VAVLT Experience: Nicole Moudaber

18+ | Doors at 10pm VAVLT Experience 001: Nicole Moudaber Dance music changed Nicole Moudaber’s life – now she’s returning the favour. “The drums reached me,” she says of her initiation at New York’s infamous Tunnel Club. Ever since then, the Nigerian-born Lebanese star has dedicated her immense energy to finding ways to share that vibe. After years as a promoter – first in her native Lebanon, then in London – and a long self-apprenticeship in her studio, Nicole burst onto the scene like record-wielding Athena. Carl Cox, a close friend and mentor, tipped off DJ Mag in 2009, calling her “the most underrated DJ.” Four years later, Ms Moudaber is no longer waiting in the wings. “I discovered the artist in me on the dance floor…” Nicole Moudaber holds true to the belief that the power of music brings us together as one. The beat of a drum, the very first instrument created by humans, remains at the heart of the music she creates and plays, while the diversity of her tastes, and her ability to create spellbinding club experiences, promote harmony on the dance floor. Growing up in Nigeria exposed Nicole to the hypnotic tribal rhythms of artists like Fela Kuti. This was her first taste of the power of the drum, and lies at the core of her sound. Nicole moved to London in 2000 where she quickly integrated herself into the city’s club scene, becoming a promoter at Turnmills, holding her own party called ‘Soundworx’, which she started in Beirut. Her unrelenting desire to unite people through music couldn’t have been demonstrated more explicitly than that first party, where people of all races, religions and classes danced together under the stars in an abandoned, bombed-out mosque and cathedral. Nicole then brought her party to London, building its reputation from the ground up and making it a total success. Her ability to operate ahead of the curve leading to Paco Osuna’s very first London booking, among many other luminaries from the world of house and techno. But working behind-the-scenes was not enough and she was soon appearing on the decks, building her skills as a DJ - that visionary ability revealing itself during her diverse, enchanting sets. The next step was to express her passion for music through production and she attended world-renowned music school Point Blank to learn the basics. From that point there really was no going back, she remixed Carl Cox ‘Chemistry’, which stayed in the techno charts on Beatport for three months and won her an IDMA Award in 2012. In the years since that record hit the charts, Nicole’s career trajectory has been swift and steep. She has travelled the globe playing everywhere from intimate basement venues to large stages at festivals such as Exit, Glastonbury, WMC, Time Warp, Electric Daisy Carnival, Awakenings and many of the world’s most renowned electronic music spaces. She also curates her own MoodRAW events, taking clubbing back to those grimy, raw spaces where it first started, as well as the more intimate In The MOOD parties, which have included annual sold out showcases at WMC in Miami and BPM in Mexico. Fuelled by a desire to keep achieving at the highest level, Nicole is working on the debut of her very own one-day festival, to be held on Coney Island, New York and she’s in discussions to host her own stage at numerous large-scale dance music festivals. She is a regular at Carl Cox’s legendary Revolution night in Ibiza, as well as being welcomed into the Circoloco family at the seminal DC10. Her performances are full of passion and drama, cultivating musical journeys designed to reach her audience on a deeper level and make each individual’s experience a memorable one. Away from the touring Nicole has established her label, Mood Records, as a go-to platform for any self-respecting techno fan. Releases have come from a long list of techno heroes, including Carl Cox, Stacey Pullen, Joel Mull and Carlo Lio. As a producer she has also progressed rapidly, thanks to her dedication to the craft. Remix work and originals have all cemented her reputation for high quality production, which is clearly evident on her collaboration with Skin from Skunk Anansie – an emotive collection of tracks that highlight Nicole’s ability to take the listener to the deeper side of electronic music. Her diverse tastes in music and curation skills also manifest themselves via her radio show, In the MOOD, which is produced by the same team who work on shows with Carl Cox and Adam Beyer. The show is syndicated globally, airing on 55 FM stations worldwide and is available on Mixcloud every Wednesday, spreading her sound to millions of listeners around the globe. A fervent campaigner for human rights, Nicole studied Combined Social Sciences and was a straight A student before the music really took hold. Her passion for fighting inequality in all its forms runs deep, and she recently became involved with the Lower East Side Girls Club in New York. It’s a crucial part of her ideology and something that spurs her on to keep sharing music, spreading the love and uniting dance floors around the world. As she looks forward to the release of her EP with Skin, a huge one-day festival, original productions for high-profile labels and remixes on her own label from some of the scene’s biggest names, Nicole presides over an empire that continues to grow in stature and the future looks full of exciting prospects. Nicole Moudaber is a professional, innovative, hard-working artist who has become a contemporary icon. From her long, curly locks to her slamming techno sets and her intense, empowering performances, she truly stands in a class all of her own… Support from VAVLT Residents : HXV Party of 1