Movement 2026: Interview with DJ Nastia

By Nina Katashvili

On the final day of Movement Festival 2026 in Detroit, Michigan, Unmixed’s founder Nina Katashvili spoke with UkrainianDJ Nastia. Since 2005, Nastia has been an eminent figure in the dance music industry. Her talent, passion, and empathy have made her musical selections resonate with dancefloors worldwide for over twenty years.

Nastia, who is a true professional at her job, was not only delivering an immaculate DJ set at Movement but also radiated inner peace. “You gotta keep pushing forward” -  as she later told us, she has found healing through meditation, breathwork, and related activities. Backstage after filming the interview, her colleague DJ MCR-T asked about the “afters.” Nastia reaffirmed that while she enjoys the scene, her focus extends well beyond partying.

Four years later, since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, her voice became one of the most important ones in the underground music circles. Advocating for her country and calling for support and solidarity, she had to face plenty of criticism and was often misunderstood due to some audience’s ignorance, indifference, and shifting global priorities of who gets heard in the clipping economy.

Despite immense challenges and roadblocks, both literally and figuratively, Nastia has emerged even stronger. Her spirit is unbreakable. She is on a path of inner development; be that through her love for reading, general education, and mental well-being or more specifically, through her recent transition into the role of music producer. In terms of the latter, she has already passed the milestone by being accepted into AEMA: Conservatorium van Amsterdam. She is up for a challenge and ready to put in the work.

Our conversation spanned across different topics, including music, from a perspective of being a music producer and how it impacts Nastia as a labelhead to decide which demos she signs and what goes into that decision making process.