Beginning his DJing journey as a young child, Nonfiction has continued his grind to create varied sounds on the dance floor and perform with unique styles that are unparalleled. Hip Hop, Classic Rock, Funk, and Reggae—all of which have contributed to his own flare of music creativity, have earned his achievement of playing at some of the top-tier festivals and venues such as Coachella, EDC, Beyond Wonderland, Lightning In a Bottle, Ocaso Festival (Costa Rica), Exchange LA, Sound Night Club, as well as holding down an 18-year old residency with the legendary Focus OC. Collaboration-wise, Nonfiction has also worked side-by-side with some of the most unforgettable names in the game including Green Velvet, DJ Sneak, Doc Martin, Honey Dijon, Gene Farris, Cajmere, and Mark Farina.
Now, after charting#21 on Beatport’s Top 100 in the Tech House category with his track, “What You Want“, Nonfiction has been on the move again with his recent track “Hands on His Own” which released on RVDIOVCTIVE ‘s fourth V/A album RVDIOVCTIVE VOL. 4. This fourth compilation series concluded 2022 off to a great end by featuring 14 new and exclusive tracks from label regulars and newcomers alike. As one of the regulars, Nonfiction graces the album with track #6 “Hands on His Own” which incorporates raw house cuts and bouncing groovy bass lines that will take you back to the sounds of classic house and techno from Chicago and Detroit.
Now Joining 6AM, Nonfiction shares his authentic experience of finding the underground scene as a young child, performing at multiple festivals/venues, his care-free creative approach towards his recent track “Hands on His Own”, how his collaborations are centered around comfortability, and friendships, charting #21 in the Tech House category with his track “What You Want” on Beatport’s Top 100, and lastly, sharing what’s to come soon for his projects and collaborations for 2023. “Hands on His Own” is now available to purchase on Beatport.
Buy ‘RVDIOVCTIVE VOL. 4’ V/A Album
Thanks for joining us Nonfiction. We’re glad to have you on to get to know you better and the creative mindset behind your projects and collabs. Tell us how you found your calling into the scene.
Hey guys! Big fan of 6AM—you guys are true purveyors of the underground and a very well-respected entity here in SoCal and worldwide! Shoutout to Jia and the Squad!
Once upon a time, I was a rave kid who had his head in the speakers every weekend at parties. Eventually, I started discovering and gravitating toward more serious/underground music. At this point, I knew that I had an affinity towards underground sounds and vibes. I come from the school of Doc Martin, Sneak, Mark Farina, Derrick Carter, DJ Heather, and Honey Dijon—VERY underground, VERY Chicago (the Mecca), and well-respected artists. Once I got exposed to them I knew that this was the lane I wanted to be in. I used to daydream of working with them in some sort of capacity or at least have them play my tracks. Luckily, I’ve been able to do this with most of them; they’re my “forever heroes”.
“I was a rave kid, once upon a time, who had his head in the speakers every weekend at parties. Eventually, I started discovering and gravitating toward more serious/underground music. Luckily, I’ve been able to work with most of my “forever heroes”.
Nonfiction became set on achieving his goals and interests.
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Speaking of the scene, you’ve performed at some amazing festivals such as Coachella, EDC, Beyond Wonderland, Lightning In a Bottle, and Ocaso Festival (Costa Rica). You also play regularly at Exchange LA, and Sound Night Club, and have even held down an 18-year residency with Focus OC. These are impressive accomplishments. Can you share with us your journey of how you came to perform at these venues and your 18-year residency with Focus OC? Any unforgettably fun moments you’d like to share?
Thank you. Honestly, I have been super blessed over the years and I take nothing for granted because I’ve never had the attitude that anyone owes me anything. Any gigs or opportunities are a blessing. I’m still a fanboy at heart of House, Techno, my favorite artists, and my favorite events/parties. I attended EDC, Coachella, and Lighting In a Bottle as a fan and dreamt of playing for them for many years before ever being booked. I’m very lucky to have played some of these events multiple times, and it’s always an honor to play any event big or small. Lots of hard work, networking, producing music, DJing as much as possible, and having a fan base that comes out to see me play have definitely helped with the bookings. It’s important to understand that being a talented or amazing artist isn’t enough—you need to help bring people and promote the events you’re playing at and show the promoters that you have value to add to their shows.
