Music is total sensory experience and Kora Noir wants you to feel it. Sultry, deep, and alluring, Kora Noir’s music creates a sensation in the crowd like no other. Hailing from Bulgaria, Kora Noir brought her talents to the city of Miami. We sat down at III Points Music Festival and talked about her musical journey.
How and when did you get started in the music industry?
When I was 15 some friends took me to my first techno party and it was wild. I spent most of my weekends in the following 8 years in that same club. It became like a second home to me and the people who worked there became more like a family. We would hang out when the club was closed on the weekdays and play with the records of the owner. He even caught us once. Was a funny moment. That place was all about the clubbing culture and the quality of the nightlife experience. It was powerful stuff.
When I first moved to Miami, I didn’t know anybody and couldn’t find my kind of vibe anywhere.
Therefore, I bought CDJ’s and I started mixing at home and just playing for my roommate and the neighbors. So that was my official start.
Some years later I organized a couple of events for my newly found friends and DJ’d in a few bars to make some money. But I never took it seriously until a close friend of mine suggested looking at it as a career path. So I started playing more consistently at different venues and doing the whole social media thing.
So how long do you think this journey has been?
It all started when I bought my first techno CD and I didn’t know what it was. I was coming home from school and at the bus stop, they sell CDs. Most of the music sold there was just commercial stuff, but this one was really different (all black) and definitely intriguing. Now I would say it was mostly old school trance and techno – immediately hooked.
So do you think you have grown in a specific way? How do you think you have grown?
As everybody says, it’s a journey. Life is a journey and it’s no different with music. I go through periods of time when I like certain styles and eventually I outgrow them to find something more interesting. Keeping an open mind about music is the best thing anybody can do. It’s really exciting when I find a new genre that I love and I want to share it with everybody.
Did you always want to be a DJ or in the music scene growing up? Did you have a different dream as a kid?
I had many dreams and still do. When I was very young I wanted to be a performer. I wanted to be an actress, a fashion model, just be on stage. Then I took some modeling classes when I was about 12y old and started working right away since I was really tall and slim. I was scouted for some big agencies in West Europe, but it was my high school freshmen year and my parents were terrified of the idea. My dream was killed and replaced by their dream of me being an “A student”.
What inspires you when you play a set and where do you find creativity?
In my DJ sets, I like to tell a story. Usually, I go from old to new. I like to include music I grew up listening to and music I just discovered. Other times I just go with the flow of the crowd. I listen to them more and place my finds in between.
Making music is a bit more complex. Sometimes I get ideas from my surroundings. Things like “Why don’t I sample my cat? Or sample my neighbor’s construction noise?” happen to me quite often. Then I’ll mess around with the recording until it becomes unrecognizable.
The easiest to find that inner child wanting to express itself is when I travel.
For example, I like to listen to Depeche Mode and walk down the street and think about compositions while emerging myself in a completely new environment.
You said that you feel something. What is it that you want your fans to feel when you’re playing in front of them?
It’s not like I want to impose a certain feeling. Everybody has their own life story and their own thoughts going on. But it’s easy to get carried away in the comfort of “the known”. For me is important to challenge the crowd and to be honest with you, it doesn’t always go super easy and smooth. But what keeps me going is that I know I stayed true to the way I am and how I see the world of music. And if there’s at least one person who felt good during the show, then I know it’s worth it!
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