Armand Van Helden & A-TRAK Present Duck Sauce - aNYway

UCLA DJ PANEL: Destructo/A-Trak/Skeet Skeet

Photo by kidPEACE Media

After selling out the two day dance festival HARD Haunted Mansion, Gary Richards/DJ Destructo joined DJ A-Trak and DJ Skeet Skeet for an intimate discussion panel with UCLA students and electronic music fans November 3^rd in Ackerman Grand Ballroom. They discussed their pasts, present, and futures as DJs and as young kids being influenced by music.

Photo by kidPEACE Media

DJ A-Trak kicked off the unmediated panel with his beginnings in Canada circa 1995 as a scratch DJ. When he was thirteen he would spend time “sneaking a couple of scratches on my dad’s record player”. Two years later he became the World Champion of DMC in Montreal (Montreal Battle) and moved on to the Italy World Finals where he proudly states that his mother accompanied him. He says that those battles are what “set off his career”. He attributes a lot of turntable influence on the San Francisco Scratch Movement, where he worked with Q-Bert, Mix Master Mike, Shortkut, and Apollo – The Invisible Scratch Pickles. He did battles, club gigs and was a hip hop DJ. He explained that his past as a hip hop DJ stems from delving into influences such as soul, jazz, and funk. He noted that he has a background in classic rock as well. Around 2004 he met a few DJs in Montreal and in New York while visiting his brother. This is also around the same time Kanye West picked him up as an official DJ where he toured with him for four years. He noticed that the DJs during this time were doing something new – mixing multiple genres in their sets.  A-Trak said that “the DJ sets became a whole mix of genres of anything that could make people dance without really paying attention to what genre or where the song was from, to the point where if it was like in a certain tempo range and it made sense then they would play it, so the tempos kinda went higher up in our sets” and that “It got to the point where this house record, this weird distorted European electronic record, would make sense next to this Outkast song and next to this old school Afrika Bambaataa song”. He believes that pop, rap, and rock music are each headed towards a dip in the electronic direction, “Electronic music is sort of becoming the norm for everything” and that “during the last few years everything’s been meshing”.

MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/djatrak

Photo by kidPEACE Media

DJ Skeet Skeet, or Skeeter, is from a small town in Iowa where “the only outlets for music were from…University of Iowa” where he used to go “picking up records and talking to people about music”. He was into punk and hardcore, Inside Out, and “Crappy metal core songs, thinking I wanted to be in Slip Knot”. He moved to LA when he was sixteen and received a football scholarship to San Jose State. There he did lots of music and design related things, “Messing around with DJing because it was fun”. He said he would typically DJ at frat and house parties. He reminisced about his life as a young music nerd, “Me and a bunch of dorky kids who couldn’t get into the cool clubs…were all playing weird records with guys like Steve Aoki”.  He quickly mentions his Paper Magazine DJ of the Year 2008 and then humorously shares that he and A-Trak are both “Pepsi DJs” – a little known fact that they both managed to forget about. They both noticed that there is a competitor’s water bottle on the table where Skeet joked “We can’t even drink this thing. You gotta tear the labels off” with A-Trak motioning to the bottle that “We’ll have to just write Pepsi on there”.

MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/djskeetskeet

Photo by kidPEACE Media

DJ Destructo, or Gary Richards took the mic and discussed growing up in Maryland and what it was like having a dad who is in the record business, “he never really made it to the soccer game but I got to see a lot of good music”, “[he] took me to a lot of concerts like Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin when I was a little kid”. Richards says he discovered electronic music circa 1989-90 at clubs in downtown LA warehouses he would frequent. He listened to music like Kraftwerk, Run DMC, Luke Skywalker, and 2LiveCrew.  When he first discovered electronic music he was “hooked”. He knew he had to start throwing music events and started doing so in 1990-91. He only knew of a few DJs at the time so he began teaching himself to DJ.

On New Year’s Eve 1992/1993 he did an event called Rave America at Knott’s Berry Farm that sold out tickets to twenty thousand people. Rick Rueben saw how much potential the electronic scene had and approached him with an offer to produce the electronic and techno music Richards had been spinning and knew “that this electronic techno music…would blow up like hip hop”. So he started working with Rueben and signed XL Recordings, Lords of Acid, Prodigy, and Messiah. Richards thought that his dream job had become a reality but quickly realized that despite working with big names like Rueben that “nobody really cared”. This didn’t hinder his passion for music and he kept at it, working at labels like A&M and Interscope. After his brother signed Slip Knot, Richards began working with his brother signing metal bands. In 2006 he “decided that the record business is kinda for the birds these days because no one is buying plastic CDs” and “went back to where I originally started” organizing events such as HARD Haunted Mansion and DJing as his present moniker Destructo.

MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/destructohard

As a deservedly proud promoter and DJ, Richards/Destructo mentioned that this New Years Eve will mark the two year anniversary of HARD and that A-Trak was also in attendance and will be headlining it this New Years Eve. In the past there have been such performers as Justice, Peaches, and 2LiveCrew. HARD New Years Eve and Destructo’s Birthday headliners for 2009 into 2010 currently include – Boys Noize, A-Trak, DJ Mehdi, and Destructo. Like any seasoned promoter and realist Richards shares some parting wisdom with all of the collegiates in the audience about how success in the record business really works – “You can work with the best music in the world, but you have to have a lucky break with timing” and “if you are at the right place at the right time and you have something super credible and good, you just get that one chance you know? I worked my whole career to get it, and with HARD it just hit. From two years ago til now it’s taken off. It’s cool that it’s taken off for all of us”.

After the discussion panel the audience was invited to comment, ask questions, and hang out after all the Q&A. The DJs were very humble and grounded for being musical celebrities. They shook hands, took pictures, and even discussed one-on-one with inquiring audience members. Fans were even able to get autographs and some were given HARD t-shirts, Fools Gold stickers (A-Trak’s record label), and almost everyone walked away with a mixed CD filled with tracks highlighting the night’s special guests.

HARD: http://www.hardfest.com/

MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/hardfest

Twitter: http://twitter.com/hardfest

Listen To This: The Raveonettes

Their new album 'In & Out Of Control' can be listened to in its entirety on Spinner.com's website. I may be a little faded but I know good music when I start catching myself groovin down doing that "yes nod".

This album is has raised the bar for all the "The" bands because it actually has a story to tell. Listen to it from beginning to end. Don't jump the gun and start it from the most attention grabbing (and honest) track titles "Boys Who Rape (Should All Be Destroyed)", "D.R.U.G.S." and "Suicide", set aside that extra motion in your everyday gesticulation and start from the beginning.You wont be sorry you did it.

 'In & Out Of Control' is just like how you'd envision anyone out of control. You go  from one thing to the next, but always relishing in the thing you're throat deep in. It flows to great emotional heights and spins into dark human lows. Saron Foo's clipping and evolutionary (from beginning to end!) vocals and Sune Rose Wagner's intense instrumentation are dizzying in an electrifying body highish and mind excavation sort of way. "Bang" kicks everything off with an upbeat and fun summery tune. I didn't know if the pop was going to be a one time thing or become an overdose.

I stuck around and "Gone Forever", a more serious, hollow, and distant sound engulfed me. It has an intimate longing and self-reflective bare bones style to it. After you are dropped off into a Joy Division-esque loneness the slinky bass line in "Break Into Cars" comes in shattering and crashing into "Breakup Girls". "Oh I Buried You Today" is slow and weepy. It makes me think of a wispy Skeeter Davis song. Foo's voice in "Wine" is warm and smeary, like the hazy glow you get while drinking wine. Or drinking too much. Anyways, listen to The Raveonettes and dream away in your room. You'll have an 80s flashback at some point, I guarantee it. Especially after "Last Dance". You'll get it once you listen. "Heart Of Stone" is my favorite at the moment. Gonna go take a 3rd listen...

Go to their MySpace here!

Photo credit: The Raveonettes MySpace

♫ Friday! Saturday! Lineup! ♫

Okay, so, I haven't tried this yet, but I think it's gonna work out, somehow. I'm thinking that it's more convenient and wise to do a Friday and Saturday Lineup blog post on a Friday instead of sitting at home over the weekend whenever I have the time to post something. By doing this I have more time to actually do things. Crafty juaNINJAxo, really crafty...or congratulations on using my common sense.

So here it goes...

Photo by Sensational Sound Entertainment

If you want something fun to do on a Friday night then go to Cafeoke: Ding Dong Dang. It's a nice blend of karaoke and debauchery. Let's just say that this is a lo-key hideout for locals who want to go to Korea Town in Los Angeles and party their ass off till the wee hours of the morning. I didn't tell you this but the owners are alchy-friendly if you know what I mean. Sneak sneak. Wink. Just exercise common sense and bring a sober and designated driver for anyone that's driving! It's all ages and the cost is not that bad if you're dividing it between a couple people or a large group. The group I went with had 9 plus people in it and we only had to pay $120ish (they take cash & credit). The great thing about DDDs is that you have a private room all to yourself, you have disco lights (lol), and there are blinds you can shut. The only drawback was a full book of songs written mostly in Korean and absolute humiliation when you find out the walls are thinner than you think and that everyone in the hallways can hear you screaming out "We are the champions!!!"


I suggest this on a Friday night because it's easy on the wallet, fun for everyone (including newbies), and you can get wasted (as long as you don't act a fool, i.e. puke, become an asshole, or get caught doing something stupid or childish). Do everyone a favor and make sure you can hold your own. So, go to Cafeoke: Ding Dong Dang! You won't be sorry you made the trip to K-Town and spent a few bucks for a good ol' time with friends...or alone....if that's what you're into. 


