Here's an interview I did with Torro Torro on September 18, 2012 before their performance at the Avalon in Los Angeles. To hear Torro Torro's music visit http://soundcloud.com/torrotorro
Follow me @thatsbomby
I just did an interview with Congorock! He talks about his new Ivory Remix EP out on Ultra Music and what he likes to do when he's not touring the world and making music.
Check it out here:
- Lily
This is an interview I did with Felguk before their big show at Control's 3 year Anniversary party with Tommy Trash.
Here's the interview:
We are EDM duo Felguk, from Rio de Janeiro Brasil. We've been on the scene for a little more then 4 years, rocking dancefloors around the world with pumping rocky massive-bass funky electro-house and its crossbreeds.
Beatification: What motivated each of you to start making electronic music?
Felguk: We both have been going to clubs and raves from a relatively early age. Added up with our passion for music and computers it was just a matter of time to start our own project.
Beatification: What kind of equipment do you use when producing your music?
Felguk: We use mostly soft sytths and use Cubase as our host sequencer. We do have a Moog Little Phatty, and a virus TI though, but we find ourselves hardly using them these days. We have build a room acoustic treated, and use Adam Audio monitors, with sub.
Beatification: Who are some of your major influences?
Felguk: Justice, Wolfgang Gartner, and now we are getting pretty influenced by artists like Knife Party that produce what we understand as a dubstep and electro crossbreed.
Beatification: What is one of your favorite songs right now?
Felguk: Nero - Must Be The Feeling (Kill The Noise Remix)
Beatification: A lot of fans may say you have a "signature sound", do you feel this is true? If so how would you describe this sound?
Felguk: I think it is true, and that makes us happy. I would describe as a pumping rocky funky melodic electro.
Beatification: I've heard some previews for your new remix with Dirty South and Thomas Gold called "Eyes Wide Open" and it sounds like a massive banger, when will the full version be coming out?
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Felguk: It was released today (March the 2nd) on Beatport! We are very proud of that one.
Beatification: Do you have any other new projects or songs to look out for?
Felguk: Yes, we have a new collaboration with Infected Mushroom called 'I Shine' that will be out on their album soon, and we are going to put out a bootleg made in collaboration with Tim Healey that is going to be given away for free download pretty soon too.
Beatification: How would you compare the music scene in Brazil to the music scene in the United States?
Felguk: They are both big scenes with a very energetic crowd. But id say Brasil is more housy, and USA is more opened to various genres.
Beatification: What have been some of your all time favorite venues to play around the world?
Felguk: EDC LA/Vegas, Avalon, Anzu Club, Green Valley and XXXperience.
Beatification: You have two shows coming up, one tomorrow night at the Yost Theater, and the Control 3 year anniversary on Friday night. Are these shows going to be the start of your US tour?
Felguk: Yes. The show at Yost yesterday was a very good start to our tour: packed and intense! We are really looking forward to the Control anniversary today at Avalon, we have played a couple of times there and it is one of our favorite venues and parties ever.
Beatification: I heard you will be touring with Benny Benassi in the UK next month, how did that tour come about and are you excited about it?
Felguk: This idea came to the table when Benny requested our track 'Jack It" to put out in a compilation that he was arranging. We are very excited for that, since it will be our first time in the UK, peaking with a Ministry Of Sound show Saturday April the 7th.
Beatification: What would you say has been your greatest accomplishment as Felguk?
Felguk: Just to be able to live out of music! Thats a privilege!
Do you have any advice for young producers just starting out?
Felguk: Your production quality must meet the standards of the industry, but your creativity has to go beyond the standards of the industry.
Beatification: Is there anything else you would like to say to your fans?
Felguk: You guys are the real motor of the whole EDM circus! Lets keep rocking, and keep the party going!
Joachim Garraud Interview 12/06/11
Here is an interview I did with Joachim Garraud on 12/06/11 before his big show at the Yost in Santa Ana.
You can check it out here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_93JTzJMuU
Dieselboy Interview 8/18/11
Here is an interview I did with Dieselboy aka Damian Higgins!
Beatification: What motivated you to first start djing and then later producing?
