Biography
Nosaj Thing, a Los Angeles-based producer, shapes elegant and atmospheric electronic works alongside instrumental hip-hop, pulling inspiration from sources that span Boards of Canada and DJ Shadow through Danny Elfman and Erik Satie. He surfaced inside the city’s beat community across the 2000s, issuing his first album Drift in 2009 while supplying rhythms for emcees such as Kid Cudi, Kendrick Lamar, and Chance the Rapper. Later projects including Home in 2015 and Continua in 2022 led him into house, ambient, R&B, and further territories, drawing in guests such as Toro y Moi, serpentwithfeet, and Julianna Barwick.
Raised in L.A., he absorbed hip-hop broadcasts during elementary bus rides, especially the Beat Junkies’ turntablism on Power 106. In high school he explored drum’n’bass and rave sounds while playing quad toms in the school drum line, then taught himself to program beats on his father’s aging PC. The D.I.Y. rock environment at the underground venue The Smell soon steered him toward experimental paths, where he made his live debut in 2004.
Online forums, in-person connections, and eventually the beat-focused Low End Theory introduced Chung to kindred Angelenos including Flying Lotus, Nobody, Daedelus, and local icons such as D-Styles and Daddy Kev. After the self-released Views/Octopus EP appeared in 2006—its track “Aquarium” later forming the base for Kid Cudi’s “Man on the Moon”—he joined Kev’s Alpha Pup label for the full-length Drift in 2009. Chung supplied beats to Busdriver, Nocando, and Kendrick Lamar and created remixes for Flying Lotus, Daedelus, Radiohead, and Smell regulars Health. Innovative Leisure released his second album Home in 2013, spotlighting Toro y Moi on “Try” and Blonde Redhead’s Kazu Makino on “Eclipse/Blue.”
Chance the Rapper and Whoarei joined 2015’s Fated. Weeks before that album surfaced, thieves stole his equipment at a Houston tour stop, yet he still performed in his hometown seven days later to mark the release. The abstract house EP No Reality arrived digitally in 2016, followed by fourth album Parallels in 2017, which featured Makino and Steve Spacek on vocals.
Nosaj Thing returned on LuckyMe in 2020 with “For the Light” and the EP No Mind, and he also teamed with Park Hye Jin for “Clouds.” No Mind Expanded, stretching three of the EP’s tracks to ten minutes each, surfaced in 2021. His fifth album Continua appeared in 2022, its lengthy guest roster including Julianna Barwick, Panda Bear, serpentwithfeet, and Pink Siifu.
Raised in L.A., he absorbed hip-hop broadcasts during elementary bus rides, especially the Beat Junkies’ turntablism on Power 106. In high school he explored drum’n’bass and rave sounds while playing quad toms in the school drum line, then taught himself to program beats on his father’s aging PC. The D.I.Y. rock environment at the underground venue The Smell soon steered him toward experimental paths, where he made his live debut in 2004.
Online forums, in-person connections, and eventually the beat-focused Low End Theory introduced Chung to kindred Angelenos including Flying Lotus, Nobody, Daedelus, and local icons such as D-Styles and Daddy Kev. After the self-released Views/Octopus EP appeared in 2006—its track “Aquarium” later forming the base for Kid Cudi’s “Man on the Moon”—he joined Kev’s Alpha Pup label for the full-length Drift in 2009. Chung supplied beats to Busdriver, Nocando, and Kendrick Lamar and created remixes for Flying Lotus, Daedelus, Radiohead, and Smell regulars Health. Innovative Leisure released his second album Home in 2013, spotlighting Toro y Moi on “Try” and Blonde Redhead’s Kazu Makino on “Eclipse/Blue.”
Chance the Rapper and Whoarei joined 2015’s Fated. Weeks before that album surfaced, thieves stole his equipment at a Houston tour stop, yet he still performed in his hometown seven days later to mark the release. The abstract house EP No Reality arrived digitally in 2016, followed by fourth album Parallels in 2017, which featured Makino and Steve Spacek on vocals.
Nosaj Thing returned on LuckyMe in 2020 with “For the Light” and the EP No Mind, and he also teamed with Park Hye Jin for “Clouds.” No Mind Expanded, stretching three of the EP’s tracks to ten minutes each, surfaced in 2021. His fifth album Continua appeared in 2022, its lengthy guest roster including Julianna Barwick, Panda Bear, serpentwithfeet, and Pink Siifu.
Albums
Continua
2023
No Mind
2021
No Mind
2020
Parallels
2017
No Reality
2016
Fated
2015
Home Remixes
2013
Home
2013
Singles
