University of San Diego Radio

Lucent L'amour 2009, courtesy notcot.com

Got any Valentine’s plans yet? How about at the wee hours of the morning on Valentine’s Day? Well now you can be busy all day long thanks to the great guys at The Do Lab, the proprietors of events like Coachella. They are hosting Lucent L’amour, something that they call a “festival of art, music and creativity.” Because they know how awesome this show is going to be (as well as the knowledge of the shallow pockets of college students), they have been kind enough to offer a pretty hefty discount to anyone with a “.edu” e-mail, for more details click on this link to the Lucent L’amour website http://lucentlamour.com/student.  With over 5,000 attendees expected, this is one show you should not miss.

BASSNECTAR

The headliner for this year’s Lucent L’amour, Bassnectar (Lorin Ashton) will get you moving whether you like it or not. Hailing from San Francisco, Bassnectar is known for his eclectic style and stimulating visuals. From his slow, trip-hop sounds to his pounding dance beats, Bassnectar’s show will leave you tore up from the floor up.
“Cozza Frenzy”

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STANTON WARRIORS

The breakbeat duo from Bristol is back in the States for this epic street festival, and their set will be sure to blow your mind. These DJs are masters of the remix and will undoubtedly please your audio senses with both their creative edits and original tracks. With these breakbeat champions on the bill, Lucent L’amour is an event you won’t want to miss.

N.A.S.A.

North America South America, better known by their acronym N.A.S.A., truly brings a unique sound to the bill. Comprised of DJs Squeak E. Clean and Zegon, this duo strives to bring about a sense of unity in the musical community by putting together sounds from different genres around the world. Whether it be bars from Kanye West’s tracks or funky Brazilian riffs, this diverse sound is sure to get you moving.

YARD DOGS ROAD SHOW

Lucent L’amour is chalk full of unique acts, and the Yard Dogs Road Show is no exception. With an unusual mix of cabaret, rock and roll and other strangely entertaining acts, this band will undoubtedly be a musical experience.

BEATS ANTIQUE

Hailing from Oakland, Calif., Beats Antique provides a new twist to the electronic genre.  With sounds and beats from the Middle East fused with dubstep and hip hop, Beats Antique offers a sound that you won’t find anywhere else. With live horned and string instruments, this sound will be something new for you to sink your teeth into.

ANA SIA

This California native understands the value of dance. Her live set will force you to work muscles that you had no idea you had. As a front-runner in the West Coast future sound movement, Ana Sia is an act to listen and dance along to for sure.

LAZER SWORD

Lazer Sword is the fusion of Low Limit, from San Francisco, and Lando Kal of New York. Regardless of the Star Wars allusion, Lazer Sword is pretty boss. With an ever-growing fan base, these guys are something to watch for in 2010, and you’ll experience them live at Lucent L’amour.
“Gucci Sweatshirt”

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LYNX & JANOVER

Though they have only recently released their first collaboration, this duo has been tearing up the live circuit. They spit an interesting blend of low-tempo techno with rapping and acoustic instruments. This year at Lucent L’amour, their smooth beats will be sure to keep you entranced and wanting more.

PATRICIO

Having been a DJ in the greater Los Angeles area since the ‘90s, Patricio is what you could call a seasoned veteran. His sets are practically guaranteed to raise the energy level so high that the only thing higher is the sound level. For all you rump shakers out there, check out Patricio this year at Lucent L’amour.

ROBOT LOVE

This mysterious group is something that must be experienced first hand. The best information only claims that their influence is “static” and their biography is “music for life forms.” After sampling some tracks, it becomes clear that the latter is more appropriate. Their songs, without a hint of static, will make any “life forms” within their sphere of influence begin to boogie down. Get to Lucent L’amour early enough to hear these guys kick off the event.

In addition to the amazing musical lineup that Lucent L’amour offers, a series of art installations, as well as interactive art, will be present at the inside portion of The Shrine. This should be as much as the concerts themselves. I am envisioning a type of awesome street festival. The website even describes one of the artist collectives, Lucent Dossier Experience, as “a playground for the innovative genius child in all of us.”  It should be a very good time, to say the least.