“I’m very lucky to have played some of these events multiple times, and it’s always an honor to play any event big or small. I have been super blessed over the years and I take nothing for granted.”
Nonfiction always counts his blessings with every acheivement.
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Photo by: @DJNonfiction (via Instagram)
The 18 years with Focus and Josh Billings have been some of the best years of my life. We’ve shared a vision, and even when we haven’t always agreed on things, at the end of the day, we’ve just wanted what’s best for “Focus” and our crowd. My favorite memory was a show we did on a rooftop many years ago—all of a sudden, it started to rain. I remember Josh, a few friends and I holding up a tarp over the DJ and equipment and we kept the party going—everyone was dancing in the rain; it was the best vibe I’ve experienced with Focus—it was magical.
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On the topic of music, let’s get into your recent release “Hands on His Own” which was on RVDIOVCTIVE’s fourth V/A RVD004. How did you and the label come to find each other for this single? What was the creative process that went behind making “Hands on His Own”?
“Hands on His Own” is actually my second release with RVDIOVCTIVE so they were already familiar with me and my work. This was one of those “unplanned sessions” where I just stepped up to the computer and was like: ”Hey, let’s make a techno track”. I made it for fun and never thought it would be released. Mainly done in the box, but also used my semi-modular Korg Ms 20 which added a lot of the magic—that’s the thing about Devon James and the RVDIOVCTIVE team, they don’t really release “obvious” music or hits, they dig deeper and that’s what I love about them.
“I made it for fun. “Hands on His Own” is actually my second release with RVDIOVCTIVE so they were already familiar with me and my work. I just stepped up to the computer and was like: ”Hey, let’s make a techno track”, and I made it for fun.”
Nonfiction approached his project with a positive and carefree mindset.
Photo by: @DJNonfiction (via Instagram)
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As for the track “Hands on His Own”, can you share with us where the inspiration for the title came from?
It’s kind of a play on words with the term, “in your own hands”—like, your life and a lot of your destiny are in your own hands. I wanted something dark, hypnotic, and therapeutic for people to vibe and dance to. I’m a house DJ/producer, but I love raw techno!
Before we wrap up, we got to give you another shout-out for charting #21 on Beatport’s Top 100 in the Tech House category alongside your collab with Doc Martin on the track “What You Want.” How did you two work so well for this project to hit the Tech House charts? Can you share any tips on what DJs should look out for or avoid when it comes to having a smooth collaboration with another artist?
Thanks guys, this was one of those opportunities that I had to work with, with one of my OG heroes and friends! Doc Martin is the definition of underground to me, so it was a huge honor, but more importantly lots of fun! We were both playing Ocaso Festival in Costa Rica a few years ago. We were watching Jamie Jones playing some heavy tribal stuff and I turned to Doc and said: “Hey man, let’s work on some music when we get back—this is the type of stuff I want to make with you!” He agreed, and when we got back to LA we had multiple studio sessions and knocked out “What you Want”—we even had his wife Lilia (rest in peace) lay down the vocals. It was an amazing experience that I will treasure for the rest of my life.
We worked well together because each of us has our strong points. I’m pretty good at the technical aspect, and Doc’s musicality is through the roof. He laid down that HUGE bass line using my Moog Sub 37. The key is to work with someone you enjoy being around. I’ve DJ’d with Doc a million times over the years, but I feel just as comfortable hanging out watching TV with him on my couch as well. We all have studio sessions with people and sometimes things don’t work out. There’s no real way to know for sure if the magic will happen, but when it does, it’s worth it. Work with anyone you can, even if it doesn’t work out you can at least learn some new tips and tricks from each other worst case.
“I’ve DJ’d with Doc a million times over the years, but I feel just as comfortable hanging out watching TV with him on my couch as well. The key is to work with someone you enjoy being around, and even if it doesn’t work out you can at least learn some new tips and tricks from each other worst case.”
As an artist, comfortability can bring about creativity with the right group of people.
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Since we’re now in 2023, are there any upcoming projects that you’re excited to work on for this new year?
I’m constantly working on music and making edits for my favorite DJs to play out (Honey Dijon, Derrick Carter). I also have an upcoming release on Gettoblaster’s label, Aliens on Mushrooms that I’m really excited about. Of course, hoping to do more releases with RVDIOVCTIVE as well.
Connect with Nonfiction: Website丨SoundCloud丨Facebook丨Twitter丨Beatport丨Instagram
