Jason Liang: What has your mindset been like since getting back into doing live sets? How have the crowds been in NY? Any notable moments from the last year?
No_4mat: At the beginning of quarantine I felt heartbroken as I saw clubs close off their doors along with my favorite places to eat and go out. It felt like a part of my dreams and hopes were crushed. As quarantine went on I finally found a new normal as I built a new routine and even finished my latest album, so when clubs and restaurants started to open up again I honestly felt overwhelmed and nervous to start living my pre covid life again. Now that its been weeks, months, I dont know how many days I feel like the crowds are super charged with energy that they have been bottling up since then. I recently played a rave in a warehouse and it was honestly a night I won’t forget because of the amount of energy I absorbed from my peers.
Jason Liang: Have you noticed your DJ style changing at all?
No_4mat: Honestly nothing much has changed in my selection and my mixing style but I have noticed my peers and other DJs have started playing faster techno/trance. Maybe its a response to how they are feeling at this moment of time during a pandemic but I will always find 126 - 132 bpm tracks the most beautiful because that is the techno I fell in love with.
Jason Liang: I felt intense waves of nostalgia and euphoria when I went to my first afterhours event when local venues started reopening. Have you managed to enjoy any local shows besides the ones you’ve DJ’d at? How was the experience?
No_4mat: Yes I have and can definitely relate. One particular party I went to, it felt like covid never existed… Every track filled up the space beautifully and every attendee I saw next to me was having a good time. It was almost a time capsule before it all.
Jason Liang: As for your own music, you’ve branched out nonchalantly into other production styles and been relentlessly sharpening your emotive melodies and drum beats, this can be felt in both ‘No Fear’ and your new ‘Eddie’s’ EP respectively. Are there any far out ideas you’ve been wanting to explore that haven’t made it into reality yet? Have you explored any new software/hardware recently?
No_4mat: I want to dive deeper into recording my own samples and using live drums this year. Maybe even a dusty electric guitar. I’ve been using my Digitakt more but still haven’t used anything in my tracks yet. Still trying to figure out the best workflow to use with it.
Jason Liang: I think one of my favourite tracks of yours is ‘Heaven is Real’ which I know was inspired from your trip to Manila. Honestly, I didn’t realize this until I was listening to a mix by Corin that there is pretty minor representation for Filipino artists among other cultures within the electronic music scene. Perhaps this is due in part to my lack of knowledge but I’d like to know your thoughts on representation and how you navigate the scene as an Asian American.
No_4mat: When I first started out, I didn’t think that much about my race / ethnicity because I was just really focused on the music, but I’ve been thinking about it more and more, especially with all of the conversations around diversity and representation these days. Recently I got a text from a friend of mine, an up and coming southeast Asian producer, saying that he was inspired by me as another person repping the culture and where we were from, and that’s when it really hit me. I realized that I should and could use this platform to inspire other Asian artists and show that if I could make something that they could too.
Jason Liang: Tell us about the DJ group No Hands. You guys look like a really fun trio, how did everyone connect and what's the dynamic like? Is there any special meaning behind the name? Any future projects or plans?
No_4mat: Danny and I met through work while Kev and I met back in art school. One day in LA we linked and just started passing my computer around with Ableton open and it just clicked. Till this day the way we make music is the same work flow of passing a digital file around. No_Hands came from the beginning of No_4mat and the end of Mantis Hands (Kevin’s alias). We are currently working on more singles and eventually an EP.
Jason Liang: You’re slowly growing collaborative efforts, are there any other artists you envision working together with down the road?
No_4mat: Some artists I am working with at the moment are DJ Poolboi, Mareux, Chloé Caillet and SWIM. I want to work with more vocalists and rappers to expand my sound and see what could come out of it.
Jason Liang: You mentioned you’ve got some new personal projects on the radar, any details you’d like to share?
No_4mat: I have a pretty unique project coming which consists of a mixtape and dabbling within web3 and NFTs. Really stoked to see what reactions it can get and attract. Also I have a bunch of remixes in progress.
Jason Liang: Lastly, what are some notable artists or tracks that have been in your rotation recently?
No_4mat: There are plenty to shoutout. My boys ESP, Danny Peng, Mantis Hands, and of course my girl Caro Juna, but I have to give it to my man SWIM has been completely smashing the tracks. We have some remixes together now that will be dropping soon. Take a look at his work on spotify!
