Introducing Noumena
Can you introduce yourself? who are you and where are you from?
My name is Dávid Csomor (and no, my surname has nothing to do with the Cosmos). I’m a student, a producer and a DJ currently living in Groningen. I was born in Hungary and spent the most significant part of my life in the city of Budapest. That is also the place where I fell in love with the electronic music scene.
What are you doing in your day-to-day life?
As a Psychology student I obviously have to read and study quite a lot, and I actually really enjoy reading Philosophy as well in my free time. The things I read usually serve as a really good inspiration for my music, so it happens quite a lot that I just read an article or a book and then get a sudden irresistible urge to sit down and produce. I do not have a professional studio yet, so I do that in my apartment, which can actually be in favor of these spontaneous inspirations (less in favor of my neighbors’ mental sanity though, for sure). I also consider myself a spiritual person, I really like to meditate, or just have a very calm time in nature; but I’m also very social and outgoing. I especially enjoy going to cultural events. Mostly to musical events, of course, but I can get really inspired by good exhibitions and performance art as well.
Tell us your story of how you became a musician. How did you discover electronic music and what led you down the path of wanting to become producer and DJ?
It happened quite out of nowhere. I was trying to find some purpose in my life when I was a high school student, and I have found that in learning how to DJ and playing on some drum and bass parties organized by my friends at the time. The euphoria it gave me to play music in front of hundreds of people then definitely gave me a purpose. Unfortunately, that project had come to an end, but I could not let go of my love for music, so I started to produce. I have been doing that for around 5 years now, and I can tell you, there have been dozens of times when I wanted to give up because I felt like I was not going anywhere with it at all. But somehow I always got a reminder from my life that this is my passion, so luckily I never let it go. It has been a love hate relationship, but definitely a very passionate one.
About your release ‘First Light EP’
We would love to know more about your EP First Light. How did this tracks on this EP come about? How long did it take for you to finish the EP? Were there any challenges along the way?
‘First Light’ is an EP that has come about as a result of my first greatest inspirational drive in my history with music, and perhaps also in the history of my life in general. I started the first track, ‘Action Potential’ 3 years ago. That was in a phase of my life when I had a big existential crisis before, but then ended up finding a new purpose in my life, and suddenly I felt massive amount of energy driving me forward. This emerging process is represented by the track. When it comes to ‘Persona’, I started it about 1.5 years ago, and it represents some of the emotional challenges and breakthroughs that I went through in my new life in Groningen. Both of the tracks on the EP changed a lot during all these years, the greatest challenge probably was to try to imagine new elements into them after such a long time working on them. I got stuck very often, but then I always decided to focus on other tracks for a while, or not focus on music at all temporarily, so that I could see them from a different perspective.
Cover of the First Light EP by Noumena
What does a studio day look like for you?
As I don’t have a separate studio yet, I produce in my apartment, and that always happens quite spontaneously; whenever I get inspired. This is sometimes beneficial, since I can literally sit down anytime I want to, but I also get distracted from the work easily. Besides, sometimes I’m not really inspired just want to procrastinate studying, and that is very easy by just messing around with Ableton. But it also occurs from time to time that something randomly emerges from these uninspired sessions, which then inspires me. I would say this setting can be very good for creativity, coming up with new ideas, but a bit less good for actually finishing up tracks – but I guess that is a difficulty for most producers.
Apart from music, what makes you most happy in life?
My friendships and interactions with people around me are definitely the most important. I like sharing my thoughts, my experiences with others and I love it equally as much when people do the same with me. On top of that, I very much live in the pursuit of the sense of wonder, for the sense of discovering beautiful things which inspire me. That can be a fascinating thought, a unique piece of music, a nice landscape, or someone’s captivating personality.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given when it comes to producing music?
I have been told a few times that if you are really out of ideas regarding a track, if you are stuck, just let it sit for a few weeks and get back to it. This is probably the wisest thing I had been told, as it has been helping me ever since dramatically to finish up my tracks and to stay inspired whenever I actually make music. So, do not be hard on yourself too much, creativity really needs a break every now and then to come back stronger!
And what advice would you give any new producers out there?
While it’s important to do your own thing, always look for criticism. Do not be afraid of sharing your music with those around you, especially with other, potentially more advanced producers, they can help you out big time. At the same time, just because you do not make the music that other people appreciate yet it doesn’t mean that you cannot love it. Maybe it’s not that good yet, but it still came from you, it is still related to a personal experience, so it’s hard not to be attached to it. Just accept it that it needs to develop, and all of a sudden you may realize that your music is also having an impact on others.
What’s next for you in your music career?
I would like to build my image as both a DJ and Producer with a current focus on the local culture and communities of Groningen. I love this city, and the nightlife is incredibly vibrant here, I would definitely like to penetrate the scene.
How and where can we follow you or your work best?
I will always keep you updated on my Instagram page (@noumenamusic) if you follow me. You can also follow me on SoundCloud, where I will put out some self-released stuff as well from time to time.