A Bermudian DJ has New York asking: Who’s the man behind the mask?

Noise Cans is making a name for himself in the Big Apple where he spins a mix of soca, reggae and electronic dance music — all while hidden behind a gombey mask.

The Royal Gazette caught up with the entertainer to find out why he’s keeping his identity secret and how his upbringing in Bermuda has shaped his love for music.

Why did you decide to hide your identity?

To be honest I was looking for something to help me to stand out. I felt like there were a lot of people within any genre of music and you always want to be able to do something that will set you apart from the rest. I felt there was no one giving any real style or flair to it, especially when it came to showcasing Bermuda and Caribbean culture. In the islands we are all about dressing up, looking and feeling good and having this personality, so I thought ‘What can I do that would set me apart from what anyone else was doing within that space?’. Also one day I was watching the Grammys and Daft Punk, [a duo that performs in disguise], had won all these awards. After the show everyone was wondering who the guys behind Daft Punk really were; if maybe they were in the audience sitting next to people and just blending in. I thought it was dope because even though their names aren’t widely known and people don’t know what they look like, fans know what their music sounds like. A light went off in my head. I decided I would wear a gombey mask, which made sense because it’s relatable to me because of where I come from. It’s also paying homage and giving respect to something from my Country. So it’s not about me and more about what the mask symbolises to me. Anytime you see it, people can say ‘Oh that’s gombey music’ rather than ‘That’s so and so’.

How has your anonymity been received?

People see it as being different and anything that’s different people look at. For example, I was featured in an article by Large Up (a website promoting Caribbean music, arts and culture) and have received a lot of recognition for it. People in a lot of ways are interested in the fact that they don’t know who I am. I have had people hit me up on Twitter from Japan and Amsterdam because they don’t know who is behind the mask. So the word is definitely starting to get out and people are curious.

How did you get your start DJing?

I’ve always been into music. And I think once music is in you it’s kind of a natural progression in terms of what you want to do with it. I get excited at exploring new opportunities, taking what’s new and merging it with what I knew while growing up in Bermuda. I’ve been DJing professionally for the past six years but I was mostly playing reggae and soca music — that’s what I knew as a kid and what I liked. However I started feeling like it was somewhat limiting in terms of where I wanted my career to go. I felt that if I could mix it with other genres it would give me a wider audience. So I’ve been doing that for the last two years now.

Where has your career taken you since then?

I travel all over now. I’m based in New York, but travel a lot throughout the United States and Caribbean to DJ and also to produce.

How would you describe your sound?

I mix in Caribbean or tropical beats with electronic dance music, so a lot of my time is spent working on the production side as well. A majority of the DJs out there now are artists in their own right. Once you are at the top of your game and a really big artist you can technically play all your own songs within your set. Most DJs play a Beyonce or Vybez Cartel song, but once you’re more established you can play your own personal remixes. Nowadays DJs are producers or the producers are DJs. The goal is you want to be able to play your own music and have other DJs playing your stuff as well.

How did your roots in Bermuda influence what you do?

I would say it’s influenced everything I do because island music, like soca and reggae, is what I know and what I like. But what I do now is show people my interpretation of those genres. Musically I was raised on listening to reggae and soca and travelling around to different islands and I would see the culture of the Caribbean and that energy and vibe.

What have you been up to lately?

I have a record that was just recently released. I took Buju Banton’s Champion lyrics and made a track out of it and put it out as a free download at first. The aim is you want to put out as much music as possible. If fans like it then event promoters want to book you.

I’ve also been working on my first album. For a long time, I’ve had a dream of making a record, so I called a friend and said ‘Let’s work on it together’. We put it out on Sound Cloud with no real promotion or anything and it got a few thousand listens and then someone called and said ‘We want to put this out’ so it’s out now and available through Legitmix. There’s also another record I just finished with Mr Vegas that I am going to Jamaica to shoot the video for. I just finished another record with I-Octane and one with Nina Sky. What I am trying to do is take these artists a little out of their element or comfort zone and ease them into genres that are a little different. I like to call it Tropical EDM. In Amsterdam it’s called Budman Rave. It’s a mix of Caribbean vibes and energy that I love, mixed with a new progressive sound.

What’s your ultimate goal when it comes to your music?

I guess I ideally want to be successful and wanted to create, but also have fun and like what I’m doing. And I guess through being successful I am also putting the place where I am from — Bermuda — on the map and bringing recognition to our tiny Island at the same time, so it benefits everyone.