Brodie Nero has walked a runway for Gucci and Nike, and now he runs the music at one of Bali’s best-known venues. Somewhere between the two, he became a DJ.

The Toronto-born artist was named CPFW Model of the Year in 2016, landing campaigns with Zara, Nike, Gucci and Penshoppe. Quietly, he’d been building a second career behind the decks for 15+ years, starting with hip-hop in his parents’ basement and finding house and techno while travelling Europe as a self-described digital nomad. Today he lives in Bali, coordinates the music at Miss Fish, and plays a warm, ethnic-inflected brand of house that collides with the hypnotic pull of melodic techno.

Now comes the biggest move yet: Kontras Records. The name is the Indonesian spelling of “contrast”, and it’s the whole idea. Downtown Toronto grit meets island calm, genre meets genre, and the first release, “1%” with MANU BS, was built on that collision.

We caught up with Brodie about sobriety, daily mantras, a year spent naming a label, and why he thinks his spoken word says more about him than his music does.

Hey Brodie! You’ve built a life and career around music, but if we took away the DJ booth, the studio, and the industry for a moment, how would you describe yourself? What are the things that make you feel most like you?

What a great question! I would say I’m a pretty introverted curious creative. I like to find something to put my focus on, learn a lot about it and become good at it. There’s something about the concept of evolving that intrigues me. I’m very drawn to the concept of personal development. Great books, a motivational seminar, a good documentary all give me an opportunity to focus, get inspired and then apply it in my life with whatever I am doing.

You’ve made some pretty significant life moves, from Toronto to Bali and into an international music career. Are you someone who naturally gravitates towards change, or does it take a certain moment of clarity to make you take the leap?

Hmm. A huge part of me is a creature of habit. But I also do like a drastic change once in a while. I’ve got a decent amount of “mileage” of traveling under my belt. Any big leap I’ve taken has been pretty calculated. Using partly my intuition combined with a sequence of life events that set up the opportunity to do it.

How much of your music reflects your personality, and how much of it is an opportunity to express a side of yourself that people might not necessarily see?

I don’t think my music is a reflection of my personality. I would actually have to admit that I truly express myself most through spoken word. You can see it via my content online. I love the opportunity (or process) to cultivate an idea or opinion and share it vocally. What I love about music production is the opportunity and challenge of trying to put together an idea. Sitting down not knowing where the session will go and what will manifest.

What’s something about your lifestyle or daily routine that people would never expect from someone working in electronic music?

I have not drank alcohol in almost two years. I also say out loud a daily mantra minimum one to two times per day that is about how grateful I am for life as it is now, but also all that I wish to manifest still.

Do you think where you live ultimately shapes what you create? How has your environment influenced the evolution of your sound?

Yeah, big time. The last four years in Bali have changed my life. I’ve never felt so aligned, motivated and creative in my entire life. Bali’s got its own rhythm. As much as I want to sit and “grind” the day away, sometimes you feel this indescribable inability to force yourself to work too hard. I noticed when you take those breaks, you come back and end up working much more efficiently. The environment is extremely conducive to just creating and has permitted me to make more good music.

Launching a record label is a very different creative undertaking to releasing music as an artist. What was the moment you realised you wanted to build something of your own rather than simply contribute to what already exists?

Two moments or experiences come to mind. I heard some of these big labels have insanely long wait times, upwards of 18 months. So much can happen and change in that large of a window. That made me think about the idea. Then there were some label owners I was actively engaging, supporting and even going out of my way to create other unique opportunities for, such as paid gigs and sharing resources. They would blow me off. I thought, damn man, here I am bringing quality music and going above and beyond to be useful and they don’t have two minutes to listen to a track? This is crazy. Rather than get bummed out I thought, let’s create a label with a strong brand and story behind it so that I can get music out regularly. Simultaneously, I’ll still play the game and try to get onto some of these labels for the sake of brand association.

The name KONTRAS is interesting in itself. Does it represent a particular philosophy, an appreciation for opposing ideas, or perhaps the different sides of your own creative identity?

