ARTIST INTERVIEW // Nora En Pure

Close your eyes and imagine... Warm air on your skin, soft sand between your toes, the sound of waves gently lapping up on the shore, and the most spectacular assortment of red, pink, orange and violet melting together in a fiery, captivating sunset in front of you, framed by the silhouettes of swaying palm trees and hibiscus flowers. This is feeling that South African producer Nora En Pure invokes in her listeners with her melodic, serendipitous and yet surprisingly deep house tracks. A part of the Enormous Tunes and Helvetic Nerds labels alongside artists like EDX, Sons of Maria and Croatia Squad, you'd most likely recognize Nora En Pure for her hits such as "Come With Me," "Saltwater," and her most recent release, "Tell My Heart" featuring Dani Senior. 

What captivates me about Nora's music, however, is that from an immediate listen, you get a sense that her music truly goes much deeper than a solid beat and an uplifting melody; not something you find often in the popular music scene. Even more so, her aura is effortlessly cool and her success is unwavering regardless of the "female disadvantage" some attribute to the electronic industry. For these reasons, in addition to a sheer admiration for her jams, I was absolutely thrilled to have the opportunity to pick Nora's brain about her and her music in advance of her show at Effex in Albuquerque, New Mexico. For those seeking a getaway ~ be it on the dancefloor, a beach, or even lost in your headphones ~ I recommend purifying your life with Nora En Pure's beats. 

To begin with, I am such a huge fan! Your music is so inspiring ~ it takes me to such a blissful place when I listen to it. You talk about how you're inspired by the deep feelings music can "arouse" in you. How do you discover the melodies that conjure up those feelings?
Thank you – it’s great to hear! I find inspiration all over the world to create new tracks. 
I have always loved how soundtracks are able to speak to one and my goal is often to also bring the listener to a certain place like a soundtrack has this strong role in movies to bring up all the feelings, making you part of the story.

I feel I can best achieve that with great dynamic in a track and the use of different instruments. The drops are groovy while the breaks often have organic sounds and work on your imagination to take you to a place. 

When you released Lake Arrowhead and Morning Dew (one of my personal favorites), you said they were some of the most personal works so far and that "rough times can be the beginning of something beautiful." If you're comfortable sharing, can you elaborate more on that?
Many tracks of mine are often uplifting and fun. I am a very mellow person in general but for me melancholic works have way more importance, they go much deeper into your soul than other works. And these tracks somehow represent for me strongly what I want Nora En Pure to be associated it with. Deep, meaningful soulful classy music that brings up feelings. 

In an interview with Digital Trends, you also said you derive inspiration from "the positivity of people and that feeling that overwhelms you when you are in the middle of the wilderness." Which is so poetic and radiant on its own. But what does positivity of people sound like to you?
That's obviously more a feeling and an inspiration than a sound, even though I love the sounds of African tribes singing.

For me Africa is the source of life. It is where everything came from, it's raw and wild. I can connect so well with it's nature and mentality. Don't get me wrong, there are many things not right in South Africa but in Africa you can see a different kind of appreciation and happiness of life than anywhere else in the world. I often have things like this in mind when I work on tracks.

And also on that note, connecting to nature ~ it seems like such an integral part of your being. How often do you make time to get outside, and where are your most treasured places?
Depends on where I am. Often I play in cities and I'm really much more a nature person. But I appreciate so much to be able to have this constant change of scenery and seeing so many places all the time. At home I'm in the nature every day as I have a dog who loooves to go out.
Of course, my homeland, South Africa, is my most treasured place! I can’t wait to be back there in December. 
 

Moving more towards your actual music and live shows... I feel that you're always keen on testing out new music in your sets and Purified shows. What audiences or markets do you find are most responsive to hearing new music when you play it?
I actually reason this way; if I'm playing the first time somewhere and I know people are there for me I play many originals and Enormous Tunes tracks. However if I have played in a city already several times I kind of "force" the audience to new music ;-) and they usually go along with it well. It definitely also depends on the club what kind of crowd’s there. I'm usually quite lucky and people go with it. 

I had the opportunity to catch your set recently in Dallas, Texas at RBC, and just loved seeing you taking the time to chat with fans after the show. What are some of the most meaningful things you've heard from fans?
I have heard a couple of times that some people had to cry several times during my sets. That actually doesn't sound good while im writing this ;-) but I mean these people feel really happy and even more moved and this is what I was referring to what I want to aim for with my music. To bring up true honest and deep feelings.
 

As we near the end of the year, what were some your biggest moments from 2016?
There are really so many to count! I have had a wild year, playing a weekly residency in Ibiza, doing a BBC Radio 1 Essential Mix, being added to the lineup of Coachella (!), remixing Faithless ‘I Was There’. It was just so incredible… but the smaller things are equally important, connecting with new audiences and learning so much along the way!

