NYÄE NYAE, a Hamburg-based artist and producer, passionately explores electronic sounds and embraces extraordinary voices. Crafting a unique musical style that blends elements of Electronica, Downtempo, and Deep House, NYÄE NYAE recently saw his latest release, 'The Flow feat. Sam Adler' (Drizzly Black Eclipse), secure a place in the Top 10 of the Swiss Dance charts.
Born and raised in a quaint village in Northern Germany, NYÄE NYAE's musical journey commenced at the age of 13 when he founded his first band as a drummer. From playing in rock and electronic rock bands to drawing inspiration from influential artists like Bonobo, Four Tet, Weval, Parra for Cuva, Jon Hopkins, and Max Cooper, NYÄE NYAE has evolved a distinctive musical style. Seamlessly fusing atmospheric textures with intricate rhythms and astounding vocals, he creates an immersive sonic experience.
Beyond his studio work with releases on Boy’s Deep Records (Kontor/Universal) and Drizzly Black Eclipse (Black Hole Recordings/ROBA), NYÄE NYAE has featured remarkable live sets during events such as the renowned Indian Spirit Festival in both 2022 and 2023.
The name NYÄE NYAE pays homage to the Nyae Nyae Conservancy in Namibia—a place of profound natural beauty and cultural significance. Pronounced as "Ni-eh Ni-eh" (/ni-ɛ ni-ɛ/), the name reflects NYÄE NYAE's deep reverence for nature and his desire to infuse his music with a sense of connection to the world around him.
Discography:
The Flow (CAAVA Remix), 2023
The Flow feat. Sam Adler, 2023
Bliss ft. Soría (2023)
Golden Thread ft. Danielle A. Harris (2022)
Kaemha ft. Clara Lo (2021)
Sticks & Stones ft. Clara Lo (2021)
Growing Down ft. Mara (2020)
Distorted ft. Clara Lo (2019)
What Matters ft. Clara Lo (2019)
Best of 2023
1-a) Best track(s) from other fellow artists of 2023. Why you choose this particular track, please share with us the reasons?production techniques & crowd reactions on it.
NYÄE NYAE: Baby Again by Fred Again.., Four Tet & Skrillex. Those guys are just so funny and cool. A perfect match, both musically and personally. It's so much fun seeing their performances at Times Square and Madison Square Garden and it's really amazing what they have achieved.
1-b) Best of 2023 personal productions and for what you reasons you choose these particular tracks, is it because of technical challenges, crowd reaction in the club or was it your most successful single/album?
NYÄE NYAE: The Flow' was definitely my highlight. Working with Sam Adler was super fun; we had a great connection, and I loved all of her ideas. I remember writing parts of the track in a hotel room high up in Madrid, overlooking the vast 'Plaza de España' crossing. The view from up there, seeing all those tiny people and cars, inspired me for the video idea. It's funny how everything came together in the end — the crossing, the video, the lyrics, even the title, which came later, fits perfectly.
2) Best Artist of 2023(DJ & producer). Tell us why you believe he/she is the best, the factors that have influence you to choose this particular artist. What you appreciate the most from that artist.
NYÄE NYAE: For me, the best producer of all time and also of 2023 is Simon Green, aka Bonobo. I'm amazed at how he consistently hits it every time. Unfortunately, he only released one track this year ('Fold') because he was touring like mad again. But I'll bet he'll drop another full album next year.
3) Best Remix(es) from other fellow artists of 2023. For what reasons you chose this particular remix, i.e. production proficiency, technical reasons creativity and imagination of the remixer :
NYÄE NYAE: I was super excited to hear CAAVA's reinterpretation of my track 'The Flow', and I think he did a great job. It's really special to hear someone else interpreting your song.
4) Best New Talent of 2023 (DJ or producer), for what reasons you choose this particular artist? Do you know him/her personally?
NYÄE NYAE: I discovered Nick Ribbin this year; his track 'Die with You' and the vocals from Em Glasser are really cool. It reminds me a bit of Pretty Lights (by the way, it's about time he brings out some new stuff too!).
5) Best electronic dance music label of 2023. Please explain the reason behind your choice? what you particularly like or appreciate about this particular label?quality of tracks, great rooster of artists, personal connection?:
NYÄE NYAE: For me Ninja Tune deserves this title, they keep coming up with new talents and are constantly collecting great artists just like DJ Kozé and Róisín Murphy this year. And of course Drizzly Black Eclipse & Black Hole Recordings, I love working with them, they are super enthusiastic and just cool guys.
6) Best music composition software and hardware of 2023 with short comment. Why you believe this particular software/hardware deserves to be named as the best? great new features, easy to navigate, compose & produce? The advantages of this particular software & hardware that makes it to stand out.
NYÄE NYAE: I'll vote for Studio One, it's stable, fast and I got very used to it. Instrument-wise I fell in love with Diva. Even though it's pretty old and not a 2023 release, the sounds are still fresh and unique. I also use Pigments a lot, the Teletone stuff, the Spitfire Olafur Arnalds collection, Massive, Omnisphere ... Basically in every track I use Waves CR8-Sampler, The integrated sample finder and the sound manipulation options are a good way to come up with something interesting.
7) Your Best personal DJ Gig & DJ performance of 2023. Where and when did you perform there? any funny incidents happened during particular performance; great crowd reactions. If there is video or sound recording please provide the link.
NYÄE NYAE: The Indian Spirit Festival in Eastern Germany: I played on Saturday late afternoon with the wonderful vocalist and my good friend Mara into the sunset. It was such a great and peaceful atmosphere, with everyone smiling, and all people including the crew were like a big family.
8) Best DJ set from other fellow DJ (actual or online) of 2023. Why you believe is the strongest and best DJ set? great mixing/track selection/development of the mix:
NYÄE NYAE: Max Cooper and his Live 3D A/V show in the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg were amazing. He combines his music with several layers of crazy visual projections. Experiencing this in the special atmosphere of the Elbphilharmonie was intense and cool.
9) Best technical tips/production skills that you learnt in 2023 in relation to your DJing or music productions:
NYÄE NYAE: The next VST you buy will be your missing link to success. Not.
10) Best piece of personal or music business' advice you got in relation to your career in 2023 and has helped you to progress even further and can help others who will read this interview:
NYÄE NYAE: Follow your dreams and never give up. Cheesy but true I guess ...
Dimitris: Do you have any concrete plans for 2024 regarding future releases, tracks, albums, collaborations, DJ gigs? Please provide us the juicy details.
NYÄE NYAE: Yes, I'm working on several tracks that will be released next year. I'm also starting with the first video ideas and all the stuff around a new release. Collaborations are still secret, but there are two really exciting ones to come that I'm looking forward to. And, of course, I hope to be back at the "official" Summer Closing Festival in September.
Dimitris: Your message & wishes for 2024.
NYÄE NYAE: I hope you'll discover lots of great music and can fully enjoy it! :)
Thanks so much to NYÄE NYAE for his fantastic answers.
Thanks so much to Al-Faris from Drizzly Music for arranging this interview.