INTERVIEW w/ Disco Proof

Madison-based Palestinian producer and artist Disco Proof is developing a distinctive electronic identity where cultural heritage, technological experimentation and the communal energy of dance music intersect. Drawing inspiration from late-'90s and early-2000s electronica, the project combines contemporary club production with influences rooted in Palestinian musical traditions.

Latest single ‘Left Right’ marks a particularly playful shift in direction. Built around the idea of bringing the simplicity of a line dance into the intensity of a packed nightclub, the track embraces driving tech-house rhythms and an infectious sense of movement, offering a more direct, dancefloor-focused sound than Disco Proof's earlier atmospheric releases.

So with the new single out now, we sat down with him to discuss his origins and influences over the years.

Can you tell us a bit about your background and how you got started in music?

I’m a Palestinian producer making what I call Y2K electronica, which is the optimistic, experimental sound of late-'90s and early-2000s electronic music filtered through my heritage. I grew up in the US, but I spent my childhood summers in Amman with my dad's family, and those sounds never left me. I was producing for about ten years before I released anything. In 2026 I finally hit go, and I've put out six releases in six months.

Who are your biggest musical influences and how have they shaped your sound?

Zeds Dead, Lady Gaga, BLACKPINK and Nancy Ajram. Zeds Dead taught me that bass can carry emotion and doesn't just have to hit hard. Gaga showed me that being unapologetically yourself is the art, and that a pop hook and a dance floor belong together. BLACKPINK is a masterclass in polish and impact: every chorus (drop) lands, every second is intentional. And Nancy Ajram is home. Her melodies are the Arabic pop I grew up hearing, and that's where the maqam scales, oud and darbuka in my tracks come from. Put all four together and you get my sound: club energy with a pop heart and a Palestinian soul.

Was there a specific moment or experience that made you decide to pursue music seriously?

Seeing Alison Wonderland at Bonnaroo in 2018. Watching one person on a stage move that many people at once, I knew that's what I wanted to do. I went home and started producing seriously that week.

Can you walk us through your typical songwriting process?

It always starts with the lyrics. I write all of them myself, and the words set the mood for everything that follows. From there I build the track in Ableton around them, using plugins I've built myself: Proof Dust for texture and movement, and Proof Prism for low end that's built for club systems. Once the drums and bass feel right, I bring in melodic ideas, often from maqam scales. I produce, mix and master everything myself, so the track stays exactly how I hear it in my head.

How do you find inspiration for your music and lyrics?

A lot of my lyrics come from heartbreak. Writing is how I work through it, and putting it over a beat turns something painful into something you can dance through. The sound comes from memory, especially those summers in Amman: the music in the streets, at weddings, in the car. The rest comes from queer nightlife, the feeling of a room full of people who finally get to be themselves. "Left Right" came from the simplest idea: if you know your left from your right, you can dance to this. If you don't, even better.

What themes or messages do you hope listeners take away from your music?

Connection. I want everyone on the dance floor together, moving as one. And I want queer people and Arab people, especially those of us who are both, to hear themselves in electronic music. We're here, we're making it, and the dance floor is ours too.

What challenges have you faced as an emerging artist in the music industry?

Time and visibility. I'm independent and do everything myself, from production to mastering to marketing, so there's never enough of either. There's also the fact that electronic music still has a pretty narrow idea of what a producer looks like. Being a masc queer with Palestinian heritage, I don't fit that mold, and I've had to stop waiting for permission and just build my own lane.

What has been the most rewarding aspect of your musical journey so far?

Seeing people find the music. After ten years of keeping it to myself, I've had more than 71,000 streams and 42,000 listeners in my first year, plus tracks like "tension at 3am" landing on playlists with over 700,000 followers. But the best part is the messages from queer and Arab listeners saying it feels like it was made for them. It was.

How do you stay true to yourself and your artistry in a constantly evolving industry?

I keep the three things that are actually me at the center: I'm queer, I'm Palestinian, and I take the craft seriously. Trends come and go, but if those three show up in every track, I'm never chasing anyone else's sound. Building my own tools helps too. Nobody else has my plugins, so nobody else sounds quite like me.

What can fans expect from you in the near future? Any upcoming projects or tours?

Left Right" just came out on October 9, a tech-house track made for the club. Next up is either "How Cruel" or "Daddy's Got the Drugs." I'm still deciding which one comes first, so keep an eye out. And I'm getting back behind the decks. Playing out again is a big focus, especially in Chicago's queer scene.

Where do you see yourself and your music career in the next five years?

Making music full-time and playing rooms that feel like family. Within the next year I want to be a name in Chicago's sapphic club scene. Long term, I want Y2K electronica to be a sound people recognize, and eventually to turn it into a home for other artists who don't fit electronic music's usual mold.

Listen to Disco Proof's 'Left Right' below.