Perhaps as a response to the current crush of the EDM wave, underground dance music has taken up a defensive posture by putting retro-looking house music on the front lines. And while it’s impossible not to enjoy the beloved sound, Maceo Plex is ready to change things up. “For the last three years at least, the big trend has been early ’90s house,” he says. “Everything’s a throwback. I think it’s the right time to put out something that’s a little more deep and futuristic again.”

That futurism manifest itself on the American-born, Spanish-based DJ/producer’s entry into the seminal DJ-Kicks mix series, which is out now on K7. URB asked Maceo Plex to elaborate.

URB: What does it mean to you to be a part of DJ-Kicks, and to launch the premier edition for 2013?  
Maceo Plex: It’s a dream come true, plain and simple.  DJ- Kicks is one of the best mix series of all time, and it’s an honor to do one.   

What are some of your favorite or most inspiring past DJ Kicks mixes? 
There’s a nice handful that I personally really love. Some standouts are Andrea Parker, Carl Craig, Erlend Oye, Stacy Pullen, etc. Andrea’s is sick as hell!

When you created DJ Kicks, what were the essentials needed in your studio when making this? 
 Just dope records. I layered some Jomox beats over some of the tracks, and a bit of software production for the edits and remixes.  

You say, “Everything’s a throwback. I think it’s the right time to put out something that’s a little more deep and futuristic again.” What for you separates throwback from futuristic?  
Well to be honest, I don’t even think people understand what I mean by futuristic. To me futurism is not just thinking of the future of music, it’s more sci-fi than that.  I’m thinking of dark sounds like ETs, futuristic dystopian societies and stuff like that. I think people are loving that old school vibe in music, but are forgetting the imaginative sound design that the pioneers of electronic music were trying to capture. It seems lately everyone’s content with an old school sine wav organ type sound, instead of appreciating some more creative sounds. 

You used race car sounds, which you then edited. Why race car sounds, and what other unique sounds did you like using in this mix?  
The race car sounds are part of the track by Visnadi, but I also put weird tweaky sounds from my synths, as well as vocal snippets, background noise scapes and other tiny elements.  This brings new life to the mix, instead of just a simple little DJ mix. 

Which song on this mix means the most to you, and why?  
I would say, ‘Spatial Lobe,’ by Monsters from ID is one of the most beautiful electro records ever made. So it has always meant a lot to me. Also, my track with Mark Osullivan is a nice one.  

How would this have sounded different if this had mixed under your other alias, Maetrik?  
It would have been much darker, with a lot more weirdness and fewer house tracks. Probably darker electro and sinister techno tracks.  

What does the future hold for you? I will make more music in general. 
There will be more concentration on Ellum and Ellum showcase, and the return of Maetrik.

To quote my homie Chico Mann, “Sound Is Everything” and, in my opinion, has everything to do with music. It’s been years since I’ve listened to music through an iPod, preferring to feel the pulse of the beat whether speaker freaking or writhing in my seat in front of a pair of bottom heavy monitors.

And while I could go on for a hot minute expressing my disdain for Steve Jobs and the decline of quality sound leading to the popularity of a compressed mess, I’d rather tout the praises of URB’s six best engineers in New York City. These are the people who pronounce the bounce. And their work graces the grooves of the world’s best records, from Madonna to A-Trak, Busta Rhymes to Oakenfold and tons in-between. These engineers have devoted their time to help up-and-coming producers achieve new levels of success. And as home based and portable production techniques try to rule the music scene — with more and more music producers doing everything from mixing and mastering all by themselves — I offer you a peek inside the minds of these forward thinking sonic soldiers…

URB: Why engineering?

ARIEL BORUJOW: Engineering is something I’ve always been fascinated with, even before actually knowing what it was. From a young age, I was inquisitive when it came to the sound of albums and why they all sounded different, regardless of genre.

ANGAD BAINS: Why not!? I get to spend all day in the studio working with talented artists / songwriters and producers. I can’t even remember what it is I first went to college for right after high school, but I do remember having the lowest attendance and eventually ended up dropping out after my first semester. It was then that I decided to go to school for Audio Engineering. I spent all my time at the studios there and graduated valedictorian with a 4.0 from Full Sail University. I love recording. You’re there when the music is being created and there’s a lot of excitement involved. The past year, though, I’ve been leaning more towards mixing. Being a recording engineer and running the studio at the same time is demanding. You’re constantly answering emails, calls, dealing with accounts etc… I still record from time to time, but it’s not an everyday thing anymore.

AARON BASTINELLI: I fell in love with engineering early on during my first internship, which was at a small local studio behind a Chinese fast food restaurant in Pennsylvania. I always wanted to be involved in music professionally, but it was that experience that made me realize I wanted to study the record making process.

PHIL MOFFA: I got into production and recording at Purchase College where I now teach. It was back in ’99 when I had been DJing for about 2 years that I auditioned with a pair of turntables and some beats I made on an MPC recorded to cassette. Once I was given access to the studios, I basically lived in them and have ever since. I opened Butcha Sound in September of 2010. It’s a subterranean lab in the center of Manhattan.

ADAM SUSSMAN: I look at a large format console and I see the most musical piece of gear ever created. Why would I not want to spend my time behind one?

BRAD WORRELL: Because I’m a control freak. I learned the basics while I was an artist as I’ve always had strong interest it tech stuff. It definitely started as a way to record myself and my own bands.


Ariel Borujow

URB: How has digital / the MP3 affected your career?

ARIEL BORUJOW: Well it’s been a gift and a curse. The gift is there is a lot more music out there. With all the social media outlets we now have artists that can really bypass labels and put projects or songs out themselves. The curse is the amount of talent being overshadowed since many think they can “make” it.

ANGAD BAINS: Records seem to be made a lot faster and have a shorter shelf life than they did back in the days of cassettes and CDs. There are countless blogs posting new tracks everyday and consumers are constantly on the hunt for new music. On the technical side, contrary to popular belief, I feel that the DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) is our generation’s greatest technological advancement in the field of audio. The recording and editing process is quicker and easier than ever. You don’t need to spend hours to do a full recall of a mix as you would with an analog console and racks of gear. Analog tape and console emulators seem to be the new trend and nearly every plugin manufacturer has something to offer. These are getting better and better. My personal favorites are Steven Slate’s VCC and VTM.

AARON BASTINELLI: Well… I grew up with it! It’s all I’ve really known. Of course I love working with it in an analog domain as much as possible, but I certainly feel most comfortable in hybrid setups. I can say though that my speed and efficiency in Pro Tools has been a huge help in developing my career.

ADAM SUSSMAN: The actual ‘career’ question is a difficult one, I have some (multi) Grammy award winning friends and acquaintances that are truly struggling on a day to day basis to pay bills. In my opinion, the music business was only a business (for engineer’s in particular) from 1950s to early 2000s. Think of it as Elvis to Eminem (also makes a good story, that it was two white guys making money off of black music).

BRAD WORRELL: Probably made it. Although I started in the era of 2” tape and 24 tracks, I was still mainly an artist then. I began engineering / producing during the rise of digital and the work that I was doing (remixes, film and advertising) was made infinitely easier by the technology. I could create full productions entirely by myself.

Angad Bains

URB: Name two things every up and coming songwriter / producer should know.

ARIEL BORUJOW: Patience and Relationships. Both work hand in hand.

ANGAD BAINS: All it takes is 1 song. One song can change your life as it has for many of my clients and friends. Keep at it, put in the work and just keep writing. For every 100 songs you write, you’re lucky to place one…. But when you do get that one, it’s worth it. Also, collaborate with as many people as you can. I remember Dave Pensado saying this on one of his earlier episodes, “If you’re the smartest person in the room, you’re clearly in the wrong room.” Be around people that inspire you.

AARON BASTINELLI: They should all know that the most important factor in making music is having a great song, and that involving another set of ears in some capacity will always help make a project better.

PHIL MOFFA: Real growth takes time. Learn the fundamentals strongly, perhaps by using a simple piece of gear like a four track or an MPC and figure out how to finish songs on them before moving on to a fully-stocked computer.

ADAM SUSSMAN: Put the time in while you can. That Malcolm Gladwell 10,000 hours of practice holds true. Write everyday, even if it’s a grocery list. And for the beat makers out there, make a beat everyday, even it’s a heartbeat with a cool filter on it.

BRAD WORRELL: It’s a muscle. Certainly songwriting, but also producing, to a degree. You need to always be working it. This means writing all the time, even when you aren’t necessarily “inspired”. That way, when random inspiration does strike, you’ll be in great shape to take advantage of it and churn out that gem.

Aaron Bastinelli

URB: Tell us about some of your favorite projects you’ve worked on.

ARIEL BORUJOW: It’s really hard to pinpoint a specific project. I think all projects are special in their own way. How can they not be? I’m working on music everyday doing what I love and learning a lot from every artist. Throughout the years, I have been fortunate to work on countless multi platinum albums and Grammy nominated projects.

ANGAD BAINS: 1) Jay Sean 2) The Wanted 3) Wynter Gordon 4) Krewella 5) Avicci 6) Sia

AARON BASTINELLI: I love all the Converse projects I get to work on, most notably their ’3 Artist 1 Song’ releases (i.e. Mark Foster, A Trak and Kimbra’s ‘Warrior’ and Matt and Kim, Andrew W..K. and Soulja Boy’s ‘I’m A Goner’). Other than these, some of the other recent albums I’ve really enjoyed being a part of would be: Vacationer’s ‘Gone’, Body Language’s ‘Grammar’, Beast Patrol’s ‘Fierce and Grateful’ and Lynette Williams ‘Songs For Sarah’.

PHIL MOFFA: Inside the Perfect Circle is a film about my friend and mentor Joel Thome. It is a document of his career, his recovery after a debilitating stroke through music therapy and a concert we performed in 2009 at the Rubin Museum of Art in New York City based on his mandala scores. The film won many awards at film festivals across the United States. It was an honor to be a part of this film and see Joel still winning awards for his work. I’ve worked on several reggae projects with another mentor / friend / colleague of mine, Joe Ferry, who is a veteran bass player and producer. We put out a 12″ on Jump Up Records last year and this year we put together a compilation featuring Augustus Pablo and King Tubby. It is the companion CD to a book he wrote and I edited called “Connected”. It’s worth getting both the book and the CD. They’re both incredible. Recently, I’ve been performing solo techno shows on an all hardware setup and releasing music using my real name for the first time. This includes collaborations with Anthony Parasole, DJ Spider and Paul Raffaele that made some noise in the underground. Doing mixdowns for the Martinez Brothers is always something I enjoy because their productions come in at high quality and I can be sure that the work will get heard in clubs worldwide at their DJ sets. I love that about working behind the scenes on dance music. There is always potentially a party somewhere in the world where people are hearing it on a sound system. Other New York producers I have worked with include Ray West, E Beats, Harry Bennett, Night Plane and Nutritious of SpinSpinNYC. The latter has brought me some really dope deep house tracks that are a pleasure to mix because the musical parts are always great. Chuck Love even played trumpet, flute and Rhodes parts on Nutritious’ Infernal Devices remix.

