The Low End Theory: An Interview with Nosaj Thing

Editor's Note: This interview was submitted by the promoter

Jason Cheung, aka Nosaj Thing, is a music modulator hailing from Los Angeles with one of the most sinister musical agendas you have ever seen. At the age of 13, he molded his first rudimentary PC that struggled with even Word documents into a Frankestein Intel Celeron home studio. With a “donated” copy of Reason, a demo version of Ableton Live and a computer mouse he then began making music for himself.

Now aged 23, he has just released his first album “Drift” this month - which catapulted straight into number 1 of Bleep’s electronic music chart - and is set to take over Beijing with his beautiful display of Live soulful electronic manipulations. We caught up with Nosaj before flying out to his first Asian tour and talked about his influences, the scene in LA and why making people dance is the least of his worries.

Nosaj Thing… When did you come up with such a great name?
I came up with Nosaj Thing when I was in grade school. I was into graffiti and simply tried writing my name backwards. Nosaj sounded like 'No Such' so I added 'Thing'. Nosaj Thing.

You got a good 300 thousand hits on myspace and a lot of love from a healthy number of fans! What role has the internet played in your career so far?
It has played a huge role. The immediacy of social network sites has been a great help. I try to use all social outlets to get my music out and interact with listeners.

Are you a bedroom producer?
I would say so, I started out in my bedroom and kept my set up there until I moved out of my parents place. I have a home studio space now and prefer it that way. It's convenient.

I read here somewhere that you started making music at age 13. What did your music sound like then?
When I started making music, I was experimenting with different styles and rhythms. I was into hip hop and underground dance music like drum and bass and house. I wanted to blend all my influences together and it started to shape up over time, until it got to what it is today.

And does hip-hop enter into it?
A lot of it. I grew up with hip hop at a young age and it's still the backbone of my music.

Your sound is broken, soulful, dark, sometimes noisy and raw to the point of feeling unfinished. How do you approach your music?
Sometimes I write music to let out an inner beast. Sometimes I see even some form of spirituality as to the way I approach music making. I really like it. I find the texture first and then compose most of the time. I start a song based on how I'm feeling at that given time. I don't really think about what type of song I'm going to make. I usually start with a sound design and then come up with a chord progression or melody. I don't spend too much time on equalizing or mixing...I tend to choose sounds that fit certain frequencies and try to make it work that way.

How much do you think nostalgia, longing and other such bittersweet emotions play a part in your music?
Nostalgia comes into place for a lot of it. Writing songs is very therapeutic for me. They are emotional feelings I want to recreate.

Is making people dance ever important?
Musicality comes first. I never really intended to make music for people to dance to. I got invited to play a few shows where the audience was responding with dancing. I liked the energy and response so I started to make some upbeat songs for my live set. My live set and recordings are different. I try to mix a little bit of both.

Did you have a feeling at any point that you should create something unlike any other?
I think about that from time to time and I really think innovation is important as long as it's not the only focus. I try to focus more on emotion, it's something everyone can relate to.

You are releasing your first album this June! What is the story behind it?
The new album "Drift" is pretty different in comparison to the "Views/Octopus" EP. I self released "Views/Octopus" in 2006 and has been recorded in 2004-2005. "Drift" is a collection of work between 2006-2009 and most of the songs are current.

Did you find anything particularly inspiring during the period you were composing it?
My family and friends inspire me. Sometimes I feel that my music is a reflection of my moods and most of my moods are affected by them.

You said on your blog that you were laid-off from your day job! Is that the beginning of Nosaj Thing, the full time musician?
Yes, for now...and I hope for a while. I'm going to see where my music takes me.

What is in the plans for the rest of 2009?
I'm doing a few remixes and hope to tour extensively. I'm also working on an interactive visual show and new music.

You have a truly distinctive voice which separates you from other musicians out there. This seems to be a healthy trend in Los Angeles at the moment…
That’s right! There is so much music and different cultures in LA. This spawns a great fusion of styles. I was able to see a lot of my favorite bands and others I had never heard of every week during my late teens. All of that definitely influenced my music.

Can you explain the role of Daddy Kev in the development of this very particular scene of LA sound innovators?
Daddy Kev is pretty much the father of the Low End Theory Movement. Low End Theory is the most “out there” club in LA. He's been in the underground music game for a long time and understands what it takes to build a proper platform. He keeps the quality high while letting new and young producers step up. This keeps the Low End Theory night progressive.

Daddy Kev, apart from being an acclaimed underground producer, seems to be a kind of a mentor to you. What does he mean to you in particular?
I found out about him through D-Styles' message board and I heard his name before from underground hip hop records. I read a post on the board one day that read "Shock Value". It was a one-off event at a warehouse in downtown, LA. The line-up of artists had Daddy Kev, Daedelus, D-Styles and Edit. I looked up to all of these guys! The post also mentioned that they would let the first person that comes with their equipment/records open up for the night. I got there early with my equipment and got to open for them. That was the precursor to Low End. Since then, I got in contact with him via email and ended up playing the Low End events which eventually led to a record deal.

What is your Live set up like? Do you play only your tunes?
As of now, I use my Akai Mpd-32 controller, Laptop, and audio interface. I just recently started incorporating other music into my sets and mixing them. Most of the set is original tracks and remixes. The live set is different every time. I have all the individual parts from my songs in my live set and can call them up anytime. It's sort of like what a music conductor does.

Is this your first time in Asia?
I've been to Korea once when I was really young. I'm really excited about this Asia tour and interested how everyone will respond to my music. I hope to see and experience as much as I can.

If you could magically bottle up an original sound in China and bring it back home with you to L.A., what would this sound be?
A sound that would magically enable us to teleport.

Nosaj Thing's record release party happens at 8pm Thursday, July 18 at Ullens Center for Contemporary Art (UCCA) and Super Ganbei in 798.