Sound & Style reflects a global shift in how music and fashion move together, shaping identity, influence, and cultural expression across cities and scenes. From London to Africa to Atlanta and beyond, DJs are at the center of that exchange, translating sound into style and presence in real time. As Sound & Style continues, we take a closer look at the DJs defining how music and style intersect across scenes and cities.
As we continue in the series, today, today, we spotlight ANDRD18, a Johannesburg-based DJ whose work brings together sound, visual presence, and culture. With a distinctly curated aesthetic and a forward-looking approach to music, their sets reflect a clear point of view shaped by contemporary African influence and global club culture. Across both digital and physical spaces, ANDRD18 maintains a consistent sense of identity, where fashion and music move in conversation.
A: When people experience you DJing, what do you think they learn about you before you ever speak?
A: “I feel deeply. My sets are paced with curation, not urgency. Before expressing, people usually feel the energy in motion through sound and body language before the live DJ performance.”
A: How do you think sound and style work together in shaping your presence?
A: “Sound sets the temperament — style frames it. Together they create context. What I play and how I present myself are both about texture, and mood — neither is loud, but both are deliberate.”
A: Has your style ever influenced how people receive your music, or vice versa?
A: “Most definitely. The relationship goes both ways — as my sound has softened and deepened, my style has followed. Therefore, style is a form of body language into how people interpret the sound that follows.”
A: When you step into a space to DJ, what do you notice first about the room?
A: “The space that fills in between the sound, light and how people are positioned within it. I pay at- tention to where energy could gather naturally and where it might need abit more to unfold.”
A: What outside of music currently influences how you present yourself creatively?
A: “Architecture, interior spaces, and wellness. I’m drawn to conscious environments that feel intentional — that mindset shapes how I approach both sound and self.”
A: Is there a moment in your career when your image and your sound finally aligned?
A: “Yes — when I stopped trying to meet expec- tations and allowed quiet confidence to lead. That shift made everything feel more aligned, both visually and sonically.”
A: Right now, what feels most important for people to understand about your work?
A: “That it’s about atmosphere, not ego. I’m less interested in being seen and more interested in creating a space where people can feel some- thing real — even if they don’t immediately know why, it’s a transcendence of sound.”
Explore the full Sound & Style feature in Issue 008, now available in print and digital, and spend time with the DJs shaping culture across sound and style. Follow and support ANDRD18 as she continues to build her presence, and tap into the Spotify soundtrack to experience the artists and sounds moving through each DJ’s world.
