“There are at least a few people in this thing determined to keep House Music weird. Chicago’s Alinka is one of them.” – Terry Matthew, 5Magazine
Alinka is the kind of DJ other DJ’s will tell you about. She has a unique power on the decks that comes from lifelong passion and time served, with a focused devotion to her first love – house music. Born in Ukraine, she came to Chicago as a Jewish refugee in the late ‘80s and was raised on the Windy City’s vibrant house sound, with toes dipped into Detroit techno, influences from Europe’s robust bass scene and the myriad of genres coming from cities like Berlin, London and Paris.
Her DJ credits include regular spots at the world’s leading clubs, including an almost-decade long residency at Justin Long’s .Dotbleep party at Smartbar, Panorama Bar in Berlin, where she’s resided since 2015, Robert Johnson, Circoloco and Kyiv’s legendary ∄, where she stands as club’s first international resident and will play a minimum of six shows per year including a curated show.
She’s respected industry-wide for her on-point productions, releasing on labels including Rekids, Gudu, Permanent Vacation, Crosstown Rebels, Classic Music Co., Harry Romero’s Bambossa Records, Need Want, and more.
Elsewhere she keeps creating alongside her spiritual and musical partner Shaun J. Wright, the former Hercules & Love Affair vocalist, who she runs the revived Twirl imprint with. Expect a fresh batch of new music throughout 2026 and beyond.
