Born in the city of Irkutsk (5,200 km east of Moscow), Nina took a liking to house music in her early teens. After moving to Moscow she worked as a dentist by day, while at night she played sets as a DJ in various Moscow clubs. She also worked for several Moscow music magazines. In 2006, she enrolled in the Red Bull Music Academy in Melbourne - two years later she was making a name for herself in the Russian capital’s biggest electronic venues.
She writes and produces everything herself. Nina also sings on her own tracks and is known for dancing behind the decks. Her self-titled debut album was released in 2012 under the Rekids label, followed by “Mr Jones” in 2013. In 2015 Nina created a 48-track mix album for the DJ-Kicks project.
Mixmag explained why she’s been named best DJ of 2017: “Whether playing on the world’s biggest stages or in the most intimate venues, Nina’s fearless selections, extraordinary experimentation, and willingness to ignore the usual template of peak, drop, and build have seen her rule 2017.”
“I’m a different person while I’m onstage. There is someone else, like an alter ego. You can be in a bad mood, you can feel tired, you can be weak and sick, but as soon as you’re onstage, you gotta do your job well,” Nina said.