Vladimir Ivkovic

At the core, Vladimir Ivkovic is a DJ – someone with a particularly unique talent for selecting records and weaving them into a larger, and often unusually compelling, narrative.

Born and raised in Belgrade, he first dabbled in DJing as a teenager in the mid '80s, but it was only after leaving Yugoslavia (to study in Germany) and later coming back for a summertime visit that he truly immersed himself in the craft, taking up position behind the decks during a series of impromptu parties at a lakeside restaurant owned by his parents.

From there, he spent much of the next two decades honing his skills while throwing events like Selected and Substance that played host to a cross-section of boundary-pushing DJs, long before it was fashionable to do so. Eventually, Ivkovic found his musical and spiritual home at Salon des Amateurs, an unassuming spot in Düsseldorf that's gradually proven to be wildly influential, giving rise in recent years to otherworldly talents like Lena Willikens, Tolouse Low Trax, Jan Schulte and many others, including Ivkovic himself.

In recent years, that temperament has increasingly found devoted followers all around the globe. Simply put, Ivkovic has become a staple of the European club circuit and the global festival space.

Whether he's broadcasting on the radio or piloting the dancefloor, Ivkovic is someone who applies a curatorial mindset and a deep love of music to all of his creative exploits. Yes, he's a DJ, but he's so much more than that; he's a storyteller, a connoisseur and, most importantly, an artist.