Nicole Moudaber on Identity, Inclusivity, Longevity and Soundtracking a Solar Eclipse

Nicole Moudaber has spent more than a decade commanding dancefloors across the world, building a reputation on instinct, emotional intensity and an unwavering refusal to follow trends. Whether she’s playing cavernous festival stages or intimate underground clubs, the Lebanese-British artist has always approached electronic music as something deeply human, built on feeling rather than formula.

Speaking from London after finally stepping away from the touring circuit for a rare pause, Moudaber sounds reflective but creatively energised. “I realised the other day I haven’t properly been home since the end of November … how mad is that,” she says. “So, this weekend, no clubs, no stages, just me myself and I.”

That constant movement between cities, countries and cultures has given her a unique understanding of dance music’s global landscape. While electronic culture may feel increasingly interconnected, Moudaber insists local identity still matters. “From experience, touring the world hundreds of times I’ve learned every crowd has a different set of ears,” she says. “Some lean more towards house, more open and playful and others want serious driving techno and that contrast is real.”

It’s a sensitivity that has allowed her to move fluidly between different worlds without ever compromising her own sound. “I adapt very quickly,” she explains. “I have all the weapons ready to fire in any situation but always stay true to my sound and the ethos of taking people on a journey they can feel, not just hear.”

That distinction becomes even more pronounced when comparing festivals to clubs, environments she describes as having “completely different energies almost like two personalities.”

“Festivals are extrovert,” she says. “Big, immediate and high impact. You’ve got a shorter window so it’s about the bangers and grabbing everyone from the first moment.”

Clubs, however, are where she feels most creatively free. “Clubs are more introvert,” she says. “That’s where I get creative. I love playing long sets and really express myself without limits. That’s where the real storytelling happens for me where I can go deeper and that’s where you really understand who I am as an artist.”

Despite years at the top level of electronic music, Moudaber still finds herself surprised by emerging scenes and changing crowd dynamics. “Right now, I’m seeing a real hunger in places where the crowd is there for the music first no phones and no ego,” she says, pointing to New York, Beirut, Colombia and Seoul. “What’s interesting is the crowd is more open again. They’re not stuck in one lane.”

“There’s a shift happening for sure,” she continues. “I think people are craving something real again, less trends and more identity.”

That search for authenticity is something she channels directly into her studio work. Her productions have always balanced raw power with groove and emotion, but Moudaber resists boxing herself into any fixed creative approach. “Both really,” she says when asked whether she prefers peak-time impact or emotional depth. “Some days I want power, something that hits, relentless and peak time and other days I’m chasing something deeper, more emotional, and more fun.”

“The truth is I might come back to something the next day and feel completely different about it,” she adds. “Love it one day, hate it the next. I don’t like putting boundaries on my creativity. For me, music has no borders - It’s about feelings not formulas.”

Collaboration has become another important outlet for that creative curiosity. Over the years she has worked alongside artists as varied as Carl Cox, Armin van Buuren and Deep Dish, experiences she says push her outside her comfort zone in the best possible way.

“Collaboration pulls you out of your own head,” she says. “When I’m solo, it’s my world, my mood and my emotions. But the moment you bring someone else in, everything shifts, we are now blending two worlds.”

“Working with people like Carl Cox, Armin van Buuren, Jamie Jones or Deep Dish, they all come from different musical spectrums and that’s what I love the most,” she continues. “Shaping those differences into one unique sound, merging styles in a way that feels natural and unexpected. That’s where the magic lies.”

Her recent material, including Eyes On Me with Space 92, reflects an artist still determined to evolve rather than repeat herself. “The key is not to get too comfortable; that’s the truth,” she says. “The moment you think you’ve ‘made it’ is the moment you stop evolving.”

“I’m still curious, still searching, still questioning everything I do,” she continues. “And honestly, I get bored easily. If I hear myself doing the same thing twice, I move on. That’s what keeps me restless.”

That mentality also informs her perspective on the current state of techno culture, particularly conversations around virality, speed and short attention spans. “Trends come and go like fashion that’s nothing new,” she says. “But timeless music? That’s a different thing completely.”

“A timeless track makes you feel something the first time you hear it and the hundredth time and still sounds good,” she says. “I’ve always believed in making music for the long game, not the algorithm, I simply can’t do it even if I tried.”

Even now, the adrenaline before a performance hasn’t faded. “There’s always a bit of nerves before my sets, even to this day and I like that because it keeps me sharp,” she says. “The excitement of testing my tracks and watching the reactions, playing new music I want to share, connecting with my people on the dancefloor and giving everything I’ve got to create a moment they’ll remember.”

Much of that connection now extends through InTheMood, the radio platform and global community she has built over the years. Syndicated across more than 60 countries and reaching over 20 million listeners weekly, it has become far more than simply a radio show. “What I’ve learned is that my audience genuinely appreciates music in all its forms,” she says. “They understand that I’m a music lover first - whether it’s house, techno or anything in between, they trust what I play.”

“What really surprised me is how connected our community is,” she adds. “People listening from completely different parts of the world still feel part of the same tribe.”

“It’s a movement,” she says. “I see it everywhere, people raising their phones with ‘I’M IN THE MOOD’ written on them, my flags waving, people wearing the Mood merch and honestly, that fills my heart with joy.”

Moudaber has also remained one of dance music’s most outspoken advocates for authenticity and inclusivity, values she believes require active protection. “It’s evolving for sure but there’s still work to do,” she says of the wider electronic music industry. “Our culture was built on that idea. It was always about freedom, unity and defying the conventional.”

“Inclusivity isn’t something you just talk about. It’s something you live,” she says. “So yes, we’ve moved forward but there’s still a responsibility on all of us to protect that original spirit and make sure this culture stays open and real.”

This summer, that philosophy will unfold against one of the most remarkable backdrops imaginable as she joins the lineup for Astral Plane: Total Eclipse Festival at La Pinilla Mountain Resort in Segovia, Spain. Timed around the 2026 total solar eclipse, the event will see thousands gathered beneath a sky where day briefly turns to night as the moon obscures the sun.

For Moudaber, the setting represents far more than another festival date. “It’s not just another festival; it’s a moment in time!” she says.

She recalls witnessing a total eclipse once before in Ibiza, an experience that left a lasting impression precisely because of the silence surrounding it. “There was no music playing,” she remembers. “It was powerful in its own way and it showed me how important sound and even the absence of it, is in shaping an experience.”

Rather than rigidly scripting the performance, she intends to let instinct guide the moment. “The setting, the energy, the eclipse itself… you can’t script that,” she says. “For me, it’s about tuning into the environment and respecting the moment.”

Asked how she would soundtrack the exact instant of totality, when the sun disappears entirely and the corona burns around the moon, her answer becomes almost spiritual. “I’d want it to feel transcendent,” she says. “I’d strip it back a little, let it breathe, build something powerful and spiritual that rises with the eclipse itself.” Then she laughs. “I’m gonna start digging and tune into my chakras!”

Astral Plane Total Eclipse Festival takes places August 10th, 11th and 12th in Segovia, Spain. Get more information HERE.

Read the full interview at The Night Bazaar HERE.