A powerful woman who produces powerful music — these words can only describe one woman in the trance scene right now and that woman is Nifra! She has been dedicated to the to the dance music scene for over a decade and her passion truly shows through each and every move she makes as an artist.
Most recently, Nifra has undertaken the duty of putting together her own compilation album. ‘Follow Me’ showcases her own productions as well as the talent of several big hitters across the Coldharbour Recordings roster.
Upon the release of this magnificent compilation, we were able to have a few words with Nifra to learn more about what went into the process of putting ‘Follow Me’ together. We also spoke about her love for trance music and much more. Without further ado, here’s what Nifra had to say!
FMF: You recently announced your first compilation album, ‘Follow Me’. We’re all very excited for this and can’t wait to hear it as I’m sure you put a lot of work into it. What was it like putting together your first compilation album?
Nifra: Hi Nadine. Thank you so much! I did indeed put a lot of work into this. Not only this was my first ever compilation album, but being the perfectionist and workaholic that I am; the pressure was real. I worked on ‘Follow Me’ for about six months. It was definitely a long process from getting the tracks in, working on exclusive material, packaging and lastly, the mixing stage. From the very beginning I was just so crazily excited to get something out which I could hold in my hands — a physical product that was the result of my work.
What was the most fun part of working on ‘Follow Me’ and what was the most challenging part?
The most fun part was listening to the collection of music that was sent to me. When I heard the tracks, I couldn’t wait to mix it and tell everybody about it. The challenge actually started during that process, as I obviously couldn’t include everything on the mix since I only had 80 minutes to work with. Decisions had to be made, but I think the result is a very good mix with stunning music by the people that I admire and am big fan of — from Markus Schulz and ATB to good friends Anske, Arkham Knights, Daxson and Dave Neven and of course, my other half, Fisherman. You can also find plenty of my own music and remixes of my older tracks that were specifically made for the CD such as ‘Dark Harbour’ and ‘Powerball’. I also created the original track ‘Tomboy’ for the compilation and intro mix ‘NYX’ with Fisherman.
I ask this question to every trance producer because everyone seems to have a different perspective. What does trance mean to you?
Trance for me is a state of mind that gives you a certain feeling. It can be any emotion — sad, happy, empowering — it depends on the mood of the track.
As one of the leading females in the trance industry, what advice would you give to any young ladies looking to move forward in the industry?
I would definitely recommend working really hard (I mean twice as hard as anybody else) and don’t listen to other people. You will hear a lot of not-so-nice stuff being said about you, just because you are a woman. But please, don’t give up. Put a lot of time into your craft, production, DJ skills and these will speak for themselves. It worked for me!
You’ve performed at so many clubs and festivals around the world already this year like Luminosity, EDMania and Groove Cruise just to name a few. What other upcoming shows are you most excited for?
Correct! All of them were absolutely stunning shows and were different from each other. I just returned from Miami and Montreal, where I performed on Coldharbour Night and the Coldharbour stage at AIM Festival, respectively. Now, I’m getting ready to travel to Prague and Club EPIC, which is where I have a residency. In September, I will spend most of my time in Asia and in October, I will be returning to Los Angeles and Avalon Hollywood. For those based in Europe or planning to go there this fall, I suggest visiting the Netherlands on October 5th, where I will be performing at Airwalk Indoor Trance Festival alongside a huge lineup!
2019 has been an exciting year for you so far with your recent releases and upcoming compilation album. What else can we expect from you this year?
This year has definitely been the busiest ever, and it doesn’t stop here. Lots of music will be released and new music is in the works, so just keep an eye on my socials!
*Featured image via Jeffrey Bron Photography*
