Natalie (Ghorba)

Tell me a bit about yourself in your own words.
Natalie: I’m a writer, musician and human bean just trying to figure out my way through the world. I DJ and produce techno, put on workshops and generally try to be a good person to those around me.

What are your astrological placements?
Natalie: Scorpio Sun, Gemini Moon, Aries Rising.

Tell me a bit about your family / home life growing up.
Natalie: My dad is Lebanese and my mum is English. I was raised in the U.A.E; first in Abu Dhabi, and then in Dubai. It was a wild place to grow up, though of course at the time I didn’t know any different.

I’d describe my home life as turbulent, but I was lucky to cultivate lots of meaningful friendships that carried me through some tough years. Being a teenager is hard, man! Especially for a queer kid searching for some sort of underground culture in a deeply religious authoritarian country. You know, small things like that.

What introduced you to music making? 
Natalie: Piano! We always had this small upright piano in the house growing up and I’m pretty sure that the story goes that I begged my Mum for lessons. I started playing when I was five or so and didn’t stop.

So classical music was my introduction, which was definitely a mixed blessing. On the one hand, I got an intense grounding in music theory and developed deep discipline. On the other hand, I got an intense grounding in music theory and developed deep discipline.

Classical music really rewards obsessive practice and a fixation on minute details. In other words, a terrible combination for an insecure perfectionist. Even when you’re good, you’re never good enough. That’s something I’m still working on unlearning.

Do you remember the first album / concert that inspired you?
Natalie: We didn’t have many concerts where I grew up, only major artists who were on world tours came through. As such, there was a really limited local scene. I played saxophone in a Ska band for a few years which was sick. It was really cool to be a part of that tiny DIY world of house shows and stuff, but because of the transient nature of that country, it was really hard to build anything lasting. Anyway, the first album or concert that inspired me isreally hard to say. I think it’s probably Radiohead’sOK Computer” My sister introduced me to them and I just remember thinking they were so amazing.

Are you a Los Angeles native? What’s been your journey, and where are you from? What brought you here?
Natalie: I definitely am not. As I said, I grew up in the UAE and I’m English and Lebanese. Before LA, I lived in New York for several years. I moved to LA because my day job asked me to move here, and it felt right. So that’s been my journey to this city.

Tell me more about Fem Synth Lab, as well as the impact of the Women’s Center for Creative Work on your life.
Natalie: FeM Synth Lab was started by myself and two friends in 2017 after we met at an event at the Women’s Center for Creative Work. The WCCW is a non-profit feminist space in Frogtown, LA, that supports LA’s feminist creative communities and practices. There are workshops, artists in residence, a co-working space during the day and a Feminist Library on Wheels. So many amazing things under one roof.Anyway, we met at this event and realized we wanted to do something more practical in the world of music production to help femmes get their start. We did an intro to synthesizers in June 2017 and 60 people came,. that’s when we knew there was a real appetite.

We started putting on monthly workshops and have done so ever since, covering topics from modular synths to beat-making to sync and licensing. We also host listening sessions, where folks can share their half finished tracks, and artist sessions, where visiting producers like Umfang and Russell EL Butler have come through to talk about their processes. The WCCW has improved my life drastically. It’s given me a home, a place to go during the day, a community of progressive people who are interested in the world and their place in it.

What makes Los Angeles a perfect place for you to work / collaborate?
Natalie: I don’t know that’s the perfect place. But, I’ve met some wonderful people here that have been a joy to work with. As far as being a good place to work, there’s also just a lot more space, andthe proximity to nature is really important for me, too. That’s been necessary to tap in to. Also, Joshua Tree (A national park in LA). I fucking love Joshua Tree. If you ever need to re-examine your life and get shit in perspective, go out there.

What are some challenges and opportunities do you see within the realm of music you’re involved in?
Natalie: What a question, so many! How do we stay respectful and not exploitative of what is a black art form? Techno started with African Americans in Detroit, people who were concerned with imagining the future and dreaming of space beyond their own.

How can we honour that memory and push towards the new by creating more equitable lineups and parties and networks? White supremacy runs fucking deep and we all have so much learning and unpacking to do to achieve any sort of equity. I think there’s a beautiful opportunity to create pockets of love on dance floors. It’s that whole thing with psychedelics, they’re a chance to rewire your brain. Creating and curating these special spaces can show us a different way of being for a few hours, which is a possibility we can take forward to help imagine a better way. That said, I’m jaded as fuck right now by clout culture and the pressures to be a “cool DJ” on Instagram and Twitter. So I have some rediscovering to do myself.

If you could envision a show with some of your favourite people / inspirations, who would you be on the bill with?
Natalie: Oh wow. Isabella (LIVE*), Via App (LIVE), Liquid Asset (LIVE), Akua, Russell EL Butler. Ambient room by Felisha Ledesma and Bergsonist.

How has your style evolved over the years?
Natalie: I’ve gotten more comfortable with including vocals. I used to think they were cheating, because audiences latch onto vocals so quickly, I saw it as the easy way out to include them in tracks. Now I’m way more interested in the human aspect of techno and melding person and machine. So I’m down with vocals these days.

What’s in store for Ghorba in the future? Where are you most excited to play next?
Natalie: I need to put out another record, but I’ve had awful writer’s block. I’ve been going through some big and incredibly difficult life things, so I’m looking forward to getting back to myself and my music over the next few months. As far as playing next, playing in Beirut is something I want to manifest–! I would love to play an underground party there, especially during this revolution**. Let’s make it happen!

What’s your favorite song / album right now?
Natalie: My favourite song to DJ right now is “Trance, Init” by Alan Fitzpatrick. My favourite album to listen to right now is Summer Walker, “Over It”.

*Not a DJ Set
**Natalie is referring to the 2019-2020 Lebanese Protests.

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Original photography created by Sarah Alikhan exclusively for YEOJA Mag. For more Gxrl Gaze articles, click here.