West Cornwall's Nathaniel Sim, a rising DJ in the scene, presents his debut melodic podcast mix. With a background rooted in house parties and personal DJ sets, Nathaniel draws inspiration from many DJs such as M-Zone, Mark EG and Uberdruck. He has had the opportunity to perform at several prominent events across the South West. This podcast mix showcases his musical talent and is worth a listen!
Please introduce yourself to those unfamiliar with your DJ sound.
Hi, my name is Nathan, I am 41. Cornish born and bred. Hailing from St Ives/Hayle. Currently living near Camborne. I run Inception Events which focuses on bringing the deep/progressive/melodic house and techno to the Cornish masses - with focus on artists from labels such as Anjunabeats, Anjunadeep, Afterlife, Armada music, Upperground etc.
I spent my teenage years growing up in St Ives where I first started learning to mix in friends' bedrooms and garden sheds on the worst 80’s belt-driven Soundlabs which had more wobble than a buckled BMX wheel - working my way through the analogue era, right up until the digital take over.
A single dad to three children for many years meant my dreams of being a DJ were restricted to the spare room, friends parties and the odd club night. As they grew up (and with years of practising behind me), I decided to pick up where I left off. I enrolled myself on a college course for music production, where I gained the confidence to apply myself and that is when Inception Events was born!
What are your highlights of the past year and what is planned for the future?
I have been extremely fortunate this past year to have played on some incredible lineups. New Years Eve was a dream come true, where I played Tranz@ction VS Hindsight alongside childhood idols - Mark EG, mZone, Lab4, Lisa Pin-up & Nick The Kid.
I attended the very first HTE DJ retreat for music production gaining valuable knowledge and understanding thanks to my mentor Nick Coles. This resulted in our track “Concentr8” being released on HTE. And I fly out this week to Malta to represent HTE for Captured Festival 2024.
I played at Immunity festival in May, and have played for local brands Signal, 2Minds, Clear - all really sound chaps wanting to bring their A-games to each of their events. I have also just accepted a resident slot on TechnoPulse - awol radio.
My focus this year has really been on growing Inception Events. Finding DJs who share the love of the music, bringing them on board to play for Inception. I love to give everyone a chance, as that is what I believe keeps things fresh and exciting.
We are super stoked to bring Mia Aurora (Anjunadeep) down from London for our event at Strobe nightclub in Plymouth on 14th September. Alongside local legend Tom Chapman (Algorhythm).
Get tickets here.
If you like the harder styles, then keep your eyes peeled in the new year for “Inception HD” - born in memory of my brother Matty who sadly passed away 4 years ago from Huntingtons and who was a true raver through and through - some exciting names will be coming to Cornwall and I look forward to raising some decent cash for an incredible charity.
Tell us something positive to inspire future artists.
Stay humble. Help as many as you can achieve their dreams along the way. We all have to start somewhere! Just do you and enjoy doing it…. Comparison is the thief of joy!
What artists have inspired your DJ style?
As a teenager, I was captivated by the underground dance scene. Completely obsessed with the whole rave scene going on in the 90’s. I managed to sneak into Dreamscape ‘24 when I was just 14 years old - At the time, hard style, hard dance and techno were a huge influence in my taste for music. Drawing inspiration from many DJs around that time - fanatical for the likes of M-Zone, Mark EG and Uberdruck.
As times changed (and I got older), so did my timbre. I slowed my pace down and with it the BPMs. I ventured through Trance, Psytrance, right through to melodic techno, deep house, progressive where I find myself now. I will always retain a passion for each style as the music will forever have a place in my heart. Each telling a different story of my life.
Drawing inspiration in recent years, from artists like Tinlicker, Ben Bohmer, Artbat, Tale of Us, Vintage Culture, Miss Monique, Camlephat to name just a few. I enjoy going to events and festivals just to hear the lesser known and upcoming artists out there and often incorporate their music into my sets.
Talk us through your podcast mix track selection.
So, my mix selection was purely just a handful of some of my favourite tracks I have played out over the past year or so, which seem to get the crowds going. I am a firm believer of taking the listener on a melodic journey. I won’t fluff it up but will let the music speak for itself.
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