Raj Jain has always existed between worlds. A genre-defying musician from Los Angeles, he’s spent years exploring sound in ways that resist expectation.
Known for his work with Suki Waterhouse and contributions to The Neighbourhood, Raj has built a practice around creating music that moves freely, blending emotion, rhythm, and texture into a sound that’s authentic, tangible, and entirely his own.
Now, going by the name Noise Dept., he’s officially stepping into the spotlight as a solo artist, offering a space to create without borders and fully explore his artistic vision.
Joining forces with Zeds Dead’s Altered States, his debut solo release, Real World, not only takes you on a journey but offers the first glimpse into this new chapter. Filled with layered textures, melancholic melodies, and intricate rhythms, the track is a direct reflection of the emotional and experimental sensibilities that define his artistry in a way that feels intimate, thoughtful, and deeply personal.
Following his debut release, The Daily Frequency caught up with Noise Dept. to discuss the making of Real World, his journey as a solo artist, and the creative philosophy that drives his boundary-pushing approach to music.
Check out the full interview with Noise Dept. below.
DF: Congratulations on your debut solo release, Real World! How does it feel to not only share this side of your artistry but do it with a label like Altered States?
Noise Dept.: Thank you very much. I feel really great to be honest. Altered States heard my music pretty early and were quick to jump on board, and that was really encouraging for me. I’m really passionate about what art I put into the world, and I’m pretty specific in my taste. I’ve spent a lot of time working across a bunch of different mediums to learn how to express myself the way I want to, and to have a cool group of people believe in my expression is a very wonderful feeling.
DF: Real World is such a powerful and introspective introduction to your solo project and really takes you on a journey. What was the driving inspiration behind the track?
Noise Dept.: Real World always felt like the center point to the music I had made at that time. The melancholic overtone, the way I programmed the drums, and the melody all collided in this really unique honest way. I feel like I’m constantly striving to make a collage of my influences while still remaining “modern”. That modern part is only mentioned because it COULD contrast my influences. Radiohead, Bon Iver, Massive Attack, Tamino, Ry X, Burial, Aphex Twin are probably the first things that come to mind when I talk about my influences, but I’m also really interested in Young Thug and Drake and Playboi Carti.
So to me, Real World is a wonderful collage of all of those things. In my brain, the melody isn’t terribly far from something Drake would do. The textured adlibs feel very Carti to me, and the production is such a collage of my inspirations I mentioned above. Lyrically, I seem to only be able to write articulately when I’m speaking from the heart. It’s probably some sort of response to the constant journey of trying to rationalize my place in the world mixed with my dire need to express myself and be identified by those expressions.
DF: You created two distinct experiences with the radio edit and the club mix of Real World. Would you say each version captures different layers of emotion or perspective while telling the same story?
Noise Dept.: In a way, yes. I maybe think of it in a slightly less emotional way, but no less important. I come from guitar music. There’s a wonderful tradition that exists between 6 strings and a voice. I spent many, many years practicing that tradition. When I picked up the computer, I quickly was no longer drawn to a song, but rather drawn to the endless possibilities of a piece of music. So I think that is more the approach when making these different versions of more or less the same song. It’s like the most interesting thing in the world to me. It’s boundaryless and vast and endless. Recontextualizing something to feel totally different, while maintaining that same emotional core. For someone constantly searching for understanding within oneself, and within the world, it’s the most brilliant thing ever.
DF: You mentioned the track reflects a time when you were “hearing and seeing the real world” for the first time and shedding illusions of the past. Was there a specific moment or experience that helped you see beyond those illusions, and what did it feel like once that shift happened?
Noise Dept.: No, I think it’s a gradual shift over time. We’re all constantly coming to different conclusions about ourselves, our surroundings, everything really. So the real world is always changing. It moves, it shifts. I like the idea of the real world being a place of clarity, because I don’t think there is such a thing as the real world. We all live and function within a completely made-up reality. Our own personally tailored reality built from every experience we’ve been through. So I think the real world is constantly changing, and hopefully for the better.
DF: We often live our lives shaped by certain perspectives, beliefs, and judgments that influence how we see ourselves and the world around us. What advice would you give to someone who is struggling to find their true self and clear the smoke from the mirror?
Noise Dept.: Without self-understanding, love, and acceptance, life can be really challenging. I go through this all of the time. We have these ideas we’ve romanticized. Ideas we’ve worked for. But I have to zoom out all of the time and remind myself that I romanticized and worked for an IDEA, not the outcome. You know what I mean? So my only advice to anyone, including myself, is to love the “work” and let go of the outcome.
DF: Taking it back, what inspired you to step into the spotlight as a solo artist, and has your work with Suki Waterhouse influenced your approach in this new chapter?
Noise Dept.: I’ve always been interested in writing and releasing music. I think I’ve spent a lot of time making all of it much more complicated than need be. This chapter, as a solo artist, is about being me and expressing me. And it took me a long time to do so. I feel really empowered in this chapter because I think I’ve had enough time to develop the skills I needed to develop to make my art and showcase it in a way that I see it. Suki has influenced me immensely. I truly feel lucky to be working with her. She has a wonderful way of simplifying things. Making them feel incredibly human and in your control. I think being around such a successful and driven person has shown me how to harness my own power, and be okay with the parts I may not be as natural at. I often thank her for insights like this, but I don’t know if I can say it enough.
DF: You’ve said the Noise Dept. project is about creating “without borders.” What does creative freedom look like for you in practice?
Noise Dept.: I’d love to live my life without any interest in matters of “the world”. I don’t mean this in a priestly, religious way, but rather, in a hyper-artistic way. To create so freely, and share so freely without much focus on numbers, data, or accolades. Now that’s not to say I don’t want those things. I certainly do. But I want them because I made something truthful and beautiful. I want to be so transparent and truthful with my audience that they believe me when I put something into the world. Whether I make an ambient record, or trip hop, or techno. I do think creating without borders is something I have to earn. And it’s very likely something I earn by creating without borders.
DF: You’ve spent time living in India surrounded by the sounds and rhythms of the culture. Would you say your experiences in India have had a direct impact on who you are as an artist?
Noise Dept.: Yeah, absolutely. I’m half Indian, I lived there for 3 years growing up, and have spent a lot of time there even after moving to America. Indian music is SO deep, rich, and heady. Rhythmically, it’s on a new level. Melodically too. When making music on the computer, I really value the element of surprise, and I’m always searching for those surprises. I find it a lot when programming percussion and drums. The right tempo and the right swing can give me that same exact feeling of listening to bhangra music as a kid.
DF: With your solo debut officially under your belt, what can fans expect as you move through the rest of 2025?
Noise Dept.: More connection. More music, visuals, shows. It’s kind of an age-old tale and I fear my answer is boring but it’s true. Just more. I really like to make things.
DF: Lastly, if you could describe the sound of Noise Dept. with one phrase, what would it be?
Noise Dept.: Emotional electronic music.