ADAM SUSSMAN: I’m blessed to be in a position to take on projects that I enjoy. A record that I look back fondly on is Dante Mazzetti’s ‘Lost and Drifting’. I was too young to know how truly talented he was (and is). We got to work out of Bennett Studios for the tracking and most of the mixing. The album doesn’t even sound that good, but I sure had a blast making it.

BRAD WORRELL: Most of my favorites never saw the light of day. Early on in my production career, I did a lot of work with a hip hop artist named, Mike Down. He had a rock background and a lot of the tracks we worked on together incorporated guitars and had a real, punchy “rock” dynamic to them. While we did tracks with some pretty impressive guests on them, like Sean Paul and Bootie Brown (Pharcyde), we could never get the industry to connect with them. When I listen back to those early tracks, they sound fresh as shit and are still some of my favorite productions. I think that much of that is because we were playing outside of the rules and genre, to a degree. Just really having fun and trying anything that sounded good to us.


Phil Moffa

URB: Why New York City?

ARIEL BORUJOW: For one, I grew up 45 minutes North of the city. When I was young, I remember making trips with either family or friends and immediately knowing that one day I’d have to work here – - the fast pace, the people, the hustle all around. Hey, they say if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere.

ANGAD BAINS: I love New York City. There’s a great energy in this city and some really talented artists as well as producers and songwriters. The independent music community in New York City is so tight knit and Crosby Collective is a great hub for a lot of them!

AARON BASTINELLI: Initially, it was the most accessible location for me, but as I became more immersed I began to appreciate the pace of the city more and more. Move fast, or get trampled!

PHIL MOFFA: I was born and raised in Queens and now live in Manhattan. Leaving never really appealed to me, but I wouldn’t mind spending a few months in Europe. I’ve appreciated the lifestyle there.

ADAM SUSSMAN: The hustle.

BRAD WORRELL: I moved here with my first band and at that time, as a young punk, my priorities were 24 hour access to pizza and beer. For an artist now, I’d say that as saturated as Williamsburg is, there is just so much real talent here, as well as accessible venues, that it’s definitely worth being a small fish. You’ll always be able to find that backup drummer, or a good horn section on a moment’s notice.

URB: What’s more important: having talent or having money?

ARIEL BORUJOW: Talent, for sure. That will never run out no matter what. Having money doesn’t guarantee success.

ANGAD BAINS: If you have talent and you work hard, you’ll eventually get money. If you have money, be smart so it always stays that way.

AARON BASTINELLI: Talent, always. If you have talent, are humble, and have drive, people will want to work with you despite how much money you have. There are a lot of amazing opportunities out there.

PHIL MOFFA: Having breakfast.

ADAM SUSSMAN: If you have the talent, money will find you. It just might take A LOT longer than you expect. Scratch that, it WILL take you a lot longer than you expect.

BRAD WORRELL: Uh, in reference to making music? Duh. It’s been said before, but a talented engineer / producer with an MBox will always make WAY better sounding records than an amateur at Avata.


Adam Sussman

URB: Take us on a tour of your studio. Where are you located? What do you like to do? What do you have to offer?

ARIEL BORUJOW: I’m located at Stadiumred Studios. We are located on 125th street between Park and Lexington Avenues. The facility consists of 5 amazing studios with 2 SSL rooms, full Pro Tools HD systems, 1,000 Square foot main live room and a mastering room ran by in my opinion the #1 mastering engineer Ricardo Gutierrez. Stadiumred is a close family. Aside from myself, we have Just Blaze, Omen, DJ Chachi, Mysto and Pizzi, Modern Machines, Jeremy Carr and Frequency. Also, we have engineers Tom Lazarus and Andrew Wright. I also take pride in having amazing assistant engineers and interns. We are looking to train the next wave of engineers. It’s a special place for sure. These days I spend most of my time mixing and running my label Imprint 180 alongside my business partner, Joshua Kamen.

ANGAD BAINS: Founded in 2010, owned and operated by Michael Brian and myself, the Crosby Collective Recording Studios are full-service professional recording and mixing ateliers located in the heart of New York City’s SoHo district, with a secondary location in Gramercy, completed in September of 2012. Each member of our staff brings passion, experience and a commitment to exceed our clients’ expectations. Artists needs are met with flexible options and professional quality solutions to fit each client and make for a memorable session.

AARON BASTINELLI: I work out of a lot of studios, but most of the time you can find me at Converse Rubber Tracks in Williamsburg, where I’m the Staff Engineer. It’s a beautiful studio housed in a 5,200 sq ft warehouse, with a great sounding live room and very accurate control room. Everyday I get to take part in no pressure recording sessions with bands who are given free studio time. It’s an incredibly creative and positive environment. Bands are able to apply for free time.

PHIL MOFFA: My studio is in the basement of the Recording and Rehearsal Arts Building at 251 West 30th where musicians are seen and heard 24 hours a day. It’s a pretty legendary building. The basement where my studio is was the recording location of many classic 80s records as well as rehearsals for some of the greats. Most people remark on the vibe of Butcha Sound more than anything. It is an environment that encourages creativity. In my facility, I have a decent collection of outboard gear, many classic drum machines and some synths. It’s a playground for producers and myself. I got very lucky finding it. I do lots of mixdowns, recording and even some mastering. Plus, a lot of multi-tracking of the various hardware pieces. I have a half-decent Rhodes and a nice DJ setup too.

ADAM SUSSMAN: As a freelance engineer, I’ve had the opportunity to work out of some amazing studios. Sadly, a large number of them are no longer with us (Sony, Hit Factory, Bennett Studios). Bennett Studios in Englewood, NJ, was by far my favorite place to mix. Their studio B (with a fantastically huge SSL4080) had in my opinion the flattest sounding room I’ve ever worked out of. Sadly, they closed in late 2011. Avatar is still around and if you have the budget, dear God do it. The A room is world famous for a reason.I started my career at Electric Lady Studios in NYC and I’ll always have fond memories of messing with the purple SSL in studio B (and some semi-believable ghost stories). Threshold Studios on the west side of Manhattan has a very wonderful sounding Trident 80B and a nice sized live room. James Walsh the owner is a talented producer and goes out of his way to make every sesssion a pleasure. For smaller studios, you cannot go wrong with Mercy Sound Studios located in Alphabet City. It has always been my favorite affordable studio. Scott the owner is a saint and complete gear nut (the Lucas mics, Inward Connections Tube Sidecar and the vintage Gates 1957 STA-Level come to mind). One of my favorite memories at Mercy was working with Phoebe Snow before she passed. Anybody who ever worked with her knew she was a handful to deal with and she absolutely loved it and had a blast being there. It is definitely the best bang for your buck on the east coast. I love recording any and all live instruments. If I had to choose I’d say drums and vocals. What makes that particular voice special? How do you keep that air / tone / growl / scream and not lose it during the conversion into zeros and ones? Spending the time to find the right vocal chain i.e. microphone, preamp, compressor is something that I will never tire of. I’ve always been in awe of the uber talented drummers, 3 mics or 15 mics. I don’t care…just give me some time to get the phase right between all the mics and I’ll look like a rockstar. I recently helped with a studio build out in NJ called Nightstand Studios — It was nice to hand pick some of the gear and tune the room.

BRAD WORRELL: I manage Converse Rubber Tracks in Williamsburg. I’d be inclined to let somebody more interesting give you the tour:

URB: Now, let’s get technical for a second. Tell us about some of your most favorite gear acquisitions.

ARIEL BORUJOW: Okay here goes…my Dangerous Summing Box, SSL bus compressor, Dangerous Bax EQ and Apogee Rosetta. That’s the go-to hardware. As far as plug ins, for sure my Universal Audio bundle – - hands down my favorite. I recently started using the Slate Virtual Console and Virtual tapes machine bundle. They are changing how I mix. Most important though, my ears.

ANGAD BAINS: Outboard gear, Neve 5116 console, 33609, Gml 8200 — Because I’m from the new generation of engineers, I love plugins. Here are some of the ones I use on a daily basis: Pro Tools HD 10, Steven Slate, Dsp, Sound toys, Nomad, Fab filter, and many many more…

AARON BASTINELLI: I honestly don’t own much of my own gear! I rely heavily on the studios I work out of.

PHIL MOFFA: I find use in everything from the cheapest toys to the nicest pieces of vintage gear. It is definitely essential for me to have a mixing board at the center of the lab. Recently, I got an amp for these huge Urei monitors in my wall and listening to records on them has been one of the most exciting upgrades in years. And I use my Octatrack and MPC samplers more than any other boxes as far as beats are concerned.

ADAM SUSSMAN: I’m not immune to gear porn. Who the hell wouldn’t want to use a twelve thousand dollar mic and esoteric tube compressors from the 50s? But sometimes a SM58 will sound great (and be more comfortable for the artist), just ask any of the engineer’s who’ve worked with Bjork, or Bono.
If I had to bring just a few pieces with me…a few Daking mic pre/eq’s, a few Great River MP-2NV’s, a bunch of Distressor’s, a few RETRO STA-Level’s (just drooling thinking about that RETRO compressor), one or two ribbon mics (Cloud Microphones are pretty awesome), a few SM57′s and SM58′s, and give me two or three nice Large Diaphragm Condenser (Neumann U49, Mojave M-300, Studio Projects C1). In my opinion, the single most important thing is a good sounding studio. Forget the gear. How does the ROOM sound? That is the hardest thing to get right. Find a room that what you hear sounds the same in your car, in the club, in your headphones. Especially if you’re just starting out. The low end is something that I still struggle with and the flatter the room, the better chance you have of creating a good mix that translates well.

BRAD WORRELL: On the personal side, when Reason 2.0 came out, it was groundbreaking for me. An awesome (and fun) tool that was an amazing bargain at the time. On a professional side, here at Converse Rubber Tracks, I feel like the substantial investment that we made in our Ocean Way speakers, really sets us apart in our monitoring. These are massive, mid-fields that are wonderful to track on but you can actually mix on them (and many of our engineers do just that). That’s not something that I can say about most large / soffit monitors.


Brad Worrell

URB: The readers are begging, please do us a favor, dig deep, and give us some career advice.

ARIEL BORUJOW: Relationships are important. I’m sure people hear that all the time, but it’s so true. The music business is so small that you never know who you will run into down the road. Be willing to work for next to nothing in the beginning to help build your brand. Essentially, you have to look at yourself as a brand so word of mouth spreads and people hear about you from others.

ANGAD BAINS: Stick with it. It can get really hard at times. Working long hours with little or no sleep / pay, isn’t easy. But to do what you love doing everyday…It’s an amazing feeling. Just make sure you have a good support system. They could be your friends, significant other or family. It’s a lot harder to do it alone.

AARON BASTINELLI: Work hard, find someone to mentor you (who’s been successful) in what you want to do, and really focus on your job at hand. Dedication, diligence and passion go a long way.

