NAINA Explores Identity, Emotive Club Music and building a new voice

U.K.-born DJ, broadcaster, and producer NAINE recently released her debut EP Survival marking a major milestone in her artistic evolution. The EP dropped on 7 February 2025 via Hooversound Recordings, a label she co‑founded with SHERELLE. It presents a high‑energy fusion of techno, jungle, footwork, breaks, and deeply emotional storytelling. It’s a bold first statement from a new voice in club-centric electronic music.

In conversation with Numéro Netherlands, NAINA shared how her journey began with music journalism studies and a radio show on Reprezent in London, where she hosted an electronic show for eight years. That experience changed her life and connected her to electronic culture from a broadcasting standpoint.

Her transition into DJing started effortlessly. She uploaded mixes on SoundCloud, played local clubs and festivals, and gradually built her presence behind the decks. Today, DJing, journalism, and broadcasting form the foundation of her multifaceted career.

She describes growing up with diverse influences: Portishead, The Prodigy, Nirvana, Air, Chemical Brothers, The xx, Jacques Greene, Machinedrum, and Hudson Mohawke. Those sounds shaped both her radio curation and her production sensibility—eclectic, emotive, genre‑fluid.

NAINA explained that her debut single, “I’d Rather Be Here (Than Anywhere With You),” arose from a private creative space and offered emotional release—especially after a career in broadcasting. She wanted the song to blend high‑energy rave textures with vulnerability and storytelling.

She called the EP Survival because it’s informed by mental health and emotional navigation. She aimed to capture “tears in the club” moments—dancefloor tracks infused with melancholy and catharsis. The result is a dynamic, emotionally charged listening experience.

NAINA shared that transitioning from DJing and curating to producing felt natural, but also deeply personal. Recording vocals was especially meaningful, returning to her roots in singing from childhood. She channels that into songs that are honest, personal, and resonant.

Working on Hooversound alongside SHERELLE, she stated that label collaborations encouraged eclecticism and genre‑crossing. Releases on her imprint enabled her to break sonic boundaries without worrying about fitting into one style or box.

She emphasized that while Survival started from a techno sensibility it evolved naturally to incorporate breaks, jungle energy, and songwriting elements. Her goal was never to force genre, but to let her influences coalesce—embodying her lived experience.

In her view, fashion and music are closely linked—both forms of personal expression and identity. Style, she said, is inseparable from her public persona and creative output.

Looking forward, NAINA shared she aims to keep learning, pushing boundaries, and challenging expectations. She described herself as someone who enjoys diving into new challenges head first—both musically and personally.

She reflected on advice she’d give her younger self: to be kinder, less hard on herself, and more confident. She joked about wanting her to smile more during early on-camera appearances like Boiler Room sets.

When asked what’s next, she hinted at more production work, potentially a full EP follow-up, continued label releases, and more performances across clubs and festivals. Her aim: to keep bringing that emotionally honest and energetic music to wider audiences.

NAINA frames her role not just as producer or DJ but as curator, storyteller, and connector of communities. Her trajectory—from pioneering radio host to debuting producer—reflects deep dedication to authentic music-making and emotional resonance.