Our friend Nyra dropped by the studio last week for a chat and to showcase some of our new pieces. As one of the most exciting DJ’s in the UK he’s currently making waves with his recent productions and sell out vinyl releases on his own imprint Canoe. If you don’t yet know get to know.
How did you first get into music ?
When I was about 15 my great uncle left me some money and I went and bought a DJ package which contained two turntables and a mixer, they were Stanton belt drive decks and a Stanton mixer. I purchased a few records, set it up on a rickety table, plugged it all in to my hifi speakers in my bedroom and taught myself to mix records.
What was the first record you bought to do that with?
I honestly can’t remember (laughs) was a such a long time ago.
What genre was it?
Err something housey I vaguely remember, that’s what was being stocked in most of the record shops I was buying from at the time.
Has it always been house?
Err no I’ve been around the houses (laughs) so to speak, which probably leads to where I am today, playing and listening to quite a few different styles and genres of music. I think that’s why in my DJ sets now you can hear the diversity coming through. My mum had a big influence on my musical taste from an early age, there was always a bit of Madonna or New Order or Talk Talk getting pumped out of the speakers in the house.
There is a influence of rave elements, breakbeats, heavy basslines in some of your music, has that been a strong reference point for you?
Yeah I mean the electronic side of things, growing up in Sheffield throughout different eras helped. Warp was a big influence with it being from Sheffield as well. They released a lot of different types of electronic music, some of it ravey, some of it electro, some of it House/Techno/Ambient it goes right across the board.
Do you keep your music with Sheffield in mind? Do you build your tunes with Sheffield in mind as an homage to that sound?
Yeah I think I do and you can see it coming out in the production side of things, whether it’s making records or playing records Sheffield is pretty close to me. It’s had a major impact and influence on what I do today, right up to my label Canoe which covers most genres of electronic music. I’d like to build up the label with a handful of people I like and who’s music I’m digging and it’d be nice to get a few Sheffield people in the mix and help build them too.
With the label Canoe that’s something you’ve set up recently what was the inspiration behind it?
I was running a night in a warehouse I rented called Downlo at Dan Sane quite some years ago and it was doing pretty well. I had that for two years and brought a lot of the acts that you hear and see today into Sheffield. Then I got into cycling and had to make a decision. I could always go back to music but I couldn’t always go back to cycling so I got into racing and I got picked up by one team and picked up by another and then went professional. One thing lead to another and I was making regular appearances on ITV and Eurosport (Laughs). Then I came back to music a year and half ago set up Canoe and moved down to London and thats when it all started again with the music.
I met you when you first moved down to london through dealing in clothes what influence does style have on your life and your music?
It’s always been a major part fashion for me, from a really young age I’ve always been into my clothes. I think in todays climate with social media image is a major player, I think people expect you to have the whole package nowadays.
What influence does your style have, is it reference to subcultures or things you’ve experienced in your past?
It’s like my music I like to mix and match and dip my toes into different areas when it comes to style but still keeping it on point to what I’m doing. As your interviewing me I’ve got a Lacoste t shirt on some Stone Island bottoms and some Clarks wallabies, all the above I was wearing when I was about 15. Some days I might wear a more plain getup all black vibes. I think it gets boring if you stick to just one style as it would get boring just playing and listening to one genre of music, so mixing it up is always best for me. All depends on how I’m feeling on the day.
What have you got coming up over the next few months with your music?
I’ve just sent the next Canoe off which is an EP from myself with two disco housey tracks on it, on a 12 inch vinyl. Then at this moment in time I’m just working on the new Canoe releases. We’re on number 7 with the one I’ve just sent off, so get the next couple in hopefully before the end of the year. Then start introducing a few of the new people to the label that I mentioned earlier on.
And your playing out a lot over the summer?
Yeah I’ve got loads lined up, I’m at Fabric on the 6th of July on the Friday then the week after I’m in Ibiza for 10 days and I’ve got some shows over there, then Germany the week after and lots more shows up until the end of the year.
Listen to Nyra’s Fabric mix below.
Links:
Insta: @nyramusic1
FB: nyramusic1
Soundcloud: nyramusic
Nyra wears a selection of vintage pieces from Too Hot.
Photography: Jake Ranford
Interview: Ollie Evans.