Digging is a recurring feature where we talk to some of Nina’s most distinguished collectors of digital music. For the newest edition, we spoke to azure4001, an Instagram meme account and now a Nina Hub, about their life as a listener, their musical habits, and, of course, their Hub. Want to find out what music goes the best with memes? Keep reading below.
What was your entryway into becoming a music obsessive?
azure4001: In middle school, before I had a smartphone, my dad let me use his iPod Gen 5 and I would listen to the same albums over and over. It was full of music but I would just play the brick breaker game and listen to Aphex Twin and The Beatles.
Could you describe your taste and listening habits?
I tend to listen to the same music forever, until someone close to me puts me on to something new. Pretty much all new music I find is shown to me by my girlfriend, a close friend, family member or a random person at a party. I’ve been listening to a lot of The Go! Team and Orbital recently, usually the same few songs on repeat.
What is your preferred way to surf around the internet and look for new music?
I use YouTube radios a lot, but it’s very hard for me to break out of old habits so I tend to listen to the same stuff I’ve been listening to for years. I am very lucky to have a great community online, through which I have met many amazing musicians and artists (several featured in this hub), and those connections have really helped me broaden my horizons.
How did the azure4001 IG page come about?
Luck and a dedicated community. I’ve been posting for eight years and everything that happened was at the whim of the Instagram algorithm. I’m grateful to my younger self for doing the work to nurture a supportive and welcoming community which is a slightly rare find in online cultures.
What music goes the best with memes?
It’s always a case-by-case choice but I usually prefer some nice ambient or freaky noise or chill folk stuff. Most of the time I try to avoid vocals but it always depends on the image or video.
Is there a release on your Nina hub that is particularly close to your heart?
All of the releases on the hub are close to my heart, nearly everyone on there is someone I have met through the page, and it’s really special to provide this opportunity for their music to be featured. For a while I’ve tried to promote lesser known artists through the page and this feels like a natural extension of that. All super underrated and greatly talented people that are doing new and exciting things in music.
What is exciting you the most about music in 2025?
Something that has excited me about music for the last several years, and only excites me more as we end 2025, is accessibility. I love that anyone can get on a computer, get a cracked version of FL Studio and make something we’ve never heard before. More music and art is always good. I am also excited for the future of Nina as a service for these new artists and musicians.
