Artist On the Rise: Niko Javan

Niko Javan is no stranger to Miami’s music scene.  He has been making waves for years both with his partner L.Rey as O’GRIME and as a solo artist. His remix of Jay Z’s “Big Pimpin” with Kid Cedek was supported by several big name producers, Diplo and Skrillex among them. This past year was huge for Niko as he continued to push his career to new heights with festival performances, his Dream Boat EP, and a weekly residency at Haven in South Beach. He recently sat down with us where we touched on many topics including where he’s been and his plans for the future.

First time I heard about you was when my friend showed me the “O’GRIME” video. You’ve come a long way since and your sound has matured a lot. What’s been your favorite part of this journey?
My favorite part has been flying out to perform in other cities. I had never flown anywhere, or barely left Miami before 2014. Visiting a new city is like a psychedelic journey in some ways, so I’m very glad my passion is allowing me this privilege.

2014 has definitely been a big year for you. Where are some places you’ve been able to travel to and perform at?

I recently came back from New York, where I did a guest mix on Sway In The Morning. I got to go to Tennessee to perform at Bonnaroo and participate in Red Bull Music Academy. The Academy also brought me to New Orleans for 24 hours, to basically absorb the cities very musically dedicated vibes. Although this was in 2013, I have to mention my festival performance at TomorrowWorld. That was one of the best experiences of my life. It was sort of like hanging a carrot in front of a donkey to keep it pressing forward, but for a weekend, I had the carrot and I was chewing on it like it was tobacco.

You really put on for your city too. I had the opportunity to catch your set at III Points here in Miami this past year. I think you were the first artist I saw the Skate Space get packed for. How did you enjoy playing a festival in your hometown?
I love it. I’m born and raised in Miami, and I’ve been studying art/music for most of my life, so I’m flattered at any time that this city lets me participate in the fun. Like, I’m in the lab all day making music and videos, but does my city see how it affects me? Not all the time, so I’m happy for the opportunity when it does.

When you and L.Rey were releasing O’GRIME albums, you coined the word “YOP”. Can you tell me what it means?
YOP doesn’t have to mean anything. For L.Rey, I’m sure it’s different than it is for me. Personally, YOP stands for “Your Own Path”. To me, that means I’ve really been trying to avoid a lifestyle of working many hours for someone else’s company or towards somebody else’s goals. It’s not black and white though, for example I have been making music videos for labels such as OWSLA and Mad Decent. I’ve always wanted to make animations and music videos since I was 9 years old.  So it’s still the path I’ve wanted to take, AND I get to make a client happy while building business relationships. Its in no way a new concept. But the idea of living a life that you’ve designed is beautiful.

I couldn’t agree with you more and you’ve definitely made your own path. Speaking of videos, talk to me about your new weekly event #Yoppin Wednesdays. What makes these events so special for you?
Okay, so I love these big South Beach night clubs because they are so saturated with lights and color. The technology is beautiful. Visually, it can be a very impressive and inspiring experience. On the other hand, sometimes there is pressure to play towards a certain style of mainstream music. #Yoppin Wednesdays at Haven has an AMAZING visual setup BUT that pressure to do things a certain way doesn’t exist. So with a sick sound system and 18 projectors, I get to take control of your eyes and ears… As I said before, I(m a born and raised Miami Artist, full time. So I am honored to YOP it out on South Beach.

Do you have any projects being released soon?
I’m working on “Pornicopia”, Its a three song EP + a couple remixes from homies. I’m wrapping up the music video right now, and there is also a t-shirt for all the lovers who want something they can touch if they love the project. Each song is very different from the last. Overall, I am continuing the vibes that I built in 2014, but amping them up more for dance floors. I took a year to experiment and get weird and find new sounds, but I know I still love to make people move, so I will with this project.

Are there any chances of another O’GRIME project at some point in the future?
Certainly. Nobody has taken as much of a close interest in me as a producer as L.Rey has. We learned so much together as O’Grime. That was really the foot in the door for both of us in the Miami music scene. Before that, I had been producing and DJing for about 2 years on my own. Mostly just within my bedroom walls. L.Rey is wrapping up his debut solo album “PuertoRican Smokey” in which I do play a significant role helping as executive producer.

Did you ever go to school for music or is it something you picked up on your own along the way?
No, my entire school experience was based on visual arts. It was around freshman year of high school that I began teaching myself guitar, by playing 9 hours a day. By senior year, I began teaching myself Logic. With YouTube tutorials and by listening to other producers, Ive pretty much home grown myself to where I’m at now. It’s very interesting to have a formal background in visual art, and a homegrown background in music. Combining the two is where I am at right now and I couldn’t be happier. Regardless of what I was studying, I would always be sure to give it at least a half dozen hours out of my day. It’s always been like that.

If you could work with any artist, who would it be?
Michael Jackson

What has been your biggest hurdle as your career has progressed?
Putting a price, or value on my time and projects has taken some time to get comfortable with. For example, selling beats or doing music videos.. You go from making a video for a couple hundred bucks one year, grateful for the opportunity just to build a portfolio and a year later you’re charging $10K. I know a lot of artists that are just starting out that have a rough time setting the bar high, but its gonna be as high as you want it to be.