"A disgusting desire for more." In conversation with No Mana

Photography and interview by Christopher Brown

Thumping beats and deep synthesizers with sinuous sound effects takes us on a ride up and down in peaks and troughs. Playful, pure, nostalgic – the Los Angeles based producer and DJ No Mana has a rich palette of musical compositions which always builds tension for the listener.

We met up with the talented artist for a photo shoot and to talk about his plans for 2023, creative processes and photography as another hobby.

No Mana · No Mana – Space (ft. ill-esha)

We’re nearing the end of the year and you’ve had a busy one to say the least. What’s your most memorable moment from 2022?

A busy one – I felt that! Playing EDC Vegas (or even the whole weekend) this year was probably the most memorable moment on the music side of things. On the other hand, driving from Southern California to Big Sky, Montana for my manager and his now-wife’s wedding (congrats again) tops a lot of my experiences in life. The wedding was fantastic, of course, but I made a whole adventure out of stopping everywhere I possibly could to visit landmarks and hiking trails on the way. Out of all, Zion has to be the most beautiful stop.

Your last three singles on Monstercat have touched on concepts of nostalgia and elements of space and time. What made you pursue these themes? Did they play a role in your personal life?

I’m really sentimental on old memories as a person and it’s also where I draw most my inspiration; and as far as space and time goes I’ve always been fascinated by the vastness and physics of large-scale, almost unfathomable things. I can’t say I intentionally pursued a theme of the two; I probably just happened to unconsciously represent it in my music solely from being interested in it.

“I’m really sentimental on old memories as a person…”

You’re wrapping up your ‘LOUD MUSIC. FLASHING IMAGES.’ tour in which you had over 20 dates. Did you have a favorite stop? Do you find you’re more productive at home or on the road?

Yep. Honolulu always ends up being my favorite stop on any tour. Not only do I make a vacation out of it, but the energy the crowd gives there is unlike anywhere else I’ve played. Also, I’m definitely more productive at home because I always end up being a tourist in other cities. I also have an unhealthy dependence on my equipment in the studio.

What type of environment do you set out to create at your live shows?

I’m heavily focused on the audio-visual aspect of the set because that’s what I spend the most time on with this project. If it’s an intimate setting I like to make small interactions with the crowd. I’ve never touched the mic though – just isn’t me. Overall, the shows I feel like are half an A/V set (at least for the venues that provide projectors / panels), and half showing up and having an honest good time.

When it comes to your visual experience, we hear you’re the artistic mastermind. Do you have a different creative process when you’re making art vs. producing?

100% – I’d say one of the biggest differences in the two creative processes is how I start on an empty canvas. With music I begin with a pretty experimental method until something sounds cool and then I build off of that. Whereas with visual art, there’s a clear visual idea beforehand of what should be illustrated or animated.

Do you ever face writer’s block? How do you push past those barriers and continue to level up?

I haven’t faced writer’s block much (as in having consecutive days I’ve tried to make music and have nothing come out). I mean, I guess the ones I have are when I’m sitting in front of a screen and I’m not sure what to put down, which is usually solved promptly after I force myself to experiment with a sound no matter how bad it sounds (which is usually necessary to get the creativity running). If it’s something more serious I try to get out of the studio to do other tasks i.e. exercise, cook, and god forbid video games.

“I believe music is subjective and I’d want them to be impacted in their own way.”

As a fellow photographer, I heard you really got into photography this year. What inspired the hobby and what gear is in your arsenal?

Photography was actually another hobby of mine that came after pixel art, and before music. I stopped in high school, shooting sparingly afterwards. I got back into it when EDDIE and I were about to start the Electromag tour because it was either I spend some arbitrary amount of money on a photo/videographer for the tour (and then some for their flights), or I can spend less on my own equipment and learn (or relearn) how to do it ourselves. I ended up going with a Canon R6 which is supposed to be fantastic in low-light, and the lens that came with it was a 24-105mm f4. Of course, the gear acquisition syndrome (GAS) didn’t stop there. I currently have a 24-70mm f2.8, 14-24mm f2.8, an 85mm prime f1.8, a neat tripod from peak design, a video light, and a disgusting desire for more.

How do you want your music to impact your fans?

I don’t have a specific answer, really. I believe music is subjective and I’d want them to be impacted in their own way. However, a lot of my favorite music that I draw inspiration from when making music as No Mana, has this effect on me where it takes me back to a good memory, usually involving people. If I had to give an answer, I’d want my music to do the same to others.

What can we expect from No Mana in the New Year?

On the eve? A drunk No Mana. On the day? Probably a hungover No Mana. For the rest of the year? Hopefully not drunk all the time, but there’s a sound I wanna chase and I hope it makes it out of my brain to the masses.