Nosaj Thing

Biography

Jason W. Chung, known professionally as Nosaj Thing, is an American artist, record producer, and DJ. Born in Los Angeles, California. He is of Korean descent and began making music using computers and synthesizers at the age of 12.

Chung emerged from the vibrant DIY culture of downtown Los Angeles, particularly the experimental venue The Smell, developing a reputation for blending intricate soundscapes with emotive, crisp production. He self-released the debut EP, Views/Octopus, in 2006. His first studio album, Drift, was released on Alpha Pup Records in 2009, followed by a remix version, Drift Remixed, in 2010, curated by Chung and featuring contributions from artists such as Jamie xx and Jon Hopkins.

In 2012, he released a single, "Eclipse/Blue", which featured vocalist Kazu Makino.

In 2013, Chung founded the independent label Timetable Records, which serves as a platform for forward-thinking music and multimedia projects. The label has released work by a variety of artists including Whoarei and Nosaj Thing himself.

Nosaj Thing has collaborated with artists across genres and generations, including Kendrick Lamar, and has produced official remixes for artists such as Flying Lotus and Philip Glass. His creative output also extends to film scores, fashion presentations, and art installations, including multimedia collaborations with Tokyo-based audiovisual artist Daito Manabe.

Recent collaborators include Hyukoh, Toro y Moi, Kazu Makino, Panda Bear, Pink Siifu, and Jacques Greene. In 2023, Chung and Greene released the collaborative single "Too Close," featuring Canadian singer Ouri. This was followed by "RB3" in 2024, marking the second release in their ongoing collaborative project titled "Verses GT". The duo had worked on a new dance-oriented project under their own title Verses GT, released in 2025.

Career

''Views/Octopus''

His earliest performances were at Los Angeles' DIY avant-garde music venue The Smell and experimental hip hop club night Low End Theory where he became part of a community of beat makers including Samiyam and Flying Lotus. He went on to self-release the debut EP, Views/Octopus, in 2006 featuring beats made throughout this early period.

''Drift''

His first studio album, Drift, was released on Alpha Pup Records in 2009. A remix version of the album, titled Drift Remixed, was released in 2010.

Subsequent Releases

Between 2012 and 2017, Thing released a further three full-length studio albums, an EP, and a single. In 2013, he founded the record label Timetable Records, featuring artists such as D Tiberio, Holodec, Gerry Read, Whoarei, 4THSEX, and Daito Manabe on the roster.

In 2020, Thing announced he had signed to LuckyMe Records, releasing the EP No Mind and the single "For The Light" with an accompanying music video.

In 2022, he released his fifth studio album Continua, featuring collaborations with Hyukoh, Toro y Moi, Kazu Makino, Serpentwithfeet, Sam Gendel, Coby Sey, Julianna Barwick, Mike Andrews, Slauson Malone, Pink Siifu, Panda Bear, and Eyedress.

Between 2023 and 2024, he began a collaborative dance-focused project with Jacques Greene. Their first single, "Too Close", featuring Canadian singer Ouri, was released in 2023.

Live

Throughout 2009 and 2010 he toured a live audiovisual show, featuring large scale video projections of live manipulated graphics, with showcase performances at Sónar Festival, Pop Montreal and São Paulo Museum of Image and Sound.

In 2016 Thing collaborated with Japanese artist Daito Manabe to create a touring show featuring real-time augmented reality visuals using multiple Kinect cameras on stage. The debut performance at Coachella Festival was described by Pitchfork Magazine as "runaway winner for best visual production" and was billed by Sónar Festival as "extremely captivating, technologically advanced, show of inordinate beauty".

Discography

Studio albums

• Drift (2009)
• Home (2013)
• Fated (2015)
• Parallels (2017)
• Continua (2022)
• Verses GT with Jacques Greene (2025)

Remix albums

• Drift Remixed (2010)

EPs

• Views/Octopus (2006)
• No Reality (2016)
• No Mind (2020)

Singles

• "Night Crawler" (2010)
• "Eclipse/Blue" featuring Kazu Makino (2012)
• "For the Light" (2020)

Productions

• Kid Cudi – "Man on the Moon (The Anthem)" from A Kid Named Cudi (2008) and Man on the Moon: The End of Day (2009)
• Busdriver – "Split Seconds (Between Nannies and Swamis)" from Jhelli Beam (2009)
• Kendrick Lamar – "Cloud 10" (2011)
• Chance the Rapper – "Paranoia" from Acid Rap (2013)
• Toro y Moi – "Enough of You" (2015)
• KUČKA – "Real" from Wrestling (2019)
• Park Hye Jin – "Clouds" (2020)
• Kid Cudi – "Another Day" from Man on the Moon III: The Chosen (2020)
• Jamie Isaac – 3 (2020)
• Julianna Barwick – "Nod" from Healing Is a Miracle (2020)
• Eyedress – "Uncomfortable" from FULL TIME LOVER (2022)
• Tinashe – "Talk to Me Nice" from BB/ANG3L (2023)
• Tinashe – "No Simulation" from Quantum Baby (2024)
• Tinashe – "Getting No Sleep" from Quantum Baby (2024)
• Eartheater – "Nova" (2025)

Remixes

• Flying Lotus – "Camel" (2008)
• Charlotte Gainsbourg – "Heaven Can Wait" (2009)
• The xx – "Islands" (2010)
• Philip Glass – "Knee 1" (2012)
• Jon Hopkins – "Open Eye Signal" (2013)
• Little Dragon – "Klapp Klapp" (2014)
• BADBADNOTGOOD featuring Charlotte Day Wilson – "In Your Eyes" (2017)
• Kazu Makino – "Salty" (2019)
• HYUKOH – "World of the Forgotten" (2021)