What can we expect to see from you in 2017? 
Haha – there’s no rest for me! In January I ll take 2-3 weeks off from touring to catch up with some work at home but my tour schedule is already filling up for the whole year. I am looking forward to Groove Cruise again in Jan & so many other exciting shows on the horizon.

Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions, you're a brilliant artist and I wish you nothing but the best over the holidays and in the upcoming year! Hope to see you perform again soon! 
Appreciate it :) thanks so much!

Catch Nora En Pure live at Effex Nightclub on November 23rd, and for further listening, tune into her Purified Radio Shows on Soundcloud. 

Hello Earthlings!

2 months, 5 countries, and countless adventures later... I'm back, with one epic story to tell :) 

What an incredible journey this has been, in ways that are still revealing themselves to me every day since I've been home. I have more to share with you than I can even account for, from the best of Vietnamese street food to glorious mountaintop panoramas, purple starfish and full moon ceremonies, exotic fruits and even more exotic flowers, life changing conversations, people, and realizations. And that's just a taste. 

In true Känsla fashion, I'll take you back on this adventure with me through a variety of platforms, including words, photos, videos, podcasts, and playlists. Considering the amount of content I came home with, it will take some time for me to get it all published, so stick with me for these next couple of weeks as I begin to roll it out. 

For me, an important part of sharing my journey is of course to offer a worthwhile experience that I encountered for someone else later on down the road. But as I came to realize, there is so much magic that occurs inherently with traveling that doesn't always await you at a picturesque monument or destination, but in the moments in between. This magic is what makes traveling so thrilling, and helps us discover entirely new worlds around us as well as within our self. It's an idea that I'm finding tough to explain, but I have confidence that when you see the photos and hear the stories I have to share, it will all make sense. 

Enough of the intro, let's get to the good stuff. First stop, Vietnam! 

Adventure to Asia // The Preface

As most of you already know (because it's become the highlight of my existence), a few days from now I'll be setting off on a backpacking trip across SE Asia for the next two months. Since I've been getting a lot of questions about the details of my trip, I thought I'd throw together a brief podcast to clue everyone into our plans - at least, whatever plans we've made so far :) 

This does mean, however, that Känsla is going to be dormant for a brief period of time. Please feel free to keep up with whatever glimpses of the adventure I'm able to share via Instagram (@zoecazal), otherwise, check back here in September for photo recaps, travel diaries, epic storytellings and of course, a big ol' batch of songs you'll absolutely need to hear. 

I want to take one last second to say THANK YOU to everyone that made this possible. First and foremost, thank you to my parents and family for their endless support and unconditional love. Secondly, thank you to the Akhtar, the Marquez and the Melucci families for your support, you all really made this trip happen for me and I could not be more appreciative. Thanks to the Griffins for your guidance and also for hooking it up with the necessary travel gear. Thanks to Rosabelle for loaning me her backpack otherwise I don't think this would be possible hehe, and big thanks to the rest of my friends for being the greatest supporters and best friends in the world. Lastly, thank you to all my yoga teachers, spiritual guides and inspirational mentors along the way who have gradually encouraged me to take the journey down the path of deepening my yogic practice. I cannot wait to earn the title of a yoga teacher and do the same for others. 

Have a great summer my wonderful kinfolk! Catch y'all on the flipside :) 

Ubuntu

Life has been so crazy lately. I feel like I’m surfing a huge wave and it’s just starting to crash all around me and I can do nothing but ride it out at full speed with full, uninhibited happiness. 

And while I feel like this is just a crazy beginning to an even crazier next chapter, I have to remind myself to stop, breathe, and reflect on what’s going on around me. To begin with, the arrival of summer and the plans that await me just around the corner has totally changed the chemistry of my body. I feel awake and alive at every moment of the day. I feel hopeful about the things I’m putting into action, no matter how big or small, and so much so that I’ve hardly noticed my anxiety trying to dampen my excitement with all the “what ifs” and hesitation. I don’t want to get burnt out too quick with this energy, but I also know that these periods of inspiration and motivation don’t always last so I’m striving to harness it in all the right ways. 

And on the note of harnessing strength, just the other day was International Yoga Day (June 21st). And while yes, I celebrated by partaking in an awesome yoga class (thanks Matt!) with two great friends (what a treat!), to me the day was less about the physical practice and more about the foundational idea behind yoga – union. 

