FEATURE:
Spotlight
Linska
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ALONGSIDE Spotlight features…
where I look at more traditional artists, I am also keen to spend some time with some amazing female D.J.s. The reason for this is that I interviewed the amazing Carly Wilford earlier in the month, and she shouted out some fellow queens. I am going to select a few of them for deeper consideration. I knew about the majesty and talents of Linska prior to that interview, however, I have been compelled to explore her work more. Many might recognised her face, as Linska is the pseudonym of Ella Balinska, a British actor known for Charlie's Angels and Resident Evil. However, she is also this captivating D.J. and producer. I want to drop in some more detailed biography before I get to the first interview with the supreme Linska:
“Linska is solidifying her place as one of electronic music’s most exciting new forces. With a signature sound rooted in dark, driving tech house/techno, and undeniable magnetism, the London-born & LA-based producer continues to captivate global audiences. Her breakout single “Bad Boy” stormed past 15 million streams and claimed the #1 spot on Beatport’s Melodic House & Techno chart, and #2 overall, announcing her as a bold new voice in the scene.
Following that momentum, she reunited with acclaimed Irish producer Rebūke on “Choose Life,” a track that reinforces her ability to blend emotion with danceability. Most recently, Linska delivered a standout remix of Emmit Fenn’s “I WON’T LET YOU DOWN,” showcasing her versatility and expanding her sonic reach.
Inspired by her roots in gaming and the UK underground, Linska fuses immersive soundscapes, powerful vocal work, and relentless energy to craft music that feels both raw and elevated. With every release, she pushes boundaries—proving she’s not just part of the new wave of producers, she’s helping define it”.
I know that there will be new interviews with Linska next year. One of the best D.J.s in world (in my view), she released the incredible track, Bad Boy, last year. Last December, Beat Portal caught up with this superstar D.J. and incredible producer about the track. I have not caught a Linska D.J. set myself, though I am keen to see her in the flesh next year. This is one of our finest D.J.s, artists and producers:
“Linska’s solo debut, Bad Boy, has made a significant impact on the electronic music scene, quickly gaining support from some of the genre’s biggest names, including Solomun and Adam Beyer. The track’s origins were far from glamorous. Linska shares that the idea came to her during a sleepless, jet-lagged night in a hotel room in London, which, much to her disappointment, was “super dodgy and nothing like the pictures on the website.” “I was pretty much just sitting awake jet-lagged and organizing my rekordbox. I was putting my playlists together, and I realized there was a vibe of track I was missing,” she recalls. That’s when inspiration struck. “I haven’t heard something like this in a while when I’ve been in the crowd at shows. So I just had a wave of inspiration to pen it myself and actually ended up pulling an all-nighter and finishing the track in one night.”
Despite facing challenges in her makeshift studio, Linska pushed through. “The real challenge for me was probably getting past my own perfectionism. When I look at a project in Ableton, my eye immediately looks for repetition and patterns; regular intervals between certain elements of the track, but often what you see doesn’t translate to how it sounds. So I had to push my want for it to be ‘mathematically’ correct and be free with it.” Working in the hotel with thin walls meant that she had to rely entirely on headphones. “I couldn’t play the track out loud because the walls were paper thin, so I produced the whole track in my headphones.” Yet, despite these obstacles, the track emerged with a pulsating bassline, infectious rhythms, and intricate details that showcase her dedication to the craft.
Looking back at her rise, Linska acknowledges the challenges of building her career in such a competitive industry. “There are 100% better, wiser, more experienced people to ask this question to than me, I’m still learning myself. But my two cents would be; The hardest thing has been being confident in my own brand and what I want to do. There is so much access to information now; it is so easy to be swayed into thinking you should be doing something else or you need to be making music that sounds more like this producer or playing tracks like that DJ,” she says. But for aspiring producers and DJs looking to make their mark, she has some straightforward advice: “Finish the music. Nothing gets put out if it’s not finished. When it comes to DJing, play music for yourself and the audience. Keep the indulgence to the afters with your mates. When it comes to asking the question, ask it. The worst response you’ll get is ‘no.’ And when it comes to growing, you are the only person in your own way. This industry is competitive but it can be so fun and rewarding... I truly am grateful”.