Dieselboy: i have always loved music and when i started collecting dance music i noticed that no local djs were playing the stuff i was buying. so i decided to learn to dj and play my own stuff. production was just something i decided to try my hand at to see what it was like making my own unique tunes.
Beatification: How do you feel the drum and bass scene has changed since you first started?
Dieselboy: music went from being a bit more "special" to being much more widely available everywhere. back in the day i remember hearing a track on a uk djs mixtape and then having to spend 3 years figuring out what it was called and where i could hopefully find the vinyl. it was challenging but it meant a lot more when i actually managed to find what i was looking for. now you can see a dj play a tune one night and the next day the track has been identified on a youtube clip and you can find a copy of it floating around as an mp3 a week later. it kinda takes the magic out of it. scene wise it has gone through highs and lows. at the moment it is hard to tell where the scene is at. a lot of the old "hardcore" drum and bass purists are offended by dubstep and the new halftime drum and bass (drumstep). others have embraced the new bass music scene as a whole. i think the purist drum and bass scene is somewhat small at this point.
Beatification: What inspired you to start your label Human Imprint?
Dieselboy: for a long time i had been beholden to other labels and their vision with how things should sound, look, etc. i wanted to be in charge of how i would release music and i also wanted to have an outlet to help promote artists that i felt had strong production kills. on top of that i am always about having a springboard to flex my personal aesthetic and work on new and interesting projects. having my own label allowed me the freedo to do that.
Beatification: How did your collaboration with Smash Gordon come about, in regards to your record label and Smash & Destroy?
Dieselboy: steve and i are close friends and one night on the road we talked about doing some sort of musical project together. we felt that we could do something cool and have fun doing it.
Beatification: Who are some artists that are currently on your label?
Dieselboy: our exclusive artists include numbernin6, muffler, bare and mark instinct. we also work with other producers such as pixel fist, hulk, dan wall, sluggo, nerd rage, figure, mayhem, etc.
Beatification: How would you describe the sound of your upcoming set at the Avalon?
Dieselboy: i don't plan out my sets, but am thinking it will probably be along the lines of at least 50% dnb / drumstep and the rest a mix of dubstep, bass heavy electro and some 110 stuff. all different bpms but all heavy as fuck on the bass.
Beatification: What is your creative process like when making tracks?
Dieselboy: find some cool samples. load up a few in the sequencer and just start playing around until you get inspired or find a direction to go in. then you work on getting a good beat up and start experimenting with bass sound and programming. somedays it comes together quickly. others...it is slow.
Beatification: Do you currently have any tracks or mixes in the works?
Dieselboy: i am currently working on an EP with bare that will feature a thing we did called w.m.f.d. (weapon of motherfucking destruction) and also some collabs with dirtyphonics, tc, datsik, bass nectar and z-trip. i am also looking to have a new mix out sometime around november that will be a followup to my last mix UNLEASHED.
Beatification: What are your likes or dislikes about constantly touring?
Dieselboy: i like seeing all the different places i go and getting to see all of my friends in different cities. also eating at dope restaurants across the world. it keeps my life interesting for sure. i don't like living out of a suitcase, flight delays, airport security, children on airplanes kicking my seat and jetlag.
Beatification: I heard somewhere that you like to collect things like sneakers, boom boxes, etc, is this true? And if so what are some of your favorite things to collect?
Dieselboy: at this point i would say i mostly collect metal / occult t-shirts, rings and cookbooks.
Beatification: Is there anything you would like to tell your fans?
Dieselboy: i am beyond grateful for the support i have gotten over the years. and that i still value things like real LIVE djing and freestyle music programming (not just pushing computer buttons and having a "set list"). hopefully my fans appreciate the same thing. can't wait to play at avalon!!!
Lazy Rich
This is an interview I did with Lazy Rich on July 20, 2011 before his performance at the Avalon
http://youtu.be/ICz3vFhYV9k
Tokimonsta
This is an interview I did with Tokimonsta in May 2011 right after her performance at Coachella.
http://youtu.be/sgTWvDVOX6w
Doorly
This is an interview I did with Doorly on April 20, 2011 before his performance at the Avalon.
http://youtu.be/epNIu01aZQM
Sub Swara Interview December 2010
Lily: Would you first like to introduce yourselves?