Having gone to the previous night and seen A-Trak, The Bloody Beetroots, 2ManyDJs, and Deadmau5, I had very high expectations for Saturday night.  Fortunately, I was no where near disappointed.  The second night of intense sets was just as good if not better than the first.  And for those of you who picked Friday night over Saturday, all I can say is that you missed out!

Buraka Som Sistema:
I really hadn’t heard of this Portuguese kuduro group before, but they definitely had the outdoor stage moving with their tribal beats and onstage antics. These guys knew how to get the crowd involved and even got the entire crowd to sit down on the floor, only to have everyone jumping in unison 4 counts later.

Major Lazer:
Diplo and Switch definitely showed up on Saturday to rock everyone until most thought they were moving in some kind of Jamaican dancehall paradise. The two DJs, along with the accompanying vocalists and dancers, kept the crowd dancing, whether it was with the heavy beats and sounds they are known for or the mellow dubstep beats that helped create one of the best concert atmospheres I have ever seen.

Basement Jaxx:
To be perfectly honest, walking into Saturday night I felt that Basement Jaxx was somewhat out of place in comparison to the other acts on the lineup. I had expected Basement Jaxx to be more poppy than everyone else.  However, Basement Jaxx had one of the best DJ sets I have ever seen. One could say that they “did it HARD.” They played all heavy dance hits you can think of, from a remix of their own “Where’s Your Head At” to their mix of “Warp 1.9″ by the Bloody Beetroots. Their set on saturday made me a fan of Basement Jaxx for life.

Justice:
When I think of Justice’s set on Saturday, very few words, other than “amazing,” “fantastic,” or “perfect,” come to mind. Justice played all the favorites: “Waters of Nazareth,” “Phantom,” and “D.A.N.C.E.” They even surprised me by playing a mix of “Everybody Up In the Place” by Prodigy. But what really turned out to be the highlight of their performance was their transition from “We Are Your Friends” to “Why Can’t We Be Friends.” It would be very safe for me to say that any verbal description of their set would not be able to truly do it Justice.

Hey everybody. Hope you like this week’s installment of I <3 Techno. This week we’ve got even more stuff to keep you dancing throughout the weekend as well as a guest appearance by The Greek from Audiophiles Anonymous.

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“Actuel” Mr. Nooze

“Baggy Bottom Boys” Jokers of the Scene

“Jerk It (JFK/MSTRKRFT Remix)” Thunderheist

“Stuck on Repeat (Fake Blood Remix)” Little Boots

“Get Down” Jack Beats

“Ok (Yuksek Remix)” Sh*t Disco

“Cheap and Cheerful (SebastiAn Remix)” The Kills

“Oh My Beau Gigolo (Ahllex Remix)” Ravage! Ravage!

“Let Me Back Up (Crookers Remix)” Don Rimini

“Starter” Boys Noize

“Take My Hand (Mustard Pimps Remix)” Steed Lord

“Sierra Leone” Mt. Eden Dubstep

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“Il to Destroy”  The Bloody Beetroots
“In Da Club (The Disco Villains Remix)”  50 Cent
“Escape”  The Toxic Avenger
“Positif (Audionite Remix)”  Mr. Oizo
“Star Guitar (Streetlife DJs Remix)”  The Chemical Brothers
“ZZT (Justice Remix)”  Lower State of Consciousness
“The Numbers Song”  Acid Girls
“Knobbers”  Crookers
“Greel”  SebastiAn
“I Want U (Jence Remix)”  Azzido da Bass
“I Love Techno”  Soulwax

So recently we had the privilege of email interviewing Bob Rifo, the man behind the oh so hard, oh so heavy electro duo known as the Bloody Beetroots.  This Venetian master of fashion and music has been remixing, producing, and putting together the most energetic and hard live shows.  Being as huge of a fan as I am, I was no doubt giddy when we got his response.

What lead you guys into DJing?

It’s just another string to my bow…. the challenge is to bring the spirit of punk to electronica.

How do you like working together as a duo during your live sets?

