In conversation with Nina Kraviz
We had a delight interviewing one of our favorite artists Nina Kraviz for our new issue "Dream" as well as working with her on a cover story that is now available on Boutiquemags.com and in stores.
HOW DOES YOUR RESEARCH PROCESS WORK WHEN PREPPING A NEW SET TO PLAY AT A GIG OR A FESTIVAL? DO YOU LIKE TO INCLUDE A LOT OF NEW UNKNOWN TALENTS AS WELL AND THEIR MUSIC, IF SO WHERE DO YOU FIND THEIR TRACKS?
I LOVE PLAYING UNRELEASED MUSIC AND HAVING A LABEL HELPS WITH THAT A LOT. I LOVE CREATING UNIQUE SONICSCAPE RELATED TO A CERTAIN MOMENT OF TIME AND THE IDEA THAT FEW PEOPLE HAVE HEARD IT BEFORE MAKES THIS PROCESS VERY EXCITING. NEVERTHELESS THERE ARE A FEW MORE ESSENTIAL THINGS FOR A DJ OUT THERE. THE CONTEXT IN WHICH YOU PUT CERTAIN MUSIC, THE ATMOSPHERE YOU CREATE WITH IT AND THE INTENSION YOU PUT BEHIND IT. IN THAT SENSE IT DOESN’T MATTER WHAT YEAR THE MUSIC WAS RELEASED OR IF IT HASN’T BEEN RELEASED YET. SOMETIMES I'D SNEAK SOMETHING COMPLETELY UNRELATED IN MY DJ SET TO SEE HOW DIFFERENT GENRES WORK IN A NEW CONTEXT. ITS NOT ALWAYS WORKING BUT WHEN IT DOES – UHHH! THAT FEELS SO GOOD! ITS ADDICTIVE! FOLLOWING THAT IDEA EVEN THE MOST CHEESY TRACK PUT IN THE RIGHT CONTEXT CAN SOUND COOL AND THE MOST AMAZING TRACK CAN SOUND QUITE FLAT. I ALSO HAVE A VERY GOOD EVER EMERGING COLLECTION OF VINYL WHICH IS A GOOD SOURCE OF INSPIRATION IN FINDING A “THEME” FOR A SET. BUT LITTERALLY EVERYTHING CAN BE A THEME FOR A SET. EVEN A FAMOUS POP SONG THAT YOU HEARD ON A RADIO.
HOW DO YOU THINK COVID-19 WILL AFFECT THE MUSIC INDUSTRY BOTH LONG-TERM AND SHORT-TERM? HOW DO YOU SEE THE IMPACT OF CORONA CRISIS ON THE GENERAL PERCEPTION OF MUSIC?
THE MUSIC INDUSTRY WILL DEFINITELY CHANGE. TO THE BETTER OR TO THE WORST -WE'LL SEE.
HOW DID YOU SPEND YOUR QUARANTINE TIME AND WERE YOU STILL ABLE TO CREATE WHILE BEING QUARANTINED?
IN THE BEGINNING I FELT CONFUSED. THE WHOLE SITUATION REMINDED ME OF A FEW DYSTOPIAN NOVELS I USED TO READ. BUT JUST OF A SUDDEN THE WEIRDNESS BECAME A SOURCE OF INSPIRATION. I FINISHED A COUPLE OF REMIXES, ESTABLISHED “HOT STEEL”-NEW PROJECT ON MY LABEL WHERE I PLAY AND RELEASE MUSIC FROM MOSTLY UNKNOWN ARTISTS, AND STARTED WORKING ON MY ALBUM. SUDDENLY I FOUND MYSELF APPRECIATING THE TIME THAT I WAS GIVEN AS A CHANCE TO DO CREATIVE THINGS. I WORKED ON MUSIC ALMOST EVERY DAY WRITING NEW SONGS AND PRODUCING NEW BEATS. I STARTED TAKING VOCAL AND PIANO CLASSES.
TELL US SOMETHING ABOUT YOURSELF THAT IS NOT ON YOUR RESUME.
