For the first instalment of Tour Stories, we sit down with one of Europes most exciting female talents. Yulia Niko has begun to live the life she always imagined for herself. A resident DJ at both Verboten, Brooklyn and Heart, Miami she has continued to hone the skills she acquired all those years ago in the clubs of Sochi, Russia.

Her talent behind the decks is only supplemented by her funky, house style that has quickly become an impressive trait of her productions. With an upcoming track featuring on Crosstown Rebels November compilation as well as her ‘Acid Meow’ EP on Get Physical at the end of the month, we decided it was time to talk shop with this Siberian sensation and learn about life on the road.

Buy VA ’Spirits II’, featuring ’67 Days’ by Yulia Niko here!

The city I would move one day:

To be honest, moving around is easy for me – just pack your bag and go. I have lived in 3 different cities in Russia when I was a student. Then I lived in Athens, Amsterdam, New York and now Berlin. I never really lived somewhere that had summer weather all the time, where you don’t need to worry about winter clothing and keeping the heater on all the time. I think Barcelona would be next of my list of dream places to live. What’s not to like? It has the climate, amazing food, beaches, mountains and a really big creative music community. You can also fly over to Ibiza as fast as getting an Uber and take another back right after the party.

The last place to blow my mind was:

I have just been to Iceland and took 12 days to tour around the country. Every single thing we saw was like it came straight out of a fairy-tale. As I was taking in all that beauty, it made me think that every other part of the world would maybe be a little ‘disappointing’ after this trip. It’s absolutely stunning, the kind of untouched, pure and innocent beauty you are not used to seeing. In some of the areas it felt like you were on the moon, and others it felt like you were maybe the only person on the planet, so peaceful. But, it does all come at a price! Make sure you have saved a lot of cash before you go on vacation here, even just a few days, as a pretty normal dinner was €200!

The most unique place you’ve played was:

Hmmm I would have to say it was during a 3-day trip to a tiny island. We stayed in a place called Casa el en Agua which is off the mainland of Colombia. Literally if you step outside of the hotel, its surrounded by water. The owner invited us to hold the party there and it was mainly German DJ’s but also Archie Hamilton from London and myself. There were no showers on the island however, and only salt water, which was a bit weird. When it came to the party, there wasn’t actually a club! We basically had to build one! We made a bar and a DJ booth from some palm trees. Some local guys bought a really good sound system and the others some of the DJ equipment. They only bought a Serato controller, so it wasn’t a proper set up! It was such a wild experience – no phone signal either, so we had to just play tracks from iTunes on our computers! It was surreal and funny, something I will never forget.

The best hotel I ever stayed in:

As my boyfriend said to me that day “Once in a lifetime, you can do it”. That was upon arriving to the Shangri-La by the Eiffel Tower. I felt like the luckiest woman in the world, firstly because someone loves me so much to take me there, and secondly because it was a dream come true for me. Bing in Paris, the most romantic city in the city, with this magnificent hotel with the view…..wow! They even had an art gallery inside the hotel. It’s an old building where you can touch the walls and feel the history. Apparently, Napoleon lived there! I hope to go back one day…

The most surreal thing to happen while traveling:

I was due to travel and I went to see a friend before, we started talking about football. Yes, two girls talking about football – that doesn’t happen often! She was a big fan of her countries team ex-player Djibril Cisse. I had never heard of him. She showed me a picture and said he was dubbed GQ’s most stylish man of the year. The next day, I am running so late, just made my flight and as I get on the plane, sweating, flushed and stressed out, I sit down and slowly realise the man next to me looks really familiar. It was him! We got talking and he was going to Dubai to play a gig, which wasn’t really what I expected from an ex-footballer! We both had a connection in the airport and ended up eating lunch and exchanged some music! Funny how small the world is sometimes!

The worst flight i’ve ever had:

Remember one rule when you fly to Ibiza. DO NOT drink the night before your flight! I can think a long list of reasons why not to drink, but this has maybe been the main one why I quit alcohol completely. It’s too hard to keep travelling and looking fresh and feeling great when you have partied like an animal. I had a long weekend and went to every party and after party that I could. I lost count of the tequila shots and literally couldn’t walk or see. I was sober by the time I got to the airport, but my body wasn’t co-operating. It was HELL. Since then, I’ve stopped altogether and will never feel shitty on a flight again!

The loneliest traveling was:

I love going to South America but it’s a really long way. This year I did two trips over there and they were quire close to one another. I ended up missing my flight twice, because of transportation issues. I ended up on the road for almost 2 months, and you are alone a lot of this time. Everyone only speaks Spanish or Portuguese and its hard work when they are your only social circle. I have been known to get a bit emotional on flights from time to time when some sad movie is on, as I think about how I just want to be home. I flew back to London from Buenos Aires, and warned the person next to me ‘I hope you have your swim suit as I am going to cry the whole way home’ – they didn’t really get it, but the lady in front of me did and laughed the whole time to London. I hope to be able to get a tour manager one day, and then we can at least cry together! J

Buy VA ’Spirits II’, featuring ’67 Days’ by Yulia Niko here!