PHIL MOFFA: What else can you do in any art that’s truly worthwhile except lock yourself up in your respected laboratory and work your ass off? Sure we need to be in touch with people and promote and do all that stuff, but it’s worthless unless you have something substantial to put your name on and share with the world. Learn some music theory, develop your own voice, practice, dig, experiment, create. Then figure out what to do with it. If it’s any good, it will happen for you. At least that’s the advice I am giving myself nowadays.

ADAM SUSSMAN: I hate the ‘do what you love’ line, but it fits well here. The older way of moving up the chain, gopher, 2nd assistant, assistant engineer, engineer is sadly dying out. If you can get into a larger format studio, do it. The rules to follow are simple 1) Do what is asked of you 2) Shut up and listen for 5-10 years. Ego is something we all struggle with. Do whatever you can to temper it.

BRAD WORRELL: It’s quite simple really. I think that most people believe that having two of these three things will bring you success: talent / luck / hard work. The truth is that it takes all three. Sorry for the buzzkill, but you will be very hard pressed to find any super-star, whether an artist, producer or even an engineer, who hasn’t had LOTS of all three of those. Having just two, in any combination, may be enough to get you in the door, and even make for a modest career, but you’ll never go all the way without all three. Being nice to EVERYONE also helps, but sometimes that falls into the “hard work” category, I guess.

Long before DJs became megastars, Caroline Hervé (aka Miss Kittin) was one of the first performers whose celebrity shined on a scene mired in anonymity. Starting in the early ’00s with hit songs “Frank Sinitra” and “1982,” her career has ridden the waves of success over four albums of electronic-driven pop that always remain fueled by the dance floor.

Her latest, Falling From The Stars, offers yet another look at Hervé. The double disc set feature classic Kittin tunes on disc one, while disc two focuses on moody instrumental electronica — a sound one might only recognize from her tendency to toss an odd Autechre tune in the middle of a blazing techno DJ set. URB asked Miss Kittin to decode her many lives.

URB: In the past you have been known for working with multiple collaborators. What prompted you to do release an album comprised of your own productions at this point in your career?
Miss Kittin: Just by writing a few ideas that accidentally happened to be finished  songs. I know it sounds odd, but at this point, I still thought I couldn’t really produced by myself. That’s the problem of collaborating for so long, you think you need tons of equipment to   release material. But no. I basically used my small studio like someone would use a guitar or a piano and it worked.

My producer friend Pascal Gabriel opened my eyes. I learnt a lot by his side. But many musicians have sound engineers making their life easier and no one says anything, so let’s say it’s my personal pride to have made this completely on my own (except a few tracks). I love to write music with other people by the way, so it doesn’t matter.

There are some personal themes on the album – life, death, sadness, joy. Often dance tracks are accused of being a little shallow. Did you want to invest your music with more meaningful themes?
That’s how I am, today, where life brought me. Your aim as an artist is to express who you are in the moment. I just try to be a better person day after day, music is one of my ships in this journey. I work hard for that, questioning myself, digging years after years to understand who I am so by definition, yes I end up talking about these deep themes, because I know it’s the only way to wisdom and it’s fascinating. My music was never sad, it’s always that quest of truth with a little sarcasm!

There is a cover on the record of REM’s iconic ‘Everybody  Hurts.’ Is this a song that has special meaning for you?
After meeting Michael Stipe in a restaurant in south of France. He stood in front of me, I didn’t even know he was there, said he liked my music… Unbelievable… I’ll never forget his presence, softness, deep eyes, his voice. So when I came back home, I sat in the dark in my studio and made this cover in a few hours, like a lullaby. I don’t know why I chose that song in particular, it was more to keep a memory of him, of that moment. Later on I sent it to a common friend who forwarded it to him, he said he loved it and I could release it. It was years ago. One of my very early works alone, with no intention to release it. But suddenly it made sense in this album. I am very happy about it, because the track is so famous, you nearly forget how powerful the lyrics are, and I hope people can rediscover them in this  
version. It’s also a big love message to my friends.

You are a rare breed, a independent artist that has enjoyed major mainstream success. Seeing both sides of the spectrum, what does  success mean to you now?
Oh, I don’t think you can say I reached a mainstream success. I never lived from record sales, I was never in the charts. And I am happy about it. I like my position, in between. It wasn’t easy either, too pop for where I come from, too indie for the mainstream, but I like to open doors, I am free, and that’s my biggest success. To do what I am good at and live from it. Success was never my goal very honestly. I never thought i would be a musician or a DJ, it’s all bonus. I just wanted to have a good life, free, out of the norm. Success means today: I embraced every opportunity with passion, I worked hard doing my best, making the right choices for myself, mostly with intuition, and I am still here 20 years later. Freedom and nothing else.

There are two distinct sides to this album – the first disc is more upbeat arguably more typical Miss Kittin, the second is an ambient/electronic album. Which better represents Miss Kittin today?
Both. The first part is in the continuum of what I try to do since the beginning: pop music with electronic sounds. A DJ can be a song writer. It’s an important mission, to show there’s a more subtle pop music out there, out of the format you hear every day. The second part goes even deeper. It’s not pop music anymore, it’s just pieces of music, without the chorus/verses formula. I did these pieces out of the blue, here and there, I wanted to keep them for another project but decided to bring them into a double LP. Why not.  

The first part can bring the listener to the second part, like if you push another door into my world. Electronica is a big part of my life as a music lover since the early Warp stuff. It’s pretty much forgotten today. And I don’t release albums every year so it’s nice to come out with such an amount of songs.

Having achieved so much in your career, what now drives you forward? What things are you still keen to achieve?

Today, it’s performing live. I was always a bit scared of that, being up front on stage. I always preferred DJing, playing other people’s music. But I reached a point as a DJ, I don’t think I can go further. It’s also a question of age. I don’t see myself much longer in clubs till 6 am every weekend. Another important point, I realize there’s very few DJs who can write songs and sing live, so it’s nearly political.

To push things forward and not only for me. It’s exciting to be part of something bigger than you. That’s exactly why I fell in love with electronic music in the late 80′s, a movement so much bigger than us. Later on, I want to write a book as well, when I have more time. Paint  more, draw more as well…

You talk of inspiration, about wanting to give and receive. How do you open yourself up to be inspired on an ongoing basis? Where do you look for inspiration?
It’s a constant evolution. Traveling helps. It sharpens your emotions, feelings, your eye on the world. It changes you forever to see other cultures. You end up seeing things in a poetic way all the time, on a daily basis, that no one notices. I can catch myself daydreaming. That’s why I write a lot, take pictures, I try to catch these little moments, little things that seem unimportant. It’s all about point of view. I cultivate that a lot, walking in the street for example, I see things that busy people can’t see. I love that. To see what’s behind  the obvious.

On a similar note, do you feel any responsibility to try and inspire others who are trying to emulate what you have accomplished, especially while big name female DJs remain a rarity?
I realized that very recently. I never thought about it before. Who was I to pretend I could have such an influence? It came with age and experience again. Lately I got a lot of feedback from close friends who told me I was a big inspiration for them. I know it sounds odd, but I had a big lack of confidence about that… For sure, I always tried to do my best, defend ideas I believed in, stayed myself, and wished it was the reason why they got inspired, because that’s what I always wanted to be respected for. Now, I am very proud of what I  achieved, yes. I can say that for the very first time. Sounds weird!

Rarity of female DJs is another topic. I don’t see where is the pride to be one of a few, it means things didn’t change much in the business. I came to the conclusion we are still in a pretty sexist society. Women have more rights, yes, but it’s still so difficult to be a successful woman. A man can be successful, with a wife taking care of the house, but to find a man who supports a woman in her success, you have to admit it’s still a rarity. If men are more open-minded, especially the young generation who grew up with independent mothers, you still have to deal with egos. It explains a lot why there’s so few women. There were always a lot of creative women in history, but sooner or later, you have to make a choice, if you want a family you have to give up your career and it’s not fair. I say we can have both like men do. And yes, if it’s an inspiration for other women, then great. Time to wake up.

MISS KITTIN – BASSLINE from wSphere on Vimeo.

In the era of superstar DJs and mega-festivals, the notion of the weekly DJ residency is a dying one. Even in New York, a city famous for its self-contained club scene—from Larry Levan at the Paradise Garage to Danny Tenaglia at Vinyl—you’d be hard pressed to find a successful night helmed by the vision of one artist.

Unless you head out on a Monday for Deep Space, the weekly party powered by legendary DJ Francois K. Deep Space is celebrating it’s 10th anniversary this Monday (March 18) at Cielo, the Manhattan venue that has hosted the party since the very beginning in 2003. Joining FK on the decks is Hotflush label head Scuba (who recently wrapped his own infamous Sub:Stance residency at Berlin’s infamous Berghain).

From techno and house to disco, left-field, ambient and the all important dub, the music policy at Deep Space has always been as diverse as the many guests who have taken to the booth over the past 10 years—Carl Craig, Gilles Peterson, Theo Parrish and U-Roy to name just a few. To celebrate the 10 year mark, we asked Francois K to tell us his 10 favorite tracks from a decade of Deep Space.

Start the list after the jump.

Objekt “Cactus” / “Porcupine”[Hessle Audio]

“Has been a staple for us since it came out; amazing piece of electro-futurism, pointing the way beyond traditional dubstep.”

Daphni “Ye Ye” [Text]

“Warm and trippy, with a stunning lead synth melody line. Very much in the line of Eddy Grant’s classic instrumental “Time Warp”. Go deep!”

Johnny Harris “Odyssey” (pt 2) [Sunshine Sound Disco]

“This one was always a very odd and demented record. It’s only recently that people have started feeling how ahead of its time it truly was. More relevant than ever today.”

6blocc “Never Scared” [War Series]

“Massive energy from this cheeky dubstep lift on a classic dance hall track. Consistently been one of our peaktime tracks. “

]]> http://www.urb.com/2013/03/15/a-decade-of-deep-space-francois-ks-top-10-tunes/feed/ 0 http://www.urb.com/2013/02/07/crosscheck-tosca-interviews-brendon-moeller-interviews-tosca/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=crosscheck-tosca-interviews-brendon-moeller-interviews-tosca http://www.urb.com/2013/02/07/crosscheck-tosca-interviews-brendon-moeller-interviews-tosca/#comments Thu, 07 Feb 2013 17:40:05 +0000 URB.com http://www.urb.com/?p=85657

Richard Dorfmeister (of Kruder & Dorfmeister fame) and Rupert Huber are Tosca and have a legendary career creating downtempo classics. South African-born, New York-based Brendon Moeller also has a decades long list of sonic masterpieces under this belt. Moeller and Tosca discuss the human aspect of making music. Home is where the music is.

Tosca’s forthcoming Odeon is a deluxe, dark ambient joy that will hit streets Feb 5th via !K7.  Watch Tosca take you through Odeon track by track here. Moeller (under his various aliases) also has loads in the pipeline to dig into as well: The Watchers EP (with Speedy J) on Steadfast, Echologist EPs on Prologue Records and M-rec, Beat Pharmacy EPs on soulpeoplemusic and Throne of Blood.

