From São Paulo, DJ K ranks among the leading creators of beat bruxaria, the ominous branch of funk brasileiro known internationally as baile funk. Dreamlike yet low-fidelity, his productions feature distorted rhythms, piercing tones, and abrupt sonic fragments, with evil cackling prominent among the samples. Numerous singles issued throughout the early 2020s preceded wider recognition, which arrived with the 2023 full-length Panico No Submundo.
DJ K first turned to production at age 17, spending a full year learning FL Studio before posting tracks online. Live appearances followed at Baile do Helipa, the street party hosted in São Paulo’s largest favela. He subsequently assembled Bruxaria Sound, a collective comprising more than a dozen MCs, producers, and DJs. Defined by an obsession with darkness and menace, beat bruxaria delivers harsh, noisy, and turbulent sound that routinely incorporates sirens and high frequencies, while its imagery frequently relies on cartoonish evil-clown motifs.
Dozens of tracks appeared from DJ K during the early 2020s, among them collaborations with scene associates such as DJ Dayeh, MC Delux, DJ Teixeira, and DJ Menor 7. Uganda’s Nyege Nyege Tapes, an advocate for experimental music worldwide, issued his debut album Panico No Submundo in 2023.
