Artist Spotlight: Nifra
You are from Slovakia. What was it like growing up there, and how is the electronic music scene?
I was heavily influenced by the dance music coming from the West, obviously. When I was a kid, I used to listen to all of the euro dance and eurotrance artists, as there was not much of that sound in Slovakia. It’s crazy to think that now I stand on the lineups with those artists. Just like reworking Mauro’s “Like This Like That”, it’s a full circle moment for me. I have been living in the Netherlands for the past 13 years, so I’m not really part of the scene back home, but I know they have a bit of everything there, and right now, hard techno is having its moment.
Can you tell us more about the making process “Like This Like That”?
It took a few versions to get to the final one, as most of the time took the first drop. I wanted the track to be a bit harder, so coming up with a cool idea for it was a challenge. I absolutely love how it turned out, though, with the automated vocal fx and hard drop, it gives it such a fresh twist, and it’s a perfect crowd control moment as well. Maintaining the hard trance essence of the original was the key, so I kept the melody with the reverse bass, and I also borrowed some hard style samples to spice it up.
Closing the mainstage at A State of Trance Rotterdam is a huge moment. How did it feel stepping into that slot?
Huge moment and even bigger responsibility! I had been preparing for this show for months, keeping all the new music under wraps so I could premiere it during the performance. So it was a mix of excitement and nervousness, as you can imagine. Not only was this my first time playing the mainstage, but closing is another level. When I stepped on the stage, I just wanted to enjoy every second of this milestone, which you could probably see on the livestream as well.