Nick Jojo
Starting as a DJ at the Balux club in Athens in 2001, Nick JOJO has been a resident DJ at unique clubs in Athens and Mykonos, and has been invited to perform at major international venues.
Growing up, he was raised in a family where music was always present, shaping the artist he is today. He originally chose to become a DJ as a means of self-expression and understanding the world; now, his performances have become a form of human interaction. His sets are a vibrant dialogue with the audience, creating a community of people seeking an exclusive experience. With a sound free of labels, it is shrouded in a mystical veil, with influences ranging from American house music to techno…
Nick is considered one of the most important and influential Greek DJs of the last 10 years, having collaborated with major names in the global dance music industry: Maceo Plex, Tale of Us, Guy Gerber, Damian Lazarus, Adriatique, Booka Shade, Mano Le Tough, Recondite, Dubfire, Dixon, Carl Craig, Deep Dish, Dennis Ferrer, Deborah De Luca, Mathias Kaden, Bart Skils, David Morales, Sasha, Dave Seaman, Martin Landsky, Louie Vega, Danny Krivit, Joe Claussell, Timmy, and more.
What led you to become a DJ in 2001 at Balux Club in Athens?
My love in music and the experience that I had in one of the clubs I had attended.
Do you remember how that first experience was?
It was a very interesting evening. Back in 1999 I started playing with vinyls, so you should have spent some time preparing everything before you go to play in a club. During the night I was very stressed and at the same time very enthusiastic as it was the first time I was able to see and feel someone responding to my djing.
You grew up in a family where music was always present. How did that atmosphere influence your decision to pursue a career in music?
I grew up in a family where I was able to listen to different kinds of music. My father and my mother were listening to a lot of soul and funk, but also classic rock and some Greek artists. That helps me to be open minded in any kind of music. The sounds you are listening to while growing up is something that stays with you in your whole life and career.
You mentioned that you initially chose to be a DJ as a way of self-expression and to understand the world. How has that relationship with music evolved over the years?
Nothing has changed all those years, it still remains my self expression to the world.I feel the freedom to play or sing a song or just listen and all that creates feelings that sometimes you share with others, sometimes you keep for yourself. As Dave Grohl said: Give a song to thousands of people and they will sing it for a thousand different reasons.
our sets are known for being a vibrant dialogue with the audience. How do you manage to maintain that special connection in each of your performances?
Every performance is unique for me. I am trying to keep that connection with my audience by trying to create a different music story. That story contains a lot of different songs and some of them are really unexpected. I am interested in achieving something really special and make my audience impatience for what is coming next.
You have a style free from labels, with influences ranging from American house music to techno. How would you describe your current sound?
I don't feel like using labels for my music, I could say that I prefer to have more melodic tracks on my sets, so yes if I had to describe it I could say my style is melodic house, or melodic techno.
How has the music scene in Athens and Mykonos influenced your style as a DJ?
The Audience in Mykonos or Athens is difficult and demanding so that helped me to always try to improve and evolve my dj set. My main goal is to entertain the crowd and as a secondary role to present myself and my style.
Mykonos is known as one of the top destinations for electronic music in Europe. How was your first experience as a resident DJ there?
I played in Mykonos for the first time in 2005, so I had a small experience from Athenian venues, and that helped me to feel more confidence in my first experience.
You’ve been a resident in several unique clubs in Mykonos. How has your relationship been with the island and the various clubs where you've played?
After 20 years of residency, I feel more than welcome, and warm to most of the venues. Some of them I could call my second home.
How does the energy and audience in Mykonos differ from other places where you’ve been a resident?
Mykonos is different from the other places because of the vibes and the energy of the island. From the first to the last moment you step into the island that energy drives you. That magical vibes gives you the energy for days to do everything, parties, clubs, restaurants, relax and at the same time be in the center of a hurricane. It's magical how two different moods can be combined in a small place like that.
Was there any particular moment or set during your residencies in Mykonos that was especially memorable for you?
There are a lot of memorable moments in the island.One of my favorite was playing some tracks back to back with Maceo Plex in VOID. A second one is in 2016 at ALEMAGOU Beach Club where I played with Tale of Us in their first ever party in Mykonos.
How do you think your residencies in Mykonos have influenced your growth as a DJ and the expansion of your career internationally?
Mykonos as an international destination helped me to meet a lot of people in the industrie, dj, producers managers or labels directors.The audience is more experienced and educated,I had the opportunity to talk to a bigger and more advanced audience.That helped my music to be more carefully selected. Which style of music I should play and how to present my personal style without any compromising.
You have collaborated with some of the biggest names in dance music, such as Maceo Plex, Tale of Us, and Damian Lazarus. How have these collaborations influenced your creative approach?
With every Dj I have played has their own unique style and that helped me to decode the audience better and add in my playlist different styles of music.Also that kind of collaboration influenced me to explore more different styles of music during my productions.
Is there any collaboration or experience that has particularly marked you in the past 10 years?
2 years ago I met and collaborated with Fideles during our residency night at VOID in Mykonos. That was the beginning of your collaborations as I released my first track on their label IMPRESSUM. The second most memorable moment was the last collaboration with Agents of Time and the release of my track in their latest Various Artist compilation DIMENSION VOLUME 2 in their label TIME MACHINE RECORDING.
You’ve played at major international venues. How has it been taking your sound outside of Greece and connecting with audiences from different parts of the world?
There is a small difference between the audience in different countries, and that's based on the culture of the country.Music is creating emotions to the people and that is my goal always.This is one and most important connection that a dj should have.
How was your experience at the Primer festival? Which was your highlight moment of your gig in the festival ?
It was a very nice festival, very well organized in all departments. it was my 2nd time playing at Primer music festival.
The first was with Paul Kalbrenner and now in September with my favorite Agents of Time, in the afterhour stage. The highlight was when Agents of Time played my new song: METATAILOR released on their label Time Machine rec. and the crowd's reaction and of course also when I played some of my unreleased songs that will be released in 25!!
How do you stay inspired and updated in such a dynamic industry as electronic music?
Traveling around the world keeps me inspired. Going to festivals and clubs, trying to listen to new djs and having fun. The support of my audience and my friends too.
What projects are you currently working on?
I am at the beginning of a new concept party in Mykonos for the next season. 19. What can we expect from Nick JOJO in the near future?
I am working on my first album and you should expect 2 new releases in 2025. 20. Is there any place or event where you still dream of performing?
There are a lot of places I can name, one is in Brazil: Warung Beach Club, the Awakening Festival and the Exit Festival in Serbia.
https://www.instagram.com/nickjojomusic/
Spotifylink: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1Pa5otnIJZDJFhLsCE...
