Agent 818 - The Interview

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Agent 818 – Los Angeles, California
instagram.com/agent818_la
agent818.bandcamp.com
soundcloud.com/agent818
Traxsource & Beatport
True House LA, Cross Section, Sunrising Records, Emby, Full House Digital, Doin’ Work Records, Greenhouse Recordings, Bastos Bros.

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1. What’s your real name and DJ Name?
Nohe Gomez (Agent 818)


2. How did you get into DJing?
I started DJing at 15. In my early teens I was mesmerized by the sounds and lights at a quinceañera (a 15 year old girls bday party) that I had gone to. This was the early 90’s, the music that was in style at that time was Latin Freestyle and Electro. I was hooked after witnessing the DJ setting a vibe. I collaborated with a couple of friends from school that also had an interest in DJing. My partner’s uncle had an extra rig and let us borrow it to practice. We would all go to his house after school to practice spinning records until we got decks of our own. It became an obsession.


3. What inspired you to become a DJ?
My dad had a killer vinyl collection and always played unique tunes for me. He was really into John Lennon and the Beatles. My favorite records from his collection were the soundtracks he had collected. I was surrounded by music. The radio also helped to take my passion for music to the next level. I would stay up late to record shows on my cassette deck so I could hear them again later. Late night radio shows played underground and cutting edge music that was not played in the daytime, music that was non-top40. It was real music played by real DJs. Some of my favorite radio DJs were Richard Humpty Vision from PowerTools and Jason Bentley from Metropolis on KCRW.


4. What do you enjoy most about DJing?
DJing is my happy place. I think about producing when I DJ and I think about DJing when I produce. For me they go hand in hand, that’s why I create DJ friendly music. I really enjoy when I get to test out a new song I produced in a set. When I DJ I also love creating a third song while blending two songs together. This sort of transition is a beautiful craft to me. I grew up in the era of DJ battles where this type of craft was competitive. There is nothing more fulfilling to me than the art of the transition.


5. How would you describe your music style and what makes it unique?
Like James Brown said “It’s gotta be funky!”. I spin dance music. It’s like the late great Erick Morillo said, “play for the ladies and the guys will follow”. Music is a feeling and music has to be felt. In other words, you can hear music but you also have to feel it on a system. That’s why my style will always have hard kicks to it. It has to be bump’n. I lean towards an underground sound. I like to play cutz that have something unique and different about them. I play sounds that are not common or popular.


6. What has been your favorite gig or event to play at so far?
I used to coordinate a night out here in Los Angeles at a small lounge for a night called THERAPY. I got to direct the night and lineup. I brought in some of my favorite local talent. I was able to test tracks there with a crowd and a good sound system. It was a lot of work to organize but the payoff was well worth it because I made several great relationships and learned a lot about the business aside from just DJ’ing. I had to wear all the hats running that night. It was cool to setup the vibe by having certain DJs in the lineup to either open or close out the night. It was a lot of testing until we got a good formula down to retain a consistent monthly crowd. We really put our hearts into those nights.


7. Who are some of your biggest musical influences?
I was always surrounded by music and musicians. My dad plays the acoustic guitar and my family basically had a band. My uncles played guitar and keyboard and my grandpa played the accordion. Together they played Mexican Norteno music. Aside from following musicians I also had an appreciation for the aspect of recording music and designing sounds. I sought to learn how to record music as much as I did learning how to play it. I took several classes for recording music and studied with professional engineers. There are a lot of people that have influenced  me from behind the music in the recording arts as well, not just those performing in the spotlight. The funny thing about learning recording is that today I leave my mastering up to the professionals, I don’t mess with that! 


8. Can you tell us about any upcoming projects or releases you have coming up?
In 2023 I am working on collaborating with other artists to see what we can accomplish. I like to collaborate to learn from others. Teaming up with other talent brings in fresh elements to a track. I have been doing solo work recently but think it’s time to incorporate some fresh sounds into the mix. I have a collaboration with a vocalist and a few producers lined up for some exciting releases. I will also be hosting jam sessions in my home studio with some musician friends. I think something interesting should come out of that. I will release that as a side project.


9. How do you stay up to date with new music and trends in the industry?
I follow the right people to stay current. It takes following a lot of different people. New music comes from different sources so I have to spread my ears out to different places. I follow my favorite DJs and try to hear their latest mixes. Listening to mixes is a great source for new music when they are kind enough to provide their track listing. I listen to college radio KCRW a lot. I also have a circle of DJ friends that I keep in my network that will expose me to new gems. I keep in touch with heads of labels, social pages and trending streamers on Twitch. Sometimes a gem will come across from word of mouth from a random conversation with a friend. 


10. What advice do you have for aspiring DJs?
Play what you feel.


11. How do you think the role of a DJ has changed over the years?
I think DJs have a responsibility now. In the early stages of DJing the role of the DJ was to develop the craft itself by inventing style and technique. Now that the innovation phase has passed it is time to expose the good music that is out there. To play not the music that people want to hear but the music that they need to hear. A good DJ will push boundaries and play tracks that are rare or undiscovered gems. A DJ does their job when people ask for the name of that track. The track list must supersede the DJ’s reputation. Reputation is what would draw in a crowd before, now listeners are savvy and seek undiscovered sonic gold. 


12. How long have you been streaming on Twitch?
I am going on a two year journey now streaming on Twitch. It’s been a bumpy journey learning how to set the proper settings in Streamlabs. I really enjoy the friendships I have made through the platform. I have met many people just like me that have the same particular taste for Jackin House Music. I connected with the DJ’s and lurkers to establish a solid network with fellow househeads. I was fortunate to get record deals through Twitch by being at the right place at the right time. I also share my music all the time through Twitch whispers.


13. Who are your favorite Streamers and why?
I enjoy watching streams from people who do it for the love of music and don’t do it to gain attention. I enjoy watching streams from people who want to share their passion for good music. I appreciate those who take their stream to the next level and add creative scenes with cool backgrounds. I love when DJ’s acknowledge the audience and hear them out to include them into the stream. DJ’s like Heather who will play one of my songs when I share it with her. I dig taste makers like DJ Center who plays gems for their sonic beauty. I appreciate people that share insight via the platform like MoJaxx. I follow people on there that use the platform creatively to sell the tracks they spin like Bobby Hudson. I have massive respect for those who contribute to the community by hosting DJ’s on their channel or organizing Raid Trains like Ric Viera, Frank Amodo, MrLatinHouse and FrankieB. I have massive respect for the A&R streamers who also run labels like Chris Simmonds which I was fortunate to connect with.


14. Did covid and recent lock-downs influence you to start streaming on Twitch?
I believe the  lock-downs only fast forwarded what was already going to happen. Twitch is a brilliant way to connect people that are continents apart. The DJs that are not streaming on Twitch or any other platform are falling behind. This is the future. This is how DJs will stay relevant or get left behind.


15. Anything else you want to add? Good time to shamelessly promote yourself.
This year I will venture into live music performing and recording. Look out for collaboration projects from myself together with some really talented producers. I plan on releasing vinyl this year or finalizing the tracks towards a record. Keep an eye on my bandcamp for new content. I also plan on playing out on the road this year for some live events. Streaming may take a back seat to accomplish these goals but I will always be near.