one day in Frankfurt nównøis style

“good things happen when you detach from the outcome and let go of control.”

Even though my post is about making decisions and controlling your mind.

the invitation i forgot about

After sending my application, I was so busy working on songs for my ever-coming album and live sets that I actually forgot about the festival. We even booked tickets for our annual holidays in Hungary. When the reply and invitation arrived, I was thrilled — and instantly in logistics mode — organising how to travel with two small children and my gear (plus a pair of new trainers and performance clothes).

I’ll be forever grateful to Sepp’ l — the organiser — and Paul, the passionate human behind EMOM Frankfurt, who also connected me with the festival, for supporting my trip in every way possible.

stitching the look, saving the energy

I’d been “cooking” an outfit for a long time and finally chose something memorable yet authentic, inspired by the light-painted photos Pav and I shot three years ago. I’d been sitting on a piece of fluorescent fabric, unsure what to do with it. Last minute (of course), I had the idea; my mum — who’s a professional tailor — sewed it in a couple of hours. You can spot it in the new photos and the festival/EMOM videos.

I decided not to overdo things: take it easy, save energy for the weekend. On the 7th I left early to grab an adaptor and extension leads, print flyers, pick up gifts (exclusive nownois-emom t-shirts), eat, and catch the first train from Keleti at 4:15 p.m. The train was late; the München change was chaos. I didn’t sleep — too excited — but I won’t lie: travelling alone felt good.

arrival: full moon, low fuel

At 4:50 a.m. on show day I arrived in Frankfurt, close to fainting. Esther (Paul’s partner) offered her couch; a three-hour nap saved me. I even rehearsed — then, thanks to exhaustion and the full moon, cried for 90 minutes. I listened back and thought: you did it. you’re here. your self-produced, self-mixed set sounds cool. nothing can stop you.

finding the river, finding my german

I showered, packed, and headed for the festival by the Main. Frankfurt’s flagstones turned the trolley into a workout — on the hottest day so far. Old summers near München came back: smells, friends, missed chances, words. By evening I could string together a whole German sentence again. But back to the festival.

beduinenzelt: soundcheck & kindness

I found the site, made it just in time for a vegan lunch and a proper soundcheck at the Beduinenzelt. Paul welcomed me like an old friend — we’d spoken a lot before the trip, and I knew his radio voice. He’s one of the kindest, most passionate people I’ve met. The engineer (name fuzzy but I think Vladimir) was super helpful; Paul flyered the festival with what I’d brought.

“as i walked in, people were seated everywhere they could — some standing too — ready for the inner journey.”

the show

When Sepp’l, in his easy-to-recognise golden suit, announced me, I thought: what beautiful words… but what if no one’s here? I’m almost unknown, first concert of the day. Then I walked in and froze: people sat everywhere (some standing), open and ready.

My mouth was dry — the only sign of stage fright. I’ve played shows, but this felt different. A festival gig always hits harder, and as a solo electronic artist it was, objectively, my biggest step so far. I played released and unreleased songs, custom intros/outros, and little interludes to speak between tracks. Honestly, I now want the album to feel like that — my ever-pending three-part LP.

the encore that wasn’t planned

Festival sets run tight, so I hadn’t prepared an encore. When the crowd chanted “one more!”, someone suggested opening again. Perfect: “Who Are They?” leaves space for call-and-response and a little dance. We improvised — and it worked.

emom frankfurt: second wind

Still buzzing, I packed fast and joined Paul for EMOM in the city centre. New space, same loveliness. 480billion was on when I arrived — all looked super professional and well organised. Tom — the technical side of the team of 2 — made sure everything and everyone was on time. Someone (later turned out as Andrei Kiss aka. V1rtual S0ul) asked, “so you’re on tour?” Honestly, it felt like it: two proper shows, hours apart.

I trimmed the set to 40 minutes. No anxiety left — too little battery for nerves. But when power’s gone, the voice stays. Years ago, a brilliant teacher in Hungary gave me technique; I can sing without straining. Handy, because my voice was sliding into a long sleep I’d probably been dreaming of. Don’t get me wrong: I felt fantastic. It was a perfect three-day weekend any artist would cherish.

trains, family, and that floating home

After chats, a beer, and a late dinner, I grabbed the nearby hotel (thanks to Paul again) and my third three-hour sleep in three days. At 6 a.m. I trained back to Budapest, picked up Pav, and headed to my parents’ for the “relaxed” part. With two small kids, relaxation is a myth — but the countryside days were precious. Then back to London, as always, with mixed feelings. I love my family. I love being there, but I’ve felt like an outsider most of my life, and I’ve often been treated like one. Not knowing where “home” is can be heavy — and wildly inspiring. You can hear it in many songs. Another post for another time.

“all we need is a decision. we can do anything — and be anyone.”

the lesson i’m taking with me

This is the “short” story of my first festival as Nównøis. If there’s a thread, it’s this: the mind is a powerful machine. Detach from the outcome, make a decision, show up. I’m a proud, happy artist — and a proud, happy mum of two —, i'm Nównøis, a new trip-hop artist getting ready to make the next decision and finish an almost-ready three-part LP.