In the diverse world of electronic music, DJ and music producer Nonduality stands out for his evolutionary and creative journey, from his early days producing dubstep to his move to Berlin in 2015.
Nonduality has continually redefined his sound and artistic vision.
With a name inspired by meditation and the pursuit of inner peace, Nonduality fuses influences from house, techno and more to create a deep and diverse sonic experience. Today, we delve into the mind and music of Nonduality, exploring his creative process, inspirations and the vibrant community he’s found and built in Berlin.
Hello Nonduality! How are you?
It’s going well! I’ve had some quiet time between festivals so I’ve been chilling out, writing lots of songs and spending quality time with friends. Thank you so much for inviting me!
Firstly, can you tell us how you got into electronic music? Do you remember what first drew you to the genre?
One of my best friends in high school introduced me to a music blog called Musigh, which had a wide selection of indie and electronic tracks. Around the same time, my friends started making Call of Duty montages set to Musigh songs as well as dubstep tracks. This was the coolest thing for me as a suburban high school student in 2009. After a while, I thought “I can do this too” and started making my own dubstep tracks. My style changed a lot, but I haven’t let go of electronic production since.
What is the origin of the name “Nonduality”?
For me, non-duality represents a state of extreme peace and clarity. I moved to Berlin alone in 2015 to work at Native Instruments, but had no connections in the city. A combination of unaddressed social anxiety and the naivety common in youth left me struggling to take care of myself. That’s when I discovered meditation, which helped me deal with my social anxiety and sometimes cured it completely. Meditation is still very dear to me, and I can’t think of a more beautiful thing to dedicate my music to!
Can you explain your musical background and how it influences your sound as Nonduality?
That’s a good question. One of my earliest memories is dancing to “The Ballad of John and Yoko” by The Beatles as a little girl with my mom and sister. Few things have had as big a hit as The Beatles, even today. Their music is instantly recognizable and catchy, but also dynamic and soulful. I try to emulate that in my own work.
My dubstep days live on through my love of sound design. The world of synthesizers and digital processing is now so powerful it’s unimaginable. I feel I’ve only just scratched the surface of what’s possible and keep coming back to explore deeper.
How would you describe your sound? Is there a particular style that inspires you the most?
One word to describe my sound is eclectic. There’s so much great music out there and I always want to make what I find most exciting at the moment. I move between a lot of different genres: deep house, garage, techno, breakbeat, electro, and lately I’ve been itching to make some jungle.
Before, I was nervous about establishing a certain style, but now I understand that everyone has their own sound in their music, and it will come out whether they want it or not. I usually aim for groove, depth and beauty. Besides that, variety makes things more fun. That’s why I produce.
How do you see the future of electronic music evolving, and where do you see yourself in it?
Another good question – electronic music is such a broad subject that I can’t claim to have a holistic view of it – one trend I’ve noticed is that as it’s become easier to produce and DJ, it gives more authority to collectives and niche groups to do their own thing.
In that sense, I’ve loved the Berlin community. I’ve had such a great time collaborating with so many great producers, working as a mixing and mastering engineer, and having parties in the park with my studio friends. It’s also an honor to see labels and listeners resonating with my music, and I plan to get more involved in it in the future.
Originally from California, you’re now based in Berlin. Tell us about the Berlin music scene and how has the Berlin culture influenced your sound, musical journey and career?
Coming from a small suburb of San Jose, the music scene here is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before: clubs and public spaces are constantly opening up, making it feel like there’s a place for everyone, and the house and techno scene is very rich and aesthetically stunning.
Music is my favorite way to connect with people, so I’m grateful to have so many musicians in the city, and I can’t tell you how much the community I’ve found here has impacted my mental health.
Tell us about your collaboration with the Whale Song Society collective and your close friends. What inspired you to create this collective and what are your future goals together?
Whalesong Society is a collective founded by studio mates Hawt Coco, Chirop, Eva van Dijk and myself. Releasing on a label can be a long process, with songs sometimes not being released until a year or more after they’re finished. We created Whalesong Society as a platform to release music quickly and share what feels fresh and exciting with our audience.
We’re also having small parties with friends in public parks in Berlin. We plan to keep it intimate and friendly and expand our community. If you’re interested in joining, hit us up on IG @whalesongsociety.
Can you tell us a bit about your creative process? What is your workflow like when producing a new track?
Over the years I’ve found some tools to be particularly deep and inspiring: the Elektron Analog Rytm, Make Noise 0-Coast, and the Empress Echosystem. I love working on ideas with hardware, especially when collaborating. It’s so much fun to jump around the studio, tinkering and seeing what sounds I can get out of my favorite gear. They feel like old friends now.
I’ve also found that my best work often comes when I focus on the initial arrangement on the day the idea comes to me – I often find myself drifting off in between sessions, so I try to wait until I’ve come up with something that feels less perfect but still complete before I start writing.
What plans do you have for upcoming releases and collaborations?
I have a collaborative EP with my studio mate Chirop coming out soon which I’m really excited about. Chirop is one of my favourite people and this EP is more techno-leaning than anything I’ve done before. It’ll also be released on my friend Nein oh Nein’s label Raumer 9, which is the label I’ve been releasing on. I also have a collab with Whalesong Society coming up, as well as a vinyl mix series that Chirop and I are developing. It all feels like a big step forward aesthetically and I’m really excited to share it with you all.
As we wrap up this interview, we’d like to thank Nonduality for sharing his insights and experiences. His journey through electronic music, combined with his dedication to sound design and community building, serves as a continuous source of inspiration and demonstrates his passion for music production. We look forward to hearing more of his innovative tracks and seeing Whalesong Society continue to grow. In the meantime, follow him on social media to find out more about his upcoming releases and upcoming projects.
Non-Duality Online
Spotify | Instagram | Website