Photos by Xander Opiyo
Jason Liang: What has your mindset been like since getting back into doing live sets? How have the crowds been in NY? Any notable moments from the last year?
No_4mat: At the beginning of quarantine I felt heartbroken as I saw clubs close off their doors along with my favorite places to eat and go out. It felt like a part of my dreams and hopes were crushed. As quarantine went on I finally found a new normal as I built a new routine and even finished my latest album, so when clubs and restaurants started to open up again I honestly felt overwhelmed and nervous to start living my pre covid life again. Now that its been weeks, months, I dont know how many days I feel like the crowds are super charged with energy that they have been bottling up since then. I recently played a rave in a warehouse and it was honestly a night I won’t forget because of the amount of energy I absorbed from my peers.
Jason Liang: Have you noticed your DJ style changing at all?
No_4mat: Honestly nothing much has changed in my selection and my mixing style but I have noticed my peers and other DJs have started playing faster techno/trance. Maybe its a response to how they are feeling at this moment of time during a pandemic but I will always find 126 - 132 bpm tracks the most beautiful because that is the techno I fell in love with.
Jason Liang: I felt intense waves of nostalgia and euphoria when I went to my first afterhours event when local venues started reopening. Have you managed to enjoy any local shows besides the ones you’ve DJ’d at? How was the experience?
No_4mat: Yes I have and can definitely relate. One particular party I went to, it felt like covid never existed… Every track filled up the space beautifully and every attendee I saw next to me was having a good time. It was almost a time capsule before it all.
Jason Liang: As for your own music, you’ve branched out nonchalantly into other production styles and been relentlessly sharpening your emotive melodies and drum beats, this can be felt in both ‘No Fear’ and your new ‘Eddie’s’ EP respectively. Are there any far out ideas you’ve been wanting to explore that haven’t made it into reality yet? Have you explored any new software/hardware recently?
No_4mat: I want to dive deeper into recording my own samples and using live drums this year. Maybe even a dusty electric guitar. I’ve been using my Digitakt more but still haven’t used anything in my tracks yet. Still trying to figure out the best workflow to use with it.
Jason Liang: I think one of my favourite tracks of yours is ‘Heaven is Real’ which I know was inspired from your trip to Manila. Honestly, I didn’t realize this until I was listening to a mix by Corin that there is pretty minor representation for Filipino artists among other cultures within the electronic music scene. Perhaps this is due in part to my lack of knowledge but I’d like to know your thoughts on representation and how you navigate the scene as an Asian American.
No_4mat: When I first started out, I didn’t think that much about my race / ethnicity because I was just really focused on the music, but I’ve been thinking about it more and more, especially with all of the conversations around diversity and representation these days. Recently I got a text from a friend of mine, an up and coming southeast Asian producer, saying that he was inspired by me as another person repping the culture and where we were from, and that’s when it really hit me. I realized that I should and could use this platform to inspire other Asian artists and show that if I could make something that they could too.
Jason Liang: Tell us about the DJ group No Hands. You guys look like a really fun trio, how did everyone connect and what's the dynamic like? Is there any special meaning behind the name? Any future projects or plans?
No_4mat: Danny and I met through work while Kev and I met back in art school. One day in LA we linked and just started passing my computer around with Ableton open and it just clicked. Till this day the way we make music is the same work flow of passing a digital file around. No_Hands came from the beginning of No_4mat and the end of Mantis Hands (Kevin’s alias). We are currently working on more singles and eventually an EP.
Jason Liang: You’re slowly growing collaborative efforts, are there any other artists you envision working together with down the road?
No_4mat: Some artists I am working with at the moment are DJ Poolboi, Mareux, Chloé Caillet and SWIM. I want to work with more vocalists and rappers to expand my sound and see what could come out of it.
Jason Liang: You mentioned you’ve got some new personal projects on the radar, any details you’d like to share?
No_4mat: I have a pretty unique project coming which consists of a mixtape and dabbling within web3 and NFTs. Really stoked to see what reactions it can get and attract. Also I have a bunch of remixes in progress.
Jason Liang: Lastly, what are some notable artists or tracks that have been in your rotation recently?
No_4mat: There are plenty to shoutout. My boys ESP, Danny Peng, Mantis Hands, and of course my girl Caro Juna, but I have to give it to my man SWIM has been completely smashing the tracks. We have some remixes together now that will be dropping soon. Take a look at his work on spotify!
Photos by Xander Opiyo