Image by Benjamin Diedering //

We caught up with DJ/producer ahead of her shows at Corona Sunsets Festival and The Pleasure Garden Festival.

Having performed at some of the worlds biggest festivals including Ultra Music Festival, Coachella and Tomorrowland, and held residencies at the world’s largest club, Privilege Ibiza, it seems like beat master Nora En Pure AKA Daniela Di Lillo is at the very pinnacle of the house/indie-dance scene.

Her latest EP ‘Don’t Look Back’ has amassed millions of streams since its release earlier in the year, with the collection of tunes being something of a throwback to the Nora En Pure that fans of earlier NEP would be well familiar with. Deep, dark beats with brighter melodies and more of a party vibe – it’s the recipe that has got her to where she is, and it’s arguably her best work so far.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0a_om-wZ4g

Constantly touring, we finally got the chance to ask Danielle a few questions before she gets out here for Corona Sunsets Festival (info here) and The Pleasure Garden Festival (info here), check it out below:

You’ve been out to Australia before, tell us what you like about it?

I love playing in Australia! It’s a long way to travel, but it has a very special energy and people love to let go and dance, so it is well worth the distance. My roots are in South Africa, and the people are very similar so I feel somewhat at home when I visit Australia.

How do Aussie crowds differ from those around the world?

They really do give their all and they have no inhibitions. It’s really awesome to play for crowds that are so into the music. Especially Melbourne is usually quite a highlight.

You’ve played some the biggest festivals on the planet. What’s the essential ingredient that can make any festival special?

It is the crowd… you can play at the most spectacular festival, but if the crowd isn’t into it, then it really doesn’t feel special at all. I work off of the crowd’s energy, which is the vital ingredient.

You’ve been a part of so many huge tunes over the last few years. How does it feel in the studio when you’re listening back to something like ‘Tears In Your Eyes’? Do you know when a song is going to be massive?

‘Tears In Your Eyes’ took a long time to perfect, as there were a few other versions before it was released, but I felt like that would be a really special track from beginning. But normally I just try to find a balance between characteristic Nora En Pure sounds that love and also somehow expect and something new that I’m curious to try.

You clearly put a lot of yourself into your music, how does it feel seeing thousands of people dancing to your sets whenever you play? Is it something you could ever get used to?

I wouldn’t say that I am used to it. There are shows that stick out with electric atmospheres and others that are less energetic. When you and the crowd are so connected and the vibe is massive, of course such moments will always blow my mind and it makes all the travel and sleepless nights well worth it.

Artistically, is there more of a payoff in putting out your own track or remixing someone else’s track and knowing that you’ve taken it to a new and exciting place?

Successful originals tend to feel more special as you created something from scratch. Remixing is more like just putting your stamp on something that is already great. But it’s always a nice challenge to work on remixes and an honour if big names ask you to work on their stuff.

You spend so much time of the year on the road performing, what is that you miss most about home when you’re on tour?

Missing my family, friends and my dog! Home comforts are of course missed too, but it makes the time at home so special.

Tell us about your Don’t Look Back EP. What were some of the themes behind the music there? What were you trying to achieve?

‘Don’t Look Back’ delves back into the earlier signature NEP sound and was a nice summer soundtrack with very feel-good tracks. The next EP will explore some different and deeper sounds again.

What’s coming up for you in 2019? What are you looking forward to?

This year I have started doing some of my own Purified events, from Miami to Zürich and San Francisco, and NY is coming up next month. For next year we are planning more Purified events, and I will also continue to tour all over :). Beginning of the year a vocal single will come out that I am quite excited about. It follows a bit the lines of ‘Tears In Your Eyes’, but more to that in a few months ;-)