RM— Hey Nur! So glad to be doing this interview with you. A lot pf people are excited to see you play in Beirut again, including myself! How does it feel like to be playing here again after all these years?

NJ— Hey Rana :) I’m actually pretty excited! & I was very surprised to hear from a lot of people from there who are as excited as me haha I didn’t expect to have a fan base in Beirut! Looking forward to a great party!!

RM— I stumbled upon an old interview you did, where you mention that the techno scene in Beirut is almost non-existent and revolves mostly around small house parties.
We’ve obviously come a long way since then; the clubbing scene has not only gained popularity but has also developed a taste for more experimental and dark techno music.
What do you think about this growing scene?

NJ— It’s amazing to watch the scene grow in Beirut & to have new & old promoters and club owners move forward in opening up the scene, there are some solid parties happening there.

RM— Would you consider playing here more often?

NJ— Yes for sure!

RM— In 2016/2017 you organized a line of events in Lebanon under your label ‘On s’en fout’, which were small parties with a limited number of guests. No tables. No phones. Industrial setting. Art installations. In my opinion, a great attempt of bringing the Berlin clubbing scene to Beirut. I'm really curious to hear about that part of your life, what was it like?
Can you also tell me why these parties were discontinued? Was it a short-term plan or was there a specific reason?

NJ— GATE9 Club x OSF was a series of 4 parties that we brought to Beirut as a movement.
We thought of doing more the year after but then my career started taking off & all the touring got heavier, so it became quite exhausting to be doing both. The club is still there & there will be some collaborations happening at GATE9 Club & at other venues some time in the future

RM— Anyone who follows you online is aware of your love for coffee, it was actually quite entertaining to follow your coffee adventures in Columbia.
But I must ask, what gets your heart pumping faster? Techno or caffeine?

NJ— haha I am in love with coffee! I actually recently found out that my body is quite intolerant to coffee so I’ll need to be off it for 2 months or so :( Techno Definitely ;) Coffee is more a ‘ritual’ Techno is more a ‘release’

RM— Being someone who is deeply influenced by classical music, would you say that it has had an impact on the way you produce your own music?

NJ— Not really no..maybe it will in the future :)

RM— I know it’s like comparing apples and oranges, however the similarities are there. Classical music takes the listener on an emotional journey. And your music does too, by taking us on an intense, dark yet cathartic ride. Your tracks have this escalating build-up, almost as if you were trying to provoke us into revolting. Is this something you do intentionally, do you usually try to bring out specific emotions out from the crowd?

NJ— I usually want the crowd & I to be fully connected and immersed through sound.
Sometimes there are moments that are created unintentionally where the whole room seems to be filled with an insane energy which I feel is out of this world, A Fantasy world.

RM— Usually, DJs get asked about the most memorable moments in their career; their favorite club, country, festival.. Let’s shake things up a bit.
Whether it was a venue that was not up to your expectations or a crowd you just could not connect with, would you tell us about your least favorite experience so far as a DJ?

NJ— Sleepless nights because of all the traveling & black under the eyes because of the lack of sleeep, that shit is real! haha

RM— In October, I watched you play (front row btw!) at the Exhale 24-hour techno party. You were scheduled to begin your set at 9am. I am insanely curious to know if you had just woken up, completed your daily morning routine and then headed to the venue, or were you already partying and then just hopped up behind the booth?

NJ— I had just woken up, went for a little run at the gym of the hotel & had a glass of Prosecco as I came in, I’m on angel mode most times before the gig, unless it’s a friend’s event or so then it’s a lil different :)

RM— Playing ‘Li Beirut’ that morning was pure magic. The revolution had just ignited in Beirut, and the second you started playing that track it became clear to me that there was quite a big number of Lebanese people in the crowd. Everyone was immersed in your sound, and it immediately created this intimate setting, I have chills thinking about it.
Were you expecting to see this many of us there? How did it make you feel?

NJ— It’s so crazy that literally everywhere I go, I mean EVERYWHERE, I find at least 2 Lebanese dancers front row! One of the best moment I had was in Katowice, Poland where I saw a huge Lebanese flag in the middle of 100s of dancers being waved up high! I just love it!

RM— If techno was a weapon of mass destruction, what would it destroy?

NJ— Segregation