THE ONLY THAI DJ to have successfully made a name on the global electronic music scene, Nakadia, a farmer’s daughter from Nakhon Ratchasima, has performed at the Berlin love parade in front of more than one million people, graced Ibiza and its 8,000-plus audience and appeared alongside world class DJs in countless mega-scale music festivals during her 15-year career as an international DJ.
On her most recent visit to the motherland, where she performed with techno king Sven Vath, Nakadia sat down for a chat with us about her plans for 2016.
HOW DID YOU BECOME A DJ?
My friend Sebastian from Germany – who is still my manager today – invited me to Germany in 2002 and introduced me to his friend Marusha, who was a superstar female DJ back then. When I saw her performing, I knew I was born to be a DJ! The next day we went to buy turntables and my first two records and I started practising. Sebastian was my teacher, my mentor and the only supporter I had for many years. Through him I was able to get my first European tour as early as 2003.
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR SOUND AND YOUR MUSICAL INFLUENCES?
Today I mix sound between deep house and techno and love tracks with techno beats coated with beautiful deep house melodies. The style is generally techno but has influences from many sub genres. The artist who has inspired me the most through my career is Sven Vath, the godfather of techno, with whom I’ve worked at three events across Thailand.
SINCE THE BEGINNING OF YOUR CAREER AS A DJ, HOW HAS YOUR SOUND DEVELOPED?
My sound is constantly developing. Sebastian first introduced me to trance, but I quickly discovered it was not my thing. When I heard Timo Maas in 2004 I knew that this was the music I was looking for. Timo supported me with lots of vinyl that he received as promos. Actually he gave half of his promos to me and the other half to Loco Dice, who was also trying to build a career back then.
WHAT DO YOU THINK CONTRIBUTES TO YOUR GREAT SUCCESS IN EUROPE?
Europe has the biggest electronic music scene in the world and is home to all the great clubs, the important events and the most fans. When I started playing there I was the exotic girl DJ from Thailand, which made me easy to market for the commercial clubs. I played all the wrong places for the first years then in 2008 I made the decision not to accept bookings at commercial clubs anymore. After that it was very difficult to get bookings because the “cool” scene didn’t accept me yet. I had to prove myself over and over again and build my success by playing great sets and impressing people. In Thailand it was a very different situation because there was no “cool” scene at all when I started. Koh Samui had some nice techno events and a small club where I started my first residency in 2003, but Bangkok and the rest of Thailand had no place for techno. I did my best to build a crowd for this music when Club Glow opened its doors, but it took many years to fill even this small venue. Thailand still has most people listening to commercial EDM and only slowly are people starting to find out that there is music with more substance and quality out there. But I am happy to see it developing in a very nice way and I am proud that Thailand probably has the fastest growing scene in Southeast Asia now.
UNTIL RECENTLY YOU’VE BEEN BETTER RECEIVED IN EUROPE THAN BACK HOME. DOES THAT BOTHER YOU?
I’m not sad to have missed out on fame in Thailand. What makes me sad is the apparent lack of loyalty from Thai fans. Many write on Facebook that they would like to come to my parties, but “this time they can’t come” or “missed it this time, when do you come again?” I’ve never understood this. In Europe people travel far to make sure they see the artists they want to see. They follow their favourite artists and support them. This makes playing in Europe so much fun. Here they don’t seem to care. They don’t understand that it’s not the DJs who make a great party, it’s the people who come for the DJs!
THE DJ SCENE IS STILL PRETTY MALE-DOMINATED. WHAT IS THE MOST CHALLENGING ASPECT OF BEING A FEMALE DJ?
For a long time, girls in the business were not really taken seriously. If you were good-looking girl, people would look down on you, thinking you got bookings for your looks, not your skills. The massive success of Nina Kraviz from Russia changed that. She is beautiful, sexy but super cool and a true artist. Today most people understand that gender and looks have nothing to do with your ability.
WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR 2016?
So far every year has a big step up over the previous one and I can’t see 2016 being much different. Last year I flew 308 times so it scares me a bit thinking about what lies ahead this year, but bookings in new territories such as Peru or Ecuador are very exciting as is playing some of the world’s biggest festivals like Loveland in Amsterdam, where I will perform a three-hour set on the main stage alongside Richie Hawtin, Sven Vath and others. I am sure it will be a super exciting year!
Nakadia will be Movenpick Hotel Sukhumvit on Sukhumvit Soi 15 on Sunday. She’ll be performing a special four-hour back-to-back set with local star Sunju Hargun. The party runs from 3 to 11pm. Call (02) 119 3100.
More at http://Nakadia.com
This source first appeared on The Nation Life.