Taking advantage of the glorious Sous La Plage festival in downtown Paris, I spent my Sunday afternoon chilling to the sweet Pacific sounds of Dublab, the South California collective and webradio that regroups some of the most exciting artists America has to offer. Dublab were the special guests at this small free festival, and I had the opportunity to just walk up to two of my favourite artists and ask them questions (the interviews were reconstructed from notes, for lack of recording material; apologies to those concerned). In today’s installment, I talk with beatmaker-turned-songster Elvin Estela, who records under the name Nobody.

"Sous la Plage"? Well, the French say, "under the cobblestones, the beach"

Elvin is a busy musician; besides releasing three solo (but guest-laden) albums since 2000, he produces hip-hop records (lately the critically-acclaimed Busdriver LP) and is a sought-after remixer for acts such as the Shins, Mia Doi Todd, The Postal Service and Her Space Holiday (a compilation of his remixes, Revisions, Revisions, was released last year). Last year as well, we heard Nobody and Mystic Chords of Memory, a full-length collaboration with Californian psych-folk/pop singer Chris Gunst and his wife, which was a brilliant, out-there record.

Eardrums: Is it fair to describe your progression as a musician as gradually walking away from ‘traditional’ hip-hop beatmaking?
Elvin Estela: Yeah. You know, when I started, even on [debut album] Soulmates, I wanted to go against the grain of the hip-hop environment, even though I still had MC’s on the tracks. I’m purposedly walking away from all that, and now I have singers on my tracks. I like hip-hop and I like making beats, but not a lot of the rap lyrics that are out there; I believe that singing can convey a lot more emotion on a hip-hop track, and it’s fresh.
On Pacific Drift, my second record, was really me trying to figure out how to make songs, and collaborating with the singers.

Can you talk about the record with Mystic Chords of Memory? Was that a one-shot record, or do you plan on doing that again?
Elvin: Well, I’m definitely planning on making another one; that’s coming up. The thing is, Chris [Gunst] moved pretty far away, and he used to live close to me, so it’s a bit more complicated but we’re working on it.

Elvin and his band’s singer, Niki.

Would you be interested in collaborating with another artist for a whole record, like on N&MCM?
Elvin: Actually, the follow-up to Pacific Drift – well, it’s Pacific Drift Part 2 – I’m making it with Blank Blue, it’s really me with a singer and a drummer, as a band. It’s a concept record that I’m making with my friend Niki Landa, who sings on it. [Nobody's set on that afternoon, billed Nobody Presents Blank Blue, indeed included a band, and it was spectacular!]

A lot of your albums include cover songs, particularly Pacific Drift. Can you explain why you chose to include those (The Zombies’ "This Will Be Our Year", the Monkees’ "Porpoise song", etc.)?
Elvin: Well, there were four covers on that record, and that’s because I wanted songs but didn’t know how to write them. Actually, they’re all psychedelic music classics that I liked, and I could imagine the guests on my record singing those songs. On And Everything Else, there was a Flaming Lips cover ("What Is The Light"), that was preexistent; we recorded it for something else, a sampler thing, and it didn’t get picked, but I really wanted people to hear it so I put it on there.

The Dublab Echo Expansion Tour continues, with sets by Daedalus, Dntel, Dimlite, etc., and splendid deejaying by The Gaslamp Killer. If you’re in Barcelona, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Aarhus, Fribourg, Rome, Brussels or Berlin in the next two weeks, don’t miss out! Also coming up this week: my interview with Jimmy Tamborello of Dntel, (James) Figurine, The Postal Service, etc.!

Nobody presents: BANK BLUE – Peoplelectro (from the upcoming Pacific Drift … Western Water Music Volume 2, courtesy of Dublab)
Nobody and Mystic Chords of Memory – Broaden a New Sound (from the self-titled album, mp3 from SXSW)