References

References

1. Hudson, Alex. (October 8, 2015). "Nosaj Thing "Cold Stares" (ft. Chance the Rapper) (video)". [[Exclaim!]].
2. Hoffman, K. Ross. "Nosaj Thing - Biography". [[AllMusic]].
3. Martins, Chris. (May 13, 2009). "Rattling the Underground With Nosaj Thing and Low End Theory". [[LA Weekly]].
4. Zeichner, Naomi. (October 4, 2011). "Kendrick Lamar, "Cloud 10" (prod. by Nosaj Thing)". [[The Fader]].
5. Martins, Chris. (May 6, 2013). "Watch Chance the Rapper and Nosaj Thing Craft 'Acid Rap' Standout 'Paranoia'". [[Spin (magazine).
6. "Nosaj Thing - Credits - AllMusic". AllMusic.
7. "Julianna Barwick returns with new album, Healing Is A Miracle, on Ninja Tune · News ⟋ RA". Resident Advisor.
8. "Timetable Records feat. Nosaj Thing and 4THSEX in The Lab LA". Mixmag.
9. Weiss, Jeff. (February 7, 2013). "Nosaj Thing Is Back". [[LA Weekly]].
10. Holslin, Peter. (May 12, 2015). "After Losing His Gear and Beats to Thieves, Nosaj Thing Tries to Move On". [[LA Weekly]].
11. Thompson, Shy. (October 31, 2022). "Nosaj Thing: Continua Album Review". [[Pitchfork (website).
12. (15 July 2025). "Nosaj Thing and Jacques Greene Announce Debut Verses GT Album, Share New Song".
13. "Verses GT, by Verses GT".
14. (2017). "Nosaj Thing". loop.ableton.com.
15. Matos, Michaelangelo. (February 17, 2010). "A Smell of His Own:Nosaj Thing finds his place in the new IDM". [[Baltimore City Paper]].
16. Greene, Jayson. (July 8, 2009). "Nosaj Thing: Drift". [[Pitchfork (website).
17. Ryce, Andrew. (November 3, 2010). "Nosaj Thing – Drift Remixed". [[Resident Advisor]].
18. (September 10, 2015). "Nosaj Thing Launches Label Timetable". [[The Fader]].
19. "Nosaj Thing – No Mind". LuckyMe.
20. (May 6, 2020). "Nosaj Thing - For The Light (Official Video)". YouTube.
21. (August 23, 2023). "Song You Need: Nosaj Thing and Jacques Greene's moody collaboration". The FADER.
22. August Brown. (December 11, 2009). "Nosaj Thing brings new visual show to L.A. Be sitting down for this.". latimesblogs.latimes.com.
23. Terence Teh. (October 18, 2010). "Nosaj Thing Launches his AV Spectacular". Dazed.
24. Davis Huynh. (June 14, 2016). "The Evolution of Sound and Visual With Nosaj Thing & Daito Manabe". HYPEBEAST.
25. Paul A. Thompson. (April 18, 2016). "Coachella 2016: Winners and Losers {{!}} Pitchfork". pitchfork.com.
26. "Nosaj Thing + Daito Manabe - Sónar Barlcelona 2017". Sónar Barcelona.
27. Fallon, Patric. (September 20, 2012). "Nosaj Thing Announces Long-Awaited Second LP, Streams First Single". [[XLR8R]].
28. Kokiousis, Chris. (March 4, 2015). "Nosaj Thing Details New LP; Hear a Track Now". [[XLR8R]].
29. Ryce, Andrew. (June 15, 2017). "Nosaj Thing announces fourth album, Parallels". [[Resident Advisor]].
30. Hagle, Will. (2022-11-08). ""It's Easy to Be In Your Head All the Time": An Interview With Nosaj Thing".
31. "Jacques Greene and Nosaj Thing reveal debut Verses GT album · News ⟋ RA".
32. Monroe, Jazz. (March 30, 2016). "Nosaj Thing Announces New EP NO REALITY, Shares "N R 2": Listen". [[Pitchfork (website).
33. "Nosaj Thing Releases New EP 'No Thing' - Magnetic Magazine".
34. Rachel Reynolds. (April 12, 2010). "LA Collection Exclusives: Rainbow Arabia & Nosaj Thing". KCRW.
35. Fitzmaurice, Larry. (September 20, 2012). "Nosaj Thing: "Eclipse/Blue" (ft. Kazu Makino)". [[Pitchfork (website).
36. "Nosaj Thing releases new single on LuckyMe". theransomnote.com.
37. Patrick Lyons. (March 4, 2015). "Indie-Cud: A Timeline Of Kid Cudi's Indie Collabs & Samples". HotNewHipHop.
38. "Kid Cudi - A Kid Named Cudi". Discogs.
39. Thompson, Paul. (May 13, 2015). "The Life of a Nosaj Thing: "It's Like a One-Hour High, Then 23 Hours of Discomfort"". [[Noisey]].
40. Krystal Rodriguez. (November 20, 2019). "KUČKA shares shimmering new single, 'Real'". Fact Magazine.
41. Nyshka Chandran. (December 9, 2020). "Park Hye Jin and Nosaj Thing join forces on new single, Clouds · News ⟋ RA". Resident Advisor.
42. (December 11, 2020). "Credits / Man on the Moon III: The Chosen / Kid Cudi". [[Tidal (service).
43. Minsker, Evan. (December 11, 2020). "Kid Cudi Releases New Album Man on the Moon III: Listen and Read the Full Credits". [[Pitchfork (website).
44. Luciano Belete. (February 11, 2020). "Jamie Isaac & Nosaj Thing - 3 [Stream] — The Pit London". The Pit London.
45. brian coney. (July 17, 2020). "The Quietus {{!}} Reviews {{!}} Julianna Barwick". The Quietus.