The Red Bull Music Academy is a multi-layered conference / marathon studio session / festival / all-out musical extravaganza, celebrating the pioneers of what we call club culture today – and showcase those who will be soundtracking our summer nights in years to come. With the 15th edition currently underway in New York City, we teamed up with them for a series of exclusive mixes by artists from their stellar roster of graduates, covering the full spectrum of electronic dance music and beyond. For this fourth edition we present a bootyshaking mix from Glasgow's queen of bass-heavy house Nightwave
Production-wise my first release came out in 2010 on Slit Jockey under the name '8Bitch', followed by an EP on Seed Records. Before that I did vocals for a few house and techno releases and a bunch of remixes to try and get my name out a bit. I changed my name to Nightwave in 2011 and released 3 EPs that year.Being a true multi-talent - what does a typical day in your superheroine life look like?
That's extremely flattering but quite over the top. I'm far from a superheroine. Mums, teachers and nurses are superheroines. I just pursued my music dream long enough to still be doing it! I'm really just living with my head in the clouds most days, exploring weird books and beers and creating things. I think I'm much rather "multi-interested" than "multi-talented." I love to learn new things and have a go at everything. That's what life's about!How has your production technique evolved over the years?
I started off learning on hardware ages ago and although I managed to make tunes I don't think they were very good, so I was delighted to discover Logic, even though I did struggle a little bit. Trying out Ableton was a massive break for me as it was so user-friendly and intuitive. It felt like being in a playground. I absolutely love that program! I'm so grateful for all this amazing software out there. I remember the frustration of not being able to afford all the gear and feeling left out because of that. Everyone can make music right now, and even though that leads to a crazy saturated market, I think it's an extremely positive development.What comes first to you - producing or DJ-ing?
Tough one! I'm gonna say DJ-ing because of the interaction with other people in the club. The biggest buzz is playing your own tune and seeing people loving it… so good!What's the most memorable gig you ever played?
Definitely RBMA SonarDôme in Barcelona 2012. It was absolutely ridiculous. So much love and positive energy in one go, I was an emotional wreck by the end of my set! I will live off that feeling forever. So magical.What are you working on at the moment?
I'm finishing off my next two EPs, which will be out fairly soon. I can't tell you how excited I am about those! It seems like it's been ages. I'm doing a bit of singing and remixing and launching a new club night as well. I am also working on an all-girl producer- and DJ-workshop to help young girls have a go at music, particularly those who don't know where to start. I hope creating excitement and more of a community would inspire and empower more girls to get in the music game!What were you going for on this mix? Any special concept to it?
It's called 'Nightrave' which is the name of my club night and it's a good representation of its music policy. Old techno and house, some booty ghettotech stuff, a bit of juke and a lot of fun.Previously: RBMA Mix Series vol. 3 mixed by Nick Hook
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There's much more than meets the eye to Slovenian-born Glasgow resident and DJ extraordinaire Nightwave. At the time you'd least expect it, the bantamweight will slap you in the face with a clean-cut slice of big, bad bass. That's not to say that the girl born as Maya Medvesek is a reckless one. She captured hearts at the 2011 Red Bull Music Academy with her lovable persona and impressive off-deck resume. But give her a stage and a set of speakers in the right venue below street-level, and Nightwave will definitely give your dancing muscles a thorough shakedown with her jukey, jackin' house-leaning concoctions.Initially honing her skills with releases on Slit Jockey and Seed as 8Bitch, Maya moved on to take on her Nightwave moniker in 2011. With a feature on Rustie's magnificent Glass Swords LP, EPs on Svetlana Industries, Fortified Audio and Unknown To The Unknown, bootlegs galore and mixes for Dazed, Noisey and Clash, Maya's name has struck a chord with the progressively oriented dance crowds of the world. We checked in on Maya's latest status and got this bustling bomb squad of a mix to go along with it.You've really been on your grind lately, cranking out mixes and edits… But tell us a little more about your early work.
Production-wise my first release came out in 2010 on Slit Jockey under the name '8Bitch', followed by an EP on Seed Records. Before that I did vocals for a few house and techno releases and a bunch of remixes to try and get my name out a bit. I changed my name to Nightwave in 2011 and released 3 EPs that year.
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That's extremely flattering but quite over the top. I'm far from a superheroine. Mums, teachers and nurses are superheroines. I just pursued my music dream long enough to still be doing it! I'm really just living with my head in the clouds most days, exploring weird books and beers and creating things. I think I'm much rather "multi-interested" than "multi-talented." I love to learn new things and have a go at everything. That's what life's about!How has your production technique evolved over the years?
I started off learning on hardware ages ago and although I managed to make tunes I don't think they were very good, so I was delighted to discover Logic, even though I did struggle a little bit. Trying out Ableton was a massive break for me as it was so user-friendly and intuitive. It felt like being in a playground. I absolutely love that program! I'm so grateful for all this amazing software out there. I remember the frustration of not being able to afford all the gear and feeling left out because of that. Everyone can make music right now, and even though that leads to a crazy saturated market, I think it's an extremely positive development.What comes first to you - producing or DJ-ing?
Tough one! I'm gonna say DJ-ing because of the interaction with other people in the club. The biggest buzz is playing your own tune and seeing people loving it… so good!What's the most memorable gig you ever played?
Definitely RBMA SonarDôme in Barcelona 2012. It was absolutely ridiculous. So much love and positive energy in one go, I was an emotional wreck by the end of my set! I will live off that feeling forever. So magical.What are you working on at the moment?
I'm finishing off my next two EPs, which will be out fairly soon. I can't tell you how excited I am about those! It seems like it's been ages. I'm doing a bit of singing and remixing and launching a new club night as well. I am also working on an all-girl producer- and DJ-workshop to help young girls have a go at music, particularly those who don't know where to start. I hope creating excitement and more of a community would inspire and empower more girls to get in the music game!What were you going for on this mix? Any special concept to it?
It's called 'Nightrave' which is the name of my club night and it's a good representation of its music policy. Old techno and house, some booty ghettotech stuff, a bit of juke and a lot of fun.Previously: RBMA Mix Series vol. 3 mixed by Nick Hook