Nora En Pure – New Release, Sound & Serenity

Iconic Deep House DJ, Nora En Pure, has been a main feature of the electronic music circuit for the last decade, setting the stage ablaze with captivating music and nature-inspired soundscapes.  Silky smooth, gorgeously melodic and hypnotizing beats have become a staple of any Nora En Pure production, and have positioned her as one of the leading women in an often male-dominated industry. She is an engaging and entrancing performer, delivering energetic live sets that keep listeners deeply immersed, compelling them to enter her wonderful world of sonic imagination. The South African-born, and Swiss-based DJ is also known for weaving her cultural roots into her music, paying homage to her heritage by playing sets in the Swiss mountains, California Coasts and numerous awe-inspiring views.

“Nature is just always there and will always find its way into the music, as it’s that part that gives the Nora En Pure tracks that purity and serenity,” Nora En Pure says.

Her career originally began in 2009, but her first hit in 2013, “Come with Me”, is what truly kick-started her success. She has held multiple residencies in locations such as Ibiza, Wynn Las Vegas and other various coastal shows. Her tours have spanned worldwide, as she travels to the likes of Spain, New York, Canada and many more. With music described as melodic and enchanting, she is able to transport her fans to a whole new world with her entrancing beats and calming energy. Nora En Pure has made appearances at various festivals like Burning Man and Coachella and played a set at this year’s Amsterdam Dance Event. Her most recent release, “Space”, has amassed many new listeners and streams, demonstrating Nora En Pure’s strength as a musical powerhouse for years to come. 

We sat down with her to reflect on her career trajectory thus far, diving into her innermost musical inspirations and going through what the future looks like for the all-around musical star Nora En Pure. 

Congratulations on your latest release “Space.” What was the creation process behind this track?

We received a few vocal ideas from Magnus, who I have had my eye on for a while, and I love this one–I felt it fit very well to Nora En Pure. With all the touring, it took me a while to come up with a version that would stick. I wanted something a bit different from my usual soundscape and eventually went for the arpeggio and the Dorian scale, which gave it this floating but also powerful character.

One of your first breakthrough tracks was “Come with Me.” With your latest release, how has your music evolved over the years, and do you attribute those changes to technology or to shifts in the industry?

I feel the music has evolved quite a bit, but in a very organic and natural way. It’s probably a mix of a soundscape that’s always evolving around industry shifts, but also personal preference. “Come With Me” is quite a timeless track, but it has a more house-y energy than my current style, that is a bit deeper and more progressive. I like both styles, and every now and then, I put out tracks that remind me of where I’ve come from, while others reflect the here and now–or even explore something unfamiliar.

What initially inspired you to get into music? Can you tell us about the first time you truly connected with it?

Hard to pinpoint. I’ve always loved music. I grew up with singing lessons and playing the flute and a bit of piano, and drums. Later on, I was fascinated with how you could combine organic sounds with electronic beats, and it somehow worked. Back then, club music was way too monotonous for me. I got to know friends who had studios and various projects running, and I gave it a try. And then, slowly and steadily, with a lot of time, dedication and perseverance, the Nora En Pure world grew into what it is today.

Some musicians hear music in their heads constantly. Do you experience this, or does music come to you mainly when you’re writing?

I definitely hear a lot of music in my head, though not all of it is new ideas. The ideas that actually make it into a full track mostly come together in the studio, where you assemble all the pieces and quite quickly realize whether something can work as a full track or if it’s just a short riff you get stuck on.

There are many ways to create electronic music, whether analogue or digital. Which do you prefer, and what does your studio setup look like?

It’s nice to have a mix of both, and it’s good to understand the advantages of both. We have gone through quite extensive trials to record analogue pianos, which sometimes makes you feel a special connection to the track, but it also just takes a really long time. Nowadays, a lot of plugins sound so good that you can create a really organic-sounding track digitally. I have to admit, digital products have the advantage of combining the newest technology and innovation with the knowledge of traditional sound design, so you can be so much faster in your process and don’t need all that much knowledge. With the analog synths, you can add that extra warmth when needed. 

For software, I use countless UAD plugins, Waves, Serum, Omnisphere, Roland Cloud, Arturia, and NI’s Kontakt libraries. Hardware instruments include Roland Juno 160, Juno 60, Jupiter 6, Sequential Prophet 10, Sequential OB6, Roland Mk50, Mk70, and Mk80.

What headspace or environment do you put yourself in when creating and writing music? Does nature continue to shape this process for you?

Nature is just always there and will always find its way into the music, as it’s that part that gives the Nora En Pure tracks that purity and serenity. The actual ideas might stem from a visual cue, like a scenery you want to paint as a soundscape or more graspable inputs, such as a certain chord progression, vocal, or percussion loop you start with. The process is always really different, but I try to maintain a balance between trying something new and keeping the typical Nora En Pure sound intact. Sometimes it needs to fit my live sets, so it ends up having much more driving elements than if I were working on a super chill track.

You were born in South Africa and later made Switzerland your home. How have both places shaped your sound and identity as an artist?

I think of South Africa as the wild, untamed, raw force in Nora En Pure, contrasted with Switzerland’s structured, organized side, where everything is meant to fit and make sense.

In your Instagram bio, you describe creating “nature-inspired music.” You also performed a special DJ set in the Swiss mountains of Gstaad to celebrate the 200th episode of Purified Radio. What is it about the Swiss mountains that inspires your sound, and where do you hope to transport listeners through your music?

The peace and calmness you get in the Swiss mountains is unreal. The scenery is breathtaking. It’s again this great contrast of sheer rawness, cliffs falling steep and absolute serene mountain lakes that make you think you are in heaven. I love to match these visual sceneries with my music, as these pristine landscapes are the whole inspiration.

EDM and House have often been compared to modern Rock’n’Roll, with their heavy association with drugs and sex. What’s the wildest or most unforgettable thing you’ve ever seen in the nightlife scene, whether on stage, in the crowd, or at parties?

I have had a few people jump the stage and run to me, which can be a little confusing, as it’s not clear what the intention is, but as you might expect, my sound doesn’t really pull a wild crowd. I would even claim I have some of the most inclusive, loving, embracing, warm crowds you can get. It’s often multi-generational, with daughters or sons coming with their parents, sometimes even grandparents or young kids, which I think is super cool. Just the other day in Toronto, I had a lovely lady and her husband, who were both over 80 years old and last weekend, I saw a young girl on her dad’s shoulders, probably around 4-5 years young. 

And on the flip side, what’s the most moving or beautiful moment you’ve witnessed from the crowd that really stayed with you?

Probably the same. It does move me when I see people crying in the crowd, which happens at almost every show. I think that’s really powerful and cathartic, and it’s super touching. It’s also important to understand this space that you create for people to feel this way.

What does the future look like for your music? What projects can your fans expect from you in the near future?

I can’t tell right now. I don’t plan too far into the future, and I have yet to sit down to work on the next tracks. We’re in the middle of prepping our next Purified events in Montréal and ADE, as well as key releases on the label, such as Corren Cavini’s debut album. A lot of curated, detail-focused work, which is intense, but I love it as it’s very intentional.