Nina Las Vegas discusses her shift from Triple J host to solo artist [Interview]Nina Las Vegas Body Image 1446141513

Nina Las Vegas discusses her shift from Triple J host to solo artist [Interview]

by: Alexandra Blair Jul xiv, 2016

With electronic music firmly established as a global phenomenon, Commonwealth of australia has proven to be a particularly exciting hotbed for new acts. The most notable being Flume, who too begat What So Not, and artists like Cosmo's Midnight, Wave Racer, and RÜFÜS DU SOL, amid others. In addition to their homeland, these artists take something else in common: they were all championed early on by former Triple J host Nina Las Vegas.

With the proven power to spot the adjacent big thing before the masses, Las Vegas has left Triple J to pursue a new career as a label caput and solo artist. Her solo releases — often featuring boyfriend Australian and label signee Swick — have proven her a formidable producer in her own right, creating an infectious, energetic, unabashedly ebullient mode as at home in a gild or festival setting. Riding the success of her latest EP Ezy or Never, she is set to embark on a cursory United states tour stopping in LA, Chicago, and New York earlier returning home to Australia. We recently sat downwards with Nina for an equally eloquent and biting conversation about the long, winding road her career has taken to get to this point, giving back up to artists on her burgeoning label, and her response to Sydney's controversial lockout-laws.

Can you tell me a little bit well-nigh how you got into music and how you actually started DJing?

Music was actually kind of a given as a kid. My parents were the classic "forced-me-to-acquire-an-instrument" kind of parents. I got to choose though, so I did piano for like ten years. It was cool because I went to a kind of musical schoolhouse so we did a lot of band and I was in a lot of musical theatre. And then it was all around me. You just bail with friends over things similar the Cruel Intentions CD but too my dad had the best record collection always. He was built-in in Egypt and he loved to dance and music in full general, so I was very privileged.

I would say 'I really similar this group' and he'd say 'absurd i'll get it.' He simply wanted to know more and more than nearly music. That'due south how I really got into it. We were a family unit that drove a lot so there was always music on in the motorcar. I listened to Triple J as a kid because whatsoever teenager who wanted to be cool did.

DJing was different. I moved to the city for university where I was studying sound pattern because I knew I wanted to exist in music and use those skills. At the aforementioned fourth dimension, we were going through the electro rave era with Cut Copy and Justice and all that. I just found myself constantly out and surrounded by these moments. I became a serious nerd well-nigh it. When yous are upward on Hollerboard talking production with Diplo and A-Trak and Amanda Blank…. that's when I knew information technology was kind of becoming my life.

We put on parties and we toured a few of those guys and at the same time I was learning to really DJ. I also moved from backside the scenes to on the mic at Triple J and concluded up beingness on air for vii years considering I was essentially but representing a scene and a sound that I was living.

How did the move from sound board to hosting happen?

The presenters for Business firm Party and Mix Up Exclusives quit, like a year apart and I was literally programming the mixes for both shows. The dance programmer who'd been there for x years was in her mid thirties and was just kind of over it. She was also very into supporting psy trance and techno where I was trying to play people like Mehdi. And not just French touch, simply the adjacent movements after.

Nothing was planned. At all. However to this day, information technology'south kind of wild. It's the same with Anna Lunoe and Alison Wonderland. We've all known each other for nearly eleven or 12 years, because nosotros all put the work in. Nosotros all started the same time. We all had dissimilar paths and points but it's literally just been hard piece of work. Most of us didn't fifty-fifty have management for the first 5 or 6 years. We did information technology all ourselves. I'k really proud of that role of me.

I think the market has been so oversaturated for and so long and in that location are quite a few inexperienced people who've been thrust into the mainstream spotlight. It feels like nosotros are inbound an ebb in the scene and all those people who haven't put in the piece of work aren't going to be able to respond to that change. I don't think they'll exist able to remain relevant and will probably simply fade away. The people who've worked hard at building a career and have that feel are the only ones who are going to be able to react to it in an authentic manner.

I recall then too. That's why I set my label. I signed people who had hype in my earth, but not in the aforementioned mode that the internet is used to. And information technology'south not because they weren't good plenty, its just considering for them their music is what should speak the nigh. Non their co-signs or social media life. . They are all so young and careers can take 10 or 15 years to make. I've experienced that so I want other people who've experienced that too. I do really believe in what I do, and I want to exist proud of my career.

