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DJs Make the World Go 'Round - Noah Pred
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- Filed in Music
- November 25, 2005
Last week we had DJ Noah and this week it's Noah Pred. A bit younger, a bit techier but with all the same drive to make you dance like no one's watching.
Vancouver residencies (past and present)?
In Vancouver - Chaos Theory, Soldiers of the Underground, TribalHarmonix, GSC. During my time in Montreal, I held down residencies at Stereobar and Les Folies.
First introduction to music?
Growing up, my parents played a lot of the Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, and reggae, such as Jimmy Cliff. As I grew older, my brother turned me on to classic funk records by James Brown, Sly and the Family Stone, and Parliament/Funkadelic. In my teenage years, these influences filtered into my musical outlets - four track recordings and a few rock bands I was playing bass in at the time. When I was sixteen, I attended my first rave in Victoria - where I distinctly felt that I had finally discovered the fusion of solid dance grooves with sonic experimentation that I'd been subconsciously seeking. Soon after, I bought my first synth workstation, and the rest is history.
Favourite all time party/set in Vancouver?
It's pretty hard to narrow it down to just one - there have been so many great moments. Playing the main stage at sunset for Under the Volcano in Cates Park back in 2000 was unforgettable. Some of the
early Soldiers of the Underground and Tribal Harmonix events had a really special vibe to them, and of course every time I play down at Deepen in the Lotus, I have a total blast.
Are you happy with the Vancouver scene?
Being primarily drawn to techno and tech-house sounds, I find Vancouver's music scene to be somewhat underdeveloped. Despite the many amazing world-class producers based here in town - such as Mathew Jonson, Konrad Black, and Ben Nevile to name a few - there's really not a lot of support locally. The two techno nights that were happening earlier this year - Kcuf Uoy @ Lick and Transmit @ the Marble Arch - both got shut down this summer. Back in 2001, I moved to Montreal to be in a city that had more to offer in terms of techno - nights, clubs, out-of-town guests coming through, record labels, etc. - and that was a great experience for me. Finally, I moved back to Vancouver last year, thinking that due to the recent upsurge in global recognition for local producers, there would be a lot more happening here for techno, electro and tech-house - but that assumption turned out to be wrong. Vancouver has such a beautiful location - which I find quite inspiring for music production - but in terms of an active nightlife scene for underground music, I'd have to admit I'm a bit underwhelmed these days. There's definitely a few crews holding it down though, and the New Forms Festival continues to push the boundaries of techno and media arts while bringing incredible talent such as Monolake and Deadbeat through town.
Why do you reckon the scene is smaller than other cities of Vancouver's size?
It's hard to say exactly - there's a lot of factors at play. Besides the nuances of Vancouver's arcane nightlife bylaws, it's always been primarily an extreme-sports oriented city. Vancouver seems full of
outdoor enthusiasts who spend all day kayaking, hiking, snowboarding, running, rollerblading, and cycling - which is fantastic, and of course super healthy. But by the time they get home in the evening, most of them probably just want to chill out with a movie or something, rather than head back out for more physical exertion. Compare that to a city like Montreal or Toronto, where the weather is much more oppressive, so people are stuck inside all day - and when night falls, going out to a club becomes the primary physical, social and emotional outlet for a lot of the people there. Vancouver has also relied quite heavily on its proximity to nature to make it an attraction, which I think has resulted in a certain laziness at the provincial and municipal levels as far as investing in cultural activity. If you look at other cities in Canada, there's a lot more support for their local arts scenes at all levels. I think the case has to be made to city council, in plain economic terms, that improving local nightlife will bring in revenue, create new jobs, and make the city even more of a destination hot-spot
than it already is.
Would you relocate as a DJ?
Well, I've done it before, so I guess anything could happen. Jay Tripwire is currently living in Los Angeles, and most of the other international artists who make Vancouver their home base - Tyler
Stadius and Mathew Jonson being perfect examples - are touring constantly. So as much as I love the lifestyle here, and will always want to return, sometimes you have to explore other places to grow.
What makes Vancouver the best city EVER?
What other major city in the world can call itself both West Coast and Canadian? The natural surroundings and the sushi are the two things I'll always come back for - and of course all the awesome people!!
Anything to add?
Visit www.noahpred.com for upcoming dates and downloadable mixes in the audio section. Also, keep an eye out for upcoming releases on my two labels: www.sentientsound.net & www.metapathrecordings.com
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