While browsing Ninajirachi’s socials, I came across a hilarious comment from a fan.

“What type of EDM genre is this, because it’s addicting AF?“, they asked.

This question is surely on everybody’s lips in Australia these days. After all, Ninajirachi has cleaned up in nearly every national music industry award competition with that infectious sound this year. And especially since her breakthrough record is a sign of the times, fittingly entitled ‘I Love My Computer’.

PART 251 OF “AM I EVER GONNA SEE YOUR FACE AGAIN?” A RANDOM COLLECTION OF UNKNOWINGLY OBVIOUS FACTS ABOUT THE AUSTRALIAN MUSIC SCENE

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It’s already the beginning of December as I’m typing this. So it’s safe to say that we won’t be seeing major surprises in the music industry this year, not in Australia, and not anywhere else. It’s the time for wrap-ups and reaping the fruits of one’s labour. And if there’s one Australian act that has heaps of retrospective thinking to do while popping champagne at the same time, it’s definitely Ninajirachi.

Australian dance and electronic artists have had a phenomenal year on the local and global stages. But what a crazy ride it has been for the Central Coast-based DJ!

She’s been dropping bangers since the beginning of 2025, including “All I Am”, “iPod Touch”, and “F*ck My Computer”, amongst others. All of them have racked up a few million streams each across various platforms. And punters have been going crazy hearing them at the events where Ninajirachi has been DJ-ing.

@ninajirachi

my 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐫

♬ original sound – ninajirachi

Cleverly hyping up listeners and building momentum within the industry, in August, she released her LP, I Love My Computer. And things just blew up from there on.

At the beginning of November, the Australian Music Prize committee announced Ninajirachi’s album as the winner of its 2025 competition.

Not even a week had passed since that first accolade, and the muso scored two nods for Australian Album and Video of the Year (for “F*ck My Computer”) at the J Awards.

She added three ARIAs for Best Solo Artist, Breakthrough Artist and Best Independent Release to that collection later that month.

And if that wasn’t enough, the newly inaugurated NSW Music Prize has also recognised her as the Breakthrough Artist of the Year (albeit with her previous release, girl EDM, because the eligibility period for that award runs only till 30 June).

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All that within one month, I might add. So you gotta admit – it’s pretty f*cking amazing. And by the look on Ninajirachi’s face every time she was accepting a trophy, she might not have expected it for real.

So how does one manage to pull off such a spectacular stint?

Let’s get one thing straight – Ninajirachi might be an underdog, but she’s definitely not a newbie in the electronic music community. She’d learned the ropes with the best of the best long before releasing the breakthrough album. So, how about we look at that interesting music journey leading up to 2025?

For starters, Nina Wilson is a self-taught music producer. She adopted a stage moniker that is a fusion of her first name with her fave Pokémon. And honestly, I dare you to find a better combo for an electronic music artist.

Back in her teenage years, the aspiring DJ spent countless hours on the internet and her computer (how prophetic) trawling for the neoteric electronic music that inspired her earliest productions. According to Rolling Stone, her style struck a chord both with the experimental underground and the mainstream.

The artist herself describes her sound as “dance music made in an ice cave”. And it looks like that chilling mixture has come out exceptionally well.

A few milestones in Ninajirachi’s story speak volumes about how she’s been gaining momentum in the industry.

In 2016 and 2017, she was a finalist in the triple j Unearthed High competition. She also dropped her first party scorcher, “Pure Lack”, around that same time. Until today, it has been streamed over 7 million times on Spotify alone. Not a bad start, I’d say.

Four years and many catchy releases later, she was chosen to share her demo project for Ableton Live 11, which included insights into her production techniques and demonstrated new product features. Since all users who downloaded that release had access to the demo, it’s a pretty dope thing to add to your music CV.

In April 2024, two of her larger bodies of work, 4×4 and girl EDM, formed part of Record Store Day. The latter one was originally released via NLV Records, founded by Nina Las Vegas, who has been a longtime mentor of the Central Coast producer.

Moreover, the Aussie DJ has remixed Deadmau5 and opened for Charli XCX. She’s also toured with Porter Robinson and PC Music’s umru. And she’s appeared at Lollapalooza, Laneway, and EDC festivals, simultaneously selling out headline shows on both sides of the Pacific Ocean.

Today, Ninajirachi’s portfolio showcases her prolific production and songwriting abilities. Her back catalogue is a long scroll through numerous releases, including stand-alone singles, EPs, and remixes.

As a result, at only 25 years old, the talented DJ is raising the flag for a new generation of Australian electronic artists not only in her home country, but on the international stage, too.

So, going back to my question, I reckon there are two not-so-secret ingredients to Ninajirachi’s almost overnight success.

The first one is undoubtedly that grind and hard work I’ve described above. And the second one, it turns out, is also quite simple.

In an interview with The Music mag, Ninajirachi shared that, with her debut LP, “I made my own favourite album.” And that, ladies and gents, is also the most rewarding experience of all.

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But there’s more to this story because, by releasing that debut record, she’s shaping a new sound within the electronic music aesthetic.

Paul Cashmere, an Aussie music journo known from The Noise Network, pointed to “Fuck My Computer” as the best example of that revolution. He sees the track as a “trigger for a breakout year, pulling global ears toward [Ninajirachi’s] glitch-pop and IDM (Intelligent Dance Music)-leaning production.”

So, to the fan who asked about the artist’s EDM genre on her socials – there’s your answer. And I’m with you – it’s addictive AF. 

This is Ninajirachi, ladies and gents. And if you haven’t done so yet, mark that moniker on your electronic music radars right now. After this (unexpectedly?) spectacular year, something tells me that the Central Coast-based DJ will continue innovating the electronic music world for years to come. 

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