We spent a year coming up with the name and idea. We went through two different agencies to finally reach an idea we love. KONTRAS is the Indonesian spelling of contrast, which represents two different entities merging to create that moment of contrast. The idea is that genres can merge, energies, DJs, colours, textures, frequencies, it’s really infinite. The point where those entities meet is where KONTRAS comes to life. A moment, a song, an idea, a mix, whatever. The idea of me living in the busy downtown Toronto core, bringing that hustle and grit to a slow-paced magical island called Bali. Those two opposing things merging together. That’s me. That’s KONTRAS.

What do you want KONTRAS to represent beyond the music? Can you imagine it becoming a wider creative platform, connecting music, art, culture and different communities?

KONTRAS represents opposites or things of very different natures coming together. Music is going to be the core foundation. However, we have big plans of event activations to show how the brand goes from a music label to a visual and real-life experience.

“1%” is the first release on KONTRAS Records, which makes it more than just another single in your catalogue. Why did this feel like the right record to introduce the label to the world?

As mentioned at the start, I’m super into personal development and the concept of “motivation”. In that world, speaking about the 1% often refers to those willing to get up earlier, stay up later, work even longer, isolate from the crowd and not be scared to pursue what they want in life. When MANU BS sent me the project back with that vocal clip saying “1%” over it, I got super hyped up. I knew this was going to be an anthem. I also knew strategically, as an artist trying to break myself, I want to work with other artists doing even bigger and greater things than me. Manu is a hustler. He’s a healthy, focused guy that has a similar mindset. The stars aligned on this one.

The track has a really interesting combination of organic percussion, hypnotic rhythms and a driving house energy. When you start a new production, do you usually have a clear vision of where you want to take it, or do you prefer to let the music reveal itself?

Sometimes. Not often. But in this instance I was incredibly inspired by a track from Bedouin. I used it as a reference to build out that driving, indie house groove. The kick and the lead synths gave it a solid foundation. Manu came in and 10x’d this idea to create something I had no idea it would become.

How did the collaboration with MANU BS come about? What did each of you bring to the studio, and was there a particular moment when you knew the track had something special?

I’ve been playing Manu’s music for a minute. I started following him probably 1.5 to 2 years ago. When I reached out to him with the idea, he replied quickly and he did his part within days. This basically never happens in the industry. Everyone’s slow AF doing their own thing. His work ethic was a big green flag for me as someone I wanna keep in touch with, so we ended up booking him to play my event in Bali. That trip we put the final touches in the studio on “1%”. Played it at my party and now here we are.

You’ve experienced different sides of the creative industry, including fashion and modelling, alongside your career in music. Do you see these worlds as separate disciplines, or are they all different expressions of the same creative instinct?

All the professional endeavours you mentioned required the same thing from me: a decision to commit. Studying the crafts and industries. Isolating. Obsessing. They of course all need different skills, but the way to succeed in all of them took the same type of work ethic and focus.

Electronic music has such a strong relationship with visual culture, fashion, architecture and design. How important is the aesthetic surrounding your music in shaping the overall experience?

Yeah, just in the last six months I’ve honed in on how I present myself online. From the language I use to the clothes and accessories I wear. It all needs to be cohesive. A great investment I made was hiring a big agency to rebrand my artist project and create guidelines for me to follow when I put myself out there. I can see how good everything looks online now. This process helped me realise who I am and want to become as I continue to grow.

If you could bring together five creatives from completely different worlds to collaborate on one project, who would you choose and what would you create?

WOW! Dope question. Ronnie Fieg (KITH), Yann Pissenem (UNRVS/HÏ IBIZA), 50 Cent (rapper), Steven Pressfield (author), Jesus Christ (God).

I’d create some kind of all-encompassing real-life event experience that helps individuals become their best selves by aligning with what they are called to do in this special human experience.

What’s one thing you hope people feel when they experience a Brodie Nero set or discover a KONTRAS release for the first time?

I hope they feel and notice just how diverse and eclectic my music selection is when I play. I do not play linear. You will feel the journey swimming between genres. When you hear a KONTRAS release, notice the different genres and merging of unique frequencies.

What’s coming up for both you and the label as we approach 2027 that you can share?

Very, very consistent releases and complementary content. I’ve spent a lot of time analysing the careers of those I aspire to succeed as much as. I have a pretty good understanding of what’s required to establish yourself in this game.

“1%” is out now, follow via @brodieneromusic