Anna [Lunoe] put it so nicely when nosotros were talking about Instagram. I used to share so much on it and have such a really nice experience with the internet and now information technology's just a tool. You can't simply post fun stuff. Everyone but judges you on your likes. Anna goes: "No ones ever going to say "I really loved your Instagram post about that political party." They'll call up that you played Coachella, simply they aren't going to remember that Instagram mail you did virtually it x years from now.

Let's talk about your record label. I'd love to know when it really got off the ground and what your involvement looks similar from an artists thought through the official release.

It came to me towards the terminate of my Triple J life. If I could I would accept kept that task for the residue of my life, but I'one thousand 30. I thought, I'm going to just practise something unlike. it wasn't most not enjoying it, it's just that like Triple J is a immature persons job and radio station, so I think there are and so many younger people that can do a great job. I'd also merely done it for then long. One job for xi years… No thing how groovy information technology is, information technology'due south notwithstanding a job.

Around the same time I was figuring out what I wanted to do next, a few majors had hitting me upwardly to exercise A&R. In Australia, we've been blest with the sort of "Flume awareness" and so now, every unmarried label wants a Flume. They all want the adjacent thing. I've toyed with that, simply everything I've ever done has been group projects. I'd never merely done things on my own. I toured with What So Not or Flume or Moving ridge Racer, always playing group shows with friends.

Then that's when the characterization came to mind. I went about a yr talking with a major about doing an imprint, but it was just taking too long and I was too impatient and mostly, that's just non how trip the light fantastic music works. Nosotros can release a rails once it's fix. That's how club music works.

If you put in and then many layers of control it will only change the output. That might mean there's more than money in it, and there are definitely moments where I think "Ugh, if only we took that money," because I could push information technology everywhere. I've always been on the other side, the circulate side. I never saw what was involved, I only believed that skillful music travels. And I however believe that, so we did it independently in the end. It's a articulation venture with my management company who are astonishing and they have a couple labels already but this is the start time they accept washed trip the light fantastic music.

The big question is always how many people I can sign based on how much coin I can give them as advances and I really started noticing some dodgy shit going on with smaller labels. I don't remember any 1 is intentionally trying to do things badly, only I just started understanding that you tin can spend up to a yr or year and a half on a track and once it's out, those moments just go so quick.

I didn't want that. I wanted to create a community and wanted interaction. I've always admired stuff like Boys Noize Records and Bromance. We didn't accept a Lucky Me sounding characterization in Australia and that'south how I pictured the gap I wanted to fill. Just sonically, everything started to sound the aforementioned. So many kids are making music for radio, which is smashing in a way considering so many kids get songs on the radio. Triple J is a huge trip the light fantastic supporter, but you tin can still make a order record as a tool. That should nevertheless be a priority. Lodge culture and trip the light fantastic toe music can be a success if it's just given support. That's the kind of stuff I wanted to create and that's why I signed those guys considering a lot of them felt the same way.

Its been 6 months and we're announcing two more people this calendar month, but that's it for the moment. I've been learning then much. You tin start to run into what'south going well. Xl [Recordings] makes an anthology a quarter and you run into anybody's free energy go into that one album and the album seems to alive on so well. That model is astonishing. I simply want to make sure that as much time as an artist puts into a vocal, I desire to requite that much time back. I'm involved in the A&R but that'southward not necessarily me proverb 'change this drop,' it's me saying "How practise you desire it? Where does this song sit? Is it an expression or you want information technology on radio?" These are actually logistical goals. "Do you want a feature? Strict Face up had never worked with a vocalist on a runway before. So that was a huge goal of ours and I'g super proud of the event on that runway. I just like everyone feeling a bit of a #FAM vibe.

Information technology'due south an creative person run label. I can say what I desire but ultimately I just want the act to exist happy. I've heard too many kids saying "Oh, the label didn't like this." I get it, merely ultimately unless you're super lucky you merely have to piece of work really hard and put out skillful music. I believe that should work and eventually when 1 song does go massive and so people will go back and encounter the rest.

There are just some terms that should be rid of the vocabulary people utilize when they are talking about things they love doing…. like when people say "Information technology doesn't work." It might not take "worked" for everyone but, I guarantee someone volition dear it if you love it. If the artist loves it I want to support it.

