Exclusive Interview: Nocturnal

This week in our Artist Spotlight we have Nocturnal. He has been spinning tunes for quite some years now and is going to be playing at #Afterlife this Saturday, June 13th, along with international headliner DJ Dan. Read the interview we did with him below where he talks about how he got into the game and shares some stories of his career.

How did you first begin DJing/Producing?
In 2008 I was stationed at Camp Pendleton, CA while in the Marines. I was on leave and a group of buddies just told me to get ready we are heading to LA for a party. I went, it was an underground rave at a warehouse. I was hooked instantly, I knew I wanted to make people dance and send out that energy. I started dabbling around on friends cdj’s and taught myself, and I continue to learn more and more as every year passes. I study a lot of the history, trends, and genres. I’m diving into the production world finally, been doing my homework on it for a long time- I didn’t want to start unprepared. So I plan to have some Original releases coming in the near future.

Who is your biggest influence(s)?
Pleasurekraft, Oliver $, Justice, Deadmau5, Claude Vonstroke, EDX, Carl Cox, Gene Farris, Trent Cantrelle, Prok & Fitch, Firebeatz…the list goes on but I’ll stop there.

What’s your favorite record of all time?
I hate this question. If I must pick one for now I’ll say Joris Voorn Balance 014

What was your favorite party of all time that you have played?
So far, would have to be an underground event I did on reservation land in the middle of nowhere like 30 miles inland north of San Diego. Unfortunately I don’t even remember the name but the whole production was amazing, everything from psy-trance to Tech, House, Electro, and other genres for 2 days straight. **However- I’m most excited for the future parties to happen this Summer.

Who do you want to collaborate with in the future?
Instead of naming the huge list of DJ’s I would love to collab with, I’ll say that I just want to find someone like-minded, not afraid to push boundaries on new sounds, someone you just click with and make the creativity flow.

What’s the most embarrassing thing thats happened to you at a show?
Anytime something with equipment or technology goes wrong. It’s the worst when you can’t control it. Technology can always fail you. Just always have backup cords.

What do you like to do when you’re not working on music/DJing?
Go to other shows mainly haha. Other than that hiking, swimming, blackhawks hockey, fishing, traveling, and just experiencing new things.

What is your opinion on the current EDM scene?
I have read a lot of articles and interviews where this question gets asked. And I must say I completely agree with a few of the answers I read. I believe that no matter what genre gets people interested into Dance music, it is a step in the right direction. Hell, I listened to horrible Happy Hardcore and other stuff when I first got into it because a friend was obsessed with it and it’s all he played. I learned how to discover and find my “niche” though and eventually it lead me to the Underground guys. The dark and deep Tech and other sounds like that.

What do you think will be the next big thing in EDM?
Who knows at this point-There’s movies being made with A List Celebs playing the role of a DJ…. Honestly, everything goes in cycles typically, but genres are being created/tweaked more than ever now.

What do you think about all these “frauds” in the EDM scene using ghost producers, buying likes and purchasing their own tracks on Beatport?
The real fans and people that appreciate the music know who is legit and who isn’t. That’s all that matters, stay true to what you do and represent it well and with class.

Is there any upcoming releases/shows we should keep an eye out for?
June 13th- #Afterlife at Grandbar, June 30th- Green Room upstairs the Trap House at The Crocodile are some big ones coming up soon. Also there’s going to be some tight pool/ and festival type parties thrown this summer as well. I can’t talk about them yet, but just stay tuned as the details will come when the time is right.

Facebook | Soundcloud | Mixcloud