In Session: Nightwave

Nightwave is a force of nature on deck, packing tidal wave might as she tears through the electro, techno and house her record collection is packed full of. The Slovenia-born artist, real name Maya Medvešek, is able to hit a sweet spot of cranking up a sense of unbridled energy while remaining in complete control. She’s been DJing since she was 15, and her mastery of the art shows in her command of the decks and flow of her sets.

The dynamism of genres and selection shone through when she took us on a trip through grime, techno, funky and rave classics in her unmissable Lab Glasgow set in 2017. The Scottish city is where she now lives, and the impact of its music scene has taken root in her hard and high-energy output. In her words, it’s: “the best place for music hands down”.

For a time she produced as 8Bitch, taking inspiration from video games and making glitchy electro and dubstep. Since launching her Nightwave alias in 2011 she’s hit a stride that hasn’t broken since, releasing scores of tracks across labels like Unknown To The Unknown, fabric and DEXT.

Nightwave’s passion isn’t just confined to her own music. She runs her own label Heka Trax which has consistently put out widely supported releases from a cohort of global stars, marking her skills not just as a selector but a curator with the label picking up talent from Birmingham to Berlin. She also works tirelessly to promote women in the industry, keeping the future in her crosshairs by running DJ workshops for young women.

Recent years have seen Nightwave playing sets to rapturous crowds in Vietnam, the UK, Sweden, South Korea and Canada to name a few. The next few months will see a slew of sets in Glasgow, and stops in London and Bristol. Wherever you may be, a Nightwave set is worth the trip.

In the meantime, you can enjoy her In Session mix from the comfort of your own home. Pump it loud but be warned: you’ll probably have to hire bouncers for the queue of people assembling at your front door looking to join the party.

Nightwave's 'Psychic Tonic' is out now on DEXT

Harry Lye is a freelance writer, follow him on Twitter

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Tracklist:
LSDXOXO - Freakquency
Louisahhh! & Maelstrom - Vital Energy
Mor Elian - Move Like Atoms
Lauren Flax - (You have to) Work
Lando - Gather Round
Fear-E - Scuddy Deflector
Vin Sol - Fried
Bodyjack ft. DJ Rush - [Unreleased]
Aux 88 - Annihilating Rhythm (Detroit In Effect remix)
Jensen Interceptor - Hydro System
Nightwave - Quadratic Mind ft Martyn Bootyspoon
Regis - Cold Water
Spencer Parker - Cash Only
Lo Shea - Activation
Photonz & Schuro - Sherman2
Randomer - Fat Purple Figs
Nightwave - Psychic Tonic (Jerome Hill Remix)