I HAVE BEEN CRAZY ABOUT BULLTERRIERS LATELY.
WHAT DO YOU WANT TO TELL WITH YOUR MUSIC, AND WHAT THEMES ARE YOU EXPLORING WITH YOUR MUSIC?
MUSIC IS MY FAVORITE MEDIUM TO TRANSLATE FEELINGS. WHEN I COMPOSE SONGS THE CHOICE OF MELODIES AND WORDS IS ALMOST UNCONSCIOUS. SOMETIMES IT TAKES TIME FOR MYSELF TO FIND OUT WHAT WAS THAT I WAS SCREAMING IN THE MICROPHONE LAST NIGHT. WHEN IT COMES TO MIXING RECORDS AS A DJ ITS ALSO THE WAY YOU THINK THAT IS SUDDENLY AVAILABLE FOR EVERYONE TO WITNESS. YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE RHYTHM AND SONIC TEXTURES, YOUR CHOICE OF SONGS AND THE WAY YOU MIX IT TOGETHER CAN TELL A LOT ABOUT THAT.
WHAT IS YOUR STORY AND HOW DOES IT REFLECT IN YOUR WORK? WHAT DOES MUSIC MEAN TO YOU AND WHAT MADE YOU START MAKING MUSIC IN THE FIRST PLACE?
I THINK THE LISTENER CAN ANSWER THIS QUESTION BETTER AS THERE ARE AS MANY STORIES AS THERE ARE LISTENERS. EVERY LISTENER ADDS SOMETHING OF THEIR OWN EXPERIENCE TO IT SO THE STORY IS EVERDEVELOPING. MUSIC IS A PART OF MY LIFE AND, HAS ALWAYS BEEN SINCE I REMEMBER MYSELF, AND THE MOMENT WHEN I MADE MY FIRST SONG FELT AS A NATURAL PROGRESSION OF THAT.
WHAT DO YOU HAVE IN STORE FOR US NEXT? WORKING ON ANYTHING EXCITING TO COME?
I WROTE MUSIC FOR COMPUTER GAME “CYBERPUNK 2077”. I WILL ALSO HAVE MY CHARACTER IN THE GAME THAT IS GOING TO BE LAUNCHED IN DECEMBER 10TH. I WILL PLAY A LITTLE PRE-LAUNCH SET IN A FORM OF A STREAM WHERE THAT MUSIC FROM THE GAME WILL BE PREMIERED. I MAY ALSO DROP MY NEW SINGLE EARLY NEXT YEAR. THE SONG IS CALLED “SKYSCRAPERS” AND HOPEFULLY RELEASE MY ALBUM.
I HAVE SEEN YOU WERE PERFORMING A LOT EVEN DURING COVID-19. HOW IS IT LIKE PERFORMING DURING THESE CRAZY TIMES?
I WOULDN’T SAY I PERFORMED A LOT. IN FACT I ONLY DID ONE WEEKEND OF SHOWS. IN GREECE AND ITALY IN AUGUST. I HAVE TO SAY I WAS SO HAPPY TO PERFORM FOR THE PEOPLE AGAIN. THE GREEK SHOW WAS A BIT UNUSUAL AS IT WAS A SOCIAL DISTANCED EVENT WITH GUESTS ALOCATED TO THEIR TABLES BUT THE ITALIAN SHOWS SEEMED ALMOST NORMAL JUST WITH A REDUCED CAPACITY. I WAS LUCKY TO PLAY AS THAT TIME THE NUMBERS IN ITALY WERE VERY LOW AND MOST OF THE CLUBS WERE OPEN SINCE JUNE. IT WAS HARD TO ENTER EUROPE BECAUSE THE COUNTRY WHERE I SPENT THE ENTIRE QUARANTINE HAD ITS BORDERS CLOSED TILL AUGUST. TO BE TRAVELING AND PLAYING FOR REAL PEOPLE AGAIN, SEEING MY FRIENDS AND SPENDING SOME TIME WITH THEM IN GREECE AND ITALY MADE IT SUCH A SPECIAL AND SO MUCH APPRECIATED EXPERIENCE. IT WAS ONE OF THE BEST HOLIDAYS I HAVE EVER HAD. I ALSO PLAYED IN ST.PETERSBURG AT A LOCAL 3 DAY FESTIVAL CALLED "PRESENT PERFECT" WHERE I HAD A STAGE FOR MY LABEL TRIP AND ALL RUSSIAN MEMBERS OF THE LABEL PERFORMED THERE. IT WAS AGAIN A VERY EMOTIONAL EXPERIENCE AND FELT LIKE A FAMILY GATHERING.