That's virtually the dark side of the Flume consequence. People see the stop game so clearly that they merely accomplish directly for that bright light instead of taking the path that makes the nearly sense for their creative development as an artist.

Exactly. Information technology'due south and then scary. You lot could accept a large song and suddenly your rates go up. Suddenly y'all're playing everywhere and and so…you could non have the aforementioned thing happen the next 6 months. You get lost. Call up of how many times something didn't work for Diplo or Skrillex. Diplo's having the all-time year of his life correct now in his late 30s. That's not bad. That's pretty cool. Could you imagine if one bad gig meant he stopped? He simply doesn't think like that.

That'southward the thing, you just have to have those guts. A) information technology's really hard and b) y'all tin't give up. Yous just have to like every moment of information technology. I'yard lucky enough to engagement an artist equally well and he's so good because i'll have the worst feeling or whatever and he'll just say ' Oh come up on, your life is good. You are getting paid to DJ, think about that. Yous become to play music you similar and you brand out. You are fine."

People actually respect your intuitions musically so I wanted to know who yous're listening to correct at present and who you think is killing information technology?

Evidently I feel like in that location's a grime explosion correct at present. The thing that's amazing virtually that Skepta anthology is that he fabricated all of those beats. I retrieve in that location are two other production credits. A lot of younger grime acts will see that and run with information technology. I reckon AJ Tracy and Novelist volition really blow upward. Plain everyone on my characterization, I beloved. Strict Face, Swick and Lewis. The moment the hype builds with those guys… their sounds are really similar no other.

People like Sophie and Flume are really pushing production. Those people that tin steer away from the plugins and using Sylenth direct away and non change a thing, people will discover that.

It'south certainly a producers game right now. People like Flume or Hudson Mohawke or Cashmere Cat accept people reaching out from different genres and creating these amazing new sounds.

Look at the Selena Gomez singles, they've been like trap songs. Seriously. It'southward all the same. I love Iglooghost, signed by Brainfeeder. I only think he's going to accident people's minds. His XLR8R mix? At that place'southward merely not 1 song I knew on there and when that happens, you know this kid is fire.

I'thou really excited for the Cashmere Cat record. I recollect he's going to change the game a bit as it comes to production and vocalists. I think that in terms of young kids, there'south some really cool house and deeper stuff coming out of Australia like Dro Carey and Mall Grab. I know he doesn't need any more love, but Mura Masa is definitely pretty sick. I didn't realize how good it was until I started hearing the songs on the radio.

Lastly, yous've been pretty outspoken about the Australian political climate and Sydney'south lockout laws. I was wondering if you could talk to me a little chip nigh how you recollect the scene has changed since those were instituted.

The saddest thing most information technology is that we're just living in a very conservative time in Commonwealth of australia. Unfortunately information technology'south changed the whole scene. I feel lamentable for the kids of this generation. I went out until 4-v AM about weekend and it wasn't drug taking or getting messed upward, it was simply meeting friends and dancing and discovering new stuff.

Nosotros put on a Diplo evidence in 2007 after Disco D died and he played for v hours for 300 people. without a doubtfulness that changed my life and my path. This was a guy who I'd seen on Hollerboard talking and that'southward not even possible now. Y'all're literally just non allowed to go out in the city.

Now ticketed events are thriving. That's a lot of pressure on an creative person. You can't but go to a night and play records to a fun agglomeration of kids. You lot accept to testify your worth or take a song on the radio. it's such a business concern now because going out has become and so formal. I kind of refuse to do that ticketed thing. It's just a bit heartless. I don't want what I practise to exist like that.

It'due south an exchange of services for money at that point.

Yes, lets only go out. Pay a modest door accuse and some beverage keeps, I just don't see why I have to all of a sudden go an event. I just desire you to feel music the same mode I did. that'south why I practise it.

It'south very like shooting fish in a barrel to get downward when you're not clickbait, but people do fight back. I saw this Fader mail about a soccer jersey Drake was wearing and these people were commenting "Um, this is just a soccer jersey, a meg records take been released today. Why are we talking nigh this?" People do fight dorsum.

This commodity features contributions from the inimitable Michel Cooper.

Tags: Nina Las Vegas, nlvrecords, Triple J

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