Let’s talk about another big stop on your tour: Low End Theory…from what I’ve heard about it, it’s a haven for anyone looking for the newest and most engaging live electronic experience. What is so special about it to you?
Low End Theory is like stepping into some kind of Utopia for me. It takes place in a downtown LA venue called Airliner, notorious since the days of prohibition. Sam XL loads in the rudest soundsystem I’ve ever seen in a room of such petite boutique dimensions. The residents Daddy Kev, The Gaslamp Killer, Nobody and D-Styles will play music you have never heard before in your life, and their booking policy is very similar to my Radio1 show. They’re just excited by brand new elemental sound, irrespective of genre: Flying Lotus, Mixmaster Mike, The Mars Volta, Daedelus, Nosaj Thing, Ghislain Poirier, Mono/Poly, Ras G, Samiyam, Teebs, TAKE, Exile, Tokimonsta, Jneiro Jarel, The Glitch Mob…the list is endless. I first played there in January and my experience at the club completely changed my life and the trajectory of the BBC Radio1 show. I picked up more mind-blowing music in one night at Low End Theory than I could ever have dreamed of, and many of the artists that I met for the first time that night are now featured on my new compilation album ‘Wild Angels’. I returned in September, and the reaction I got was just absolutely incendiary, I imagine I felt the same way as The Beatles on their first tour of America!!
Would you care to share any surprises, mishaps or misadventures that occurred on your trip around the U.S.?
I ran out of knickers haha! I had to ask the promoter Keith, in Portland, to stop at a shop on the way into town so I could buy some more. To add to my embarrassment, the woman in the shop said: “Jeez where you from honey? You ain’t got nooooo booty! You gon’ need a child size.” A crushing observation, but I had to concede that she was right. If I ever make any money at this game, I’m gonna buy me an ass that you can stand a cup of tea upon. Interestingly, running out of underpants seems to be a common problem on tour. I was not the only one. Skream was rollin’ ‘commando’ (ie: without) in Denver when I hooked up with him to play there too!
Lately, listening to the show, you’ve had a bevy of artists dropping mixes; lately what’s been tearing up minds is Al Tourettes and Joy Orbison’s mixes. Does it amaze you that even to this day, you can be still be pleasantly surprised by an artist’s skill and craft?
There’s never been a more exciting era for underground music. Software is dirt cheap and highly accessible, as are the expansive online resources for showcasing music such as Soundcloud, MySpace et al. Artists no longer need the patronage of the traditional ‘music industry’ to function. Conversely, they are now operating completely independently and are very much the masters of their own destiny. A piece of music can be finished on a laptop and loaded onto a global platform within moments. This radically accelerates the creative cycle and supports a highly fertile environment for this generation of artists. What is overwhelming, as a listener, is the infinite amount of choice that’s now available, which I guess is where I step in. People have come to learn that I am completely possessed and I am that willfully delirious girl who will listen to music 10 hours a day in the interests of creating the finest sonic mosaic in the world on the BBC Radio1 show every week at: www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/maryannehobbs
What have been your top 3 new artists or records to play out?
Joy Orbison – ‘J. Doe’ (Doldrums Recordings)
Dorian Concept – ‘Trilingual Dance Sexperience’ (Affine)
Gemmy ‘Rainbow Road’ (Planet Mu)
What does the immediate future hold for Mary Anne Hobbs?
Ha, more touring!
November 13th – Spain, Madrid – Sonar
November 18th – USA, Los Angeles, CA – Roxy
November 19th – USA, Austin, TX
November 20th – USA, Dallas TX
November 21st – USA, Minneapolis, MN
November 27th – Skegness
December 4th – Skegness
December 8th – Sheffield, University Tuesday Club
December 11th – Swindon, DUBS.TEK
Nice interview, I really rate Hobbs. There’s a great interview with Mary Anne Hobbs here http://bit.ly/4teXxF