Brendon Moeller Interviews Tosca:

This question sort’ve applies to you Richard, but Rupert, would love to hear your thoughts on the subject too. I saw in an interview you did recently that you feel home is where one’s roots are. For me, this is interesting since I have not lived at home in Johannesburg, South Africa since 1993. My roots tug at me on an almost daily basis. This ancestral voice is strong, but I feel that since I have been away from my original home for so many years I am planting new roots for my children and their children. Is this how Zurich feels for you now? 

This is a good question – in fact it felt a bit strange to move away from the environment that I was used to, but after all these years I have to say that it helped to expand my view on things and made me feel at home nearly  everywhere I go.

But my hometown of Vienna is still part of the plan: the studio is here and I am travelling between Zürich and Vienna a lot. Vienna has always been the heart of our music production, but sometimes Rupert comes to Zürich and we work then in my little studio I set up 2 years ago.

Many of the ambient sessions for the Tosca Odeon CD2 were done there, so it`s good to change the working environment from time to time to get yourself onto a new level.

By the way, I didn`t know that you are from of South Africa. I played in J-burg and Capetown some time ago and it`s definitely a good place to go to – lots of energy there.

What are your thoughts on the current state of the music business in regards to the sharing of music? Sharing music with friends and family always to me felt fine, but we now have networks of strangers sharing? Is it fair to call this sharing? 

Not really. The original idea of file sharing in music, like with remixes, sound networks etc, was to let the artist himself decide if the music is free or not, and that it`s the artist`s choice with whom it is shared. If I bake a cake it seems natural that I can offer you a piece but I do not have to.

Still, even with music that is “stolen,” somebody makes some money. Internet connection, costs for transmission, electricity, and the fancy new smart phone that can play all aren’t for free. Who would blame the phone company for charging for your phone calls and downloads?

How has the fact that you now stay so far apart from each other geographically impacted how you work on music together? Is there much jamming going down when you do meet up, or is it mostly focusing on getting music produced for the purposes of a release schedule? 

As mentioned before, we still are working mainly together in the studio in Vienna – we’re just used to working together in a room rather than sending files; it just makes the whole music making process more fun and human. That`s the original idea; enjoying the time you have and at the same time this leads to producing music that you love. So it is and always has been a mutual thing.

What are your favorite bits of kit these days, aside from the software-based DAW which we use for recording, arranging and mixing? Are either of you collectors of musical gear? If yes, what? What do you think of the increasing fascination going on with modular synthesizers? Are you familiar with Makenoise, Intellijel, Pittsburgh Modular, etc?

Well, I started to collect synths and stuff from the early nineties and I really got hooked on that for a while—you could pick up some pieces for a reasonable price at that time. Now with the net, it got more difficult because it`s much easier to compare the prices and in a way these synths + machines are just a little part of the puzzle anyway.

But it`s still great to fiddle around on the old machines. They just have a certain charm and the key is to combine the soft-plugs with the old equipment. Speaking of modular synths, I once bought the Roland System 100, but honestly you can do much more today with the Moog Modular plug-in, and it`s a lot cheaper!

I think our favourite bits of old gear are still the Korg MS-20 (Rupert used to own two Korgs already in 1982), the trusty Rhodes, the Memorymoog. But I also like to record real basses and guitars; that just generates a more human feel — and that`s impossible to produce with any plug-in!

What are your thoughts on the state of DJ culture pertaining to approach? People have become quite outspoken and puritanical about digital versus vinyl / analogue etc. Do you think it’s more likely to hear a great DJ set because of what tool / approach is being adopted? 

No. I tell you Brendon, I have tried all kinds of formats (coming originally from vinyl) like playing from a USB stick or triggering tracks from Ableton Live and I have to say, the trusty Pioneer CD-players (especially the new 2000 range) are just the best. And I think it`s better to select from a CD-book rather than scanning files from a computer if you are on stage: it`s better to look at the crowd than the monitor screen.

Many touring and popular DJ’s now have to have day jobs. Do you think it’s a good thing that many folks now releasing music only do it as a hobby? 

Rupert was just joking about this (“sorry we can`t answer that question because we have to leave to our shift at the bar…”), but in fact it becomes more and more tight for the music people to make ends meet. Especially if you have a family
life! But in our case, the music plays such an important part that we will continue to produce music whatever the money situation will be. We just have to!

Who said “Don’t play what’s there, play what’s not there?” Miles Davis? Discuss?

Those are definitely wise words, implying that you should not be so focused on fulfilling expectations, whether it’s to sound like somebody else or to make as much money as possible, or wanting to have a million hits on YouTube. Music is a world of its own, and the more time you spend there, the better you know it, and the more it becomes a mystery.

To play what’s not there is to transform into soundwaves what is hidden in mystery. Composing music is like making sound out of the silence, the unheard….like a bird flying around.

David Byrne once said, “To some extent, I happily don’t know what I’m doing. I feel that it’s an artist’s responsibility to trust that.” Thoughts? 

A big YES on that one. Making music is also creating a zone of freedom, freedom from language and its determinations — being guided by what you do but you do not know what you do. You really need trust to expose yourself to this procedure!

Tosca Interviews Brendon Moeller: 

We’re really happy about the mixes you did for the Tosca “Bonjour” track. You did it around the time when the hurricane was happening in NYC, right? Tell us a bit about that special moment of madness.

Really happy you’re digging my remixes of “Bonjour.” I had a blast doing them.  A lot of times I get remix parts that are uninspiring, but the textures and  elements you sent got my mojo workin’.

Hurricane Sandy was an outstanding experience, despite the fact that we were without power for 4 days and had our fence blown down. It was majestic to behold. It was dark when the hurricane hit, so unfortunately we could not see it, but hear it and feel it we did. For three hours it sounded like an avalanche outside our house. We heard branches snapping, tiles on the roof cracking, garbage cans being flung through the streets like balloons. It’s quite exhilarating and awe inspiring to witness. Of course cleaning up and having to spend money to repair the damage was not inspiring! ;-(

What kind of equipment are you using when you play out? And where are you mainly performing? Do you have a residency somewhere?

My live set-up now consists of a Dave Smith Tempest drum machine, an Elektron A4, an Akai MPC500 and a Boss space echo pedal. I am also building a modular synthesizer in a 6U Monorocket case which I intend to incorporate for my more experimental and ambient sets. For DJ’ing, I’m using Ableton Live 8.

I’m performing mostly in Europe and the USA at the moment. I’m debuting my new live set on Feb. 23rd in NYC. A residency is the dream!

Do you see yourself more as a live performer or as a studio musician? You mentioned Miles Davis in your questions – how important do you think Miles Davis is for music history, or your own personal music history?

In the beginning I always saw myself as a studio musician. It wasn’t until I was given an option to perform live that I really began pondering how best to pull it off. It’s taken me years to finally get to this point. I now finally have the tools necessary to get up and jam and improvise. No show will ever be the same.

I rate Miles Davis up there with the other icons (Hendrix, Fela, Lee Perry etc.) who really inspired me. His uncompromising vision and willingness to experiment resonate with my own intentions.

Do you like to wear hats? Do you like oysters?

I enjoy hats for the sake of warmth in the winter. I do not however wear hats in general because I have a large head I LOVE oysters!

Why did you choose to live in NYC?

Actually, I now live in upstate New York, about 60 miles from NYC. I don’t know if I ever consciously decided that I wanted to live here, but as fate would have it, I’m still here. My roots in South Africa tug at me on a daily basis. Perhaps I have a problem with the concept of settling down, or planning to settle somewhere? That said, I do love New York. I love having access to all the greatness this city has to offer.

One of the more unique albums to sneak out at the end of 2012 was DRM, a collaboration between Ryan Crosson (one quarter of Visionquest) and Cesare Merveille (of Cadenza fame). Both DJ/producers spend a majority of their time representing their label’s crossover-ready techno tunes to adoring audiences worldwide. Which makes DRM, an album of moody and abstract electronic music, all the more surprising. URB asked the two of them how this new project fits in to their already overflowing schedules.

Visionquest is releasing a heady mix of sounds, including poppy elements like Benoit + Sergio and footprintz. DRM clearly takes the label in another direction, away from the poppy sphere. Was is a conscious decision to have your first album be something more heady?
As we started working on the album we tried to do something quite personal, we didn’t really take in consideration where it would be released, but we’re happy to widen the musical spectrum of the label.

 
With DRM, did you two come together to make music that you felt was missing from your record bag? Are these tunes we’d be hearing you play out? Or is DRM less functional, more simply just an expression of what you wanted to create together? 
Again, it’s a very personal album, we actually tried not to fall into the usual 4/4 dance track and focus on the musical and sonic side. We play some of the tracks but none of them have particularly been design in a functional way.

 
Cesar, Cadenza, has become a powerhouse – clearly expanding its reach through its presence on Ibiza. What does that mean to you as a producer associated with the label, does it afford you new opportunities? Does it broaden or narrow the music you can release with them?
It can only broaden the music. Both Cadenza and Visionquest are family and I think it’s important to show that there doesn’t have to be any barrier between the two. We support each other and collaborating together can only open new horizons.

Ryan, watching Cadenza grow, really on its own terms, does it inspire you and the Visionquest crew to try and emulate Cadenza’s success? 
We’ve all been playing music from Cadenza since the label launched back in 2003.  It was truly groundbreaking back in its early years and we’ve forged good friendships with many of the artists on Cadenza like Ces, Mirko, Maayan and Dani, and some others.  The thing I really think that stands out these days about Cadenza is that although the music on the label isn’t as experimental as it used to be they have maintained a core of artists they stand behind and support.  They’ve created a family type vibe that is absolutely essential.
 
You both have label crews around you. Crosstown Rebels, Wolf+Lamb, Hot Creations, have all found success with this model. Do you feel that its important to create a collective if you want to reach a certain level?
Cesar: I think it’s just important to have a collective!  You learn a lot from other artists around you and it’s important to share your knowledge with the people around you. It’s a good way to grow stronger.
 
DRM seems to convey mood in its songs. When you made these tracks – do you feel that you were directly putting your mood, at the time of production, into these tracks? 
Cesar: The album has strong moods because of it’s musical aspect and the collaboration with the musicians we chose.
 
You worked with some classically trained musicians on this project – No Regular Play’s Greg Paulus, and Kate Simko. Did you feel that it was important to add classical instrumentation to this album, or were those collabs more organic than that?
The classical instrumentation is an important part on the album, we wanted to push the musical further than our usual dance tracks. We were quite interested in the mix of acoustic  and electronic elements. 
 
