The Nomad tours New Zealand

The Nomad feels energised by making music.

The Nomad, aka Daimon Schwalger, has a lot on his plate at present. His first child Amelia is just 2 months old and his new album Quinessence is half her age.

And while many first-time parents find the going tough, Schwalger is also flat-out nursing through its first few weeks his new record, which he wrote, produced, released and is promoting.

The Nomad's musical journey had its roots when, as a 13-year-old, he took his ghetto-blaster and lino square to school to work on his break-dancing moves.

His love of music led to conflict with his strict parents and at 16 he was DJ-ing in Dunedin's clubs and bars, playing Soul II Soul, Eric B & Rakim, and Kraftwerk.

His recording career kicked off with the 1996 release Movement. Since then, he has released a further four albums of hip-hop and dub-influenced electronica, including last month's polished, guest-filled Quinessence.

The self-managed artist, who also runs his own label, has seen sales creep up with each release.

Early in his career he had a publishing and distribution deal with a major label. "That was good, it got me to the level where I did my second album and got me a bit more exposure around the industry.

"Then they offered me a three-album deal. I sat on it for a while. I thought, 'Do I wanna do this?' and I turned them down."

There have been times when he wished he had said yes, "Because I take quite a bit on board every time I release an album" and much of that isn't fun.

"The seed of recording an album is sitting in a studio without any timeline or deadline. You're writing some creative music and you're forgetting about the outside world. You're enjoying yourself and doing it for yourself.

"Then that period finishes and it goes into the external world. Things become money-hungry and self-righteous. It all becomes quite a dark, evil, music industry game.

"It's a cut-throat industry. There's a lot of people doing it and everyone is trying to sell units, get to number one and make money."

With countless details to look after and the amount of cash required to promote a record properly, Schwalger said he began to wonder whether it was worth it.

"I've just gone $30,000 into the red and it's, like, this big risk that you take. That's why a lot of people don't do it. You need to take risks in this industry to get anywhere."

But while it's a stressful time, Schwalger is confident of seeing a return on his time and money. "It's all falling into place. If you do spend that much on it, you do the tour right, you advertise, you get a music video out, you just go hard and you don't think about the consequences, then usually the money comes back.

"When you're on tour and when all this work is behind you, sales are going well and you've got more time to hang out with your partner and your family, that's when the benefits are most. The money's not that great, but I'm surviving."

Despite the range of influences on the record it is definitely a Nomad sound. "It's my gene inside a computer. If you threw the pieces of a puzzle down and you gave it to 20,000 different people, you'd get 20,000 different versions back. That's the great thing about music - it's all about perception. "

Quinessence, has benefited from contributions by a number of talented friends, including Tehimana Kerr of Fat Freddy's Drop, British-born singer Pepsi Demarque of Wham! fame, Rhombus' Imon Starr, Mark Tyler of Salmonella Dub and MC Ras Stone.

The recording process was largely, "a big natural jam". And one of the most-prized contributions came from Amelia, whose pre-natal pulse can be heard on the track of the same name.

Schwalger says the new album is more heavily produced than his earlier offerings but it is more song-based as well.

He has been heartened by the response and, after touring New Zealand during the next couple of months, he will take the album to Australia in September and Europe in November.

And despite the hassles involved in making and promoting Quinessence and the music industry's murky side, it is clear the Nomad is doing what he loves.

"Music has a kind of spiritual connection, it's something that has a pure side."

- NZPA

* The Nomad plays Takaka June 10, Nelson June 11, Wellington June 17, Auckland June 18, Barrytown June 24, Christchurch June 25, Wanaka July 1, Queenstown July 2, Invercargill July 15, Dunedin July 16, National Park July 21, Rotorua July 22.