ARTIST FEATURE: NOTION A

18 OCTOBER 2011

ARTIST FEATURE: NOTION A

18 OCTOBER 2011

ARTIST FEATURE: NOTION A

18 OCTOBER 2011

Introducing Notion A. Guided into music, he is the one who bangs techno with his heart. Hear this young upstart's debut at Midnight Shift on Nov 5 or preview his techno and house hybrid set below for a delectable taster.

Who are you and what do you do?
My real name is Amjad Shah. Am a techno-pounder guided by a weighted player in the industry, Kelvin Tan aka loopinmotion. I am also founder of the Kuala Lumpur House Invaders, a collective consisting of musicians and talented individuals currently running CNTRL Wasteland over at Home Club. It is an event that is crafted to educate music enthusiasts with the sounds of experimental electronic techno and live visual projections.

How did you start out DJing?
It all started when my dad told me to get a hobby. It took me some time before I realised the love I had for music. With guidance and support from Kelvin, I am now what I am today, an untiring advocate of techno.

Having lived in Kuala Lumpur (KL) for 5 years previously, what can you say about the music scene across the border?
Singapore has more great international acts coming down compared to KL, but in KL their local acts are regarded greater and the crowd is much more open to an underground sound. But no doubt Singapore does have more underground events as compared to KL. At the end of the day, it’s all about the organisers, promoters and advocates. Without someone fighting for one, nothing will be done. But oh, I do love their crowd more than Singapore.

What are some of the good nights there?
My favourite would be Minimalaysia, also Wawawee! and Love International.

Where do you like to go to in Singapore?
Home Club is already my second home, basically that's the place where I was exposed to underground music. Kelvin of Home Club taught me lots from being a DJ to a promoter/organiser and I love the people who go to Home Club to party. They are just too friendly! And there is where you can get my night, CNTRL Wasteland.

Who are your inspirations?
My dad, my late mom, Kelvin Tan loopinmotion, Underground Resistance (UR).

How do you describe the music you play?
I tell stories, with beautiful melodies and influences.

What type of music excites you?
Detroit techno excites me most, acid house goes second (it is good for running) and at times dub reggae and dubstep.

What makes a good DJ?
A DJ who doesn't stick to one style of mixing and have things under his/her sleeves for every coming performance. I like it when a DJ does things that gets my eyes open wide, also when techno meets house music. A good DJ is not always a good performer, so I like it when DJs are great performers!

What are your top 5 tracks of all time?

01. MPX309 - Joris Voorn
Amazon US 256kbps Mp3 | iTunes 256kbps AAC
02. Rej - Ame
Juno Download Mp3/WAV | Amazon US 256kbps Mp3
03. Junie - Rolando
Juno Download Mp3/WAV | iTunes 256kbps AAC
04. We Control The Beat - DJ Bone
Juno Download Mp3/WAV
05. Chicago Groove – Tapesh
Juno Download Mp3/WAV | Amazon US 256kbps Mp3 | iTunes 256kbps AAC

What are your top 5 tracks of the moment?

01. Junie - Rolando
Juno Download Mp3/WAV | iTunes 256kbps AAC
02. New York Sun - Steffen Deux
Juno Download Mp3/WAV | Amazon US 256kbps Mp3 | iTunes 256kbps AAC
03. Diva (Nick Curly Remix) - Sebo K
iTunes 256kbps AAC
04. The Door - Jerome Sydenham (Unreleased)
05. C5ex (Satoshi Fumi Remix) - Norman Chung

What are your music plans for 2012?
I'm looking forward to what CNTRL Wasteland has to fight for to survive in our industry and to bring the night to greater heights. I would also love to see how I would work with Midnight Shift.

Can you tell us about the mix you put together for us?
The mix is all about the mixture of influences I got by bringing techno and house music together. I did some exploration to give an idea on what I have in mind for Nov 5th.

Tracklist:

Last words?
See you on the dance floor and never shy away from dancing your night away!

http://www.residentadvisor.net/dj/notiona
http://soundcloud.com/notion_a

Go back to the Midnight Shift homepage here.