How do you guys play together? I was looking online and didn’t see many gigs listed. Are you working on a live show together, or can you convey the DRM experience with a back-to-back DJ set?
At the moment we play back to back DJ set, more to come on that soon…

The votes have been tallied and once again URB readers have made their voices heard. And how did 2012 flesh out in terms of your favorite artists? A rock solid mix of all-time favorites, current buzz-makers and a few veteran acts climbing their way to the top once again. Don’t call it a comeback — although it seems hip-hop dominated your world in 2012, while the rest of America was jocking EDM as the next big thing. Are MCs the new DJs, who are the new pop stars, already?

12. DOOMTREE

This seven-person collective from the Twin Cities has been on our radar for almost a decade, although it seemed like they’d forever be in the shadow of MPLS patriarchy Rhymesayers. Not that there’s anything but healthy competition between the two camps. And now, riding on win after win as a team, plus all-star performances from individual players Lazerbeak and Dessa, Doomtree has cracked our year end list for the first time. Looks like Minnesota is still the hip-hop capital of the Midwest.

]]> http://www.urb.com/2012/12/18/top-12-acts-of-2012-urb-readers-poll-winners/feed/ 0 http://www.urb.com/2012/12/17/crosscheck-blockhead-and-sum-shout-about-sequels/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=crosscheck-blockhead-and-sum-shout-about-sequels http://www.urb.com/2012/12/17/crosscheck-blockhead-and-sum-shout-about-sequels/#comments Mon, 17 Dec 2012 15:49:56 +0000 URB.com http://www.urb.com/?p=85212

The world is awash with sequels these days — from the 007 franchise to another 9+ hours of Peter Jackson’s vision of Middle Earth in The Hobbit. And it’s not just Hollywood doubling (or tripling down). Los Angeles-based rapper Sum’s album, Dragon comes in two parts (Vol. 1 which is out November 27 and Vol. 2 which is coming around the bend), so who better to do a two-part interview with Ninja Tune artist Blockhead, who delivered some beats on Dragon.

Blockhead will be bringing his beat driven goodness on the road in December, so peep ninjatune.net for more info on tour dates. Go to sumkilla.com for more info on Dragon Vol.1 and Vol.2.

 

Sum: We live in a time where there’s been so much art created, people are now wanting to go back and re-create older stuff with new technology. It pisses alot of people off. Do you feel like movie reboots get a bad rap? Or do they signify that the human race has reached the end of it’s rope?

Blockhead: I think it’s a case of Hollywood simply running out out of fresh ideas. This is nothing new, but at least back in the day they’d make a movie that was like another movie, not a straight up remake of it. As a dude who was around in the ’80s and ’90s, seeing these useless remakes of movies that were great to begin with is pretty depressing. What’s the point? I think the only movies they should be remade are the ones that missed on the first try. Judge Dredd is a great example. That original was a piece of shit. The new one though? Most bang for my buck of any movie I’ve seen this year.

Sum: In your opinion, what is the worst sequel of anything ever?

Blockhead: I dunno if it’s the worst, cause it’s actually fairly watchable ,but the least creative remake ever was The Hangover 2. it was pretty much the exact same movie as the first but less funny. The worst ever might have to be Silent Night, Deadly Night 2 cause it was 75% flashbacks of the first movie. It literally could have been made using a camcorder and two VCR decks for dubbing the old movies “flashback” scenes. Truly atrocious shit.

Sum: Who is playing Blockhead in the Blockhead biopic, and then who’s playing Blockhead in the reboot of the biopic that will come out five years later?

Blockhead: HAHAHAHA…Shit, depends what age I’d be played as. If it’s me in my early twenties, I’d imagine a young Scott Wolf (of “Party of Five” fame) would play me. If it’s an older me, I’d like a nice Bruce Willis role. We got the exact same nose, so it might work.  As for the remake five years later…I’d just like to assume I’d be played by any of Will Smith’s kids.

Sum: How do you continue to evolve as an artist without going back to the same ideas and concepts repeatedly?

Blockhead: This is something I don’t really think about. I’ve never consider myself a constantly evolving artist as much as one who just refines what he does over time. I’m not changing paths drastically enough to really consider it anything more than natural growth. I tend to always keep the foundation the same , at least in terms of my beginning point. What comes out on the other end is more just a role of the dice.

I always felt that a lot of artists who go out of their way to “evolve” stretch themselves too thin and end up making contrived music that’s pandering to whatever popular at that moment. I’m more of a “stay in your lane” kinda dude.  There is evolving within that but it’s not like I’ll be making a dubstep album any time soon.

Sum: Give me an example anywhere in music or movies where the sequel was better than the first (try to leave The Empire Strikes Back or Troll out of this).

Blockhead: In movies there are a few good examples. Gremlins 2 was better than the original (which is saying a lot considering how good that first movie was). Evil Dead 2 is another. Hell, I’d even say the last Rambo movie was the best one yet.

For music, it’s a little different.  The sophomore slump is a real thing, but a few artists have been able to power through it. The Jungle Brothers Done By The Forces Of Nature was their masterpiece. I actually prefer the second Portishead album to their debut. A lot of times, artists kinda figure things out the second time around and really find their sound. That certainly could be said for A Tribe Called Quest and Kool G rap and DJ Polo.

Come to think about, lots of sequels are kinda the best. Who knew?

 

Blockhead: If there was a classic album (of any genre) that you would “reboot” as executive producer with an all new cast and new technology, but the same overall music and topics, what would it be? 

Sum: I think Elzhi broke ground with the Elmatic project with Will Sessions. He rebooted a classic album. I honestly don’t even know if anything I could think of would even fuck with that. Yeh, I just spent like 15 minutes racking my brain on this one. No point, Elzhi killed this category forevermore.

For a long time I wanted to kind of “reboot” Black Sheep’s first album A Wolf In Sheep’s Clothing, cuz it’s got so many joints on it and Dres is such a big influence on me. That never took flight. Lately I’ve been daydreaming about turning Digable Planet’s Blowout Comb into a theater musical. It’s such a theatrical album, there wouldn’t have to be any dialogue or nothing. It’d just be like a moving opera, with the music guiding the action of everything. One day maybe. I guess if I was serious about it, I’d do a Kickstarter campaign, because every idea that’s an idea worth having is worth starting a Kickstarter campaign for, right?

 

Blockhead: Where do you think a sequel was better than the original?

Sum: In movies….Meatballs 2, Breakin 2 and The Dark Knight. In music, The Chronic 2001 was a far superior album than it’s predecessor. Lot of people will have a problem with that statement, but that’s my story, I’m stickin to it. Even though I’m a bigger FAN of the first one, the second Chronic was overall a better album, you just gotta give respect where it’s due. Sonically, muscially, the engineering, the great hooks and guest appearances. Big.

Karate Kid II was arguably better than the first one. Daniel-San wasn’t such a lil queef, and there was more overall ass-whoopins going around in the second one. Oh, and Drunken Master 2 aint too shabby either. A lot of times, sequels get overlooked…the creator has actually become a better artist, and the work is better, but people are expecting what they got with the first film/album. But alot of time, shit just sucks. I do think that Dragon Vol. 2  is gonna far outshine this first one. Listening to Vol. 1 now, I’m realizing I was just warming up.

Blockhead: Who’s playing Sum in the Sum biopic?

Sum: For ages 5-13 Sum, Lou Gossett, Jr. All ages after that can be played by a rotating cast of James Harden, Will.i.am, Scottie Pippen, Emmanuel Lewis and Jason Sudekis. What will be more important is who plays “dead” or “spirit world” Sum, in the sequel to my biopic, which will probably be way more interesting than anything I might manage to squeeze out while I’m rappin here on earth. I hope to God no biopics of me are ever made though, truly. My music is far more interesting than the action points in my life.

Blockhead: What are your favorite examples of series/sequels in music (i.e., Cuban Linx, The Blueprint, In My Lifetime, Johnny Cash’s American recordings, etc…)? 

Sum: Maybe Stillmatic and De La Soul’s Art Official Intelligence series. Stillmatic was just a good example of Nas keeping it simple, but moving forward at the same time. He kept the formula familiar as a return to form of sorts. Kinda dope how he did that just to show it could be done, then went on about his business with Street’s Disciple, which wasn’t bad by a long shot. 

Blockhead: What is the worst sequel of anything ever?

Sum: Teen Wolf Too. Even the title is terrible. How can you mess up a sequel title? Just put a “2″ next to what you already got. Before you know anything else about the movie, you know it’s called TEEN WOLF TOO.  That’s some ’80s shit for you.

]]> http://www.urb.com/2012/12/17/crosscheck-blockhead-and-sum-shout-about-sequels/feed/ 0 http://www.urb.com/2012/12/10/dj-nu-mark-celebrates-10-years-of-the-minimoog-voyager-interview/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=dj-nu-mark-celebrates-10-years-of-the-minimoog-voyager-interview http://www.urb.com/2012/12/10/dj-nu-mark-celebrates-10-years-of-the-minimoog-voyager-interview/#comments Mon, 10 Dec 2012 21:15:35 +0000 URB.com http://www.urb.com/?p=85110

Ask any hip-hop producer about the Moog analogue synthesizer, and you’ll likely hear reverence, sometimes even a gasp. Not surprising since the instrument, the undisputed gold standard of synthesizers, has had a lasting influence on the hip-hop sound over the decades (think ’90s G-funk, a direct descendent of the Parliament sound). Now, Moog Music, the maker of the Minimoog Voyager analogue synthesizer, is celebrating the 10th Anniversary of the instrument with a limited edition 24 karat gold plated synth. To mark this occasion, we got DJ Nu-Mark, member of the gold-selling hip-hop crew Jurassic 5, to talk about what the Moog has meant to him.

URB: When did you get your first Moog?

NU-MARK: I started using a Moog in 2000.  I remember looking for the sounds used on Junkyard Band’s “Sardines” record and finding something close, but there are so many eras of the Moog that I wasn’t sure if that was the sound or just a good version of the pad I was looking for.

 

URB: What part has Moog played in creating your sound? 

NU-MARK: Moog has set the bar as far as sonic dynamics is concerned. I usually use the Moog as a benchmark to match the bass sounds in my production.  So if the bass in one of my tracks doesn’t hold up to a recorded Moog sound or software moog, then I know I need to either use a Moog or work more on my sound to give the track a larger sonic presence. 

 

URB: The quintessential Moog track? 

NU-MARK: It’s gotta be Jean Jacques Perrey’s “E.V.A.”  I think he captured the entire feeling of the Moog in one track.  He did an incredible job of combining other instruments that meshed with the Moog as well.

To watch the making of the gold plated Moog, click here. 

]]> http://www.urb.com/2012/12/10/dj-nu-mark-celebrates-10-years-of-the-minimoog-voyager-interview/feed/ 0 http://www.urb.com/2012/12/09/festival-of-lights-seven-of-the-worlds-top-lighting-designers/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=festival-of-lights-seven-of-the-worlds-top-lighting-designers http://www.urb.com/2012/12/09/festival-of-lights-seven-of-the-worlds-top-lighting-designers/#comments Mon, 10 Dec 2012 05:41:33 +0000 Zoe Wilder http://www.urb.com/?p=85090

I arrived at Camp Bisco a few days before I was scheduled to shadow dance with Psylab, so I could get my party on. Impatient, after hours of sitting in the RV, I meandered a bit and found myself backstage as Infected Mushroom began their set. I felt a tap tap tap on my shoulder, turned around and was greeted by the Disco Biscuits’ keyboard player, Aron Magner. “Wanna see something neat?” he asked, eyes wide. “Of course. Yes!” I said resolutely, skipping with excitement. I followed him, curious, through the sea of ravers and revelers. We arrived at a tent filled with consoles, knobs and switches. I quickly realized we were standing in the center of where light is born. 

