ZEEMUFFIN: Spinning Sounds Into a Sense of Freedom

Hum kya chahte? (What do we want?) 

Azadi! (Freedom!)

Zara zor se bolo (Say it louder)

Azadi! (Freedom!)

Hai hak hamara (It’s our right)

Azadi! (Freedom!)

These iconic chants, originating from Kashmiri resistance, filled the room as ZEEMUFFIN opened her debut Azadi set, thoughtfully taking place on independence weekend for many South Asians. The call for liberation cut through the Brooklyn summer heat, saturating the space with a collective charge, a sense of freedom that refused to stay contained.

The NYC-based DJ and producer has musicality coursing through her veins. Between viola lessons, dance, journalism, and chasing punk shows as a teenager across the city, DJing became the place where her worlds converged. Today, having spent 15 years in New York’s DJ circuit and a decade performing globally, she’s an artist whose sound carries the imprint of everywhere she’s been and everything she listens to.

Born in Lahore, Pakistan, ZEEMUFFIN migrated to New York as a child. “My identity as a Pakistani-American is deeply rooted in the work I do, from the way I think about being in service of others to the importance of showing up for your community and taking care of the people I love,” she says. “To me, these are the core cultural values I grew up with, and carry in my work and the spaces that I create.”

That ability to build meaningful and healing spaces sits at the heart of her work. Her proudest achievement is Azadi, the event she curated to celebrate freedom and unite audiences that share values of freedom and collectivity. “Selling out Elsewhere, a 2,000-capacity venue in my hometown of New York, with Azadi was an absolutely surreal moment,” she recalls. “To see the diversity in the crowd – all ages and backgrounds – collectively raising their vibration through music was a moment I will never forget.”

ZEEMUFFIN’s sets draw in faces and experiences that mirror the city she calls home. Bringing together people from around the world, her practice is rooted in storytelling, evolving with global soundscapes and weaving them into cohesive sonic narratives. “To be able to morph into any space and connect a breadth of taste and influences in a way that tells a coherent and inspiring story is always something I strive to do in my sets,” she explains.

For this DJ, community remains at the centre—her priority is creating spaces that feel free and intentional, spaces where people can imagine the future they deserve and find joy through music and moving. After quietly building her sound over the past two years, she’s gearing up to release her debut EP in 2026. “It’s a deep dive into the music that has shaped me,” she says. Alongside, she continues to expand Azadi and curate new shows, shaping the worlds she wants to see.