Ding Dong Dang
1001 S Vermont Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90006-2756

(213) 388-9006

Promotional Photo by Last.fm

This Saturday, if you have money, go get your tickets to the 15th Annual Nocturnal Festival! What Nocturnal is: a massive rave and dance party being held at the Nos Events Center in San Bernardino. The promotional flyer says there's going to be 6 stages of music, DJs, and electronic music going on! The attractions are said to have: theatrics (i.e. trapeze aerial performances, stilt walkers, fire performers, freak shows), art and sculpture garden, black light paint walls, stunning visuals everywhere, crazy ass sound systems that will blow your eardrums and mind, carnival attractions (think of HARD Summer), and RAVING! :) 

WORDS TO THE WISE: Kids, do everything you NEED TO DO before you get to the line! You don't wanna get caught for anything naughty do you? ;) Also, bring IDs, tickets, etc. You know that some people are gonna forget theirs. It always happens. 

Nocturnal Festival 

@ The Nos Events Center

689 South "E" Street

San Bernardino, CA 92408

REMEMBER: BE SAFE AND DON'T DO ANYTHING STUPID. 

Photo By Hub Pages (LOL)

xo

D.A.N.C.E. - JUSTICE REMIX

This is to make up for that gross Ghostface Killa video.
My sincerest apologies.

Pollyn ♪

Photo by Pollyn's Myspace

Pollyn is a New Wave/Electronica/Down-Tempo band from Los Angeles, with 3 members, Genevieve, Anthony, and Adam. The first thing I thought of when introduced to their music is that they have that Zero 7 feel but are uniquely their own female-driven-discotheque-soul-electronica sound making machine. Excuse me for the long genre description, the point of me writing this is that they have a performance on LA's MOST LEGIT radio station 89.9 FM KCRW. They will be on  "Morning Becomes Eclectic", Friday September 11th at 11:15 am! You can catch them streaming live with DJ music master Jason Bentley on the MBE website. Hopefully we'll get to hear some crazy remixes in their set! I'm looking forward to streaming this set often...and probably whilst doing Nightimey things.


If you can't listen to them on Sept. 11th or make it to any of their shows you can probably afford their first full-length album "This Little Night" (Released February 2009). Listen to it all! They even have an official remix for the Gorillaz "D.A.R.E" and Buffalo Daughter's "Socks, Drugs & Rock n' Roll". Catch up on it!

Photo by Pollyn's Myspace

Upcoming Shows:
The Bootleg Theatre - September 11 - Los Angeles/Silverlake, CA
Adam's Ave Street Festival - September 27 - San Diego, CA


You can find more lovely music & info about Pollyn on their Myspace & Website.
Follow them on Twitta! @Pollyn_Band

HARD Haunted Mansion - NOW 2 DAYS!!!

Which means people who already bought the October 31st Saturday tickets will now have to buy the Friday tickets...frick. Well, atleast it's at different venue!!! Yes!!! The Shrine!!! You know, for all this money that's going to be spent, THIS BETTER BE THE BEST HALLOWEEN EVER!

Somehow ravers out there will find a way to get an extra 60 note, especially if they wanna see the following entertainers:

Photo by HARD

Below is what came in my email and to be honest, I was kinda pissed. To be really honest, REALLY PISSED.

Geez, couldn't you have done this sooner guys at HARD? Now I gotta figure out where I'm gonna pull an extra $60 out of my ass. Thanks NONETHELESS.

Hi,

We're excited to announce that HARD Haunted Mansion at the Shrine is now a 2 DAY EVENT!

Your ticket order is still 100% valid for SATURDAY NIGHT.

If you would like to switch your order to FRIDAY TICKETS, or the TWO DAY PASS instead, simply purchase the correct tickets and we will refund your original transaction. You can notify us of the new purchase by emailing "help@groovetickets.com" or by sending a message to customer service by clicking the "Customer Service" link at the bottom of the page.

Sincerely,

Dr. Groove

UPDATE (see hardfest.com for changes!!!) HARD Haunted Mansion 2009

The first thing I want to say (to get it out in the open, I don't like keeping secrets) is that I hope HARD Haunted Mansion (October 31st) doesn't turn out like HARD Summer did. I'm pretty confident that the admins down at the Forum will have learned their lesson - don't call the 5-0 unless some serious shits going down! And, here's also to hoping that ticket distributors won't oversell the event!

However, I remain optimistic because...

This Hallow's Eve AND the newly added Friday show has the sickest lineup!!!

Guys and Gals! I was very hesitant on buying a ticket for this event because of the past. But, it's time to move away from the past! It only costs 60 bucks ($60)!!! It's at the Forum - it's not that far away! And why not give yourself the right to go? Do it because the day before Halloween and actual Halloween aren't just for kids!! And fucking shit you guys - JUSTICE. DEADMAU5. MAJOR LAZER. BASEMENT JAXX. DESTRUCTO. STEVER AOKI.

GET YOUR TICKETS QUICK 'CAUSE THEY ARE A GUARANTEED SELL OUT!

I'll see y'all there! If anyone's going contact me and let me know what you'll be wearing!

Don't forget to follow Gary Richards (the guy in charge of all things HARD) on Twitta!!! @DestructoHARD

All info on HARD Events go to their official website here!!!

And go to their official Twitta! @HARDFEST