When the Coronavirus shut us down, clubs and festivals ceased, and everyone was essentially forced inside with no definitive end in sight, DJ Times wondered: How is our tribe coping? How are DJs getting by?
So, we sent out our “Coronavirus Questionnaire” to DJ/producers from all musical genres to find out. During this period, DJ Times will continue presenting the questionnaire responses from talented music-makers from all over the world. Here’s our latest entry, this time from the West Coast, the emerging house act BOMBAYS (aka Nikhil Thakar).
What’s it like where you’re living? I live in Santa Monica on the west side in Los Angeles. It’s an amazing and beautiful place – surrounded by a rich nightlife, good food and the beach, of course.
Have you learned anything during the downtime? I’ve learned that it’s important to focus on a routine, even during a downtime. A routine helps build a flow into your life and helps with productivity and your overall well-being.
What are you doing now that’s ultimately constructive to your music life/career? For example, any releases during this period? My latest release is “Allure” on Thrive Music. Also, my debut EP, “Belief,” got signed by Insomniac’s house imprint, IN / ROTATION, and it came out last September. That was a huge stepping stone for me, as I was really able to hone in on my sound and provide a piece of work for the listeners out there. Also, I’ve been working really hard in the studio and am very stoked with the string of releases I got scheduled for rest of 2021.
In the studio, what’s your set-up? I got a pretty straight-forward set-up. My MacBook Pro runs Ableton Live 11, then I have the Yamaha HS8 monitors. As far as finalizing my mixes, I always use my Audio-Technica ATH-M50x headphones. In my opinion, they’re best flat-frequency-response headphones. Lastly, I use [u-he] Diva and [Xfer Records] Serum for pretty much all my sound design.
What’s your creation process in the studio? I work on new music and finalize mix-downs in the morning because my ears are always freshest right when I wake up. As far as producing goes, I’m always on the hunt for new and intriguing vocals. From there, I put together drums, bass and synths, and mess around until I get something that clicks.
What’s your typical DJ set-up? The go-to standard of Pioneer CDJ-2000NXS2 decks with the DJM-900NX2 mixer – super-solid and it works amazing every time.
What’s the most surprising thing you’ve realized during this period of social distancing? I realized how much I miss loud, pumping, house music. Nothing compares to experiencing music in person at a club, festival or anywhere with a solid set-up.
Have you done anything online recently? Have you seen any DJ video streams that impressed you? I’ve been pretty quiet online because we are working on finding the right moment to debut the first live show. As far as live streams go, ZHU has continued to impress and inspire me. He always finds innovative ways to build his performances during quarantine – the “I ADMIT IT EXPERIENCE: FW2020 + AFTERPARTY” was my favorite.
Any theme tunes recommended for the moment? Kyle Watson’s “Magic Carpet.”
Any advice on staying sane & relatively positive through this situation? Take breaks and do something different every now and then to keep the mind going.
To check out more Life in Lockdown interviews, click here.
DJ Times Magazine is copyright © 2021 by DJ Publishing, Inc. www.djtimes.com
