Lohrasp Kansara opens up about main influences, latest single ‘Underworld’ and more: Interview

Hello and thank you for joining us! Could you give us a little insight on the main inspirations/influences that led to your chosen career pathway in music?

I started as a Hip-Hop DJ under the name DJ L in 2003 so, my influences at that time were some of the biggest Hip-Hop DJ’s such as my good friend DJ Suss One from New York. I first wanted to be a Hip-Hop producer actually, but after studying some of my favorite Hip-Hop producers such as Swizz Beatz, Timbaland, Dr. Dre & DJ Premier, I realized they were all DJ’s before being producers. So the reasons I became a DJ were because I wanted to follow their path and learn as many aspects of Hip-Hop records as I could as a DJ before actually starting to produce Hip-Hop beats, and because I loved 90’s Hip-Hop and R&B so much. Eventually, many years after, I went into Open Format as I started to enjoy more and more playing different styles of music during my sets. During that time, my favorite part of the night was when I was able to play House Music and the beginning of EDM. I fell in love with Swedish House Mafia, Bob Sinclar, Daft Punk and David Guetta. I started to travel to Ibiza during the summer around 2012 and really studied the House Music culture and world, and instantly fell in love with it. I loved to see people go crazy when they heard their favorite artists/DJ’s and I was mesmerized when I saw these incredible nightclubs with sound and light systems that were out of this world. What inspired me the most was that these DJ’s were also artists and played their own music. That’s when I knew that I wanted to become a House Music artist. I love what the music stands for so much. Unity, love, compassion, and a ton of energy.

Constantly on the rise, we would like to know the significance of diversifying your style of play, as well as the go to genres that have helped shaped your signature sound over the years?

My sound is very simple. I don’t really have a sound per se. I am someone who is very very educated musically. In my 19 year-long career, I have played close to 6000 parties and I can play Hip-Hop, Latin Music (Reggaeton), Dancehall, EDM, Tech House, Afro House, Melodic Techno, Techno, and even Ol’ School Music almost equally well. My mother is a professional classical pianist, so I get inspired in so many ways that I can’t even keep up. However, I make sure to always have some similarity in all my records. They all either need to be as cinematic as possible since I am an actor and my biggest passion in the world is acting and movies and storytelling, or they need to make you want to dance and throw your hands in the air and go crazy, or they need to be emotional and touch your soul in the deepest way possible with sounds, melodies, and vocals that are very creative and unique. I try as much as possible to use real instruments in my records where I can, and I try my best to have original vocals and no samples. I will say that currently, my favorite genre to produce is Afro House. But that changes almost every day.

Having performed more than 5000 shows in over 40 countries, we would like to know the overall feeling when having your music recognised on the largest of scales, as well as how rewarding this kind of recognition can be for yourself and artists in general?

There is absolutely no feeling that can compare to the one you get when the crowd goes crazy to your own record. It’s the best reward to know that what you made has touched many people. When I make my records, I of course make them for me first, but I also make them for the world to love and enjoy. It doesn’t really give me much satisfaction if I am the only person who loves my records, and I spend such a long time making them. I try to pay attention to all the minor details. My acting coach Susan Batson (who is one of the top acting coaches in the world and coached huge actors like Nicole Kidman, Jamie Foxx and so many other actors) once said: “God is in the details”. The difference between good and great is in the small details. Especially in art, like music and acting.

Sharing the stage with some of the biggest names within the dance scene, could you give us an insight on the experience gained when looking to adapt your style of play, as well as any advice that you have been offered and has helped enhance your career and outlook on music as time has progressed?

Sharing the stage with big names is always an honor but can be also challenging. At least in a nightclub, (at a festival, it’s very different) because you understand that you are the support. Your job is to get the room to a nice level of energy without crossing a certain threshold, as the main act of the night is the artist that should take the energy to the highest level possible. And I play with so much energy and passion that it’s very challenging for me to contain myself but I think I’ve done a pretty good job so far, because I’ve never had any big names complain about my sets, and they always give me a ton of compliments before they get on to play themselves. Kryder, one of my favorite producers, and once upon a time my mentor, told me to always remember to enjoy the journey. One of my biggest dreams is to play on the mainstage and the fact that I’m not there yet disappoints me at times but I always remember what he told me which is to enjoy the journey. Other big names have told me to stay true to myself and be different. I’ve been told often that it’s not a good idea for me to produce Afro House and Tech House and Progressive House and release all tracks in all genres under the same name, but I decided that will be who I am. Someone who is very versatile and creative and educated musically. After all I will always consider myself a DJ and performer first and then a producer. And as a DJ, I love many styles of music. I mean, my biggest dance music heroes are Swedish House Mafia and my favorite artist of all time is Michael Jackson.