Infected Mushroom’s psychedelic synths roared. Magner grabbed me by the hand and pointed to some buttons. After a quick lesson, he smiled and said, “Now, it’s your turn.” Nervous, I attempted to sync the enormous strobe lights surrounding the stage to the music. Always a half beat off, I giggled as Magner shook his head laughing until I realized the power my keystrokes possessed. Bolts of light blinded us, frenzied brilliant bursts showered the crowd; and for a moment, I fell under my own spell. 

That was my first and last time commanding a lighting console for thousands of tripped out party people, an experience I’ll always cherish, deepening my appreciation for the art of lighting design. These artists, often overlooked and underappreciated, shine brightly behind the scenes. 

This is why I felt inspired to illuminate seven of my favorite lighting designers, and just in time for Hanukkah also known as the Festival of Lights: Christopher Kuroda is often referred to as the 5th member of Phish and is currently touring with teen sensation Justin Bieber, Steve Tek is the house LD for Beatport’s number one rated club Cielo, Paul Hoffman currently tours with Wolfgang Gartner and works the EDM festival circuit, Sabrina Braswell is the house LD for NYC’s Le Poisson Rouge and has toured with Cut Copy, Jefferson Waful tours with popular progressive rock band Umphrey’s McGee, Max Blackman is the house LD for Brooklyn’s highly revered venue Brooklyn Bowl, and Kenny Gribbon has toured with the likes of Toubab Krewe, The London Souls and Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds.

Enjoy this insightful look into the art of lighting design, straight from the source.

URB: What bands / djs / acts have you done lighting for?

CHRISTOPHER KURODA: The 5th member [of Phish] label is very flattering, as there aren’t any other LDs that are so regarded with their acts. It’s an honor to be viewed in such a way. Currently I’m deep into my biggest and most complex project ever lighting Justin Bieber, the biggest pop act in the world right now, but thats an entire story in itself. I’ve also had the honor of lighting Aerosmith, R.Kelly, projects with the Dallas Mavericks designing their open and player intro segment, My VH1 Music Awards, The Young Hollywood Awards, several corporate events, as well as designing lighting rigs for Widespread panic and several others, just to name a few. The list is pretty extensive if I were to list them all, including Tito Puente’s 100th Album tour throughout sold out soccer stadiums in South America, which I did when I was 23 years old. Crazy crazy experience!

STEVE TEK: Shows ranging from big Reggaeton concerts, Slip Knot, Alicia Keys, Gloria Gaynor, Carl Cox, Roger Sanchez, Peter Rauhofer, Quest Love, Karizma, Willie Graff, Nicolas Matar and many more…

PAUL HOFFMAN: Tons – but most notably The Dead, Widespread Panic, Rebelution, Wolfgang Gartner and several EDM festivals.

SABRINA BRASWELL: Many. For the last six years I’ve been a house LD for Joe’s Pub and Le Poisson Rouge in New York so I’ve lit everyone from Gilberto Gil to Pete Townshend. I’ve been the touring LD for Pavement, Iron and Wine, Cut Copy, Best Coast, and now Andrew Bird.

JEFFERSON WAFUL: Besides Uncle Sammy and Umphrey’s McGee, I actually went on to run lights for Jiggle the Handle at a few shows here or there back in the 90s. I’ve also run lights full time for moe. and then filled in for bands like Percy Hill, Raq, Strangefolk and many others. Technically I ran lights for The Who once at sound check, which was a bit surreal. moe. was opening for them at The United Center and one of The Who’s lighting techs was showing me around their light board as the band sound checked. It was the full band with Pete and Roger, who apparently didn’t always go to sound check on that tour. They were running through “Who Are You” and the tech says to me “Here you go, have a try.” And I start running my jam band-style light show in an arena while the fucking Who are playing this iconic song. moe.’s guitarist Chuck Garvey had wandered out to the soundboard to watch soundcheck and didn’t realize the lighting tech had asked me to run the song. When he saw me wailing away on this huge light rig and hitting the strobes he ran over and sort of asked me to tone it down a notch. He was absolutely right too, the strobes were probably a bit much for sound check. I just got lost in the moment and was feeling the strobes. I don’t tour with strobes anymore by the way. I also was lucky enough to run lights for Steve Miller Band last year at a festival gig. “Fly Like an Eagle” was one of the highlights of my life.

MAX BLACKMAN: I have done lights for a few hundred acts between the two venues I’ve worked in and some freelance gigs I’ve done. Some of the larger acts have been Blues Traveler, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Roots, Escort, The Spin Doctors, Deer Tick performing as Deervana, Walk the Moon, JGB, Particle, Conspirator, RAQ, Brothers Past, Bustle in Your Hedgerow, Soulive, Lettuce, Break Science, The Heavy Pets, Anders Osborne, London Souls, Taj Mahal, Beats Antique, Greyboy Allstars, Robert Randolph, Walk the Moon, Mickey Hart Band, Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe, Funky Meters, LTJ Bukem, Steve Kimock, Keller Williams, Gene Ween, Alabama Shakes, Pat Mahoney, Nancy Whang. There are many more, but hard to list them all.

KENNY GRIBBON: Colbie Caillat, Toubab Krewe, The London Souls, Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds, Turkuaz, and Zongo Junction. I am currently on tour with Wolfgang Gartner as a tech and programmer.

URB: How did you get involved in lighting design? 

CHRISTOPHER KURODA: I had a strange process actually. I was a fan of Phish in bars in Burlington, Vermont, while I was attending UVM, and I was also in a band called Spice as the guitar player. I wasn’t very good and wanted to take lessons from the best guitar player in town. So I asked Trey Anastasio if he would be interested, and he was. About a month into the lessons one day he asked me if I knew anyone who would be interested in carrying gear to the van (Page’s van) after the bar gigs. I said I would love to. About one week after I started doing that, they had to let go the guy who was running the four lights that they owned, and Trey called me up and told me I would be running the four PAR Cans. I told him I had no idea how to even set them up, and he told me that we would figure it out together, which we did on 3-30-1989. The rest is history.

STEVE TEK: I used to work at a club called Vertigo as a busboy until I was asked to help out with the installation of cables. They liked the way that I worked and asked if I would be interested in working for a lighting company. I worked with the company doing lighting for four years.

PAUL HOFFMAN: I used to be an IT consultant and I had done that for too long. I needed more excitement and travel. I had always been into lighting so I started to pursue people in the industry and bug them. Eventually, I interned with a lighting company who put me out on tour with The Dead where I met Candace Brightman – it all flowed from there.

SABRINA BRASWELL: I got my start doing theater in high school and college, and I slowly morphed from an interest in general stagecraft (stage management, set design, costumes, props) to lighting as the technical and abstract aspects became more attractive to me as an art form.

JEFFERSON WAFUL: I used to manage a band called Uncle Sammy back in the mid-late 90s. I’ve played guitar since before I could walk and had been in some bands with their guitarist and my lifelong friend, Max Delaney. He had always been a prodigy on a musical level and just in a different league than me so he went to Berklee College of Music and I went to Emerson College for journalism. I started working at the college radio station and getting other jobs in the music business and one day I said to him, “You should start a real band and I’ll manage you.” He found 3 other amazing musicians and we started at the bottom of the food chain and worked our way up over the course of five or so years. I have always been fascinated by light shows and visual art so I just started doing lights in the bars and clubs we played and tapped out the changes on the light board as if it was an instrument. I lived in a house with the whole band and when they’d rehearse in the basement, there was no way to not hear every note anywhere in the house. So I knew the songs inside and out. Never had any real idea that I would become a professional lighting designer though. It was just my way of participating in the show. And plus, free light guy.

MAX BLACKMAN: I used to film my friend’s band, The Dirty Drop, and after one show started complaining to their manager about the lack of any good lighting. Their manager, being a close friend of mine, then convinced me that I would be good at lights due to my background in computers and live arts. With his motivation I took all the money I had and bought my own small lighting rig and started doing work for whatever band would pay me. After about six months I was hired by my first venue and things have taken off ever since.

KENNY GRIBBON: When I was living in Northern Virginia just outside Washington, D.C., I started it as a hobby. I found an LD who worked with local bands and some national acts. I was working construction management at the time and was looking for something new. I reached out through MySpace since I saw this LD was working with bands I liked and just asked him if I could shadow him at one of his gigs. He had a simple set up that he ran off a laptop. It was the first experience I had with learning the very basics of moving lights and how they were controlled. I started it as a hobby on the weekends and loved it so much I made it my goal to find a career in it.

URB: How long have you been doing it?

CHRISTOPHER KURODA: I have been a lighting designer for 24 years currently. It was interesting having such a title at 22 years old.

STEVE TEK: I have been working with lighting design for 15 years now!

PAUL HOFFMAN: I’ve been involved in lighting plays and things since I was a kid – but professionally only since 2004.

SABRINA BRASWELL: I suppose my very first real design can be traced back to my final senior project in high school. So… Add two, carry the one, 14 years? Plus or minus a year or two of “figuring stuff out.”

JEFFERSON WAFUL: I don’t remember specifically, but it was probably around 1997 when I first started unofficially flicking switches on the light board at Harper’s Ferry and the Middle East Downstairs. The first time I ever actually used a light board was when a band called Jiggle the Handle performed a live set on my college radio show at WERS. In an attempt to get the band in their happy place, I asked permission to invite 10-15 fans to attend the performance and also have them set up their little light show. Their light guy was a mentor to me, Jack Trifino, who has since become one of the best sound guys in the industry and is currently working with the Victor Wooten Band. So Jack set up the little light show in the studio and I thought it was this hilarious irony to have a light show for a radio broadcast – - totally my kind of humor, raving to the radio audience about how amazing this light show is that they’re listening to. Anyway, while the band was sound checking I asked if I could try doing lights, and I changed colors to the different sections of the song.So that was my very first light show…from Jiggle the Handle to Umphrey’s McGee. I am just drawn to bands with amazing names.

MAX BLACKMAN: My first gig was in August of 2008.

KENNY GRIBBON: I started it as a hobby in 2007 and have been doing it professionally since 2009.

URB: Did you go to school or are you self-taught?

CHRISTOPHER KURODA: I am a self taught lighting designer. However, I have taken many courses on the technology of lighting fixtures, fixing them, understanding how they work inside, as well as several classes on programming different lighting consoles throughout the years. If you don’t make the effort yourself to keep up with technology, then it will pass you by, is my theory. So I took the bull by the horns many times and just enrolled myself in these courses as I deemed necessary.

