interview by MARIA MOTA

A style reference to many with her effortless style, Nina Urgell Cloquell is known for her digital presence and brand mid/night 00.00, but her journey as a DJ has been rapidly on the rise in recent years. What really moves the Barcelona-based creative is music, which has been a childhood dream of hers. Here, Nina shares with Numéro Netherlands a few insights on her set at the Pull&Bear Not Just a DJ project during Primavera Sound, discussing her sound, style, and future plans.

Your diverse portfolio includes fashion, music, cosmetics, and more, each attracting different crowds and audiences. How do these different creative outlets come together in your overall vision? What is the common thread that connects them all? 

I think that music is what connects everything in my life. At the end of the day music is what gives me strength and motivates me to continue working, it helps me to be more creative and optimistic. 

How do you balance your various projects and keep the energy and inspiration up? 

Honestly, it is not easy to always stay motivated when working on different things, I always have my head divided. But I feel very lucky to have the opportunities that I have, and I try to give thanks every morning, even more so taking into account the social and current panorama with the wars that are increasingly present in our environment. That motivates me to keep going and move forward the best as I can. 

Is this your first time playing at Primavera Sound? 

Yes, it is my first time at Primavera Sound and I am very excited! I have played at other festivals like OffSónar in 2022 with more electronic atmospheres, but Primavera Sound is different, and I always like the first times. Who doesn’t?!

What is your relationship with the festival? Have you been attending for a long time? 

It is a very special festival to me. Well, it inaugurates the season of good weather and festivals in the city. The location is unbeatable along with a super friendly and pleasant atmosphere. It marks the beginning of summer which is my favorite season!

How does it feel to transition from being an attendee to performing, especially in your home country? 

It’s great because when I finish playing I just stay at the festival with my friends enjoying the concerts.  

In previous years I have played at OffSónar and the experience of attending and playing at a festival in my hometown is perfect, I have very good memories. 

Whenever I talk about my sound I like to describe it as purely electronic and clean, with analog registers. And I would like to add that if it had a shape, it would be round.

Nina Urgell Cloquell

It seems like more and more people in the fashion industry are moving into the DJ/music scene, and the two fields are more intertwined than ever. What inspired you to make that jump? 

In my case I wanted to be a DJ and a Psychologist from a very young age and I always had it clear that I would do everything possible to achieve both goals. First with my career and then with music.  

The opportunity to work in fashion and networks was more random, but music has always been my greatest passion from an early age and I believe that its connection with the world of fashion and artistic expressions is very close. 

How does it feel collaborating with Pull&Bear, who are also creating a space where fashion and music flourish together? 

I am very grateful to the brand for giving me this opportunity and letting my music be brought closer to the Primavera Sound audience.

Can you talk a bit about your look during the performance? 

I’m wearing a basic black tank top and washed straight-rise jeans. It’s a minimalistic and simple look because I want to focus on the music and the set. In some way I let the music dress me too.

Do you see fashion influencing your music, and vice versa? 

Honestly I never thought about it like that, but thinking about it, it would be logical that my music was clearly linked to my style and my creative work at mid/night 00.00. 

What is something you can listen on repeat for hours? 

I have several ambient music playlists that last a whole day. I love special, unknown and melancholic music that awakens nostalgia and feelings like ‘Boards of Canada’, I will never get tired of listening to them. 

And finally, what’s next for you? Are there any upcoming projects or collaborations you’re particularly excited about? 

I’m especially excited about a gig at Pacha for their historic Flower Power party this summer. I always spend my summers in Formentera and Ibiza and for me, it’s like a second home so playing at Pacha feels nostalgic and very special.

@ninauc@pullandbear #pullandbearcommunity