Ahadadream on His Debut Album ‘P ★ K I’: “Existing Loudly and Unapologetically” [Q&A]

For Ahadadream, UK club music offered somewhere to fit in without having to hide parts of himself. He’d moved from Pakistan at 12. Jungle records and nights at Butterz helped him find his feet; later, he’d help others do the same through his More Time Records imprint and South Asian arts platform Dialled In.

His debut album, P ★ K I, gets into that history. The title has drawn pushback, something he addresses directly in our conversation. He’s careful about the distinction: he wants to reframe the word, and understands why some people find it painful.

The music leaves plenty of room for other voices. Out now on Island Records and Dialled In Records, its 11 tracks bring together Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Capo Lee, Eliza Rose, INVT, Skrillex and Dismantle, among others. Ahad approached it like a DJ set, letting the connections between South Asian music, grime and UK club rhythms guide him.

Below, the Beatport Next alumni talks collaboration, the album’s title, and why he’s happy for a record to stray from what people expect an Ahadadream track to sound like.

Hey Ahad, thanks for joining us! How has your summer of 2026 been? Any highlights?

Hello!! Thank you for having me.

It’s been an incredible summer, with some of the highlights being making my Primavera debut in the pouring rain (when I arrived on site, I didn’t even know whether I would be able to play my set, but by the time they restarted the music for my set, the crowd was really here for it!), and also my first time at Fusion Festival was such an amazing festival and crowd. 

You’ve spent years building your sound through singles, collaborations, and releases on More Time. What could you say with a full-length album that you couldn’t express through those earlier records?

In this album, I really leaned into collaboration and not being too precious if it’s not all my signature sound. I wanted to curate an experience which felt similar to listening to one of my DJ sets live in the club, and includes all of the different musical influences that make me, me. 

P ★ K I takes a word that was weaponized against you and turns it into a statement of joy, pride, and self-love. When did you realize that it had to become the title of your debut album?

It is an idea that I have had in mind for a really long time, and I am using the debut album as an opportunity to tell the story of my experience moving over the UK and perhaps shrinking parts of my identity to fit into society. For my debut album, I am doing the opposite and existing loudly and unapologetically. The p-word was never considered offensive when I was a child in Pakistan; I only realised the venom which it holds when I moved over to the UK. This album is about keeping that younger side of myself in conversation with the current day. 

Have you faced any pushback over the title P ★ K I, and what do you hope people understand about your decision to reclaim the word?

I wouldn't say reclaim... I would say the intention is to reframe or think about a wider global perspective. Yeah, I have received some pushback, and I totally understand and empathise with people who find it triggering. I see it all as constructive conversation rather than an attack on me. 

The album draws on South Asian musical traditions while moving through grime, UK funky, breaks, gqom, and drum & bass. How did you bring those worlds together without letting any one influence define or limit the record?

In the same way as I craft or curate my DJ sets, not leaning too into only one sound in particular, but finding throughlines and stories that bring different rhythms together, I wanted to do the same for this body of work. 

You’ve spoken about exploring what a contemporary form of South Asian dance music might sound like. Do you see P ★ K I as your own answer to that question? Or perhaps as the beginning of a much wider conversation?

I think that is an ongoing conversation happening live right now, and I just want to encourage new artists to keep exploring this space in whatever way feels truest to them. I just want to keep moving culture forward whilst inspiring the next generation of artists. 

How has building the Dialled In community shaped your own identity and ambitions as an artist?

I just find it extremely heartwarming to see the joy and inspiration at Dialled In events, and it makes me want to keep exploring the nuances within the diaspora globally and in South Asia, curating more interesting lineups, releasing exciting music through the Dialled In label and telling more stories that don’t get shared by the mainstream. 

Recent years have brought a viral Boiler Room, major festival debuts, two huge Skrillex collaborations, and a No. 1 on the Official British Asian Music Chart. Has that momentum changed the scale of what you believe is possible – for your own career and for the artists coming through Dialled In?

I find all of these accolades super inspiring, and they definitely give me a boost to keep going, but I try not to get attached to any specific outcomes. I feel super privileged to be able to practice music and call it my job, and my main goal is just to be able to keep doing that for a long time. I see this album as the very beginning; it’s my first album, and I want to make many. 

Ahadadream's debut album P ★ K I is out now via Island Records/Dialled In Records.

Get it on Beatport.