STEVE TEK: I did not go to school but was taught over the years from many different lighting designers.

PAUL HOFFMAN: Self taught.

SABRINA BRASWELL: A bit if both. I never officially majored in lighting design, but I took a lot of credits on the sly, and I assisted and interned my way into some varying amounts of knowledge and wisdom.

JEFFERSON WAFUL: I was a broadcast journalism major at Emerson, hence the radio show. As far as lighting goes, I am mostly self-taught as far as how I actually run my show. That is a comfort issue, where every lighting designer does it differently. On the technical side of things, I’ve never had any official training, but I have spent hours learning from those around me with more expertise. Hans Shoop has definitely taught me the most about programming the Grand MA console and I still hire him as often as I can to help us plan bigger shows. He’s like the Warren Haynes of programming – - just never hits a wrong note. I also learned a lot about running moving lights back when Uncle Sammy first started playing Wetlands Preserve in New York City, and their staff was very generous with their time.

MAX BLACKMAN: When it comes to lighting, I am self taught. Although, more recently I did have someone teach me a few tricks to take my programming to the next level.

KENNY GRIBBON: A little of both. I went back to school for it and learned how to program on a Grand MA console and learned the basics of lighting on the technical side of it. I think the artistic end of it is something that can’t really be taught. Its something you have a vision for within.

URB: What’s your favorite venue to light up?

CHRISTOPHER KURODA: Madison Square Garden, for personal reasons (as a New York Sports person) and just the fact that it’s MSG.

STEVE TEK: Limelight was my all time favorite.

PAUL HOFFMAN: Indoors: Radio City Music Hall. Outdoors: Red Rocks Amphitheater.

SABRINA BRASWELL: I love the 9:30 club in D.C., the Roundhouse in London, and the Greek in L.A. I also love the challenge of non-traditional venues. My next challenge is an Andrew Bird concert at the Riverside Church in Manhattan.

JEFFERSON WAFUL: I love the Taft Theatre in Cincinnati for a number of reasons. It’s not that different from a lot of nice indoor theaters, but there are subtleties that make it stand out in my mind. Great crew. Great site lines. Huge canvas for a large light show. No wind.

MAX BLACKMAN: Even with all of its challenges and lack of haze, I love lighting up Brooklyn Bowl. There is just a different energy to the space because of where it is and everything it is about. I also can’t wait to do some work up at the reopened Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, NY. It’s the craziest house rig in the country with over 60 moving heads.

KENNY GRIBBON: Other than large theaters, the amphitheater at Suwannee Music Park in Live Oak, Florida, has always been one of my favorites. I love the natural atmosphere created – - so lighting it…is really accenting the beauty of the venue.

URB: How would you define your style?

CHRISTOPHER KURODA: In a word, unique. When I began lighting, I just decided to apply it as I thought it should be applied, and not the textbook lighting designer 101 way. As a result there are 100′s of lighting designers today who have modeled their way around my style, and that in itself speaks volumes, if I do say so myself.

STEVE TEK: NINJA STYLE. Creep up on ya and get you movin’.

PAUL HOFFMAN: Improvisational. Having gotten my start under Candace on The Dead you learn how to run lights in real time – interpreting the music as you go. Totally off the cuff. I often have no idea at all what I’m going to do until the song starts.

SABRINA BRASWELL: I’m still finding it. I like to adapt my show daily to the performance’s subtle differences, and I like making bold statements with complementary colors.

JEFFERSON WAFUL: Graceful, sexy, vivid. I try to just paint really pretty pictures that match the mood that the music is evoking. On some levels, my light show is very basic and simple. Sometimes having all of the colors go to red is the most dramatic thing I can do to fit that moment. Less is more. A band like Umphrey’s McGee is so complex and the compositions are so detailed. There’s no way a light show can accent every nuance. Sometimes I find myself trying to do that and I have to take a deep breath and sort of step away from the board for a second and just let the moment happen. So on a good night, I’d like to say I have a very patient style. But it’s very tempting to just hit every 16th note along with the band. Sometimes I find it more appropriate to just paint a really gorgeous painting and let the band do their thing for five seconds, which by the way is an eternity to me. I should really drink less coffee.

MAX BLACKMAN: This one is tough. I think I would describe myself as more of a classic styled rock and roll LD, sticking to moving lights without all the extra video stuff some guys are getting into today.

KENNY GRIBBON: I think my style changes depending on the music. If it’s a DJ or electronic music then its going to be a lot more effects and movement in the show. I think I am still evolving and finding a style to call my own. I have some ideas with certain bands I’d like to see happen.

URB: What sets you apart from others?

CHRISTOPHER KURODA: Again, being unique, but I would have to also say my sense of where Phish is going musically from moment to moment, and of course I’d have to say my sense of timing has played a big role in my style and successes as a lighting designer.

STEVE TEK: Humility, Ability, Tranquility, and Community by sharing the gift that is music.

PAUL HOFFMAN: I think there is a tendency to do everything with moving lights these days. Some LDs out there don’t even light the band members any more – its all about the light show. I think for me the pendulum is swinging back the other way. I’m actually starting to get back into conventional lighting again.

SABRINA BRASWELL: I don’t know. Everything? On the rare occasion I have a chance to see another designer’s show, I’m always shocked and in awe of how different an LD’s interpretation can be. I suppose that’s what really sets all of us apart from one another: it’s more about interpretation and not implementation.

JEFFERSON WAFUL: To me, all I care about is the end result. I want it to look pretty and I want it to be the best light show anyone has ever seen in a given venue. I know a lot of other lighting designers who run their show in a much more technical way and are more sophisticated programmers. My brain just doesn’t work that way for better or worse. I’m a creative guy who is horrible at math. So just like I used to do in math class, I find creative ways to get the same end result. Some of the things you see in my light show may look the same to the naked eye, but I’m running a lot of those cues “on the fly”, which means they’re going to look slightly different each time. The timing of the movement may be slightly off or the tempo of the dimmer chase may be too fast. I’m doing it by hand. But the beauty of working with a band like Umphrey’s is that they’re going to do it slightly differently each night too. So we’re a good fit.

MAX BLACKMAN: What sets me apart from others is timing and feel. Some LDs make it seem like the lights are just another show happening on top of the music. I like to think of doing lights as more of an organic jam between myself and the musicians. This makes the lights really go along more with the music and show.

KENNY GRIBBON: That is a tough question. I know its hard not to be influenced by others so I try my best to not watch other LDs too closely to evolve into my own style. I also like working with bands who have a unique sound and have not had an LD yet.

URB: Where do you derive creative inspiration?

CHRISTOPHER KURODA: Tough question, sometimes it takes days, sometime I wake up at 4am with a great idea, sometimes when I’ve partaken…but, as a whole, I think it helps me to know what the capabilities of the lighting fixtures that I’m using are on a mechanical level. This is very helpful. If a light can do something that other lights can’t, then I will exploit that artistically and make it work for me instead of against me.

STEVE TEK: DJs I work with and other fellow lighting designers.

PAUL HOFFMAN: A lot of my lighting rig designs are inspired from architecture. I am always looking at buildings – especially from the Art Deco era. That helps me get the rig sorted out. How I use it is 100% guided by the music.

SABRINA BRASWELL: Many things. From a walk through a park at night and seeing street lights through trees, to spending an afternoon staring at a Francis Bacon painting, or simply looking at overly creative shop display windows in Soho…all of these things at one time or another have been represented in someway or another in a show of mine.

JEFFERSON WAFUL: Sunsets and sunrises over the ocean. Ballerinas. Coffee. Family Guy.

MAX BLACKMAN: Mainly from other LDs. Most nights that I do not work I will spend out seeing some other venue or show. I even find myself going to shows where I have little to no interest in the band, but know that their visual show is something I have to check out.

KENNY GRIBBON: The music. Hopefully the artist’s music provides the inspiration.

URB: Describe your most memorable performance experience.

CHRISTOPHER KURODA: The first time Candace Brightman came to see me light in 1994 at the Cow Palace in San Francisco. I was really nervous, but had one of the best nights ever, right in front of my hero. It truly was a night to remember for me.

STEVE TEK: So many memorable moments its hard to count. Each one was unique and memorable.

PAUL HOFFMAN: Probably one of the bigger Widespread shows. We do big arena shows every New Year’s Eve where I get some extra budget and can make things pop.

SABRINA BRASWELL: That’s a hard question. I’d have to say it was when Pavement played Central Park in 2010. One of the four nights that had been sold out for over a year there was a terrifically insane thunderstorm, and between the torrential rain and the lightning, and the crowd having a great time not in spite of it but BECAUSE of it made the show very special to everyone that was there and involved.

JEFFERSON WAFUL: Aside from almost giving Pete Townshend a seizure, I’d say there are two moments that stick out. One was the first time I ever did lights at Radio City Music Hall with moe. on New Year’s Eve 2006-2007. There’s was this gigantic light rig, which was already in-house because of the Christmas Spectacular. During the day, I took every single light in the place (about 100 fixtures) and focussed them all on the disco ball. It took a really long time because of the small size of the disco ball and just how far away it was. It was tedious and I nearly ran out of time, but once the band dropped into the pretty part in “Kids” and I hit the disco ball, it was just magical. Again, it is such a simple concept, but you just have to find the appropriate musical moment. The other transcendent experience was another New Year’s show, this time with Umphrey’s and the Chicago Mass Choir on 12/31/08. I still cry any time I watch the video. It was that moving. It was better than any show experience I’ve ever had as a fan. That’s why we do what we do. That makes all the bullshit worth it. Amazing Grace>Glory. If heaven exists, I’ve already visited. And God let me run lights.

MAX BLACKMAN: Working at Brooklyn Bowl there have been a few, since I have done lights for a bunch of bands that I used to just be a fan of when I was younger. The most memorable experience though, has to be lighting up the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. You are talking about a band that has headlined Lollapalooza and Austin CIty Limits playing in a room for less than 1,000 people as part of a benefit for Brooklyn based DJ, Jonathan Toubin, who had been hurt in a freak accident and needed help with his medical costs. Also, it was during this set that the owner of Brooklyn Bowl, Peter Shapiro, stage dove! How many venue owners do you know that stage dive?

KENNY GRIBBON: That’s hard to narrow down. The London Souls album release show at Bowery Ballroom was a great experience since I got to bring in a rig and it was sold out. Also, their show at Terminal 5 when they opened to a sold out crowd for State Radio…It was their biggest NYC show and mine as well at the time. All of us having that excitement together really made it special. There really are countless memories for different reasons. If I look at it in a general sense I would have to say seeing Pink Floyd perform Dark Side of the Moon in 1994 in Giants Stadium was my most memorable performance experience. I obsessed over Floyd at that time and that show was what did it for me to become a lighting director. Didn’t realize it at the time, but I must have watched the video cassette of that tour over a 1,000 times reliving that experience.

URB: Describe your connection with the artist and the audience / dancefloor.

