With the release of Mad Decent’s Blow Your Head Vol.2: Dave Nada Presents Moombahton and Ayres’ Moombahton mega-post we thought it’d be prudent to go straight to the source, the man who started it all, Dave Nada. Don’t forget to check out the comp and his chart on our digital site. Take it away PH…
Mr. Nada, man of many styles, for the uninitiated, please explain Moombahton, and how you came up with it.
Moombahton started off by me slowing down dutch & tropical house records to about 108 BPMs to sound like reggeaton’s weird little cousin. If it had an underlying “dem bow” riddim in it, then I would try slowing it down, feel it out and see if it was worth sampling/editing. I never forced ut though, didn’t want it to sound like shit. haha. Anyhow, I made about a dozen edits sampling tracks from cats like Afrojack, Edu K, Gel Abril, Sidney Samson, St Andrew & JFK, along with tons of reggaeton accapellas and added percussions to emphasize the groove and tropical vibe (for lack of better words). I definitely made the edits with a latin crowd in mind. Especially after seeing a group of teenage latin kids go crazy over it without even knowing what it was.
how did Lab’s Sabo get involved? does Sabo get lots of girls when he DJs in tank tops?
HAHA!! Sabo can pick up honeys while djing in a onesie. He can’t help it! Sabo got bit by the moombahton bug when he heard my “Punk Rock Latino” dub edit. I’ve been a fan of his music for years and it wasn’t until I invited him to dj my birthday party last summer at U St Music Hall for Tormenta Tropical that I got a taste of him live. He blew me away and so I asked him if he wanted to do the Moombahton Massive party with me. We’ve been bros ever since.
if you had to pick 5 track can’t fail moombahton mini-set, what would it be?
Dave Nada – “Moombahton” edit<
Munchi - "Sandungueo"
Alex Clare - "Up All Night" (Nadastrom Remix)
Dillon Francis - "Masta Blasta"
Datsik - "Firepower" (Munchi Remix)
do you find that you’ve been getting response from other DJs from places of the world you wouldn’t expect? do Blacks and Asians like Moombahton?
Yes, yes and yes! I’m blown by how global this thing has gotten. Crowds have been super mixed as well from cities all over North America. Plenty of blacks and asians bro!
how do you keep moombahton from becoming just another DJ trend?
Be open minded about it and not have an elitist attitude/approach.
i like how most of the moombahton remixes have been free for djs to download. is there any thought behind that?
Sign of the times man. It’s definitely a sharing generation these days. Initially, I gave a lot of my stuff away for free because they were so sample based and bootleg dj tools. I also think so many moombahton tracks are free now because there are popular platforms like soundcloud where producers can instantly put their music up and get instant feedback as well. The downside to that is a lot of times people’s tracks get lost in the mix, don’t get taken seriously, and never break the bootleg market. I still believe in buying music to help support artists and the labels and institutions that support them. Plus legit remixes can reach a lot further and have longer legs.
what gear are you using to make your tracks?
>Right now just Ableton Live 8 Suite and Logic.
what’s the best and worst parts about being a professional DJ?
Best is obviously traveling the world, playing your music to all kinds of crowds, making new friends, and earning a living doing what you love. The worst is the wear and tear of your body and loneliness. I lucked the fuck out because I usually tour with my partner in crime Matt Nordstrom of Nadastrom. I get so bummed when I play without him! haha.
what were you like in high school?
Punk/hardcore nerd. Maintained a 4.0 average so my parents wouldn’t give me shit for shaving my head and going to shows on a school night.
favorite places to eat
any kitchen where my mom, Jen Lasher, and Daniel Jungle Riddim are cooking. Oh and Higgins in Ocean City Maryland, my current fave. The best all you can eat crabs!!
5 top dj songs
right now…
1. Blawan – “Getting Me Down”
2. Adele & Jamie XX vs Cecile, Mr Lexx & Timberlee – “Rolling In the Heat” (The Heatwave Mix)
3. The Weeknd – “House Of Balloons” (Nadastrom Moombahton Edit)
4. Munchi – “Manolo No Coje Esa 60%”
5. Billy The Gent x Long Jawn – “Vibrate”
5 top listening songs / albums
1. Kool & The Gang – “Fruitman”
2. Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros – “Home” (Phi Edit)
3. The Weeknd – “House of Balloons” (album)
4. James Blake – s/t (album)
5. Pop Levi – “Never Never Love” (album)
word on the street is you like asian girls, true?
Hahahaha what?! Don’t know how that rumor started. There are all kinds of babes in the world, and mine has blonde hair, blue eyes, and a heart of gold.
Blow Your Head Vol.2: Dave Nada Presents Moombahton Digi-LP
Mad Decent Blow Your Head Shirt
