I’m back with a pair of wonderfully deep DJ mixes from South African-Swiss producer and DJ Nora En Pure. I managed to catch the pair, yesterday, while back at work, trying to set an upbeat, speedy tempo for accomplishing a rather insurmountable task in a relatively unrealistic amount of time.
Yup, you heard that right. I’ve been back at work, in a Covid “proofed” office, for the past four days, thanks to an unexpected and surprising (and I might add, welcome) NDA contract gig that popped up on Sunday. That stands for Non-Disclosure Agreement, if you’re wondering, which means I can’t talk about it.
Anyway, I actually started the aforementioned work task, headphone’s cranked high, with my introductory Nora En Pure mix, 2016’s acclaimed “BBC Radio One Essential Mix.” It’s the first one I ever heard from her. And it still resonates as a comfy, progressively deep house classic, boasting loads of relaxed-to-maximized energy … enough to make even the most mundane and repetitive task go by in a nonchalant and zippy breeze. Here’s a link to my original, very early (and brief) post of that DJ mix.
I think I hit pause on the “Essential Mix” about midway through, accidently starting the next selection in the list, which happened to be her “Deep House Amsterdam Podcast.” This predates her “Essential Mix” by a year or so, making for a curious peek into some past efforts. And it’s a bit more chill and hypnotic, as deep house should be.
But like all her music – originals, remixes, and/or DJ sets – she’s got an uncanny ability to craft a seemingly timeless aura of immediate likeability and familiarity, while still remaining complex, challenging, and ultimately engaging.
Check out her “Deep House Amsterdam Podcast” mix from Melkweg ADE and DHA FM.
Completely missing the transition (although, I think I subconsciously felt it), “Deep House Amsterdam” seamlessly segued into another, completely different and welcome mix, this one a bit more recent, from her opening set at Golden’s Belly Up Aspen in 2018.
Like all her tunes, this mix is plenty funky, warm, and uptempo, a great complement to the deep house set that preceded it. It’s closer in spirit to her “Essential Mix,” and similar to her many “Purified” sets on Soundcloud, yet still offers another expansive facet to her DJ stylings.
For those unfamiliar with Nora En Pure, who’s birth name is Daniela Niederer, she’s been around the electronic music circuit since 2009. She’s a major force on the renown Enormous Tunes label, and is considered one of the early pioneers of melodic deep house, integrating classical instrumentation with soulful sounds, crafting an organic naturalistic electronic experience.
That’s all I’ve got for this morning. Time permitting, I might try to squeeze another post in before end of day … but no promises.
In the meantime, enjoy these two mixes, which run roughly an hour each. They both possess just the right kind of upbeat attitude and level-headedness of energy. And they helped me blast through a demanding hurdle of work, when I really wasn’t sure I was up to the task. Maybe they can do the same for you, in whatever capacity that applies.
Until the next one …