It is interesting reading that full interview, as Linska talks about future collaborations. Consider a lot of the female D.J.s Carly Wilford recently highlighted, it would be great if they came together and there was this album from them where they fuse together on track. Or one that purely showcases their work. In an industry where sexism and gender imbalance pervades, showing how exceptional these women are would, one hopes, lead to conversation and steps towards change. Before moving along, I want to get to a review from PAN M 360 regarding Linska’s set at this year’s Off Piknic:
“Last Saturday, Jean-Drapeau Park pulsated to the beat of British club sounds during a themed evening organized by Realm Records. If you’re not yet familiar with this record label, it was founded in 2018 by English duo Gorgon City, who headlined this OFF-Piknic event, accompanied by Linska, Riordan, and Dennis Ferrer. Although Ferrer is not affiliated with Realm, but rather with Defected Records, his presence added a touch of legend to this already exciting evening.
To kick off the event, Linska delivered a set rooted in dark and driving tech house/techno. Her thick, rumbling textures evoked the golden age of British house in the 1990s, while drawing on the electro-house of the 2010s, a formative period of her adolescence. Sample choices such as Gorillaz’s Dare transported us to a decidedly British universe—a sound imprint that would mark the entire evening. Linska’s infectious energy behind the turntables, under the bright July sun, contrasted nicely with the nocturnal tones of her music. The sustained rhythm of her set drew festival-goers to the modular wooden dance floor set up in front of the stage. In the final minutes of her set, Bad Boy, her best-known track with melodic techno sounds, clearly announced that this promising artist of the new generation is only just getting started”.
I am ending with a terrific interview from NYLON. I guess interviewing Ella Balinska rather than ‘Linska’, we do get this sense that music is the true passion for this actor. However, we will be seeing Balinska in more acting roles. It is important for her to fulfil her music ambitions and record and play as much as humanly possible. I think that next year will be a huge breakthrough one for her. Chasing her bliss, being a D.J. allows the London-born queen to cut loose and be truly set free:
“Most people know Balinska, 28, for her starring role in the 2019 Charlie’s Angels reboot (alongside Kristen Stewart and Naomi Scott) or Netflix’s Resident Evil series in 2022. But Hollywood actors, even successful ones, know there’s only so much they can control about the business. “It was amazing to have that zero-to-100 launch that I had into my acting career, but there’s a level of anxiety that comes with that," she says. "Because what legs am I standing on? It was quite stressful to feel like I had to maintain that.”
“You know how sometimes you go to a festival and there’s a random child just running around? That was me.”
She sees music, on the other hand, as a vehicle for unrestricted creativity. “I just feel so myself and free and uncensored,” she says. “I’ve arrived at this point where I’m like, ‘You know what? Let me reintroduce myself: ‘My name is Linska, and that’s who I am, and that’s my art.’”
Getting behind the decks is a classic move in the It Girl playbook. Balinska, however, was practically raised with a deep appreciation for the craft. Her mom is Lorraine Pascale, the British TV food personality, and her father is Polish businessman Kaz Balinski-Jundzill, who would partner with event organizers to throw music festivals around Ireland. “You know how sometimes you go to a festival and there’s a random child just running around?” Balinska says. “That was me, with little earmuffs walking around. I think that rave culture — the dance culture — has always been part of who I am.”
PHOTO CREDIT: Amber Asaly
Balinska isn't leaving Hollywood behind, of course. She’s just expanding her creative horizons — in both fields. “I think I have earned my stripes in the genre film world,” she says. “I was told that if there’s ever an action female character, I am almost always on the list to be considered [for the role]. But there are a couple of projects I’ve been reading which feel like a nice bridge between genres.”
She’s got a new song on the way, too: “Choose Life,” another team-up with Rebūke, drops in late February and has spoken word drawing inspiration from the iconic opening monologue in Trainspotting. “I looked at it, and I was like, ‘Well, people are either gonna love this or hate it,’” she says.
But she loves it — and that’s all that matters to her. “I’m coming from a truthful place,” she says. “There’s no ulterior motive here. I just wanted to do it. I think art for other people is super important, but [art for] yourself is really important too”.
An undeniably major talent who I was keen to spend some time with, I am excited to see what 2026 holds in store for Linska. I hope there will be more music and perhaps an E.P. or album. A couple of Australian dates just after Christmas and some dates already in the diary for next year, do go and see Linska if you can. She is this amazing D.J. queen and incredible artist who has so many years ahead of her. Golden days and glorious moments…
LIE ahead.
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