DJ AKStan has trusted the unknown in the pursuit of sharing good music. In turn, she has reaped a whirlwind of gigs in the heart of Milwaukee.
Meet Addyson Stansel, known under her DJ name DJ AKStan. With the desire to strengthen our city’s house scene, AKStan has performed for the Milwaukee Bucks, the Milwaukee Art Museum, and, well, you might want to tune in.
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A 24-year-old graduate from the University of Cincinnati, Stansel moved to Milwaukee two years ago. A longtime fan of electronic dance music and its freeing nature, Stansel began learning how to DJ in April of 2024. Her career quickly catapulted from practicing DJing in her bedroom to playing shows like the 2025 Metamorphosis Arts and Music Project in Orlando.
A dabbler in genres from Afro house to progressive house, deep house, bass house, tech house, dubstep, experimental bass, and wubs, AKStan enjoys curating well-crafted sets for events and captivating beats.
“Part of what I’m trying to do is push the boundary to where people are having fun, but they’re also being introduced to new music,” Stansel says.
Upon moving to Milwaukee, Stansel began volunteering at the Milwaukee Art Museum. It was an employee who encouraged her to take her DJ skills to live performances, helping Stansel get involved with events. Incredibly, her first performance was at the Milwaukee Art Museum just six months into DJing.
“I don’t know if I ever would’ve thought I was ready, you know? But if someone has this blind faith in me, why can’t I? So I did it, and now I’ve done many gigs for the Art Museum,” Stansel says.
You may have seen AKStan at this year’s MAM After Dark: Fright at the Museum event, where she worked her music magic in an angel costume under glowing lights inside our city’s skyline delight, the Quadracci Pavilion.
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In exciting news, AKStan is officially signed with the Bucks as an entertainer for the 2025-2026 season. Amongst an array of DJs, she welcomes guests at concourses around Fiserv Forum, setting the musical atmosphere. AKStan has played as a guest DJ before, and is now part of the new lineup.
“The way I see it, I’m setting a vibe and the tone. It’s cool to do, as a Bucks fan, in the environment and as a part of the fan base,” she says. She’s already played two games this fall with the Bucks.
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Signing with the Bucks involved a bit of DJ camaraderie as well. DJ Aviator, a 21-year-old DJ specializing in techno sets and corporate events in Libertyville, Chicago, and Milwaukee helped support the ordeal.
Stansel met Aviator via Instagram, and the two became fast online friends. Aviator played as a concourse DJ for the Bucks in 2024. Along with ongoing support, she decided to write a letter of recommendation for Stansel at the beginning of this year. The letter not only touched on AKStan’s skillset, but on her value.
“I’m a girl’s girl, so I’m always going to be supporting other females, especially in this industry,” Aviator says.
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It seems the Midwest DJ community is often a network of uplift, as DJs work to strengthen one another’s opportunities. AKStan frequents events that enrich female empowerment, including ILHB Parties, which support female nightlife and community, and Milwaukee Girlies events, which encourage female socializing.
AKStan has ambitiously taken on the role of a booker herself, working on a project for House And Espresso, a collective created by the producer and DJ Orlando Sounds. She is curating a small lineup of local artists for an event with the collective on December 6, expected to be about a mile from the Miramar Theatre, a staple of Milwaukee’s house and EDM scene.
“I definitely think that the scene is growing. I think that a lot of the people who are really passionate about the music, and in it for the right reasons, are trying to make that happen by reaching out to other groups and venues, and trying to create their own scene,” Stansel says.
DJ AKStan’s story demonstrates the power of local involvement and community. While she admits it can be hard to thrust oneself into the unknown, she has done just that, captivating her counterparts.
You can see DJ AKStan play at Fiserv Forum on November 15 at the Bucks-Lakers game. Stay up to date on her musical whereabouts on her Instagram page, @dj.akstan.
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