The whole Bloody Beetroots live and dj set thing started when I brought Tommy aboard.
We still get on! Besides, with the mask, I’m not always sure it’s him (joke)

What is it like working with Steve Aoki and Dim Mak records?

Steve is our biggest fan and its mutual. He really gets it and it’s a pleasure and an honour.

Your sound seems to be a little bit harder and more aggressive than other acts.  What kinds of influences lead you to that distinct sound?

It’s because we come from hardcore punk, not house!

With the many techno/electro acts out there today, has the release of your new album Romborama helped to define your style and set you apart?

This is for others to say. All I can say is that it’s a very honest album and reflects what I’ve been doing and feeling over the last three months.

What do you hope listeners and concert-goers will take away from both your music and live performances?

Very very strong emotions

What’s the story behind the venom masks?

It comes from the Italian Commedia dell’Arte, a 16th Century Venetian form of social satire in the theatre. They all wore masks on stage. Add Spiderman to the equation and you have the Bloody Beetroots. Masks create larger-than-life comic-book characters. It’s exciting.

Your fans in Los Angeles sorely missed you at HARD Summer this past August. How did not being able to play for them make you feel?

Hey…. it’s about doing what’s possible, too! Thanks for the kind words. I missed them too.

Hard Haunted Mansion is coming up in a little over a month.  What do you hope to bring to this show?

Expect the unexpected.

Bob Rifo is no doubt a very intriguing man. He brings a very unique aura to his music and shows that incorporates very different aspects of musical and artistic culture, from his interest in classical music, to his strong connection to hardcore punk, to even his adoration of comic books.  As far as having the stylistic vision to influence the electro genre, very few can measure up to Bob Rifo.

“Ill to Destroy (Bloody Beetroots Remix)”

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Ariel and Adrian present the first playlist of the semester to satisfy all of your pounding techno needs.  The playlist includes some epic remixes that are good for your mind, your body, and your soul… even if it does melt your brain.  An awesome song that you gotta listen to is Parachute ending by Birdy Nam Nam.  It’s produced by Justice and it’s awesome to the max.

1. Aurora (Shinichi Osawa Remix) – Alex Gopher
2. Zumbi (Nujax Remix) – Major Lazer
3. The Parachute Ending – Birdy Nam Nam
4. XR2 (Bill Eff Remix) – M.I.A.
5. Let’s Buy Happiness (Proxy Remix) – Boys Noize
6. Danse en France (D.I.M. Remix) – Fischerspooner
7. Heads Will Roll (Ryan Nexus Remix) – The Yeah Yeah Yeahs

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So this summer I’ve been listening to a lot of different remixes and I decided I’d put together a little montage of my favorite remixes of some fairly well known songs. But, if there’s one track you must listen to, make sure that it’s the remix of Time to Pretend.

“Atomic (Glass M. Remix)” Blondie

“Killing in the Name Of (sebastiAn Remix)” Rage Against the Machine

“Thunderstruck (Crookers Remix)” ACDC

“Hey (Diplo Remix)” The Pixies

“Gives You Hell (Bloody Beetroots Remix)” The All-American Rejects

“Hold Your Head Up (Soulwhacked Remix)” Argent

“Walking on a Dream (Hiiters Remix)” Empire of the Sun

“Time to Pretend (High Contrast Remix)” MGMT

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As much as we would love to review Hard Summer’s artists we have to admit there was nothing to review. Crystal Castles were solid and so were Jackbeats, but after only about an hour and a half of music, the Inglewood Fire Marshall and Police Department put a hold on the music due to over crowding, over booking, and some rowdy ticket holders. So we sat and waited, all 10,000 (if not more) of us, waiting for something to happen. After a little more than two hours of waiting, Inglewood Riot squads showed up and we realized the show was done. $80 dollar tickets, an hour of music, and riot cops. The only thing that could of made the night worse was if Nazi’s showed up. TOTAL BUMMER.

Who’s excited?  I’m excited.  Who should be excited?  Anyone who’s going to HARD Summer this coming Saturday.  This awesome lineup is ready to blow minds with DJs that will lay down only the hardest and fuzziest beats and buildups.

