Reaching Nebular Heights With Nosaj Thing

Reinvention is everything when it comes down to progression. Nosaj Thing had to endure this notion after his laptops and hardware containing the last two years worth of work (including all the plugins created for new album Fated) and performance visuals were stolen during a tour stop back in Houston.

But as we learn, Nosaj Thing remains undeterred, and still holds his enthusiasm to create celestial multi-dimensional soundscapes tailored with the help of VFX wizard Daito Manabe, together creating a trademark flair for programming interstellar and comfortable aural spaces for curious listeners.

THUMP: What have been some of the biggest, most interesting changes you've witnessed in the LA electronic music scene since you started?
Nosaj Thing: Oh man, yeah I've seen so much. Especially with the West Coast rap movement. From N.W.A and Eazy-E to someone like Kendrick Lamar, just seeing that is amazing, seeing someone like Kendrick carry on the sound and staying true to the roots. As for electronic music, I feel like for a while now there has been a rave scene here in LA, but it wasn't really well known for its producers. There was a few in the house music scene and stuff like that, but now you can say like "oh yeah LA has a sound." it's nice to be a part of the movement.

How has your attitude toward making music and your motivations changed over time?
I feel like it is always changing, and it should be because I'm always trying to learn. I think what's cool about LA is that it gives you time to (just the way the city is structured) just be in your zone. You don't really interact with too many people here in .A because everything is all spread out, and it takes at least 20 to 30 minutes to get anywhere, it's easy just to stay in your cave and be in your own head. It's a lot different too, because of the internet, there's always stuff going on, but I feel like environment plays such a big role, it will allow you to disconnect for a while and come up with new ideas. It's just a different lifestyle. You could get the same if you were in like Tokyo, London, and NY, but just in a different way. I just feel LA is just really laid back, it allows you to get lost in your head. In a good way.

Our relationship with technology is constantly evolving, and at ever growing speeds. We're surrounded by art, films and music that reflect this, like Her and recently Ex Machina looking at life with artificial intelligence - what are your thoughts about where we're heading?
Yeah, I'm yet to see that movie, I don't know? I think it plays a big role for me because of how I create my music. I'm just trying to embrace it because there are a lot of great ideas that could come from that. It's easy to get overwhelmed and be discouraged by it, but at the same time there is a lot more to it; I feel like naturally we are just trying to make things better; I feel like that change is happening. A lot of it is designed so big companies can obtain information from all of us; which is scary. That's why the whole "like" system is built, and why it works on social media, but talking about technology, in general, I'm excited about it, and I embrace it. Just have got to make good use of it. It's a real trip for me because I'm 30 years old now and being alive in this generation, we got to see the whole computer epidemic evolve. Like, I remember back when I used to look at the encyclopedia on the computer, through Encarta '95. Now, I just Google it.

I've heard you read a lot. What are you reading at the moment? Does literature find its way into your music? If so, how?
Right now, I'm reading this kinda silly book. It's called The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up I've just been trying to purge my life. I don't live crazy messy or anything; everyone has something they'd like to strip away. I'm not trying to be extremely minimalistic either; I just want to get to a certain level where I don't have anything that I don't need. I'm just trying to declutter my world and get rid of things that have no meaning. Kinda like streamlining. I feel like it'll help me with everything, including my music.

Your music has always been very forward, and futuristic in some of its sounds and references – how important to you is the art of reinvention and progression?
To me that's the biggest inspiration, I always just try to experiment and change my approach. That's what gets me the most excited, like creating a new sound that I haven't heard before, even a new groove or tempo range, just whatever! I just want to naturally keep hearing new ideas. It's really weird, we should be hearing more stuff like that in this day and age with SoundCloud and everything else that's out there, but I don't know. I haven't really heard what I'm looking for. You would think that because we are subjected to so much more these days that there would be more creativity and more things that stand out, but all I keep hearing is more of the same. It's like flooded with so many similarities, and no one is striving to step outside of that box. That's what I'm interested in; that's what got me buying records in the first place. If there was an artist you really liked – I grew up with not a lot of money – you'd buy their record, but if it sounded the same as everything else; you'd be somewhat disappointed.

I saw on your Instagram that you had all your equipment stolen in Houston a few weeks back? How did the live set turnout after that? Did you manage to retrieve any of your gear?
Yeah, it was pretty difficult. One of the guys from my label, he had stored over a hundred sketches of mine that I had been working on for the last couple of years. So it worked out that the first part of the set was like a listening party, along with visuals; the second half was like all ideas and stuff that I'd sent through to him. It ended up being pretty cool, took me right out of my comfort zone, I even got on the mic; kinda like old hip-hop style and took everyone for a ride. It went good, felt like it was good for me to get plucked from my shell and think on my toes. Still yet to retrieve any of the old stuff and to be honest. I'm not looking back, just starting over! Just trying to remain positive about the loss, the good thing is; because I lost everything; I don't have the same tools that I used to. Without all the plugs and little programs that I wrote, means that I have to start with a completely new pallet. The good thing is that the sound is going to change pretty drastically, which is really exciting.

You've mentioned one of your goals as a producer and music maker is to create unfamiliar environments for listeners. How do you achieve this, and how do you know when you've reached your goal?
Well, my goal is to play a series of shows in a totally immersive environment, almost like you are at the Planetarium. I've just been working on that idea and process for a couple of years now, so hopefully I'll be able to do that soon. There's just so much that happens when you go to a traditional show, and there are so many distractions. Take a classical show for example; the crowd is very focussed, they are sitting down, and it's all about the music; which is cool. The electronic music I got into was more from the rave culture. As it progresses I just want to experience something where it's just focussed; that takes you somewhere else. Instead of seeing physical objects like concrete or elements; you get to see another world. I'm working on this show with Daito Manabe, he did the music video for 'Eclipse Blue' on the last record. We're debuting this new show at the Taico Club Festival at the end of this month; it's going to be in Nagano in the mountains of Japan and I'm super excited about it. From what he told me you will be able to see two different things happening at the same time, like virtual reality/kind of multi-dimensional. He sent me a demo clip using twenty motion picture cameras, all with different lighting. I'm not sure exactly what it's going to look like, but we're going to document it. I'm heading there a little early so we can work on it and scope the place out. Picture a multi-dimensional music performance, one in reality, and another running parallel in a virtual space. I think it's going to be pretty exciting.

Collaborations are always an opportunity to learn and to teach – you've worked with several vocalists and MCs, including Chance The Rapper, on this recent record – what have been some of the key lessons you've learned this time around? Have they changed the way you make music?

Yeah, as I work with more and more artists I just learn something new every single time, and I just incorporate that into all the new material that I'm working on. I gain a deeper perspective on creativity from the people I interact with in general. I'm naturally an introvert though; but not musically. The more people I interact with, the more I learn and I'd have to say it really affects my music. It's all about connecting and sharing; you can get inspiration from anything. Lately just interacting with people, and usually people I don't know; actually I'm getting inspired right now. I'm just ready to make a new record already; after what happened, it's just naturally put the fire underneath me. I have no date for a release as yet, but let's just say I'm workin' on it.

Nosaj Thing will appear at this year's Splendour in the Grass. Fated is out now through Innovative Leisure/Inertia.

Want more interviews, news and features? Like THUMP on Facebook.