CHRISTOPHER KURODA: We are all on the same page. I can feel their energy, much like the band, and roll with that energy as to how I light Phish. We all drive each other along the journey that is a Phish show, and it would never happen without everyone on board. Lights, band audience, groove.

STEVE TEK: It can be magical in a sense…It really can be!!!!!

PAUL HOFFMAN: I watch the drummer like a hawk since I am also a drummer and I can get lots of changes/hits from watching. The best noise in the world is an audible audience reaction to a lighting change – you can’t pay for that.

SABRINA BRASWELL: A lot if my show hinges in the audience’s reaction. The louder and more involved and engaged the audience is, the more I interact with them. I can gauge if the audience is ready and psyched for a more reactive and dynamic show, or a more subtle and cerebral one if they are more quietly attentive.

JEFFERSON WAFUL: I always feel that when I’m close to the musicians on a personal level, I connect with them more during the show. For example, if there’s some inside joke that we’ve been referencing all week and everyone in the band and crew are in on it and everyone’s getting along really well, I find that the improvisation is much better. There’s this symbiosis that occurs. It’s really the same concept as a couple. When you’re laughing a lot and getting along really well, the sex is better. In a lot of ways, living on a bus with 12 men is like this big marriage where we all have to learn to live in each other’s space and coexist. The audience is responsible for the energy that the band feeds off and vice versa, hence the symbiosis metaphor.

MAX BLACKMAN: When I’m lighting a band my connection is more with them as I really try to highlight what they do and add to their show. When doing lights for a band I try and approach it as if I’m another musician coming to jam with the band. When its a DJ I’m doing lights for I connect a little bit more with the audience since those shows seem to be more about the party vibe. In these situations, I’m concentrating more on trying to set a scene for the party so I pay a little more attention to the audience and how they are reacting to the show.

KENNY GRIBBON: I’m hoping I’m accenting the music and hitting the changes as well as having a big “moment” when the music calls for it. I think when the audience is tuned in with the music it really helps the band to connect with the audience which makes my job easier to connect. The fact that I sit out in the audience helps a lot to connect and feel the overall vibe.

URB: Have you noticed lights becoming more and more integral to stage performance?

CHRISTOPHER KURODA: Yes, with the technology being what it is today, there is room for stage shows to express creativity, vision, and art through lighting.

STEVE TEK: Yes, I have I noticed that since the day I started doing this art.

PAUL HOFFMAN: Yes – and video also.

SABRINA BRASWELL: Absolutely. Rarely will you see any band big or small that does not incorporate lighting into their set in some way.

JEFFERSON WAFUL: I’m incredibly biased, but yes. I think as technology improves and prices come down, shows are becoming more and more sophisticated.

MAX BLACKMAN: I have noticed lights becoming more integral in the live stage performance. Today you can get music in so many different ways. Even a lot of live shows can be found and downloaded within days of a show happening. Because of this you need to add something extra to the live show to make it a total experience that people want to come out and spend their money to see.

KENNY GRIBBON: Definitely. I think since MTV and the style of television and movies our society has become very ADD. As well as the distraction of cell phones the public can’t stay focused on anything very long. Having lights or video in your show keeps it visually changing which keeps the attention of the audience overall.

URB: Do you think it’s always necessary to incorporate lights into a performance? Can it be overkill?

CHRISTOPHER KURODA: Never necessary, if it doesn’t fit into the vision of the art being presented. It’s definitely a choice still today, not a must. Art is art, and can be expressed in so many beautiful ways. Its an open door, and can go in any direction that the artist so desires.

STEVE TEK: Yes I do. It can really enhance the performance…Overkill? It depends on the size of space.

PAUL HOFFMAN: It can definitely be overkill. There are many examples of that on the road at the moment. That said – you can’t perform in the dark, so lighting will always be a factor in some way. Even if you have the mellowest artist on the planet under a static lighting scene – it still needs to be well conceived and executed.

SABRINA BRASWELL: There can always be overkill, but I can’t think of any scenario where lighting would be considered unnecessary. It can greatly affect the mood of both the performers and the audience.

JEFFERSON WAFUL: It can definitely be overkill. Some music doesn’t require a big, intricate light show. Neil Young solo acoustic for example, one spotlight and maybe some mood lighting on a backdrop is enough. Anything more would be distracting. But in a literal sense, yes it’s always necessary to have some light because the audience is paying to see the performer.

MAX BLACKMAN: I always remind myself that people will show up to see a good band or DJ no matter what the lighting is like. A good band can play in complete darkness. If they are good people will come. That being said, lights can add a lot to a performance, too. From setting a mood to highlighting things performers do on stage. Yes, some LDs take it too far and go crazy, but its all about experimenting and finding a happy medium for the type of music you are lighting up.

KENNY GRIBBON: Not always, but I feel it’s always helpful to accent the performance. Even if its just putting a spotlight on someone soloing so its easy for the audience to follow what’s going on in the music. I do think lights can be overkill for sure. Not all the time does the music call for it or the lights are always doing something instead of building with the performance. There is definitely a fine line. Once you’ve shown an effect of your lighting design in a show it’s no longer that exciting if you keep using the effect. That’s lighting 101 really. My favorite concert film to watch is “Stop Making Sense” because the lighting and set truly start from nothing with one person and the whole production builds as the music and band do.

URB: What would you tell up and coming artists who want to up their game who are out there gigging, but don’t have the budget for their own lighting equipment?

CHRISTOPHER KURODA: Learn, learn learn! Maybe work for a lighting company so you have access to consoles and gear, and get experience doing gigs by working for someone else. That’s the best way, as there are always people willing to teach in these environments.

STEVE TEK: Start small and make it grow…and be humble!!!

PAUL HOFFMAN: Find a good LD who will work with whatever is available to make it work for your performance. Hire someone who knows your music and understands the vibe you’re going for. That’s the first step – you can add gear later but it isn’t always necessary.

SABRINA BRASWELL: Hire an up and coming LD to work double duty. They can drive the van, or tour manage. Or if that’s not an option, pay special attention as you tour to specific venues’ lighting rigs. Get an idea about what you like, what you don’t like and talk to the venue’s LD about what is possible, learn the vocabulary and be able to express what you want your show to feel like.

JEFFERSON WAFUL: I would just say to have someone who has a musical background memorize all their songs and run their light show. Play the light board like an instrument. Just switching from red to blue can be very effective if your timing is dead on and you have any semblance of Synthesia.

MAX BLACKMAN: With technology today, there are lots of cheap options to help practice or experiment with. Specifically PC versions of lighting boards and software used in conjunction with a visualizer is a great way to learn how to use a lighting console as well as program. Otherwise, get out to your local venue and talk to the production manager and LD. Many venues will take on interns or hire help for larger shows. It’s a great way to get your foot in the door and then you have access to that venue’s system

KENNY GRIBBON: Having a crew (sound and lights) really helps stepping up your game even if they don’t own their own gear. 

URB: Some acts are accused of having a better light show than sound performance. What are your thoughts on that?

CHRISTOPHER KURODA: Don’t know. Maybe thats what they want, maybe they’re covering their mediocre stage show. That can only be answered on a case to case basis.

STEVE TEK: Don’t have much thought on that other than maybe they should up the sound game.

PAUL HOFFMAN: Hire better sound guys?

SABRINA BRASWELL: That’s a bummer for the foh engineer or the band. Remember though that every show is different, some rooms are really hard to get a nice mix or sometimes it’s hard for the band to hear themselves, and likewise, sometimes the LD can be having a bad night due to technical problems… so if the show seems uneven, there may be extenuating circumstances.

JEFFERSON WAFUL: Thankfully I work for a band that has a savant-level attention to detail. Everyone in our entire organization is a perfectionist. So, it’s not an issue for us.

MAX BLACKMAN: I have really noticed this more with EDM DJs than with bands. This is because there is much less money needed for production costs for a DJ than a band. You also aren’t splitting the money up between a bunch of band members. So the performer goes and spends all that extra money on lights to make them look good while they play their music. Someone recently compared a DJ’s LD to another form of a modern day rock star as they literally can steal the show with all the visual eye candy they throw at you. Although, the alternative is to just watch a guy jump around in a booth all night, which just doesn’t sound nearly as appealing.

KENNY GRIBBON: It’s definitely true. But whether I like the music is really a matter of my opinion.

URB: What’s the craziest most fun technology you’ve played with lately? Where do you see the future of lighting design going? What crazy technology is on its way?

CHRISTOPHER KURODA: At festival 8, I got to program fire towers. That was awesome, but out here on Justin Bieber, there is so much amazing cutting edge technology that I wouldn’t even know where to begin. We have light sleds that move on tracks, a Whirligig that spins two different ways at the same time, as well as yoyos up and down, we have lasers, pyro, cryo blasts, low lying fog, a crane, and on and on. It’s insane!

PAUL HOFFMAN: Things are getting smaller, lighter and use less power. That has a huge impact on what and how much you can carry with you and therefore puts a lighting system within financial reach for smaller bands. On the bigger side, I think you’ll see more with projection mapping and technology that involves the audience (à la Coldplay’s LED bracelets etc).

SABRINA BRASWELL: There’s all kinds of crazy things going on. Not a day goes by where I don’t get an email about some new product that just came out with higher output, less energy consumption more color options, bells, whistles, lasers, projections, LEDS, hologram Tupacs….What people sometimes forget that these new technologies can only perform as optimally as the user (the LD). I feel that sometimes it is forgotten that its not always about the next big toy, but about how to best use this technology to support the artist you are working for…As far as the future, I see a lot more mixed media, like video becoming far more integral, but my hope that all this technology moves closer to being more energy efficient without sacrificing the good qualities of the older technologies.

Kenny Gribbon: Right now LED technology is really what everyone is using or investing in since its environmentally conscious. The newest and where I see a lot of production going is video mapping. What Mark Brickman designed with Roger Waters The Wall tour and video mapping was one of the greatest productions I’ve seen. I’ve seen it mostly used in big scale productions like the Wall, the Super Bowl, and The Olympic ceremonies but I’ve recently heard about it being used in smaller scale DJ shows touring. I believe the Capitol Theater is the first venue to install video mapping servers.

URB: If you weren’t a LD, what would you be doing?

CHRISTOPHER KURODA: Hopefully not wearing a blue vest that says, “Welcome to Walmart, May I help you?” Probably Fishing, like for real Fish, not Phish.

STEVE TEK: Who knows??????

PAUL HOFFMAN: I always wanted to be an astronaut, or if not a mechanic for space hardware.

SABRINA BRASWELL: I’d probably be doing sound. Or an astronaut. Naw. Sound.

JEFFERSON WAFUL: Hosting Weekend Update on SNL.

MAX BLACKMAN: I would probably be working back in television or with computers. Four years ago, before I started lights, my last two jobs were working for Apple computers and doing in studio audio work and cameras for Fox News Channel.

KENNY GRIBBON: Spending way too much money on attending concerts and working a job I couldn’t stand.

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