I haven’t had the opportunity to share my thoughts on the horrible events that took place in Orlando recently, and I’m going to now because it truly hit me all the way to my core. It’s always heart wrenching to hear about any type of crime or act of terror against humanity, especially something to this degree. But what happened in Orlando hurt me so much because I care so deeply about that community. Not just the LGBT community, but the minority communities too, in fact, any community of people who do great things and are remarkable people and still have to face so much strife in their lives for no reason other than being exactly who they are. Security is such an important value to me, in my physical home life as well as my emotional one. I’m fortunate to live in a safe community and have friends and family who facilitate safe relationships where we can all feel free to be ourselves, and support each other for doing so. I want so badly for everyone to have that, first and foremost those who are unjustly discriminated against, and secondly, those who manifest that discrimination so they too can live in harmony with the world. 

Which leads me back to the idea of union. In yoga, we unite with our breath, our body, and our mind to ultimate unite with our true nature and the ultimate blissful reality (that is likely not this one). But we should also extend that sense of union with everyone and everything around us. From our neighbors, both locally and abroad, as well as nature and our home planet. 

I learned about this South African term recently, “ubuntu.” It roughly translates to human kindness, but expresses more so the idea that the universal bond of sharing connects all humanity. Below are the words of Boyd Varty, who works with wildlife reserves in Africa to restore land, people, and the human spirit. I could not summarize my feelings on the concept of ubuntu, especially in relation to everything else I’ve said so far, any better. 

“Ubuntu - I am because of you, or people are not people without other people. It’s not a new idea or value, but it’s one that I certainly think, at these times, is worth building on.

In fact, it is said that in the collective consciousness of Africa, we get to experience the deepest parts of our own humanity through our interactions with others. In a more collective society, we realize from the inside that our own well-being is deeply tied to the well-being of others.

Danger is shared. Pain is shared. Joy is shared. Achievement is shared. Houses are shared. Food is shared. Ubuntu asks us to open our hearts and to share.

Ubuntu - the root of the word is a Zulu word. It’s often described as - I am because of you or we can’t be deeply human in a vacuum. And I’ve extended that to say that it is not only through people but through our interactions with all sentient beings on the planet that we feel our humanness.

You know, my definition of harmony is - everything is uniquely itself. And by being uniquely itself - a part of a greater unfolding. And that is what all the ancient cultures knew - you know, this intricate connection. And when you live in a relationship with that, you start to know yourself as a part of.”

— Boyd Varty

To conclude, I want to send out a little extra love this week to everyone, everywhere. To the victims and their families in Orlando, to people experiencing hate and discrimination in other parts of the world, to those who don't live in harmony with their community and those that do. Everyone is deserving, and one day, maybe everyone will be able to share the love back. 

Now, celebrate this otherwise beautiful start to the summer in whatever way sings to your heart. Might I suggest an outdoor yoga session? :)

Celebrating Earth Month by finding purpose, conserving resources, and sticking to sushi.

What are the tenets of your life?

What do you do to craft a life that feels complete and rewarding? Is your life about pursuing a career? Maintaining personal fitness? Having a bomb ass wardrobe and sense of style? Is being close with your family a top priority for you? Exploring the world or leading a start up company? I’m genuinely curious – this is different for everyone and I think it’s fascinating to think what aspects people strive to attend to, knowingly or not, on a daily basis in order to live that they are satisfied with.

Being 23 and all, my core values and goals change depending on what time of day you ask me, but I am proud to say at least a few of them are starting to establish themselves as concrete. To name a few: I like to lead a somewhat active lifestyle paired with relatively decent dietary habits; I try to balance quiet, personal time with enough social interaction to keep me sane; I do my best to be attentive and proactive to facilitate a stress-free lifestyle; I keep up with my family and close friends as often as I can, and I try everyday to make my occupation one that is enriching for both myself and the people it benefits.

But, recently, I felt like something was missing.

Then I realized – maybe I was focusing only on myself. Although I work to serve others, I don’t really voluntarily do anything to give back, or have a “cause” that I’m passionate about. And I think that’s something incredibly important, and often overlooked by my peers. Community service or philanthropy should be a tenet of a rewarding life, don’t you think?

Well, upon realizing this, it didn’t take long for my “cause” to come rain down over me (lol). In the days that followed, I started to see it everywhere, literally. It was climate change. That was something that, when I read headlines or articles or statistics or sat inside watching flash floods rip through my neighborhood, really stirred something on the inside. So I decided I had to do something about it. Join a local organization? Maybe find a service trip? Heck, trade in my car for an electric one?!

Well, sometimes making a positive change doesn’t always have to be drastic. Isn’t that great news! There are tons of ways you can do your part to help with the climate change issue, or just to benefit the planet if you’re not convinced by any of this climate nonsense. Sure, you can recycle, drive less, replace your light bulbs and turn off your lights when you’re not home. But one of the shockingly biggest things you can do? Stop eating beef.