Having amassed tons of streams and charting for a variety of your tracks, we would like to know how success has impacted you as an artist, and whether your motivation levels have risen as a result of the recognition gained by each of your releases?

I am incredibly motivated and one of my biggest idols of my life is Kobe Bryant (I moved from Geneva, Switzerland, to New York at age 14 by myself to pursue my first dream which was to be a professional basketball player and play in the NBA) and I live by the “Mamba Mentality” way of life. My work ethic is brutal and intense and very few can sustain it. The more success I get, the more motivated I become. I want to leave a huge legacy. But the biggest of all is to inspire many people to never give up on their dreams. My close friends and family called me the “alien“ because I work over 90 hours a week and I haven’t had a vacation in 16 years and I just don’t take any days off. My careers and dreams are my life which is why I live by this saying “The dream is alive”. Which has gotten pretty well known now.

 

Talking about your productions and certified hits, we would like to congratulate you on the release of ‘Underworld.’ Could you give us an insight on the main thought process behind the production of the track, as well as the overall inspiration that helped in its creation?

It’s quite simple. During the lockdown, I fell in love with what David Guetta and MORTEN were doing. They were killing it in a very special and creative way. They knew, like I knew, that clubs and festivals would re-open eventually and they would be massive since the world was deprived of those for so long. However, I wanted to make a track that was inspired by their sound in a special way, but with my own touch. And I play so many big clubs, and I dislike when I lose energy on the dancefloor during big breaks of silence or no percussion or no vocals. I decided to do a hybrid of Tech House with a little touch of Future Rave and ‘Underworld’ was born. First I had a singing vocal, and I sent it out to some big names for feedback and to some labels and almost everyone thought it was too commercial and felt it needed something more underground. So then I realized that it needed a talking or rapping vocal, and I went through 5 vocalists during that process. But it was my good friend The Kid Daytona who nailed it. His writing skills are out of this world and his voice is truly unique.

Selecting The Kid Daytona as the perfect vocal match for your production, we would like to know the overall feel of working alongside one of New York City’s most well-renowned rappers, as well as the close relationship that you both share, with you also based in New York?

That’s probably the most special aspect of ‘Underworld.’ The fact that my good friend is the vocalist and I can introduce him to the House Music world. He is such a talent. I want the world to know his music. I’ve known him for over 15 years and I love him with all my heart. He’s like my brother. We got two more big bangers that are already done and one of them just got signed to Altra Moda Music as the follow up to ‘Underworld’. It’s coming out some time in February 2023.

With no signs of slowing down, could you provide us with further details on all your upcoming shows, as well as your overall experience when getting to perform at some of the biggest stages and clubs worldwide?

I am very consistent with shows. DJ’ing is still my full time job. Until I become a full time working actor, which will take priority, then I will DJ and perform less. But I will never ever stop DJ’ing or producing music. I am booked to tour in Europe and Asia and Tulum in January 2023, and I am playing in LA, Dallas, and Toronto in the next 2 months, and I always play many shows in New York with my family, Tao Group, at Lavo, Marquee, and Madison Square Garden; actually I will be playing at the Garden on November 5th, during the Knicks vs Celtics NBA game.

Impacting the dance scene in more ways than one, we would like to know what the future holds for Lohrasp Kansara in terms of new releases and upcoming endeavours, as well as the best way for fans alike to stay up to date for everything that you have in store?

I have so much going on. I can’t even keep up myself. I am working on some huge shows. I hope to play again at Ultra Europe next year and at some other festivals. I have a sick track which came out on October 7th on Toolroom Records, one of my favorite labels in the world, and I have my next Afro House track as a collab with the great Eran Hersh coming out January 2023 on the mighty Hurry Up Slowly Records. At the same time, I am always auditioning for acting roles with my acting agency and manager. The best way to see what I have going on is to follow me on Instagram, YouTube and Facebook or check my website where I post a lot of content.