Step aside, boys. There’s a new queen of bass house in town. Negar Hamidzadeh, known by her stage name Nostalgix, is on a mission to spread love and positive energy through her self-curated sound. In a matter of only a few years, Nostalgix has skyrocketed from a dorm room DJ to performing on some of the biggest festival stages like HARD Summer and EDC to name a few.
As her stage name suggests, she reels listeners in with her nostalgic vibe that incorporates elements from 90’s pop and hip-hop music. “To me, nostalgia is all about a feeling,” she explains. “The feeling you get when you're in the right place at the right time.”
Her unique, distinctive style is chock-full of groovy basslines, riveting instrumentals, and enticing vocals. Never losing sight of her originality, she pushes her evolving sound against the musical confines of house music. In fact, Nostalgix is shaping the world of bass house as we know it, one authentic beat a time.
Not only has she made an impact on house music but also the people who listen to her. As a natural born leader on and off the stage, she vows to spark confidence in her listeners by encouraging them to always live true to themselves. If her journey proves anything, it’s that if you pour your entire heart into what you’re passionate about, dreams really do come true.
Her incredible story begins in Iran, where she was born in 1997. She spent the majority of her life, however, in Vancouver, Canada, after her family immigrated when she was around seven. Growing up in Vancouver with an Iranian background opened her up to a completely different lifestyle. Her diverse cultural upbringing made a massive impact on her overall character and most importantly, her development as an artist.
“I think for me, it was really getting over a lot of the barriers of things that I was taught. Because in Iran, women are very suppressed. You have to really hold back on who you are, you have to hide who you are. You don't have as many opportunities as men do. Growing up, I always loved music, I always loved anything creative. I always looked at pop stars, singers or musicians and thought it was the coolest thing ever. But to me it just wasn't possible. So living in Vancouver over the years, it was me unlearning all those things and being able to say, ‘Hey, I could do whatever I want. I don't need to hold back. I could be whoever I want. Do whatever I want.’”
Her life changed in 2015 when she discovered electronic dance music. It was her senior year of high school when she was invited to her first EDM event, Hardwell at the Pacific Coliseum. But it wasn’t until a year or two later that she found her true calling at a Dr. Fresch show.
“I saw Dr. Fresch perform in Vancouver and that was the first time I ever heard bass house, G-house music. And it made me obsessed. I was standing in the crowd and was like, ‘I need to make this music. I need to do this.’”
And that’s exactly what she did. As a self-taught musician, she educated herself on the art of mixing, and all of its ins and outs.
“It's a lot of trial and error. I really learned through doing it, trying it, and watching YouTube tutorials. In the beginning phases, I did a lot of mentor sessions with different producers in my hometown. After that I actually joined an artist development program called Cosmic Academy. They were really great because they taught me a lot of the stuff that I couldn't learn on the internet, so it really helped speed everything up. I learned all the technical side of music that would have taken a long time to figure out.”
It’s hard to believe a woman of her caliber only started DJing five years ago. And when she started, it was simply a fun hobby.
“I came across this EDM club at my university and I decided I wanted to try it out. It was something I wanted to do for fun. I never really imagined it going beyond that, because for me it was always my passion and what I did for fun.”
Her first gig took place on her campus at the University of British Columbia, and she remembers it like it was yesterday.
“I was literally on campus at an event and I get a call. It's Friday night like 8pm or 9pm. And they're like, ‘Hey, the DJ in the pit is sick.’ The pit was like our little bar/party spot on campus. ‘Can you get here right now and you can DJ tonight.’ Me being me, I was so excited. It's raining, I'm wearing shorts. I run across the campus, I grabbed my mixer, and I run back to this bar spot. I had no idea what I was doing honestly, in that moment. I just went for it and I had a lot of fun. That moment, just saying yes to that, kept leading me to more opportunities.”
The rest is history. Ever since her career blasted off, she has released tracks on prominent imprints such as AC Slater’s Night Bass, Tchami’s Confession, Zeds Dead’s Deadbeats, and Insomniac Records. In recognition of her achievements, she was named one of DJ Mag’s 12 Emerging Artists in February 2020. But what is it about her music that makes her so sensational?
“I make very fun dance music, and that's my vibe. I like to produce fun records, but I also like to rap on some of my songs. I'm very vocal-oriented, so for me I'm all about a good, all-around record that you can sing-along to, have a good time to, and remember it.”
Whether it's through her music or her sincerity, Nostalgix exudes positive vibes in everything she does. But being a female in a male-dominated industry, her journey wasn’t always easy.
“As a woman, you have to really work hard to find your place. To be seen and heard as an artist, you have to really hustle. It definitely takes time, you can do it though. Once it happens it happens, then you don't think about it. But I think all the women you see in the music industry are such hardworking, talented people. If you look at people like Whipped Cream, REZZ, Alison Wonderland, Rossy, they’re all such unique artists that are really paving the way. You don't see someone copying someone else's vibe. Everyone is so unique, and it's all the work that goes into that.”
For inspiration and motivation, Nostalgix has always looked up to Whipped Cream the most.
“Whipped Cream is definitely someone that really inspires me because she's just such an artistic person. The way she looks at music, the way she looks at art and the way she looks at life. It's very inspiring to see and to me that's very motivating because what she's doing is so different.”
Speaking of being different, in her track titled “Famous” Nostalgix reveals yet another amazing talent of hers; rapping.
“I've always wanted to rap, that was always a dream of mine. But I didn't start doing it until during COVID, and “Famous” was actually the first record that I did it on. I've been doing it a lot more and it's something I really want to bring more to live shows and my sound and everything I'm doing. So it's gonna be way more present.”
With her intent to consistently revamp and spice up her live shows, she keeps the audience on their toes from start to finish. In her eyes, a perfect show “is really about everyone there having a good time. It could be a crazy big festival with crazy production and everyone's having a blast. But it also could be in a small venue and everyone's just sweaty and dancing. For me, a good sign of a good show is when I’m up there doing my thing, being myself, having fun, and the crowd is also really vibing. You feel a connection when that happens.”
Looking towards the near future, she’ll be hitting the road with Destructo on his North American F With Me summer tour. She’ll also be taking the stage at iconic music festivals such as Beyond Wonderland, Shambhala, Ever After, and EDC Las Vegas.
As for the future of dance music, she’s excited to see “the new wave of artists coming in. To see the new sounds that are gonna come and all the creativity that's gonna come. Because there's just so many fresh faces and people that are crushing festivals right now, that you really see a big switch happening. And I think you see a lot more creativity and individuals coming up that are really being seen for their art.”
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