’s closet. When they were found, he shielded her with his own body. Hayim was 32 years old when he was murdered.

A close friend later reflected on how Hayim might have wanted to be remembered:

“We had all kinds of conversations about this — ‘what do you want to happen after you die?’ He said, ‘Throw me in the composter, I don’t know… I don’t care what you do with me.’ One of my takeaways from this tragedy is that you don’t decide what happens to you after you’re gone. In his short life, Hayim lived so fully that even after his death, he keeps on living here. The garden continues to bloom, the plants keep growing, and so will his music. We will keep arguing with him and missing him.”