DESCRIBE THE FEELING YOU FEEL WHEN PERFORMING IN FRONT OF A BIG AUDIENCE.
ITS AS EXCITING AS ITS SCARY. YOU ALMOST WANT OT RUN AWAY BUT ITS TOO LATE- YOU ARE ALREADY THERE AND YOU BETTER ROCK THE SH..T OUT OF IT 🙂
YOU ARE IN MY OPINION AND OPINION OF MANY OTHERS, THE QUEEN OF TECHNO. HOW IS IT LIKE WORKING IN MOSTLY MALE DOMINATED INDUSTRY, HAS THAT EVER BEEN A CHALLENGE FOR YOU?
IT’S A LOT EASIER FOR A WOMAN NOW. I REMEMBER ONE TIME WHERE I WAS LITERALLY THROWN OUT OF THE DJ BOOTH IN FRONT OF MY AUDIENCE. MALE COLLEAGUES HAVE CALLEM ME ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING IN THE PRESS. AND THAT WAS LIKED AND ACCEPTED BY MUSIC JOURNALISTS . LATER THE PERSON CONCEARNED WOULD BE BE PRAISED AND CALLED LEGEND FOR DOING SO. ALL OF THAT SUDDENLY CHANGED WITHT HE RISE OF ANTI-SEXISTS MOVEMENTS. ALTHOUGH I HAVE TO SAY THAT WE STILL HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO. AND NOT ONLY IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY.
HOW DO YOU COPE WITH TRAVELING ALL THE TIME (IN NORMAL TIMES) AND WHAT IS YOUR SECRET TO STAY IN GOOD MENTAL SHAPE?
JUST LOVE MY PROFESSION SO MUCH THAT I ACCEPT EVERYTHING THAT COMES TOGETHER WITH IT. AND YES IT DOESNT ALWAYS MEAN GOOD MENTAL SHAPE.
DID YOU DREAM OF BEING AN ARTISTS AND PERFORMER AS A CHILD, OR DID THAT JUST HAPPEN SPONTANEOUSLY?
WHEN I WAS A CHILD I DREAMT TO BECOME A PROFESSIONAL DANCER. INSTEAD I BECAME A DENTIST BECAUSE IT FELT LIKE A MORE REALISTIC PLAN. FOR MY PARENTS:) I
REMEMBER MY SINGING SINCE THE TIME I REMEMBER MYSELF. I USED TO TELL MY PARENTS THAT I WAS SICK NOT TO GO TO SCHOOL SO I COULD STAY HOME AND SING “IMMIGRANT SONG” BY LED ZEPPELIN.
WHAT TRACK DO YOU KEEP RE-LISTENING TO AT THE MOMENT AND WHY?
I KEEP RE-LISTENING TO THIS HUNDRED AND FIRST VERSION OF MY NEW SONG “SKYSCRAPERS” DECIDING IF THE NEWLY ADDED JUPITER PAD SOUNDS JUST FINE OR IS IT ACTUALLY TOO LOUD AND OVERSHADOWING THE VOCALS AND ALL OTHER SYNTHS IN THE BACKGROUND?
I WATCHED YOU LIVE ALSO AT THE VIRTUAL FESTIVAL AWAKENINGS EARLIER THIS SUMMER. HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE EXPERIENCE FOR YOU OF PERFORMING VIRTUALLY?
IT HAS BEEN AN EXCITING EXPERIENCE. NEVERTHELESS I'VE LEARNT THAT I LOVE FACE-TO-FACE PERFORMING FOR MY BELOVED AUDIENCE MORE!
