The Source Of House Music: Interview with Nakadia!!!

Nakadia - Asia's rising star of the global DJ community has played over 800 gigs across 54 countries and made herself a name as one of the very few globally successful females in electronic music. But still, due to her Thai origin she is still very much like a raw diamond that has yet to be discovered. Nakadia stands for highest quality music and her performances are filled with life, joy and excitement. This â€“ in combination with the musical quality and her technical skills â€“ is what makes Nakadia so popular with all who have witnessed her on stage. She celebrates her music rather than just playing records. Since the beginning of 2012 Nakadia is releasing music on a regular basis and her first tracks already made a big impact and boosting her career to the next level. The future looks very bright for this young Asian artist

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1 So how did it all begin?

I came to Europe for a model job in 2002 and went to a techno club for the first time. I fell in love with the music and the vibe in the club and that night I knew that this was what I wanted for my life. I was crazy about music before, but I never heard electronic music before this night. When I went back to Thailand I took turntables a mixer and some first vinyl home with me and started to practice. In 2003 I already had a few international gigs in Korea, Germany and Holland and in 2004 I started touring and playing some really big events around Europe. But in that time I still played mostly trance. I did not know what I was looking for music wise until I heard Timo Maas play in 2005. The day after I went to a record shop in Rotterdam and got my first house records. Later Timo Maas supported me a lot - he gave me lots of promo vinyl that he received and that really changed my career around 2007/2008.

2 Where do you live?

Since a few years I live in Berlin now. First with a tourist visa, only 6 month per year. Since 2011 I live in Berlin full time with my artist resident permit.

3 Where did the name come from?

I came up with it in 2002 when I was thinking how I should call myself. “Dia” was my nickname in that time and “Naka” is a word that has no real meaning. We use it in Thai like the english “right” or “well” - you can put the word behind a statement and it means not much. So I thought about "Dia Naka” - but that sounded stupid, so I turned it around and there was: "Nakadia"

4 Which other countries have you played/put parties on

In my career I played around 60 countries now. I stopped counting a few years ago. Every year I play 25-30 countries mostly Europe and Asia, but also South America sometimes.

5 What's the best event you've played at/put on?

It is very hard to say because there are so many really great events and every one feels different. I can say that I love to play at my home base - club Glow in Bangkok. There I can play from the beginning to the end, all by myself. I start before the people come in and I play until the last record. But I also love to play events in Holland - the crowd is amazing, especially in Amsterdam! But my favorite club so far is D’Edge in Sao Paulo.

6 What was your first record you bought?

It was a record shop in Wiesbaden, Germany and I bought Mauro Picotto “pulsar 2002"

7 Out of all the tunes you have, which one 'never fails?’

Lot’s of tracks in my playlist work all the time, but Since a few month I own an amazing remix of Jean Michelle Jarre’s “Oxigen” - that track is such a bomb, it always works. Unfortunately I have no idea who is the producer...

8 What's you favourite tune of all time?

I can not answer to this question. Every few month I have another favorite tune - it really changes all the time.

9 So how is the scene in your eyes at the moment?

It’s an exciting time because I have a feeling that more great clubs are opening around the world and quality music is getting more popular again. Of course many areas in Europe have a very hard time and in the East- and South of Europe there is less money for party. That is a very sad development. But globally there are more “good” clubs and even better events year after year. New generations of promoters come up that give new generations of artists a chance. Technology is developing quickly as well and you get more diversity within the scene.

10 What are your feelings on the MC’s?

It depends on the style of music. I think MCs are needed in Drum n bass for example, but if the DJ is playing a great house set with beautiful tracks, the chance is big that an MC will kill the music. But some are really good and add something to the set. It all depends on the music, the situation and the quality of the MC.

12 What advice would you give to up and coming DJs/Producers?

The most important advice from my side would be - follow your feelings. You have to love the music you play and you have to feel every track. Only then you can play amazing sets, and with amazing sets you can make people notice you. To make a real career you have to produce and let people hear what you stand for. But it’s very hard these days because thousands of producers try to get on the labels or start their own label, so it’s a bit messy out there. The business is a big industry and those with the best connections have the best chances. A crappy Dj can become a superstar if he get’s the support from a top artist or label. And some really amazing talent is only playing in the bedroom because he/she doesn’t know the right people in the business. That’s the sad reality today.

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