THE BLOODY BEETROOTS: If there’s one act I will definitely not miss this weekend, it’s this masked duo’s set.  With a sound and style to rival those of Justice or Crookers, it’s no doubt that these guys are ahead of the contemporary electro curve.  They killed their last appearance at Coachella a few months ago, and I’m positive they’ll serve up something even more epic this Saturday.

“Warp 1.9 Feat. Steve Aoki”

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CHROMEO: These guys are probably the coolest and flashiest dudes on the bill.  I don’t know if it’s just because I’m a big fan of 80s that draws me to Chromeo, but they know how to make their 80s style of synth and funk sound really good. A little fun fact, Dave 1 of Chromeo is actually brother to A-Trak, who is also on the bill for this weekend. If you’re for a little funk to dance to, go see their set this weekend.

“Fancy Footwork”

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BUSY P: Former Daft Punk manager, Pedro Winter aka Busy P has been at the forefront of the recent French electro movement. He also currently owns the Ed Banger record label, which has produced acts such as Justice, Sebastian, Mr. Oizo, and Uffie.  I actually had a chance to see some of his set at Hard Haunted Mansion this past Halloween, and I have to say he’s definitely worth seeing.

“To Protect and Entertain (Crookers Remix)

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A-TRAK: Kanye West’s tour DJ and one of the best turntablist DJs around, A-Trak is looking to bring a fresh hip-hop style to the lineup.  I have yet to see him live, but based on his track record I’m positive he’ll show up and rock the place.  If you haven’t already checked it out, look up Ariel’s recent interview with A-Trak to get a better feel for what this guy is all about.

“Say Whoa”

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CROOKERS: I saw these guys last Halloween at Hard Haunted Mansion and they put on a very good show.  The thing I love about these guys is that they can literally take anything and turn it into a hard hitting club hit.  Whether it’s their famous remix of Kid Cudi’s “Day n’ Nite” or their remix of ACDC, these guys know how to crank out heavy hits.

“The Salmon Dance (Crookers Wow Remix)”

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SEBASTIAN: I have seen SebastiAn once before at LA Detour Fest in 2008 and I have to say I liked what I saw.  He may be a little bit more avant-garde than most DJs, but he still puts on awesome shows and sets.  It would definitely be worth your time to check him out or any of his various remixes.

“Motor”

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CRYSTAL CASTLES: This Vancouver based duo has all the blips and synth that anyone can want.  I missed Crystal Castles at Hard Haunted Mansion and hopefully I can get a chance to see them this Saturday.

“Crimewave”

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STEVE AOKI: Steve Aoki has been LA’s premier DJ with his pounding club beats and epic stage presence. The founder and owner of the DIM MAK record label, Aoki’s sounds are found in the sounds of fellow label artist such as The Bloody Beetroots. His set at HARD SUMMER should do nothing less than keep the beat pumping and keep kids moving.

“Licky (Work it Out)”a

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UNDERWORLD: Underworld has been in the electronic scene since the 1980s. If you are looking for the classic, feel good, trancey techno show, this is the set to see. Underworld is sure to bring a less aggressive, yet unique style of music to a line-up that could possibly melt your brain.

“Holding the Moth(Audiojack Remix)”

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A-trak (Alain Macklovitch) has been showing the music world his stuff since he was just a kid.  He was killing DJ competitions by the age of 15 and became the youngest Canadian to win the DMC world championship.  Simply put, the guy is one of the best known turntablist DJs around.  It was his prowess with turntables that landed him work touring as Kanye West’s DJ.  Since then his music has only grown and evolved.  A-trak has always personally been one of my favorite DJs so getting him on the phone was awesome.

So what first got you into DJing?

A-trak: I started DJing when I was 12 or 13 and the way I got started was really just scratching, just the technical, specialized side of short scratching turntablism just trying to make those weird sounds with it.  I just happened to have a knack for it so i picked up on it really quick and got hooked and, you know…haven’t looked back since in the 14 years or however long it’s been.

Right on, so you got your start scratching in DMC competitions and was DJing next to guys like Mix Master Mike and Mista Sinista (I was really into that as a kid).  What was it like being a younger DJ and playing with guys like that?

