flooring, nothingspecial’s latest single, blends atmospheric electric keys with a pumping bassline and cool vocal chops within a dreamy house production. Read our discussion below!
Describe your sound in 3 words
Melancholy, Soulful, Joyous
Τell us a few things about Flooring. What is the main idea behind it?
I wanted to give people something to both emotionally connect to and let loose to at the same time. I drew some inspiration from artists like Disclosure and Folamour, but I also had been listening to a lot of Bill Evans Trio and Wes Montgomery during that time, which has this very sad feel to it.
How does the song address the concept of unease and uncertainty that people have experienced in recent years?
I think it has this almost sad nature to it at the beginning of the song, but by the second drop it’s gone fully into it’s more aggressive side, and without getting too metaphorical, I think I can definitely draw some parallels between it’s sonic content and the nature of the world right now. People have a lot of pent up feelings that they don’t know how to express. There’s a lot of anger, sadness, sexual tension, flaunting of wealth, you name it. I want the music I make to take people out of their own heads for even just a few minutes, and maybe give them something new to think about.
The most overrated/underrated house producer?
Overrated? Hm… This is tough to answer because I think a lot of artists who I’d never consider “house music” artists are starting to try to break into the genre. But, for the sake of the question, I’ll say Skrillex. Still a crazy talented producer, but I think his latest work with a few exceptions comes across as very manufactured and doesn’t really strike me as “house” the same way Fred Again or Ross From Friends does.
Underrated? Hollis Parker. So, so, so, SO good. His album Newscapism is top of my rotation right now. Also Dan Kye is a very close 2nd for this one, but he’s a little bigger so I’m not sure if “underrated” is quite appropriate for him.
Artists and people that have influenced you?
Number one influence musically is probably Disclosure. I remember listening to Settle in college and just being taken away to another universe. It really made me want to create art and music more than anything else. Recently, I’ve been on a really big country music kick. But like, only sad cowboy country like Blaze Foley and Colter Wall. The thing I value most in music is authenticity and heart, and when I hear something that touches me on a spiritual level, regardless of genre, I really take to it. Before my country kick it was jazz/samba music, mostly Stan Getz for a few months.
My biggest non-musical inspiration is probably Ram Dass. I read his book Be Here Now around the same time I first heard Disclosure and the two really clicked in my brain. The mindfulness and intention I put into my music is the same across all other aspects of my life. I try to live on the middle path, as corny as that might sound.
In which place or state of mind do you imagine people might listen to your music?
In an open state of mind, and in whatever physical space allows for you to be as free as possible. I want people to take in my music on their own time, and in a way that they can really try to appreciate it. And really, I want people to do this with everything else in life too. Take things in on your own time, don’t feel rushed, don’t feel pressured. Life is not a race!
A small intimate church or a big arena? What would be your dream performance venue?
Big arenas are fun, and so are small churches, but my dream venue is a big treehouse on top of a sequoia with a ton of different levels on all the branches. Maybe a bunch of cushy chairs and beanbags for people to hang out on. Oh and the forest critters are all hanging out too. That’s probably unrealistic though.
What is the story behind your name?
I had been going by a different name for a while that didn’t ring true to how I felt, and I changed it to nothingspecial because I wanted it to just be a name. I didn’t want to have a big DJ name and title, “DJ _”, and I didn’t want to go down the traditional aesthetic path of the “American DJ”, I just wanted them to hear the music.
Thank you!
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