From club closings and big festival stages to the second OKNO by Alexmonhart in Holešovice. Slovak DJ and promoter Martina Piatková, performing as SJ yellow, has in recent years become one of the most striking figures on Prague’s electronic scene—both behind the decks and as a promoter of her own events.

How does the mindset differ when playing in an intimate club versus on a massive festival stage? How does she cope with the pressure of expectations and her personal DJ crisis? What impact does the current club crisis have, and why might it also be an opportunity for the local scene? And what differences does she perceive between the Prague and Bratislava scenes?

The very first Holešovice OKNO by Alexmonhart was opened with a set by sound designer, DJ, and member of the Prague club scene Nicolas Atcheson, performing as Atch22 from Amphibian Records. As the final preparations were underway, sunlight poured through the showroom windows, and reflections from the mix danced across the walls—hinting at bright beginnings. Not only for the new series under the Alexmonhart brand, but also for Ankali, the club where Nicolas has long been active and which, after months of uncertainty and threats of closure, has recently found at least a temporary revival.

We meet shortly after a marathon weekend celebrating Ankali’s eighth anniversary and Saturday’s concert by performer FKA Twigs, whose praise of Prague’s underground scene briefly placed the city’s clubs in the spotlight of international media. But did the mention of Prague’s scene play more into the hands of local clubs, or of FKA herself? Can running your own label in the Czech Republic provide a living? What’s the difference between Czech and Western DJ fees? Are daytime raves the future? And can political engagement and art ever truly be separated?