Music – Page 2 – Natalie K. Martin

A while back, I did a post with the intention to get someone in the big, wide world inspired to go travel. I introduced Michael Margolies, an American travelling the world and sharing his adventures via a podcast, Walking The Earth. Well, it’s that time again.

This time, I’m introducing Adoki, a super cool guy I met, also in Chiang Mai. Right from the off, it was all about awesome coincidences. He’s also from London and it turned out I’d met a friend of his in Bundi, Rajahstan a week or so earlier, and to add to that, we also share the same birthday! So, I thought it’d be cool to get him on the blog for a Q & A.

Who is Adoki?

Who am I?
Maybe the most important and most difficult question. I’m currently in the process of becoming a philosophy teacher and am loving teaching extra large mind expanding concepts to little adults. I’m a believer of the Holy Trinity, Science-Spirituality-Philosophy, and feel within these holds a key to something beyond comprehension.
I love to see new things; to experience goose bumped infused moments that remind me about how finite and important life (I & U) is (are).

I have few passions but seek to fill my life with them as much as possible. Music. Food. Travelling ( being one of the reasons I fell into the education profession as it fills in two important criteria; meaning and holidays to find meaning). Once I was told that my totem animal was a bear. I like bears. Winnie The Pooh Is a Taoist Philosopher.

I mathematically believe in the high probability of alien life form and my favorite food is Plantain (cooking banana). (√∞=♥)

Tell me a bit about your music and what inspires you
I love many genres and all inspire. Jazz, dub, minimal tech, classical. But, I feel my inspiration comes from electronic music and sounds in general (unorganised sounds). Just thinking about it, I feel this could stem from the dichotomy, or illusion of separation, of the two. Sounds are spontaneous, uncoordinated; one minute you hear a bird chirp, the next a plate crash. They could be said to harbour a life of their own. Adding to that, I feel if we disassociate from the cause of some sounds and hear it as an abstract entity floating on its own, it takes on another meaning (try listening to the sound the tyres of a moving car make of the road – very relaxing). On the flip side of that, there’s electronic music. Synths, pads, drum loops, midi key boards; all of these not only incorporate the fact that humans are able to evolve technologically at an amazing rate, but for me encapsulates that thing, that ‘je ne sais quoi‘, that soul. Search and listen to ∆ZTEK – Feelin.

What was your ‘aha’ moment? (i.e. the moment you decided you wanted to hit the road)
Working in a Cuban bar at the age of 20 and meeting and working with people from all over the globe. Seeing them see London from a point of view I had become accustomed to was so refreshing. Not only did it make me want to enjoy the city of my birth more, but it also made me realise that there was a whole world waiting and wanting to be seen.

Where’ve you been so far?
Australia (Melbourne, Perth), Holland (Amsterdam), Mexico (Mexico city, Tulum, Guadalajara), USA ( Los Angeles), Spain (Melila, Madrid, Valencia, Almeria, Granada), Morroco, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Hong Kong and Italy (Rome and Sorrento).

What’s the single best thing about travelling?
Fear. Awkwardness. Being alone yet with so many others. The food, sound, smells, textures, unfamiliarity. A deep inexpiable connection with humanity/reality. To see a manifestation of the divine that has never been described in any Holy Book.

And what’s the single worst thing about travelling?
The actual traveling part can be tedious. Living out of a bag and knowing the futility of unpacking because soon you will be on the road again. I hate that shit.

Where are you planning to go next?
I feel I need to reconnect to the Mother Land. As being from African decent, I feel it definitely needs to be explored at greater depth. So much negativity is heard in the media I feel I want to see all aspects of Africa, not just what’s fed to me on the news and adverts for aid.

What are your top 3 tips/advice for anyone considering backpacking?

Be brave. Let your fear and anxiety be the catalyst, metamorphosing you to the true you.
Be water. Flow, don’t be solid. Adapt.
Be vigilant. All kinds of people exist in the world. Learn to filter the negatives.

Big thanks to Adoki for featuring on the blog. Adoki, I have your water canteen. I’ll bring it to you soon!

You can connect with Adoki and check out his music here:

Facebook – Adoki The Anomaly | YouTube | SoundCloud | Bandcamp