Vietnamese disco DJ, Lotus Disco, made us a mix tape, shared his favourite tracks with us and made us a cup of tea. He’s a very nice man.
Born and raised in Saigon 22 year old Duy Nguyễnn, aka Lotus Disco, is an interesting to watch up-and-coming DJ. Amid the buzz scene of electronic, pop songs, and rock, Duy chose – you guessed it – disco as his signature sound as a DJ. A choice influenced greatly by growing up listening to Boney M when he was a kid. After years on the local scene – DJ-ing around town, plus neighbouring countries Thailand, Singapore, and China – he has secured himself a deal with ISM Records, a London based label known for their diversity and eclectic electronic sounds.
Lotus Disco has created an exclusive soundtrack for a funky & Of Other Things’ New Year’s Eve. Have a listen and get your groove on!
Words and Interview by Quyên Hoàng ● Image courtesy of DJ Lotus Disco
Ten quick questions with Lotus Disco
1. What’s your morning jam?
Hmmm…There’re lots of songs that I love, it’s hard to pick the best one. If I have to name, these are the 5 tracks I would listen every morning:
Touch Me In The Morning – Diana Ross
Hit & Run – Loleatta Holloway ( John Morales MIX )
Love Hangover – Diana Ross
Love To You Love You Baby – Donna Summer
I’m Coming Out – Diana Ross
2. What’s the meaning behind ‘Lotus Disco’?
To be honest I was quite struggling with stage-name before – the name itself can affect your career and work tremendously. ‘Lotus Disco’ came to me very naturally. ‘Lotus’ is considered widely as Vietnam’s National Flower, and since I’m a son of this country, I’d like to pick it. Moreover, ‘Lotus’ sounds a bit girlish which is why I love it as well. And Disco, as you know, is just disco. So Lotus plays Disco.
3. Do you have any favourite genre/artist besides disco?
Yes I do. Sometimes I listen to pop, house, deep house, even old school Vietnamese tracks (nhạc sến). Queen, The 2 Bears, Chromeo, Hercules & Love Affair, Die AntWoord, Paloma Faith are some of my favorite.
4. Vinyl or digital?
Both are good. Vinyls are great for music collectors, while digital is great for quality production. Personally I love vinyls, for that feeling when you come to a record store and start digging, then comes the moment when you find an album or track of your favourite artist – the sensation is to die for!
5. Which artist(s) inspires you?
Horse Meat Disco!!! I was immensely impressed seeing their performace on Boiler Room for the first time. I realized that what I was looking for. Music is all about hope, spreading the love, and fighting for what’s important in your life. At the end of the day, we’re all family.
6. How would you describe your music?
Groovy, energetic, and sensual. What I play is Diva Disco – most of the tracks are by female vocalists who give you a powerful message through their lyrics.
7. The best session you ever jammed?
It’s gotta be with Horse Meat Disco in Beijing, which was amazing! People came to dance with seemingly never-ending energy. I got to perform with my biggest idol. The crowd was to die for! We were all like a big family, we became closer, and we burnt up the dancefloor. The session ran for six hours straight!
8. After Horse Meat Disco, who would you want to share the stage with?
Horse Meat Disco was the ultimate dream. Though it can’t get better than this, I think I would love to play with The 2 Bears, John Morales, and Joey Negro.
9. What are you working on right now?
I’ve just finished my 2nd EP. It’s a collection of 80s-tune remixes with a mix of electronic. I hope it’ll be released soon. Right now I’m working on my next EP, the first track of which is a remix of Mew Amazing’s song ‘Ừ Thì’. I’m very glad it‘s received positive feedbacks from the music community so far.
10. Any plans for 2015?
I will head to London in September to have a performance at the Eagle London Bar. I really want to make it happen. It’s what I’m looking forward to the most this year.
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Listen to more of DJ Lotus Disco’s mixes on his Soundcloud page. You can also see him live on Saturday as part of the Midnight Disco at CAMA ATK on January 3rd.