Now, I’m not saying this is for everyone! But hear me out real quick, because the facts behind this are pretty outstanding, and worth informing yourself about. Here’s a few that stuck with me:

• The livestock sector produces about 15% of global greenhouse gases, roughly equivalent to all the exhaust emissions of every car, train, ship, and aircraft on the planet (like what?!). (source)
• The production phase of red meat contributes to 83% of the average US household's carbon footprint, per year. (source)
• The conversion of fossil fuels used to produce feed for a single cow comes out 284 gallons of oil per cow. Just a single cow! (source)
• The production of meat & dairy uses one-third of the world’s fresh water supply. (source)
• In fact, while the numbers may vary, it can take over 1,500 gallons of water to produce one pound of beef. By far, that's the most for any sort of animal meat production. (source)

So you know what I'm up to these days? Oh, just being a pescatarian. And what better month to make a personal change than Earth Month, of course?!

Now, like I said, this isn’t for everyone. I rarely eat red meat so it’s not a tough thing for me to cut it out completely. But if everyone could eat maybe one less burger a week, studies show it could make a huge difference! Crazy how just one small act could contribute so much in the long run.

I’ve linked to a few different videos below that I found to be really informative on the topic, and if you have a few minutes, watch one! I highly recommend the Al Gore TED Talk, because as shocking as his is to listen to, there’s a crazy twist at the end. Spoiler: our climate change efforts are actually starting to show progress. WHAT!!!

• Al Gore: The case for optimism on climate change. TED Talks, February 2016.
• VICE: The True Cost of a Dollar Burger. HBO, March, 2016. (This isn't the actual video, just the trailer, but you can watch it now on HBO Go or On Demand.)
• The Hidden Cost of Hamburgers. Center for Investigative Reporting, 2012.
• Also, I heard this recent Oscar winner made some movie called Cowspiracy or something? Idk, but probably worth checking out if you've got the time ;) 

And you know, if you just love red meat, and don’t believe all these crazy storm patterns and droughts and melting icebergs have any relevance whatsoever, then maybe you can find another cause! Something that you do anywhere from once a week, to once a year that benefits other, be it donating to a charity or standing up for someone who’s being bullied. Make it a point to think about others, or our society, or our world, at least every now and then. Because you might just be surprised how rewarding you will find it to be.

*mic drop*

Playlist: Down the Rabbit Hole

I've had a very eclectic mix of musical fixations lately. After coming off a four month stint of listening to pretty much exclusively soul & blues, I went back to my comfort genre of trending future electronic and hip-hop, then there were a few days of early Lady Gaga and Kanye albums followed by an entire week of strictly, unapologetically passionate flamenco music. However this... this playlist... is just about everything. 

My appreciation for 1960s and 1970s culture is no fleeting obsession I'd like to note, as I feel like I've been living with my heart halfway in those decades since I was first introduced to the flowing hair, free loving state of mind. This playlist though, clocking in at a whopping 80 total tracks, has really taken me back and honestly just helped me see my daily activities with a fresh pair of eyes. An absolutely flawless mix of classic and psychedelic rock, with an ingenious twist of vintage bossanova jams, will really take you down a rabbit hole of great, enlightened vibes. Enjoy! 

Down the Rabbit Hole from withershins4 on 8tracks Radio.

SONGS YOU SHOULD KNOW // OCTOBER 2015

read what i had to say about this month's playlist here: http://freshnewtracks.com/2015/10/22/songs-vol-7/

About a year ago, I was scrolling through the weekly email blast from my university's newspaper, looking for a story pitch that I would actually be interested in picking up. I'm not a hard news type, was involved little with campus happenings, and didn't know the first thing about sports, so I rarely felt compelled to contribute, but then all of a sudden, I saw it: "Ten Songs You Need to Hear Now." It was like someone knew I was now writing for the school paper. I jumped on it immediately, and in no time I had whipped up a Soundcloud playlist and corresponding tracklist with tidbits about each song included. I didn't think much of it, as I couldn't name one of my friends who read the school paper, but the response from that short playlist was huge. After that, it became a monthly write-up for me; I spent the first three weeks of every month aggregating good music from every corner of my world and published it on the last week for all my readers - err, listeners. 

Well, after graduating and wrestling with feelings of being insignificant and not contributing to the world like I should, I realized, why should I stop doing something I love as simple as sharing music just because I don't write for a university paper anymore? Hence, one of the founding moments of this site itself, as a place for me to continue doing what I love and providing music for the lives of those around me. 

Here is the first playlist I've released since graduating in May, sure to be one of many more to come. If you like my taste in music, then be sure to check back here at the end of every month for another one of my round ups. And, once you've exhausted this list, you can check my Soundcloud for all of the previous editions of "Songs You Should Know." And if you have any songs you think need to make an appearance on the next volume, send it my way :) 

This playlist originally appeared on Fresh New Tracks. For the full article and tracklist, click here.