Dave & Dhruva: absolutely! I'm Dave, and that's Dhruva; together we're Sub Swara. We live in Brooklyn, make music, and tour constantly.
Lily: How did Sub Swara become what it is today? How and where did you meet?
Dave & Dhruva: Sub Swara started as an event in 2005; Dhruva, along with our still-very-close-friends Haj and Sunder began it as a place to present artists that didn't fit into any particular genre, and we especially pushed the then-nascent scenes of dubstep and glitch. Dave and Dhruva had been writing music separately, and Dave came on board in 2007. All told, we did around 40 events, and presented the NYC debuts of artists ranging from the Glitch Mob, to Ghislain Poirier, to Mary Anne Hobbs.
As the live events developed, we organically came to do a central DJ set of the 3, then 4 of us together, also featuring vocalist Juakali. This shared set, along with what Dave & Dhruva were writing, became the focus of Sub Swara. Sunder and Haj left amicably to pursue other life paths, leaving Dhruva & Dave as Sub Swara.
Lily: Where are each of you from?
Dave & Dhruva: Dave was born & raised in New Jersey; Dhruva was born in India, and moved to the Midwest when he was a kid.
Lily: How would you describe the sound of your latest album Triggers?
Dave & Dhruva: "Friggin' Awesome" is the first thing that comes to mind ;) It's danceable, emotive, and draws on alot of talent that we were extremely excited to work with: Dead Prez, Lyrics Born, Antibalas, Kendra from P-funk, our buddies Eric Frasier and Freddy Mills, and a host of others. The SF weekly just said that it's "as enjoyable sitting down as standing up," which i think is great-- a record that moves the body & soul.
Lily: Trigger's blends many musical styles and genres, What are some of your biggest musical influences? Genres and artists?
Dave & Dhruva: Aside from the endless bevy of great tracks that get sent to us by our peers (current faves include Lorn and Virtual Boy), a day rarely goes by when Faith No More doesn't make it into the mix. We both grew up as percussionists, and rhythm in general is a huge influence. We also grew up in the 90s, so hip hop and dancehall are massive influences. When dubstep entered our collective world in 2005, we found that we had a great container within we could use our voices... inspiration lies in good songs everywhere, regardless of genre.
Lily: On Triggers you used recorded instruments, which ones did you use?
Dave & Dhruva: Tons, everything from the bansuri (wooden flute) played on "Vagabond Knowledge," to the duct-tape-and-cardboard- treated drumset on "Bend You," to the massive amounts of percussion that Dhruva recorded in India for "Steam" and "The Ripple." We're especially proud of "Bird of Paradise," which features drums and percussion by ourselves, and horns from Stuart Bogie & Eric Biondo of Antibalas. Stuart's sax is the sound of Fela Kuti in the broadway show, Fela!, and it was a huge pleasure working with him.
Lily: Trigger’s is full of collaborations, how did you decide who to collaborate with?
Dave & Dhruva: We made a long list of folks we'd like to work with, narrowed it down, and went from there.
Lily: You have your show coming up at the Airliner for Low End Theory, have you ever played there before? Are you looking forward to it? And your show in San Francisco?
Dave & Dhruva: We haven't played Low End Theory before, but they've been on our radar for more than a minute-- their podcasts are great, and we're really looking forward to getting down in LA. Amazing to think that, 3,000 miles away from home, there's a supportive scene that's as into the progression of new music as we are. San Francisco has always been really good to us-- Dhruva lived there for a few years and we have many friends there-- it's almost like a second home. These are two of our last shows for 2010, and the end of the first leg of touring behind "Triggers," so we're extremely excited.
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Lily: Anything else you would like to mention?
Dave & Dhruva: There's a ton of free tracks, podcasts, mixes, video blogs, and remixes available at subswara.com-- check it out, and stay tuned for more in 2011!
Daedelus
This is an interview I did with Daedelus in October 2010.
http://youtu.be/C0mqU3ruiQk
