Q&A: Nora En Pure

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Swiss/South African Daniela – Nora En Pure – is one of the leading female DJ/producers in the world. In just a few short years, she’s won the IDMA Award for Best Female Act (House) and her Purified Radio Show on SiriusXM Chill was nominated for the Best Podcast / Radio Show. Nora En Pure played at Coachella for the second time ever in April and has also put on her own Purified events in locations such as Miami, NYC, Zurich, and soon right here in the Bay Area.

In anticipation of her PURIFIED show at Svn West this week we spoke with the DJ about her shows, what she enjoys most about performing in San Francisco, and what life is like on the road.

You’ve toured all across the world. How do you think EDM crowds differ from country to country?

Crowds in North America really give off a lot of energy and since I tour there a lot, they really know my sound, which makes it a lot of fun to play here. In Europe, people tend to be a little more reserved but here you usually have very educated crowds. Places like Australia, South Africa are super vibey and often a great fit for my music.

Being that you spend a lot of time on the road. What’s the most challenging aspect of it?

Definitely being away from friends and family is the most challenging part of my job as well as just a lot of alone time. Struggling with jet lag is also tough. It’s hard to find a decent sleeping rhythm.

You’re set to perform in San Francisco for you Purified SF events. What do you love most about this city? Do you remember one stand-out moment from playing here?

Crowds here are great they seem to really like my music, since a long time all events are always sold out and everyone is in for the musical journey and a good time. This Purified event will actually be the first outdoor and afternoon/evening event I’m playing here, with some cool guest DJs. I’m sure it’s gonna be a fantastic vibe on that rooftop.

Nora En Pure

How has your Swiss and South African background impacted your music?

There are definitely elements from South Africa that influence my music. We spent a lot of time out in the wilderness when we grew up with incredible wildlife sounds around you. I use a lot of organic sounds in my tracks now that transport the listener to some outdoor scenery. Switzerland is where I’m based and where I met fellow DJs and producers and started the whole Nora En Pure project, so that definitely played a huge role as well.

How did you come up with the name Nora En Pure?

I picked it pretty randomly, I just wanted something a bit different and unique sounding. Back then I was mostly inspired by German Tech and Deep House producers that would mostly have their own German names as artist names. I wanted something more exotic that would stick out. The ‘Pure’ in it relates to my sound and has now developed into the Purified brand with parties and my radio show.

What inspired you to combine more organic instruments in your music than the typical synths and sounds of EDM?

I actually only got into electronic music later on and I used to listen to classical music and rock music growing up. It was just natural for me to use organic instruments in my tracks as it’s what I know and love.

You currently have a residency at the Wynn. How are you enjoying your time in Las Vegas?

I do love the Night Swim events there and I feel like slowly the crowds are more interested in house, deep & tech house music and are getting to know my sound. I have played some other shows there with Black Coffee at Art Of The Wild and Fisher at Elrow, which was really cool to have such an event in Vegas, as at these bigger events a lot of people come for that exact music. Otherwise, I don’t have those big radio hits that the normal Vegas crowd would know and want to hear. So it can be a bit tricky but I feel it’s getting better each time and already that I could have a residency at Wynn this year shows how much this sound has grown and I’m super happy for that!

Nora en Pure plays “Purified San Francisco” // 7.27.19 // SVN West, San Francisco, CA // Sat Jul 27 at 03:00pm PDT // Ages 21 & over

Having released albums under Digital Nations, a label founded by Steve Vai, music critic Louis Raphael has remained deeply connected to the pulse of the San Francisco music scene. Following his tenure as the San Francisco Music Examiner for Examiner.com and AXS.com, he embarked on creating Music in SF® to authentically highlight the vibrant offerings of the city's music scene.