Name: Nicole Moudaber
Nationality: Lebanese-British
Occupation: Producer, DJ, radio host, car racer, activist, label founder at MOOD
Current release: Nicole Moudaber's dual release, ‘Reverie’ & ‘Forest Fire’ is out via Filth On Acid.

If you enjoyed this Nicole Moudaber interview and would like to stay up to date with her music and current live dates, visit her on Instagram, Facebook, Soundcloud, and twitter.  

Over the course of her career, Nicole Moudaber has collaborated with, remixed or been remixed by a wide range of artists, including Christian Löffler, Chris Liebing, Ralf Hildenbeutel, Carl Cox, Monolink, Booka Shade, and UMEK.

[Read our Christian Löffler interview]
[Read our Chris Liebing interview]
[Read our Carl Cox interview]
[Read our Monolink interview]
[Read our Booka Shade interview]
[Read our UMEK interview]

Artists on her MOOD imprint include Andres Campo, Pig&Dan, Klaudia Gawlas, Nicolas Bougaïeff, Moby, and Fabio Florido.

[Read our Andres Campo interview]
[Read our Klaudia Gawlas interview]
[Read our Klaudia Gawlas interview about DJing]
[Read our Nicolas Bougaïeff interview]
[Read our Moby interview]
[Read our Fabio Florido interview]
[Read our Pig&Dan interview]



Do you think that some of your earliest musical experiences planted a seed for your interest in DJing?

Of course! Growing up in Nigeria I have that African Queen deep within me and it’s shaped my tastes for sure. Then moving to Lebanon exposed me to a blend of different musical cultures, and that diversity embeds itself into your soul.

Those early experiences when I first discovered the underground music scene in London in my early 20s, I could feel all of these parts of me coming together.

DJing has become my form of self-expression so it covers every part of me.

I have always loved club music, but I was not initially a dancer very much. What was this like for you? How does being – or not being – a passionate dancer influence the way you deejay?

I'm much more of a dancer behind the decks! I’ve always felt the music viscerally, in the way that it moves your body even when you're not physically dancing.

For me, DJing is a dance in itself. It’s the way you interact with the turntables, how you shift between tracks, layering beats — it all feels like a choreography. When I’m mixing, I'm constantly reading the room, sensing energy, and letting it guide me, and I feel like I’m dancing with the crowd in a sense.

The music moves through me, and I channel it back to the audience. It’s a shared experience of movement, whether I'm physically dancing or not.

For your own DJing, what were some of the most important things you learned from teachers/tutorials, other DJs, or personal experience?

Early on, Carl Cox was a massive mentor and influence on me. He invited me to open for him at a London show and and watching the way he held the crowd captive – boy that was something. Oh yes, oh yes!  

Another lesson from personal experience is knowing when to let go of control – you have to learn when to trust your instincts. You can plan, but the magic happens when you allow spontaneity to take over, when you get lost in the moment with the crowd.

The rawness of a live set is something that no tutorial can teach.

How do you approach DJing, what are you looking for, and what were some of the best finds of the past few weeks for you?
 
Music for me is an obsession. I'm constantly on the hunt for tracks that feel timeless but push the boundaries of sound and having my weekly radio show means I’m always uncovering new gems.

I look for music that has depth and soul, something I can build a set around that keeps evolving as it progresses. I love tracks that have an insane energy, and one that’s top on my list right now is the new Space92 remix of my track ‘Reasons To Love You’. I love what he’s brought to the track – it’s inspired.

Another one to watch is Risa Taniguchi – absolutely mental and so talented.

[Read our Risa Taniguchi interview]


Nicole Moudaber Interview Image (c) the artist

How do you experience "groove," and rhythm? What is the relationship between harmony, rhythm, and melody?

For me, the groove is everything!

I don’t know if you can get too technical about these things – you just need to feel it.

How would you describe the experience of DJing, physically and mentally? Do you listen – and deejay - with your eyes open or closed?

I’m worried about anyone who says they can DJ with their eyes closed …

DJing can be intense. You pour your heart and soul into that time you have on stage and you have to give it 100%, or your fans can feel it. If it’s a shorter set you got to pack a lot in to that hour and that’s fast-paced, it’s energetic, it’s keeping on your toes.

Then you have the longer ones – they’re like a marathon, you might be able to take some longer tracks, have a slower pace but you’re on a journey with your crowd and you’ve got to keep everyone going. They’re almost like an athletic performance – and I think this is where I think my spirituality also helps me, to transcend to a higher plane and keep on a rhythm for the whole night.

At the end of the year I’m playing a special extended open-to-close set at Avalon in LA and you need to make sure you’re fully prepared, mentally and physically for these ones. I’ll always make sure I have time to relax and do some meditation before one of these.


Nicole Moudaber Interview Image (c) the artist

How does the decision-making process work during a gig with regards to the inclusion of key records, the next transition, and where you want the set to go? How far do you tend to plan ahead during a set?

There’s always a rough plan, a vibe I want to create, some tracks I definitely want to play.

But like I said earlier, it’s so important to go off your gut. You might want to go one way but you can tell if your fans are feeling it or not and that’s when you’ve got to go off the energy in the room, watch the crowd, feel their response and make the decisions in those moments.

Many times I had planned to play a techno set for example and switched to tech house instantly. I’m confident enough to play both genres impeccably and that’s when the magic happens — when you take the risk to go in a direction you didn’t plan, but it just feels right.

Do you engage with audiences/dancers - and how? Taking one of your online DJ mixes as an example, how does the experience and the way you deejay change when you subtract the audience?

The audience is everything. Their energy feeds into mine, and we feel that synergy. They tell me where they want to go, and I take them there. All my DJ mixes are recorded live from festivals and clubs I play around the world.

But when I'm doing a studio mix, on my InTheMood radio show, it’s a more introspective process, focusing on new music and those gems that need to be heard.

They’re very different.

How important is dancing for our wellbeing on a personal and even on a societal level?

Music unites people in a way nothing else can. I’ve thrown parties where people from every religion have come together to dance, the politics are left at the door, there’s no place for that on the dancefloor – so for that reason I think dancing has the potential to change the world.

I’ll never stop fighting for people’s right to dance.

Especially in light of advances in AI, where do you see the role of humans in DJing versus that of technology? Can AI act as a collaborator or creative stimulus?

AI can be a useful tool, sure. It can help us discover new music or assist in production, but it will never replace the human element of DJing. The emotion, the instinct, the unpredictability — for me, those are things that machines can’t replicate.

DJing is about reading the room, responding to energy in real time, no robot can ever recreate the connection between the DJ and the crowd.


Nicole Moudaber Interview Image (c) the artist

Do you feel as though DJing is inherently different from something like making a great cup of coffee? What do you express through music that you couldn't or wouldn't in more 'mundane' tasks?

I mean in a way, everything we do has an art to it. Making coffee, cooking, or even driving can be meditative.

But through music, I can express things I couldn’t put into words – it’s another language entirely. Music can take people to another place, emotionally, mentally, even spiritually — and I’m not sure I’ve had a cup of coffee that’s done that for me yet!

Let's imagine you lost all your music for one night and all there is left at the venue is a crate of records containing a random selection of music. How would you approach this set?

It sounds like a challenge – let’s do it. (laughs)