Nadia Struiwigh (Interview)
It’s Friday so we’re listening to something more upbeat. Today we’re listening to Nadia Struiwigh, a Dutch electronic musician from Rotterdam. She grew up in a household full of technology, due to her dad’s work, and became transfixed by Warp Records artists such as Aphex Twin and Boards of Canada as a teenager.1 She attended raves and then started producing her own music around 19, taking inspiration from many electronic subgenres. Her latest record is IKIGAI, which came out about a month ago. Its synth-driven tracks are searching and grand, creating a vast emotive space for the listener. “This album kind of changed direction halfway through,” she told us. “I originally had something else in mind, but when my dad passed away, I just couldn’t continue like that. I needed to make something that felt more honest to what I was going through.” We’re also playing her 2023 LP, Birds of Paradise, which is more ambient and has some sick 808s. A conversation with Nadia follows the streaming links. (As usual, 15Questions interviewed Struiwigh before we did and asked great questions which we avoided repeating.)
IKIGAI - Nadia Struiwigh (70m, some non-lyric vocals)
Spotify / Apple Music / YouTube Music / Amazon Music / Bandcamp / Tidal
Birds of Paradise - Nadia Struiwigh (70m, no vocals)
Spotify / Apple Music / YouTube Music / Amazon Music / Bandcamp / Tidal
What’s your earliest memory of music?
Ohhh… honestly, music just always felt like something that was there. Not even something separate. Even as a kid, I already had this feeling that everything is kind of moving in rhythms, frequencies, energy. It might sound a bit deep haha, but that’s really how I see the world. Like everything has a tone, a texture, something underneath it. If I think back more practically, it really starts with my parents. There was always music playing at home. Dire Straits, Pink Floyd, Enya, Genesis… all of that just kind of lived in the background of my childhood. And I think I didn’t even realize at the time how much that shaped me. But now when I hear those artists, it hits something instantly. It’s very grounding, in a way.
What did Boards of Canada and Aphex Twin’s music teach you about music production?
It’s funny, because I don’t think they “taught” me in a technical way. It was more like recognition. When I heard their music, I just felt like “ah okay… this is it.” Like this is a language I understand. I never really sat there thinking “how did they make this sound?” It was more about the feeling. That slightly nostalgic, emotional, sometimes a bit strange atmosphere. Production came quite naturally to me anyway. I grew up with a lot of tech around me, gaming, experimenting… so working with machines felt quite intuitive. And I think what I really took from them is that it doesn’t need to be perfect. If anything, I prefer when it’s not. When something feels a bit rough or off, that’s usually where the emotion is for me. My music now is just a mix of everything I’ve absorbed over time. It doesn’t really sit in one box. It’s always about the mood I’m in that day.
What is the weirdest piece of music that you like?
Haha, I think my “weird” is probably quite normal to me at this point. But there’s this project, Sinfonie 4 by Bauhaus x Audi, where they used car sounds as part of an orchestral composition. And it’s actually really beautiful. Not gimmicky at all. It has this balance between something very mechanical and something very emotional. That contrast really stayed with me. The more robotic side of electronic music, combined with something very organic and flowing. That’s still something I’m always drawn to in my own work. And yeah… working with an orchestra like that one day would be insane.
What was your studio setup for IKIGAI? What instruments/gear/software did you use to make the record?
This album kind of changed direction halfway through. I originally had something else in mind, but when my dad passed away, I just couldn’t continue like that. I needed to make something that felt more honest to what I was going through. Something that could hold that emotion. So the process became quite fluid. A lot of the ambient parts were made with modular, just recording long takes and layering things through my Push 3. That helped me build these evolving textures without overthinking too much. Then everything comes together in Ableton for me. That’s where I shape it properly, do the post-production. I also use some of Ableton’s plugins, and a few others I like to keep a bit to myself 😉 Gear-wise I used the Korg Electribe (my baby), Yamaha DX200, Arturia MiniFreak, Roland SH-4D… but honestly, I don’t really think in gear first. I just go by feeling and pick whatever matches that.
What is your composition process like these days?
Music is kind of everything for me, so my days can easily turn into long sessions without me even noticing. The main thing I need is space. No interruptions. That’s really important for me. I don’t really store ideas. If I feel something, I go straight into it. I go into my studio, my little gear cave, and just see what fits that moment. Usually I start with something simple, like a pad or a texture that sets the mood. And then I just follow that. I don’t really believe in creative blocks to be honest. I think it’s more when we get stuck in our heads. If I stay with my body, with the feeling, things just move. And yeah… I can easily lose hours in it. It’s still the best thing ever.
How do you discover new music these days? Any recent notable finds?
It’s a bit intense these days, there’s just so much music. And also AI coming in, which makes it even more overwhelming sometimes. I get a lot of promos, so I usually start there. But what I enjoy more is just going down a rabbit hole. Finding one artist, then checking the label, then seeing who else released there… Bandcamp is still my favourite for that. It feels more real somehow. I also love the listening parties, it’s such a nice way to connect to music again. I recently checked out Supreems, which I liked. I’m always drawn to that slightly ‘90s kind of feeling.
Name an underrated artist from the past 50 years.
There are honestly so many… I feel like a lot of really good artists don’t get the attention they deserve, because everything is so focused on hype. But Space Afrika is definitely one for me. I’m actually surprised they’re not bigger already. Their music is really special.
What are you working on next?
Haha… a lot. Maybe a bit too much sometimes. My creativity just doesn’t really stop, it keeps going. Coming up is STOOR, which I’m really excited about. Also Stone Techno Festival, where I’ll do an ambient set and a B2B with Function. Then I’m building Distorted Waves (my label) further with my team, doing scoring, coaching, writing a book, making new music… Superbooth as well, we have two shows there, so that’s going to be really fun. It’s just ongoing. Always moving. And yeah, big thanks for the interview and to everyone supporting me. It really means a lot 🤍
Love Nadia!
great interview!