On a cold Night in Tribeca, Nima Yamini and his crew at Avenue A Soundcheck brought together a variety of artists to give us an amazing experience. When asked about how he has set his label apart, he answered with.”I’m an artist and I wish to support artists. I’m an entrepreneur first but I ‘m an artist as well.”
The event was hosted by the Aksel Loft at its exquisite location on Walker Street in TriBeca. The high ceilings and tall walls provided ample space for the artwork of ‘Another Motive’ aka Jordan Betten, Hanksy and Matthew Rowean to be displayed. The Bangin Beats team was welcomed by the bass infused beats of the enterprising DJ, magazine and record label owner, Ilirjana Alushaj, also know by her DJ name, Ille, who started off the night with some uplifting bass that got the crowd in the right mood. We will be featuring her and a little chat we had with her in an upcoming artist article soon. The audience present seemed to be a healthy mix of people in the industry as well as those that the promotions had lured to the event.
Ilirjana Alushaj AKA DJ Ille
Trap music has its roots in hip-hop, dubstep and dub. This was evident in the set that Yamini played as he started off with two tracks by Flosstradamus and then brought some old school and recent hip hop tracks to the floor. This drove the crowd wild and for us music enthusiasts who have an interest in various genres and how they co-mingle, it was a treat to watch him move between some heavy bass and the gangsta rap rhymes we have learned to enjoy through the likes of Tupac, Dr. Dre and 2Chainz.
Fortunately for us we were able to take away Nima Yamini before his set for a quick chat about his background, his label and what the future holds for him.
First things first, we want to thank Nima Yamini and Avenue A Soundcheck for inviting The Bangin Beats here, it was an amazing experience to see various art forms come together.
Q). Trap music happens to be a relatively new genre introduced in the music scene, being someone that lives and breathes the genre, where do you see the genre in the next 5 years?
Nima: I think with trap, it reminds me of what hip hop was in the 90’s. It’s a new sound with a very explosive element. People will either get it or won’t, but I don’t think it’s going to be mainstream or commercial. I think that because electronic music is bigger, it is open to a wider audience and even the sub niches are going to be bigger. I personally still listen to all genres of music, I think that trap will do well for the next 5-10 years; I think it’s going to get bigger and get into more sub genres within trap. People say that dubstep for example has died off, but I think it’s just as strong. It’s just the sound (that is changing) and a lot of night clubs put DJs and don’t quite understand electronic music so for example they’ll put Richie Hawtin in the same place as Avicii, or if you follow hip hop, that’s like booking Mos Def when you are booking 2chainz.
Q). We are very curious to know how you came up with the idea behind Avenue A Soundcheck? What sets it apart from other upcoming labels?
Nima: Basically what I decided to do was create a music scene; well there already is a music scene here in New York. What I really wanted to do was be a curator of the mixture and make sure it’s going in the right decision because I saw a gap. There were a lot of people but there wasn’t someone really doing something with emerging artists and I really had a passion to do that. I’ve done this 27 times in 10 months. For example, if you see the lineup tonight, I didn’t just book 3 girls that just learned how to DJ at a model school. Each person knows how to play at least one instrument, if not more. I myself play two instruments, but every person is well trained to be a musician before they entered EDM. I personally like hip hop music too. I like electronic and hip hop as well. I’m working on an indie/rock album. You know what I mean? I play Middle Eastern traditional folk. My father played the sitar and the piano.
Q). What instrument did you play? How has it helped you?
Nima: I played the ‘Tombak’. My father played the sitar and the piano. Some of these guys aren’t doing it for novelty. People have tried to mimic me in the past, several times, but failed. You know why? Because it was a gimmick, and if you don’t really love it, you can’t go 5 shows, lose money and still bring the same passion and intensity every day.
Q). Being a music portal from a place like India, we couldn’t help but notice the sound of the instruments you used in Shiraz Riots, what is your take on Indian instruments like Sitar and the Tabla? Do you see yourself incorporating these instruments in your tracks?
Nima: You know what it is, it’s that there were some hip hop producers that copied it and spit it out like a novelty. For me it’s not a novelty, I want to continue. I have a lot of respect for India, my uncle went to school in India. But the thing with me is that I’m Persian, so like the sitar is a familiar instrument. I find that particular kind of music beautiful. I can listen to that music for the rest of my life and I feel that there are people in other parts of the world that really enjoy the beauty of it too. But do I think all my songs will have those elements? No. There’s not going to necessarily be any pattern but I’ll continue to do that. I’m not going to jump to do an Avicii If everyone else does it. I’m not jumping on fads so to speak, because eventually the fad dies out and I want to do what I love for the next 20 years. I’m not jumping on any bandwagons.
Q). So currently if you had to name a few, who are some of your biggest influences in the music scene? Is there anyone in particular that you used to look up to or still admire?
Nima: I really liked Tupac Shakur. I just liked him because I felt like he was really good. As far as electronic, I really like Diplo and also Flosstradamus.
Q). In a city like New York, how were you able to throw these awesome parties that you have been recognized for? What was the biggest challenge?
Nima: You know that it is? We did it for 20 weeks and we might do it again. The New York Post gave us the best Mondays, (in the summer of 2012). The reason that happened was because of passion. It’s just hard if you’re not really passionate about what you’re doing. The money won’t justify how much you have to work. If you just want to make money, just go work on Wall Street. You know what I mean? Sometimes you hear people say that they are a hustler, hustling and making music. I come from an era where it’s like making music is hustling. To me, it’s an art. I’m an artist and I support artists. I’m an entrepreneur first, but I support artists. This isn’t hustling for me, but pursuing something through my passion.
Q). We spoke about Shiraz Riots, and we also heard about your upcoming EP called Desert Fusion. What’s happening with that? Can you give us a timeline on release?
Nima: Yeah I have one artist that I’m working with very closely and I’m executive producing his album. We’re talking to some major labels for distributions. So my album is going to come out this year but I just have so much I’m working on at the moment. We also have our one year anniversary and you guys are welcome to come. One year takes a lot out of a person you know, a lot of sacrifices had to be made.
Q). Do you potentially see this Trap music entering a market like India down the road?
Nima: That’s a good question! I was in Tehran, Iran in 2003, and remember seeing people driving and you know what song they were playing? 50 cent’s “In da club”. I was so amazed by that. So I think that what will happen is that some cities that are more metropolitan that have more of a diverse crowd, will listen to it and if they like it, it can grow. Goa is a huge music destination in India right? I’m sure it will be there in some form. The genre of electronic is so broad, that I’m sure that a country that has a billion people will have many that like it and many that don’t.
Q). Last question, it is something that is close to all of us at The Bangin Beats. What would you say is the best piece of advice or feedback for EDM portals coming from a country like India? What would you like to share?
Nima: I think you guys are ahead of the curve in New York doing this. This is basically the cutting edge in music, you wouldn’t think it but it really is. All these DJ’s have been on radio like me or Ille. She just came out with collaborations with Bassnectar, one of her artists also has the same team as Skrillex and you wouldn’t know that unless I told you. All these artists playing tonight are all passionate; they are the type of people that you never know but may be big in 5 years time.
TBB: Well thank you so much for taking the time to speak with us. Have a great night ahead!
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