YÄÄYY.ITS.ME is a German-born DJ, producer, and tech entrepreneur based in Ibiza, bringing together a deep passion for music with a forward-thinking creative mindset. Having spent years crafting beats alongside his work in the tech space, he has developed a distinctive sound that blends Afro House, House, and Tech House with elements of Progressive and mainstage energy. Active within the Ibiza scene, YÄÄYY.ITS.ME has performed across a range of clubs on the island, delivering sets that move seamlessly between emotional depth and high-energy moments. His style reflects the essence of Ibiza itself—versatile, uplifting, and globally influenced—while maintaining a strong sense of identity and storytelling throughout his performances.
INTERVIEW
YÄÄYY.ITS.ME Is next to me! Hi Ivo, how are you?
I’m good, how are you?
I’m perfect. It’s a beautiful place, your terrace actually. I heard that you have many live sets, here, is that true?
Yeah, that’s kind of true. We play a lot actually on this balcony as well, so it kind of developed into a secret place for playing and streaming live.
It’s an amazing place. It’s really, really great for it. Well, Friday is your big day because you’re going to release your new radio show at Ibiza Global Radio. Is that correct? Could you tell us more about that?
Yeah, that’s correct. Friday we’re going live for the first time on Ibiza Global Radio. It’s IMS, it’s a big thing. We’re going prime time, 8pm to 9pm, and we’re going to announce some new things.
Who is your special guest?
My special guest is a French rapper. His name’s NAKRY. Lovely guy. It’s a really funny story because I was sitting just down over here at the port with a few friends from France and they were like, oh, there is a new song from a French rapper, NAKRY. And I was like, yeah, let me hear it. And the song was like… it’s called COUCOU C’EST MOI. I mean, it’s like “coucou, I’m here.” It’s a really funny song. Amazing, really good work, amazing vibes.
We were having sushi and listening to that song and just talking a lot about it. Then I came home and it just didn’t let me go. Like a week after that, I still had “COUCOU C’EST MOI” in my head. I was like, wow. So I sat at my computer and remixed the song. I did the remix, but I was so busy the week after that, I forgot that I even did it.
Then last week, the French guys called me like, “Oh, we’re in Ibiza, let’s go for sushi.” And I was like, why not, I just have to go downstairs. So I went there and we were like, “Oh, coucou c’est moi,” and I was like, oh yeah, there was something. I said, you know what, I actually remixed that song. And they were like, no way, can you play it?
So I played it to them and they were like, wow, that sounds amazing. Then we ordered sushi and one of them was on the phone all the time. I was like, what are you doing? He said, I’m texting the guy, I’m texting the crew. I thought he was joking. Then he was like, oh, we got an answer, he’s going to hear it.
So now we’re trying to arrange flights and everything. He’s probably coming tomorrow, and we’re trying to arrange for him to be my special guest and perform COUCOU C’EST MOI live from Ibiza Global in prime time on my first show. So yeah, let’s see, I’m really looking forward to that.
Do you have any other guests planned or scheduled for the summer?
Oh yeah, I’ve got a lot of them, but that’s secret, that’s secret.
Okay, keep it for yourself for now. The season is almost here, IMS is opening the island, so what’s your plan for the summer?
Well, for the summer… actually I’m a software architect. At the end of the day, we created a product which is kind of an e-commerce platform for artists, and it’s very AI-powered and makes life easier for them. So we’re going to be in touch with lots of artists, launching a lot of projects.
Now the summer is coming and everyone’s like, yeah, I want to go, I want to go. And we’re like, wow. So I think it’s going to be a hot summer. And in between, there are lots of shows, performances, friends coming over… so yeah, it’s going to be a busy summer, a really busy one.
How long have you been living in Ibiza actually?
Well, I don’t know, for a long time. My family lives here, so… I also lived a long time in Germany. I have family there too. It was a really nice time, I love the country, I have lots of friends there, I love the people – greetings to Germany. But Ibiza just kept pulling me back, as it does for many people. So now, for some time, I’m just here.
Why is Ibiza special for you?
Wow… it has a crazy special vibe. It’s something you can’t really describe. There’s all that creativity around, all those people who have that vibe, you know? You have to feel it.
Even when I get on the plane, I’m like, wow, this one goes to Ibiza, it’s the right plane. People are dressed differently, talking differently, they have different topics, they’re creative. It’s not just about luxury. Of course, you can have everything on the island, but what really attracts people is the creativity here.
What’s your favorite place here?
One of my favorite places is a restaurant called Es Boldado. I love to go there because the view of Es Vedrà is amazing. They cook really well, very authentic. I think they even won a Michelin star a couple of years ago.
It’s not even expensive, it’s super fair. And to get a Michelin star for simple dishes like fish and potatoes is not easy. It’s not like some fancy presentation – it’s actually very rustic cuisine. I love it, and the view is amazing. So yeah, if you’re into that, I can recommend it.
What’s the dark side of Ibiza for you?
Well, the dark side… you have to be very disciplined if you live here. There’s so much going on that if you just go with it, you might never come back home. Especially in summer, it can be 24/7.
And even if you know people, you don’t even need money sometimes. That’s crazy. It’s fun, but then suddenly you’re like… you have no job, you’re gone. You’re like, it was fun, but that was the last time.
That’s so funny. Well, back to your DJ thing – what genre are you playing, or who is your biggest inspiration?
I love playing from afro-house to tech-house, sometimes pushing it a bit more towards mainstage. I just love being in that space.
If I do a show somewhere, it’s usually focused on a certain style. But here on the balcony, we’ve had sessions where we just said, let’s put the decks on and see what happens.
For example with NATALIE BLÜME, we were sitting here like, let’s do one. We streamed it live on her YouTube channel. We started with afro-house, said we’d go slow, opened a beer… and then went all the way to mainstage.
We were streaming just with an iPhone, nothing special. Then we looked at the phone and there were almost 2,000 people watching live at the same time. That stream got like 300,000 views in an hour and a half. That was crazy.
So I enjoy playing a wide range – from afro to mainstage. The main thing for me is just having fun with it.
Can we join LoudLife for the next session?
Yeah, sure. We’re going to do some. Now it’s IMS, everyone’s busy, you probably too, but maybe next week we do one.
Let’s do that! We can’t wait.
You’re invited.
Yeah, let’s do a party here on the iconic balcony at Ivo’s place. Thank you so much and yeah, let’s go.
You’re welcome. See you again.
