City Nomads Radio: MAQman, Vietnam
PUBLISHED October 25th, 2019 09:41 am | UPDATED August 18th, 2023 01:05 am
Swiss-born and Vietnam-based, Minh Anh Quach is MAQman. The DJ and producer has been adding to to his ever-growing collection of black music classics since his first brush with the genre in 1999, and it’s been a huge influence in his own mixes ever since. Resident of Germany’s flagship Deep House label GOGO Music, his sets veer toward the soulful and sassy, and has been taking over their radio waves since 2011.
Hi MAQman! Your production influence comes from black music classics. What were some of your favourite tracks?
I don’t have a favorite track or song, simply because there are way too many. I’d go with the disco song “Funky Town” from Lipps Inc, which I first heard at a dancing elephants show in Thailand when I was a little kid. It took me about a decade to find out about the song’s artist name and title later on.
How did being a person of Vietnamese ethnicity shape your identity as a musician when you were still in Switzerland?
My first DJ name was “Swissniak”. Niak means gook in French – a joke that even ended up in the local newspaper.
What’s your everyday life like now that you’ve relocated to Vietnam?
Searching for and listening to new music. Booking DJs for The Lighthouse’s rooftop. Taking care of my toddler son, cooking for him when I have time. Deejaying, as I just started a new residency on another rooftop in town.
What do you find most admirable about the dance music scene in Vietnam?
It’s very rich and starting to thrive. DJs usually support each others. Depending on the venue, the crowd can be surprisingly very open minded.
Which other Vietnamese artists should we be looking out for?
There are a bunch of new young DJs, whom I look forward to see grow with time.
What are you working on at the moment?
I have a new single release coming up with GOGO Music, on top of working on a new song I recorded this Summer in Switzerland with my all favorite singer to work with, Joseph Junior, just after my South African DJ tour.
What’s your songwriting process like?
The singer would sing me a hook melody and I’d write music around it from scratch. We would record with a rough back music track. I would then decide what direction to take with the music later, once all vocals are final.
What’s one thing listeners can always expect in your tracks?
Soulful vocals and chords with a sassy beat. As a DJ, I’m often told my music is classy/elegant and “story telling”. I’m into musical tracks/songs with the right groove.
Do you have other hobbies besides music?
I have a big fish tank, 750 liters to take care of. I’m also a foodie. I try to exercise during the weekdays.
Describe your mix for us!
It’s all recent new music from 2019. It’s Deep, with a touch of Soulful, Funky Vibe. It goes a bit Afro at some point. Overall, it’s pretentious and spreading a good vibe. I tried to expose my music taste and make waves during the mix. I find it boring when a dj mix is “flat” for too long.
Keep up with MAQman on SoundCloud.
