Photo by Anna Marguerite
Audio By Carbonatix
Even the DJ’ing top brass need a place to celebrate their turns around the sun. On January 17, the DJ/producer titan, Nicole Moudaber, will usher in her birthday at Downtown’s Club Space. The special DJ set will not only be a birthday celebration but also mark another year in her three-decade-long career as an artist.
“I actually celebrate the entire month,” she says, giving New Times a heartfelt chuckle from Beirut, where she visits friends and family during the holiday. “I never used to do this; I never used to like my birthday. I don’t know why, but I do sort of now. I bring in everybody. We celebrate, and we dance. It’s fun, and Miami is so special. It’s just a different vibe. I lived there, and my fans became my friends.” Joining Moudaber on the bill is Miami titan, Oscar G. “Space sent me a list of DJs I would like to play with. Obviously, Oscar is a legend, and we haven’t played together before.”
Born in Lagos, Nigeria, and raised in Beirut, Lebanon, Moudaber took great strides to spur a rave scene in Lebanon, despite conflicts and risks to her safety and freedom, such as being labeled “a political target, and the Syrian police taking her into custody” for the dissemination of “homosexuality and perversion,” as she told New Times in 2015.
To bring in the nascent rave culture and hear techno in the Levant was enough to assuage the risk. Indeed, she will be playing in Beirut during the holiday break. In a comical abridgment of her history, Moudaber today is one of the best in the game. Known for her frostbitten, intense techno sound, she has played all over the world with just about every one of her colleagues numerous times.
Her label, Mood Records, and radio show are a gold standard. Her production creds need no introduction; look no further than her 2012 masterclass, “Roar” off Carl Cox’s Intec Digital label, wherein crisp, downright sharp, hi hats flick and a thunderous bass kick the proverbial door down. A woman is chanting an inaudible lyric in the background, and the synths create a haze, like walking into an ancient ceremony. Thirteen years later, the sterling track has not shown even a bit of patina.
Yet when Moudaber wants to reduce the boil and play some freeing tech house, there is no dance floor revolt: Her fans love the sounds just the same. There should be some darker music interwoven into her Club Space set, but the prevailing music will be light and festive. Music suitable for, well, a fun night to celebrate your birthday. “I really enjoy playing at Space, the more tech-house and house groover stuff,” explains Moudaber.
“That is what Space is for me. I’ve tried to play techno there before, but I just don’t like playing techno when the sun comes up. It doesn’t make sense.” Of course, Moudaber notes that the set will be “fun, fun, uplifting stuff,” but there will always be a tough, surging sound mixed in. “I can never get away from that,” she laughs.
Moudaber notes that last year brought in more perspective than years prior, realizing how much 365 days can affect a person. “I’m looking back and contemplating where I came from and tried to survive. Not so much in that I know how much I have achieved, but you just look at how much you survived — all the ups and downs and obstacles and life in general. I am so proud that I evolved and am stronger and have clarity — more clarity and unapologetically standing my ground and don’t have to prove myself.”
When asked if she felt that she still had to prove herself even a few years ago, it remains a fight. Moudaber adds that the feeling never fades. “We always have to prove to ourselves, our family. We always have that feeling. It can be a driver. Mine was different. It was a combination of proving to my family, myself, and the world. Obviously, being a woman, you have to prove yourself more to be heard.”
For 2026, Moudaber plans to produce and release more music on her label, including troves of solo productions. There will likely be just as much touring across six continents, and Moudaber promised herself to write at least a few more chapters for her biography. “It’s been an intense process. I’ve done about four chapters so far; it’s hard being on the road all the time.”
Still, every chapter is a catharsis and a grounding for the artist — flooding and pouring her history onto paper. “Partially because I don’t think people know the inside of who I am,” she explains. “The person behind the artist, and I feel like I want to talk about my experiences, and maybe it can inspire some people to overcome so many obstacles. Especially women — and men.” The biography will also provide rare insight for fans who will see her not as an invincible DJ but as a person with the emotional scar tissue from decades of trailblazing.
But it’s not about getting sentimental or suggesting an era is ending. When asked if Moudaber ever plans to slow down, wrap it up, or retire, she answers in her cool, suave voice, reassuring me that she is only getting warmed up. “Nooo,” she balks at the thought. “You’re kidding me? I’ll retire when I drop on the floor.”
Nicole Moudaber. With Oscar G, Harvy Valencia, and more. 11 p.m. Saturday, January 17, at Club Space, 34 NE 11th St, Miami; clubspace.com. Tickets $20–$50 via dice.fm.
