Nia Archives: “I've got a lot of respect for what Honey Dijon is doing”

Barcelona is a hub for cultural innovation, brimming with creative polymaths and forward-thinking artists. From precise architecture to state-of-the-art nightclubs, Barcelona is impossibly creative with some of the most exciting and cutting-edge innovators calling the city home. Next month on December 7, we’re heading to Spain’s second city for the final stop on the Burn Energy Tour 2024, bringing with us some of the most exciting trailblazers in dance music to match the city’s thriving creative scene, including Nia Archives, Honey Dijon, MARICAS co-founder ISAbella and MUSA resident Doppelganger.

Today, Barcelona is one of the most popular cities in Europe for tourism, bringing in more than €12 billion annually, with a nightlife scene that’s splitting at the seams. Clubs including Nitsa, a 30-year-old venue housed inside a legendary theatre, Razzmatazz, a mega dance music venue fitting around 2,000 people, and intimate venue-turned-music bar Les Enfants Brillants all propel Barcelona’s buzzing nightlife scene today, offering different environments for the city’s keen clubbers.

Barcelona’s club community has always been receptive to new and experimental sounds, thanks in part to festivals such as Sònar – which began in Barcelona and has since expanded to locations like Buenos Aires, New York, and Seoul – allowing locals to discover the latest in music, creativity and technology. While reggaeton remains a staple genre in the city (and across wider Spain), fast-paced sonics like jungle are equally having a moment in the city with the help of Barcelona-based promoters including JungleJungle and SUBconscious, both bringing new talent to the city alongside local favourites.

“Barcelona definitely has a late night scene, 24 hour city vibes,” says Bradford-born DJ, producer, and vocalist Nia Archives, who’s set to headline Mixmag and Burn Energy’s final leg on the Burn Energy Tour 2024 at Nitsa (which you can purchase tickets for here). “I'm excited to come back to Barcelona playing loads of my favourite new-gen junglist dubs from my Up Ya Archives community. Lots of jungle music and super high energy!”

We chatted to Nia Archives ahead of the anticipated event about building communities through music, being inspired by Honey Dijon, and the energy of Barcelona’s club crowds. Check it out below.

You’ve had a monumental few years, travelling far and wide for shows. Have you been at all influenced by your travels around the world and the underground communities/scenes you’ve come across?

Yeah, it's been super cool to travel with my music especially, it takes me to places that I wouldn't be able to go to otherwise. It's been nice to see dance music cultures in different cities, and in different parts of the world. I’m definitely influenced by the communities in other parts of the world, it was super cool to see the jungle community in Asia, in places like Japan.

How does the jungle community differ from country to country? Have you noticed a growing Gen Z crowd getting involved in the scene?

Yeah, I’ve definitely noticed a growing Gen Z crowd. I’ve seen some super young audiences, and my crowds are really quite mixed, but it's really encouraging to see people from the 18-25 bracket at my shows.

Your headline show on the Burn Energy Tour in Barcelona will see you play after another headline performance from Honey Dijon. Have you met before, and are you excited to play with her?

I've not met her yet, but I really love what she's doing. I think she's super cool. I’m definitely inspired by her music, I've got a lot of respect for what she's doing. She's wicked.

Do you remember the first time you performed in Barcelona? What was that like?

I played my first ever international show in Barcelona when I was about 22. I played at this club called Razzmatazz, and it was super cool because I’d never played outside of the country before, so it was amazing. Razzmatazz was cute, I played in the small room and it was quite early on, but it was a really great experience.

How would you describe the crowds in Barcelona? What’s the general vibe like when you perform there?

I've only played in Barcelona a few times, the first at Razzmatazz and again at Primavera Sound Festival, but I had a lot of fun at Primavera last year and it was really high energy. It's always fun to play at festivals, and it was nice to go to festivals to see other artists – I managed to see Rosalía on home territory which was really cool. So yeah, I'm excited to come back to Barcelona.

Barcelona’s music and art scene really comes hand-in-hand, there’s an exciting wave of experimentation coming out of the scene there. Are you influenced by any musicians, artists, or collectives from Barcelona or wider Spain right now?

I’ve heard about the SUBconscious crew in Barcelona who seem to put on good parties, but I wanna find the new gen junglists in Barcelona on this trip!

There’s a fair few queer collectives making waves in Barcelona right now working to keep nightlife a safe space for marginalised people. We’ll be hosting a workshop on the topic of How to make nightlife a safe haven on the Burn Energy Tour - how do you think we can preserve that?

I think it's all about having different spaces for different communities, and not just using communities as checkboxes, but actually giving them and the people from them the space and the platform to put on events with backing from different partners. I think that's definitely what I'm learning from various people that I've met, it's not just about being inclusive, it's about allowing people to put on their own parties and help each other rather than doing so under the guide of inclusivity.

How important is it to nurture a community in dance music?

I think it's super important. A huge part of jungle music is the culture and the people around it. Obviously the music as well, but I think the two definitely go hand in hand, so it’s super important to connect with the community and throw events for the community. Especially free events too, making it accessible for people that can't necessarily afford to come to a £20 or £25 show. With my Up Ya Archives parties, we do a lot of free events and give away free merch, it’s those little things I think that help to build a community.

What can we expect from your headline set on the Burn Energy Tour? What kind of sounds are you looking to showcase?

Excited to play loads of my favourite new gen junglist dubs from my Up Ya Archives community. Lots of jungle music and super high energy!

Nia Archives headlines Nitsa club in Barcelona for the Burn Energy Tour on December 7, alongside Honey Dijon, Maricas (ISAbella) and Doppelganger, get tickets here

Barcelona is the last stop on the Burn Energy Tour 2024, following editions in Budapest, Warsaw, and Venice over the past few months. Stay tuned to Burn Energy and Mixmag’s Instagram pages for updates.