WHAT IS YOUR ADVISE FOR YOUNG GIRLS WHO ARE INSPIRED BY YOU AND WANT TO BECOME DJ’S AND ARTISTS AS WELL?
WATCH THE ARTIST YOU LOVE AND ADMIRE, THEN UNSEE WHAT YOU HAVE SEEN AND DO IT YOUR OWN WAY.
CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT YOUR LABEL TRIP. WHAT DO YOU HAVE PLANNED NEXT?
TRIP IS MY FAVORITE THING REALLY. I LOVE IT SO MUCH. EVERY SINGLE ARTIST AND EVERY SINGLE RECORD. I HAVE BEEN RUNNING IT SINCE 2014 AND SOME OF THE RELEASES INCLUDE MUSIC THAT ARE CONSIDERED TO BE CLASSICS TODAY. SO NEXT YEAR I WILL REPRESS MOST OF THE CATALOG FOR THE FIRST TIME. THE REPRESSES WILL NOT LOOK THE SAME TO KEEP THE ORIGINAL FIRST PRESS COPIES SPECIAL. THE NEW RELEASE IS COMING SOON AND IT WILL ACTUALLY BE A DUTCH ARTIST: DENIRO.
ON TOP OF THIS THE SECOND EDITION OF “HOT STEEL “ DIGITAL ONLY COMPILATION IS ABOUT TO BE OUT. I HAVE SELECTED MY FAVORITES FROM HUNDREDS OF TRACKS THAT PEOPLE SENT ME AND THOSE THAT I MANAGED TO LISTEN AND I LIKE A LOT. ITS NOT STRAIGHT IN YOUR FACE HITS RATHER COOL.
ELECTRONICA. YET THERE IS ONE TRACK IN THERE THAT MANY DUTCH PEOPLE MIGHT KNOW. ITS A TECHNO REMAKE OF A VERY FAMOUS HIP HOP SONG ‘WATSGEBURT” MADE BY DUTCH TECHNO ARTIST DISSOLVER.
A LITTLE BIRD TOLD ME YOU RE WORKING ON A NEW ALBUM WHERE YOU WILL BE USING YOUR VOICE AND SOME POP AMONG OTHER THINGS. CAN YOU TELL OUR READERS MORE ABOUT IT, IT SOUNDS VERY EXCITING.
AS I SAID BEFORE I HAVE BEEN WORKING ON NEW MUSIC SINCE A WHILE NOW. I RECORDED QUIET A LOT AND ITS MOSTLY SONGS. UNLIKE MY FIRST ALBUM WHICH WAS RECORDED IN RELATIVELY SHORT TIME AND WAS VERY INTUITIVE AND MINIMALIST IN TERMS OF PRODUCTION. THIS TIME ON TOP OF COMPOSING AND PRODUCTION ITSELF I HAVE BEEN DEDICATING MUCH MORE TIME TO ARRANGEMENT SIDE, EXPLORING HARMONICAL SIDE MORE AND PAYING A LOT OF ATTENTION TO MY PERFORMANCE AS A VOCALIST. LIKE WITH THE FIRST ALBUM I AM STILL ONE- WOMAN ORCHESTRA, DOING EVERYTHING ON MY OWN -FROM COMPOSING, ARRANGING, PRODUCING TO SINGING AND SONG -WRITING.
EDITORIAL TEAM CREDITS:
TALENT: NINA KRAVIZ
PHOTOGRAPHER: BYRON SPENCER & ELINE HOYOIS
STYLIST: DIONE OCCHIPINTI
CASTING / EIC: TIMOTEJ LETONJA
HAIR AND MAKE-UP: JONATHAN SANCHEZ AT KASTEEL MANAGEMENT USING MAC Cosmetics and Bumble & Bumble
LOCATION: HOXTON HOTEL PARIS
STYLING ASSISTANTS: SARA ROSITA & FLAVIA RAUEN
SPECIAL THANKS TO ALBA MELENDO & PASCAL LOPERENA
Timotej Letonja
