Posted on: December 24, 2017 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

Today, we are speaking with DJ NoMis. Can you give us a little background information about yourself? How did you get into music?

Sure! I’m currently a sophomore at Syracuse University studying Entrepreneurship & Emerging Enterprises, and I plan on minoring in Music Industry in the future. I’ve been working with music ever since I was 11 years old, but I’ve also done Boy Scouts, Karate and high school musical productions. I’ve made it to Eagle Scout, 1st degree black belt and had various leading roles in school.

I got into music because of my father actually; he’s the one who inspired me to pursue this field. In 2011, I remember playing one of Katy Perry’s hit songs on the piano, and my father walked in on this performance. He asked me how I managed to learn this song without ever being taught it, let alone look at any sheet music; it just came naturally to me. He told me I should learn other songs on the piano too, and to keep going with this. Eventually, it would evolve to the point where I’m creating all of these different songs, and sending them out all over the world.

You have just released a few new singles – On Track and Found A Way. What was the writing/creative and recording process for the track like? How’d it differ from your previous single, Loving On You.

I actually started producing On Track right before I left for Syracuse… I wanted the song to be catchy, yet unusual in terms of its sound; something that you wouldn’t expect to hear in today’s music scene. I wanted to make all of my listeners feel positive each time they listen to the song, as well as make it easy for them to catch onto certain parts. I produced the song at home, then wrote and recorded the song in my dormitory using my recording equipment.

Found A Way is actually supposed to be a teaser song for On Track, as it’s meant to tell people: “Hey, I’m still here ya know! No matter what’s been going on with my life, I found a way to keep making these songs. Sorry for the wait!” before releasing the single. I also wrote and recorded this song at Syracuse University, but did not sell it because I don’t have ownership rights to the production.

Both of these songs differ from Loving On You in many different ways… First off, they’re both different genres from each other, and will appeal to different audiences. Second, Loving On You is like a summer party anthem with vibrant instruments blasting through the speakers, while On Track is like a combination between today’s EDM and Hip-Hop’s music scenes, and Found A Way was a means of appealing to today’s rap scene while maintaining my lyricism. With Loving On You, I started producing the song right before summer came along, and I wanted to produce a dance-like song to celebrate some of the greatest times of the year. With the talent and help of Danielle Marie, I was able to accomplish this and make the song one of my most popular works at the time.

A number of your songs include features – the aforementioned Loving On You with Danielle Marie, Bring Me Down (Jon Thomas) and Dream of Life (Chris Angelis). How do you create the track initially (e.g. putting a space in for their contribution), and how do their contributions ultimately shape these singles.

Initially, what I do is produce the song, write the lyrics and then record myself performing these songs, or create demos. In my opinion, it would be silly if I was always the only person involved with my works; there’s so many musicians out there with lots of talent that deserve more attention. After I proof listen to my works multiple times, I reach out to a variety of singers, each specializing in a certain genre, and ask if they’d like to assist me with creating new content. Once they finished recording, it ultimately sets each song’s mood completely differently than I could’ve ever done myself.

What does your recording set up look like (what do you use to record, what are your favorite tools)?

For recording, I use an Audio-Technica ATH-2020USB+ with a sound isolator and pop filter to record my vocals. For production, I use an Alesis VI61 midi controller, FL Studio 12.5 (alongside other mastering plug-ins) and Audacity to record (I’ll soon be transitioning to Adobe Audition). To listen and create these works, I use Shure SRH940s as studio reference headphones and Alesis Elevate 5s as studio monitors. Finally, I use a Lenovo Y700 laptop to make all of this possible.

Which artists are the greatest influences for you and your music? Is there a dream lineup of performers that you would like to perform with if given the chance?

Personally, I feel influenced by every song I listen to; there’s always an audience for each artist, and no matter how small or large it may be, it inspires me to do things differently. Nonetheless, some of my favorite performers include G-Eazy, Metro Boomin, Post Malone, DJ Khaled (my biggest inspiration) and Lil Uzi Vert.

I’d absolutely LOVE to collaborate with any of the aforementioned musicians, but I’d also be ecstatic to collaborate with any famous performer if granted the opportunity.

Which sort of social media website have you had the best successes with? What about these online services are different from the traditional face to face meeting and performances that musicians utilize?

I’ve had the most success with Instagram (@derajnomis_) and Snapchat (@livinlegends7).

With Instagram, I’m always able to present my brand directly to my followers and fans, and give them updates about my life, especially those that are most important to me. Furthermore, I aim to create an impact in people’s lives through this platform, and motivate them to work towards their biggest goals and dreams in life. I can’t always motivate people right on the spot, nor reach out to every single fan of mine directly; Instagram is simply the next best thing to accomplishing this.

With Snapchat, I can show people the highlights of each of my days, as well as keep people in tune of how I’m doing. If I’m currently working on a project of mine, or I’m at a party and see something funny, I’d normally go onto here to present to people how things are going with me. Plus, it grants people the opportunity to be more direct with me and give feedback on my content! I’m always aiming to improve myself every day, and this is one of the greatest tools that allows me to achieve this.

We’re getting close to the end of 2017. What does 2018 and beyond hold for you?

Starting in 2018, I plan to DJ and perform at venues during college, whether it’s at fraternity parties, clubs or other events. I also plan on releasing my next major project, the “Back To You” EP early on that year! Afterwards, it’s just a matter of releasing more projects, performing at larger venues and developing my record label, 2020 Sound, even further. This means renting/purchasing a recording studio, signing artists, building a management team, etc. This part is going to be covered over a period of a few years.

Our readers want to hear your music. How do they do that?

They can listen to my works on any of the following links:

https://soundcloud.com/nomis_deraj

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbww6TPIePfQk_eY8RZv0hg

https://open.spotify.com/artist/0kMKHdBuKHQpq2rRRstzd0

https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/dj-nomis/1047607888

https://play.google.com/store/music/artist/DJ_NoMis?id=A3y2luuxnl76lvba2sfcmtrttoe

You can also check out any of my social media at the following links:

https://twitter.com/derajnomis_
https://www.facebook.com/derajnomis/
https://snapchat.com/add/livinlegends7
https://www.instagram.com/derajnomis_

Finally, my website is https://www.thedjnomis.com/

Thank you so much for your time. Finally, do you have any additional thoughts about life and the universe for our readers?

Sure! Whenever you run into a tough time in your life, that is simply an obstacle in the way of your ultimate success. Keep following your dreams, and no matter how rough things may be, keep pushing and striving through. You were brought to life on this planet for a reason, and you’re meant to make an impact on people’s lives. Never let ANYTHING stop you from achieving your goals and dreams. Anything and everything is possible in this world; don’t limit yourself on what you can achieve or tell yourself otherwise. Thank you for your time, and it was a pleasure being interviewed for NeuFutur.

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