NOBODY
There's something so refreshingly anti-rock star about an artist who names himself "Nobody." Enter the psychedelic and obviously modest world of Los Angeles' Elvin Estela, who stares intently past genre lines to meld together hip hopt/turntablism, psych rock, and experimental elements, as heard on his latest album, Pacific Drift. Named 'Best DJ' by the L.A. Weekly, we felt it was time you got to know him.
No Cover: As a self-claimed 'vinyl junkie', what's your record store behavior like? What sorts of records do you dig for?
Nobody. Right now I'm still heavy into diggin' up '60s psych and pop records. There just seems to be so much out there to still uncover, and although they may not be as insane as some of the classics that have popped up, there is always some sort of overly psychedelic records that were just brain piercing, i.e. the Creation, the Attack, things like that. Now we know that sound is well picked, so we can move on psychedelia that is more on the mellow side, i.e., The Millennium, Sagittarius, Beach Boys. I also still gather up lots of jazz like Pharaoh Sanders, Sonny Sharrock, and things like that. Stuff is so expensive these days, so my pickings are few but I try to make them special.
NC: What appealed to you about the alias "Nobody?" – were you a middle child, by chance?
Nobody: I am an only child, maybe that explains a lot. I guess I like the anonymity of it. It's not really attached to anything specific, so it could represent any sort of artist, not just a hop-hop or electronic sort of name.
NC: What was your favorite part about making your new album, Pacific Drift?
Nobody: Working with the singers and live players. I was a bit worried when I started this thing, nervous that I wouldn't be able to pull off the singers-on-sampled-beats thing because all my samples are so dissonant. It's tough to get a turntable in perfect pitch. Luckily, everyone was pro enough to work with all the weird sample nuances, especially on "Porpoise Song," where Chris really dug on the dissonance and played off of it. Everyone was really so helpful and I'm really thankful that I got to work with these great folks. It was just fun to work with other people since I'm usually alone in my bedroom staring at a small sampler and a computer. Having people over to collaborate from point one is awesome.
NC: If you had to dedicate the entire album to one person or other artist/group, who would get the honor?
Nobody: The record is dedicated to Mary Hansen of Stereolab and Sophia Clare Andrew Larson, a loved one.
NC: What's your favorite off-the-wall sorta record that you like to seduce the crowd with now and again?
Nobody: A cover of Brian Eno's St. Elmo's Fire done by Uilab, which is a collaboration between Stereolab and Ui. There are four different versions on one 12", so I like to throw it in different sets because people will remember the melody. It's playable in different tempos. Lots of fuzz in most versions but there are two where the beat is massive and hits really nice. Plus, it's Stereolab.
NC: What track on Pacific Drift speaks to you the most? Why?
Nobody: "This Will Be Our Year." I had a blast making it and we all worked hard to get that song right. There is also that uplifting emotion although it is a bit somber. It just sounds the most balanced.
NC: If you had 5 minutes open airtime on TV or Radio, or a quarter page in a magazine/newspaper for a rant – what would you say?
Nobody: I would tell people to listen to everything, not just one thing. It seems that the next generation of kids to do interesting music will be blown open to so much because of how easy it is get information and hear music. If we can hear everything without bias and dig on all kinds of things, music would take strange turns. I think it's happening now with commercial hip-hop artists going in more of a left direction like Outkast and N.E.R.D.
NC: What is "sunnier" about Pacific Drift than Soulmates? Are you generally in a better mood these days?
Nobody: The mood doesn't seem as dark and mysterious. That is an emotion that I used to love in music a few years ago, and it seemed to have been the overall mood of things for a while. I guess I am happier these days, but I like to feel lifted up and happy when I hear music, that's what I get from groups like the Flaming Lips and Polyphonic Spree….it makes me feel good to breathe.
NC: What instruments do you play, if any, or what is one that you want to learn?
Nobody: I took piano lessons when I was young, although I forgot a lot of it. I've been teaching myself guitar for 2 years.
NC: What, besides making music, has got you smiling right now?
Nobody: The Millennium. They are this 60's Los Angeles supergroup that sings the most beautiful music imaginable. I interviewed Joey Stec on my weekly psychedelic radio show and he was amazing. He was really charming, with a memory like a hawk. They were really conceptual from the beginning and they experimented just as much as the Beatles with recording technology. Their album is A class from beginning to end. Also, my new cat, Vashti, is awesome.
NC: How did you feel about getting nominated as Best DJ in LA Weekly?
Nobody: I thought it was funny since I can only mix for about 5 seconds before it all falls apart.