Nicole Moudaber had most likely already seen more of this world than any of us when she started out DJing, but continues to relentlessly explore it further and further. After releasing her debut album Believe on Drumcode in 2013, she released a slew of EPs, most recently a collaboration with Skin, formerly of Skunk Anansie. A remix of hers will also be available on Pan-Pot’s The Other Remixes LP, due out on December 14th. For us, the producer and DJ compiled and commented on 8 favourite tunes, ranging from House classics to contemporary R’n’B.
1. Kwamie Liv feat. Angel Haze – Pleasure This Pain
Angel Haze is such a fierce rapper who isn’t afraid to push boundaries and do her own thing. I love her turn on this soulful, introspective piece of R’n’B from elusive vocalist Kwamie Liv. It’s well produced, with a subtle but bassy beat and a catchy chorus.
2. Gat Decor – Passion
An absolute classic piece of early 90s house, the irresistible bassline gives way to pure euphoria when that distinctive piano kicks in. Such an influential record that still sounds as fresh as the day it was made!
3. Inner City – Good Life
You can see why this was one of the first pieces of electronic music to crack the charts back in ’89 – those echoing keyboard keys, Paris Grey’s uplifting vocals and the funky bassline make this one of the most irresistibly happy tracks ever made.
4. Nicole Moudaber & Skin – Don’t Talk To Me I’m Dancin’ (feat. Zebra Katz)
When we came up with the vocals and theme for this track, I wondered why we’d never thought of doing it before! It’s aimed at people on the dancefloor who just want to lose themselves in the music, so it makes a great set opener. Zebra Katz and Skin have both got such distinctive vocals and they killed it together on this track. They pushed me to experiment more with my production – I decided to take things a little bit deeper, darker and more quirky to compliment their pieces, rather than going for a standard House/Techno beat.
5. Pan-Pot – Attention (Nicole Moudaber Remix)
I played this on my In the MOOD radio show a few months and it got such a great reaction, so now I’ve just officially released it. Pan-Pot are definitely amongst my favourite producers right now so I had to put my own touch on one of their records! This one is pure deep, dark and dirty late-night techno.
6. La Tromba – Calaba Calabao
This is one of my most-loved records, but most people wouldn’t have expected it from me! It’s just such a groovy, funky piece of Afrobeat. Growing up in Nigeria, I was surrounded by this very rhythmic, percussive style of music so I still love it now. I’d love to sneak this into an afterhours set!
7. Laura Doggett – Phoenix
This is such an intriguing, beautiful piece of soul. Laura Duggett has such a distinctive, mature voice that belies how young she really is. The evocative piano chords are set against waves of a very subtle electronic bass that almost audibly vibrates – a very clever piece of production that makes for a very stirring piece of music.
8. Grace Jones – Slave To The Rhythmn
I almost feel like this one needs no explanation! Grace Jones is such an icon, and the title of this song is basically my life ethos. It’s still an incredible track, it has a lot of depth and has completely stood the test of time for me.
Slave To The Rhythm von Grace Jones auf tape.tv.
Pan-Pot’s The Other Remixes, featuring a remix by Nicole Moudaber, will be released through second state on December 14th. Moudaber’s last EP, a collaboration with Skin, has been released on September through Mood.
