Over the last eight years, N2N has built quite an impressive career. In 2018, he was mentioned by Billboard in its list of the nine best sets from Burning Man, and the year prior he had the opportunity to perform for a global audience in New York’s Mixmag Lab. In the studio, his versatility shines through, as his groovy feel-good style has ‘landed him major label signings, including Deadmau5’s imprint hau5trap, as well as support from Fatboy Slim, Chris Lake, David Guetta, Idris Elba and more. Beyond the decks, Nick has become an outspoken advocate for mental health and suicide awareness. A survivor himself, he hopes to use his platform to break down the stigma associated with depression and encourage others in similar situations to speak freely in a time heavily dictated by external appearance.
Now, he’s back with a thrilling new single, teaming up with vocalist Modern Lover for “Under Control” via David Hohme’s Where The Heart Is imprint. It’s an infectious underground tune featuring a glimmering vocal from Modern Lover. The melodies blend effortlessly, culminating in a pulsating four-on-the-floor beat and an irresistibly bouncy bassline.
It’s yet another beautifully done track from N2N. We had the pleaseure to speak to him about this single along with other aspects of his career. Enjoy!
How did your experience at Burning Man influence your music and career?
The biggest thing Burning Man has done for me as a performer is to appreciate the floor in front of me. I used to feel disappointment if I weren’t playing to a packed club, or if I were opening and nobody had arrived yet. I’ve played incredible parties at Burning Man where 15 people were on the dance floor having the time of their lives. My responsibility as a DJ is to whomever is on the dance floor at that current moment. Obviously it’s done tremendous things for my career, for which I’m eternally grateful.
What inspired you to develop your unique take on house music?
I started DJing in NYC when I was 18, playing open format clubs for years. It was a class in reading the crowd, but beyond that, gave me an appreciation for incorporating multiple genres in the same set. Now that I’m strictly four on the floor oriented, I still like to incorporate different genres into my set, but under the umbrella of house. It’s more fun as a listener if you’re not getting the same vibe at the same frequencies for 90 minutes.
How did you start working with David Hohme and the record label “Where The Heart Is”?
I met David nearly 10 years ago through the BangOn community in New York. I’ve always had a lot of respect for him as a performer, and over the years we developed a friendship that grew as we started to connect over things outside of music. I rarely make music that’s a sonic fit for WTHI, but when I was showing him some demos I made last year, he highlighted this one and asked if it had been signed yet. The rest is history, and here we are!
What’s the story behind your song with Modern Lover and what’s the meaning of the title of the song?
Makayla and I met over the internet, when I was digging on Beatport for vocalists. We ended up spending Thanksgiving 2021 together in Los Angeles, eating Chinese food and working on random sketches (including Hit & Run on Country Club Disco). Makayla had the idea for the vocal, based on the concept of an unhealthy & controlling relationship (hence the title). We spent some time thinking about the vibe of the song, and eventually the first draft of what you hear today was there within the hour.
As a passionate vegan, how do you incorporate veganism into your life and career?
I like to wear clothes when I travel or perform that encourage conversations. If I play a show and wear a shirt from Don’t Eat the Homies, maybe someone will see it and be curious about the message or something like that.
Which qualities do you prioritize in a record label and what drew you to WTHI?
A lot of things come to mind here. You can approach it from the ‘who’s got the best connections with playlisters at Spotify or other DSPs’ or the ‘who’s got the biggest DJ promo pool.’ At the same time, personal relationships are important. A label can have the best connections in the world, but if they’re a bag of dicks then I have no interest in working with them.
What can fans look forward to from N2N in the upcoming year, both in terms of music and advocacy efforts?
More cats, more mental health, more touring, more music. I’ve set a goal of a release a month for 2023, which we’re on track to achieve. Trying to hit as many new markets as possible so I can start to build a wider audience and keep growing :). I love what I do, and I can’t wait to just do more of it.
