SAMPLINGS
NICOLE MOUDABER: NEW HEIGHTS
DJ TIMES
FEBRUARY 2018
Nicole Moudaber: Her MOOD label hits 50 releases.
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Wherever Nicole Moudaber is, she changes the atmosphere, quite literally overtaking the mood. So, it is apt that “mood” is the catchword upon which her brand is based. The polymath DJ/producer/label owner/event presenter is a global entity, coming from African birth, Middle Eastern parents, and a U.K. base. Her distinctive dark, emotive and deep techno style puts the focus on the vibe she’s creating with her bottomless selections. This is best experienced at her own MoodZONE and MoodRAW parties, the former at festival stages and established club nights, the latter at bare-bones spots, such as untamed warehouses. For an even more farreaching side of Moudaber, there is her weekly “In The MOOD” radio show. Five years ago, Moudaber started her own MOOD imprint. This is after establishing herself as a producer, boasting tracks and EPs on many labels, including Carl Cox’s Intec and Adam Beyer’s Drumcode, where her 2013 artist album, Believe, was released. Fifty MOOD releases down the line, Moudaber commemorates the occasion with MOOD50: The Best of MOOD, Mixed & Compiled by Nicole Moudaber. A strong representation of MOOD, the 17 tracks on MOOD50 shift like a kaleidoscope, subtle yet vivid. Highlights include Moudaber’s own intense and hypnotic numbers: “Her Dub Material,” “Organic Love” and “Love Someone Else.” Plus, there’s Moudaber’s perennial favorite with Carl Cox, “See You Next Tuesday,” which gets a fresh remix, as well as flawless selections from Joel Mull (the robust “Terraplane”) and Sly Faux (the spooky “Incandescence”). Much like Moudaber’s DJ sets, MOOD50 is put together using Ableton Live software. “I’m really happy with my set-up,” she says. “I use Ableton Push2 [controller] and the [PLAYdifferently] Model 1 mixer. I’ve got an amazing Antelope Orion 32+ soundcard. I have Native Instruments Xone K2 and Traktor controllers. The knowledge and practice on that (continued onpage 42)
