Nicole Fiallo is a Cuban-American music producer & DJ hailing from Miami, FL & now making a name for herself in New York City. She has earned a bubbling presence with her most recent releases on the likes of Techne Records, Happy Techno, Be One Records, & HoTL.
Her latest release comes on Unlearn Records: a killer remix of Bergwall & Pops (UK)’s single Poppin.
Hi Nicole, thank you for taking the time to chat with us today! How has the year been treating you so far?
Thank you, guys, for the invite! The year has been great so far, no complaints. I’ve had the chance to play in some awesome cities over the last couple of months and release on some great labels, too.
Where do you think the impulse to create music comes from for you?
I have always had a big love for all kinds of music since I was a kid, and when I got into DJing, it allowed me to express that love and turn it into something where I could share it with others. Then, music production allowed me to take that creative expression to a whole different level.
You’re back on Unlearn with your new remix of Poppin – how did you approach this one? Were there any elements from the original that really stood out when you first heard it?
I think Bergwall and Pops (UK) put together an absolute banger of a track. It’s always a fun challenge to create a remix for an already amazing original. My approach for this one was to take it a little more underground and give it a nice tech house groove. Of course, I just had to keep that distinctive synth in my version, too.
There’s a real bounce and energy in this, and in a lot of your music. Do you have to be in a certain mood to achieve this before you head to the studio?
Not in particular, but each time I create in the studio, I DO let my mood guide me. A lot of times I’ll go into a session wanting to make a certain style of music, but another style might come out. I try to always let my creativity flow freely and not constrain myself to only a certain style of music.
Tell us about your current studio set up – any particular bits of go-to kit you find yourself returning to?
My studio set up in terms of production gear is pretty simple, and I think that’s a direct reflection of who I am as a person. I mean, who wouldn’t want $1000s of dollars in fancy gear, right? Haha, and maybe one day I’ll be lucky enough to have a big studio like that, but for now it’s just me, my MacBook, my DAW (Logic Pro X), and my Sennheiser headphones. I don’t normally use any special plug-ins or anything either but I do like to dabble into, and chop up, different drum loops / samples sometimes that I snag from Loopcloud or Splice.
Which artists are currently exciting or inspiring you?
Oh, man… so many! But honorable mentions definitely have to be Honeyluv, Viviana Cassanova, and Nicole Moudaber. These women are absolutely crushing every single boundary right now and it’s been so incredibly inspiring watching the heights they are reaching.
What have been some of your more memorable live performances from 2023?
Getting to play in Madrid and Switzerland this year were HUGE highlights. In Madrid, I got to play at an awesome club called El Sotano for the On Going Madrid party, which is run by one of my good friends Luxi Villar. Luxi and I met, and were roommates, last year during the elrow Up & Coming 2022 finals. And then, Natan Ant, who was another finalist with us last year, invited us this year to play at his festival in Switzerland, in the mountains. It was definitely one of the most incredible places I’ve ever had the chance to play at and it was also a plus that we all got to reunite again.
What should we expect from you for the rest of 2023?
I’ve got a couple more releases coming up through the rest of the year, and already have a few lined up for early 2024, too. I’ll also be playing some great shows down in South Florida in a couple weeks for my birthday weekend, so I am super excited about that! I’m just looking forward to seeing what’s next for me and thankful for all the blessings this year has brought already.