InterviewsScene
As Brzeguze x Rejvitalizacija prepare to take over Aquarius this Friday, May 23rd, bringing ten hours of music, two floors, and three exciting Zagreb DJ premieres, one name on the lineup stands out with particular anticipation: Nevena Jeremić – a Belgrade born and currently residing DJ.
With a sound rooted in soul, house, boogie, disco, and everything in between, she blends warmth and depth in a way that feels personal – like she’s letting you in on something. It’s no wonder she’s been featured on Rinse FM, or that her mixes keep finding new listeners across Europe.
Before she steps into the booth at Aquarius, we caught up with Nevena to talk about her path into electronic music, the feelings she explores through sound, and why she hopes phones stay in pockets on the dancefloor.
For those hearing your name for the first time… how would you describe your musical identity and what you aim to create when you step behind the decks?
About musical identity, I aim to be honest about who I am and communicate that through music. To connect with people who share that room with me and to create that experience together.
Do you remember the moment that first pulled you into electronic music? What was it that really caught your attention?
I remember it very well. There was this excitement of discovering something new, and the urge to discover more. And that’s what I love about music in general, it never ends, there is always something new and still unknown to me. With electronic music, what caught my attention was this repetitiveness with subtle changes and so many layers that put me in a meditative state. And with house and dance music, it just hit the right spot and emotion and that was enough to just keep coming back to it over and over again.
Outside of music, are there any passions or creative outlets that inspire you as a person or influence your music selection in some way?
Yep, definitely. I cannot separate anything in my life one from another, everything is connected and affects the other. It’s all part of the same identity; it just depends on what comes into focus at a certain moment. Apart from music, I would say surfing is one of my biggest inspirations, even though I feel like I am still so far away from that lifestyle. But it’s some principles that I take from it and apply them to my life.
Looking back from your first gig to now, what lessons have been most important in your growth as an artist?
Hm. I guess the most important one for me was to be honest with myself and to listen to that voice, and that wasn’t always easy. Sometimes it was confusing, or even scary, to take a step in a certain direction or let go of something. But in the end, it always took me exactly where I needed to be, and that’s what matters. Also, I believe it’s important to be consistent and present, and that will probably take a different form from day to day. It’s all part of the process. In the end, having fun as much as possible and having good people around me to share that with is the biggest treasure. I feel like I still have so much to learn but these past ten years have brought me these lessons regarding my growth as an artist.
When you say you are exploring emotions and inner states through music, do you see DJing as a form of storytelling or even therapy – for yourself, or the crowd?
Yes, for me it is a therapy – whether it’s listening to music at home or sharing that experience on a dancefloor. Music and being on the dance floor healed so many parts of me; or at least it opened the space for healing to happen, and I believe it has that power for others too. Healing can take so many forms – but if in the end you feel more free and more connected to yourself and to others that means something has changed. I don’t take that lightly, but the end goal is to have fun and enjoy the process.
These days, streaming platforms and algorithms often shape what people hear – but your sets stand out for their depth and surprise. How do you go about finding music? Do you focus more on digital tools or still enjoy digging the old-school way?
I definitely enjoy digging records at the store, but to be quite honest most of the time it’s either going through Discogs, Bandcamp or Youtube. Sometimes I explore a certain record label, sometimes the artist, or what has been recently released. It depends on the mood really.
What are your thoughts on balancing online presence with artistic authenticity?
Well, if you’re authentic, that’s going to show both online and in real life, no second thought on that. The good thing about social media is that it’s only up to you how you want to present yourself and what you want to put out there and how you’re going to do that. I connected through social media with amazing people which probably wouldn’t be possible if it wasn’t for that, but when it comes to online presence, I am quite private and don’t share too much.
There’s been some talk lately about things like no-timetable events and no-phone policies – ideas that try to bring the focus back to music and the moment. They’re not super common yet, but as someone who really values connection and energy on the dance floor, how do you feel about that direction? Do you think it could change the vibe for both DJs and the crowd if more places started doing it?
I really hope that’s going to happen and become common, I am so done with phones on the dance floor. The need to always record something completely killed the vibe. When I was in clubs where phones were not allowed, I realized that I could finally relax and enjoy the moment without consciously or unconsciously thinking about recording something. It’s not like I never do it, but I would say most of the time I don’t make any videos or take photos during the whole night. There is something special about it when you share your experience with those who are there and choose to be there, and that’s it – that moment is for you.
You once mentioned your dream place to play would be somewhere like a villa in Tuscany, Italy – beachside, more intimate. If you could curate the lineup for that event, who would you invite to play alongside you?
I would say that at the moment I have two dream locations to curate a lineup and do something on my own – one is on the beach, other one is Belgrade. Fingers crossed, both will happen this year, so I will not say anything now, but hopefully you will see it 🙂
You are performing in Zagreb this May at the Brzeguze x Rejvitalizacija event. What can we expect from your performance?
To be completely honest, I am just really excited about this night so I will try my best haha. Bringing good energy, and looking forward to meet the whole crew behind this event 🙂
If you are already familiar with or just discovering her now, Nevena Jeremić is the kind of artist who reminds you why we fell in love with the dancefloor in the first place. Her Zagreb debut is a chance to experience a selector who plays from the heart, with intention, depth, and joy.
You can catch her at Brzeguze x Rejvitalizacija on Friday, May 23rd at Aquarius. Tickets are available here.