A-trak: Honestly to me at the time it was a dream come true, I mean those guys were my idols.  I learned a lot of what I knew by watching videos of them during DMC battles and that sort of of stuff, and within a few months or a year, I started meeting them.  I won a DMC myself and suddenly was kind of doing shows with them… Suddenly  these guys were my peers but they were still my heroes and they were all so cool to me.  I mean honestly they all really greeted me with open arms.  I think they saw that I really cared about it…I think they saw that I had the same spirit that they had.  Some of the other DJs were going about different ways and either getting too nerdy with it on one end and also being too show-offy  or whatever it was.  I think I was really, purely about the love of DJing and they seemed to pick up on that with me.  I don’t really know what it was but they really greeted me with open arms and saw me as the new generation of what they were doing.

So after your scratch-work over the years, you ended up working with Kanye West.  What was it like working with him?

A-trak: When I met Kanye, his album had just dropped and he hadn’t toured yet, and it ended up being his first tour.  But I was already a fan, of his production at first, and then when he put out the album he suddenly became the next favorite artist in hip-hop.  He was bringing back a certain spirit to the music that was missing for so long.  So I was huge fan and suddenly he asked me to come on tour with him and it worked out great.

Not everyone can work with Kanye.  I worked closely with him for 4 years, so I saw a lot of people come and go.  Some people couldn’t hang and some people could.  He moves really fast, he has high standards, and he also expects a lot out of people.  Personally, that’s the people that I like to work with.  I really get along well with that character, and I’m up for the challenge.  I want to push myself also, so it worked out really well.

Cool, how has working with him changed or influenced your own kind of music and your own sets and presentation?

A-trak: I think it took me out of a mentality that was getting a little bit closed over the years, just being in the same scene, doing the same DJ shows, and sort of being in one scale I would say.  [Working with Kanye] I went to a scale that was much bigger, with Kanye performing in front of tens of thousands of kids, and doing MTV and Grammy stuff, and bringing music into a wide scale of people who could appreciate all different types of music.  For me to bring my craft to that, I had to sort of find what was universal about what I do, and also find what was most impressive about what I do.  I also had to find a way to take what I do in DJing, which was really specialized, and see how to present that to people who had never heard anything close to turntablism and still keep it interesting.

Would you say you had to do a similar transition as you moved more towards electro-based shows?  Doing more techno and that kind of stuff?

A-trak: I wouldn’t say it was the same kind of transition.  It was another growth I think where at my DJ gigs I ended up playing more party records and faster tempo.  I was finding different kinds of club music and finding whatever was original and kind of weird and cool in those sounds and slowly I graduated to more electronic music.  I approached that with a more hip-hop feel to make my own name within that.

So, Hard Summer is coming up in August.  Your going to be playing with guys like Underworld, Bloody Beetroots, Crookers…..What are you hoping to bring to that show?

A-trak: Well, what I play is less aggressive I think. It’s a little bit more hip-hop influenced and more quirky and less about destroying people’s brains.  Like when you listen to Bloody Beetroots songs, they’re super aggressive and even some of Crookers’ stuff is hard, clubby shit which is fun and I love it.  I just approach it a different way.  I’m a hip-hop DJ who’s doing electronic music now.  The way I DJ technically is pretty involved with dance, and I try to showcase that at my shows.  I like to show my personality, have fun with it, and do it my way.

One last question: What’s been your favorite thing about DJing so far in your career? What has been sort of your driving force?

A-trak: Not to sound selfish because I want people to enjoy it, but I DJ because there’s a passion inside me that pushes me to do this.  I love doing a good show.  I love producing a good track.  I love technically pulling off a trick that’s really hard to do.  That’s sort of why I DJ.  There’s always a big show that’s so good, and your always kind of striving for another one.

A-trak is a musician who, again and again, displays the passion and skill with which he approaches DJing.  His background in turntablism offers a different take on electronic music that is sure to entertain.  Try to make it to HARD SUMMER if you can and catch one of the better DJs of the hip-hop, turntablism, and electronica genre.