The multi-talented Nina Kraviz has been at the forefront of the global techno scene for almost a decade. She had always been considered one of the most popular female DJs, even back in the day when girls were not commonly seen behind DJ desks at major events. Now, she headlines almost every festival worth mentioning.
She is part of the EXIT family, and her efforts to come to Novi Sad in 2021 will always be remembered, as will the entire Dance Arena chanting her name for the first time!
In addition to being a beloved performer, she runs a highly successful label, promoting the experimental work of the scene’s most established artists but also launching new stars of the genre.
While we were all locked in, she was productive and started experimenting with synth-pop. In essence, she went back to the music she used to make when she was a member of the three-member band Myspacerocket. Perhaps one day, we will see her on the Main Stage in Petrovaradin with a microphone in hand and a band behind her, but let’s focus on the present. This week, she is coming to Belgrade for the No Sleep Festival!
Aside from festivals like Coachella, Primavera, Ultra, and Sonar, Nina will also visit our official Best New European Festival. We’re sure she has prepared a few remixes of her singing tunes, made by colleagues such as the famous Solomun or perhaps Dubyshkin or Hi-Lo. She will almost certainly play “Lollytrance” by Antigone, widely considered the techno-trance track of the year.
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The Siberian dentist is now perhaps the most recognizable face in techno music. Her techno is sharp but open-minded. There is this famous set in Melbourne from the beginning of her international career in which she kept changing the tempo and style so often that some people asked for refunds on their tickets. She did not try to explain herself with a big social media post but simply said that her definition of techno was obviously somewhat broader than that of the audience at the time. She kept pushing her style, and soon the audience accepted and fell in love with it.
She was born in the Siberian part of Russia almost forty years ago. She became interested in music while listening to the Europa Plus radio. The station broadcast obscure electronic music in an off-peak slot, featuring the likes of Armando and Steve Pointdexter. She studied dentistry in Moscow and later got a job there. In addition to fixing people’s teeth, she started working at a local radio station and performing at clubs like Propaganda on weekends.
She was given the opportunity to study music production in Seattle but was not granted an American visa. She managed to enrol at the Melbourne Music Academy, but mainly managed on her own, releasing an album for Rekids in early 2014. Soon after, she launched her label трип and chose a few tracks for the prestigious DJ-Kicks compilation, setting her apart as someone with a taste for great music.
There’s also the GALAXIID sublabel, more evidence of the breadth of Ninochka’s interests, which include both the Russian avant-garde of the seventies and ambient Japanese music.
You can also see her in the most hyped video game in recent history. On top of writing music for “Cyberpunk 2077,” she also cameoed in the game. All this goes to show how much Kraviz has broken into the mainstream.
Multi-talented, extremely productive, ambitious, and persistent. She leads the wave of (female) DJs offering powerful techno for the masses, defining today’s scene. Her special relationship with the local audience always leaves room for experimentation, giving her performances at EXIT and No Sleep an additional dimension and making them mandatory for all who call themselves clubbers. She will return to No Sleep on Friday, April 8th, at the Matrez hangar.
Written by: Vojkan Bećir
