Destructo [HARD] : Official | Photo by : John Juniper
We're starting off the new year with a featured interview with someone who's become a familiar name amongst music enthusiasts from Los Angeles to New York. In the 1990s he was crazy enough to throw parties in Southern California theme parks. He's lived through the forever rotating cycle of popularity of dance music. His multiple multi-day concert series HARD began with a combination birthday/new years eve party a few years back. This man is one of few who can say they've successfully organized and executed a floating concert to the Bahamas and back. He does it all for the music and the love of his fans, which I'm sure by now you all know. Below you'll read highlights from his Holy Ship! adventure, how his upcoming performance at Coachella came to be, and maybe a hint on what's in store for HARD Summer [Purchase tickets here].
Nativity: First off, a big thank you for taking time to do this Interview and an even bigger thank you for providing such excellent music/events to the greater LA region. We usually start things off by having our guests introduce themselves, but I'm sure you're tired of talking about undergrounds, Rave America, and Rick Rubin. So let's assume everyone's got the origin story covered and keep things current. Happy belated birthday, Happy New Year, and welcome back from Holy Ship!
There aren't very many people that can say they've successfully thrown a music festival on a cruise to and from a private island. Was there a specific moment during Holy Ship! when you thought to yourself, "Oh sh*t. I can't believe this is actually happening and everyone is here with me!"?
Destructo: Gesaffelstein's set on Friday night was a big highlight for me and most of us on the boat. He had the closing slot, and Skrillex and A-Trak and all the artists of the night were up there on stage with him. I looked out over the deck and realized all I saw was water and moonlight in all directions. We were at sea. It was surreal.
Video by : thecameroscope.com
Nativity: Speaking of moments, before the internet blackout after your departure Laidback Luke and Gina Turner shared news of their engagement on their way to Holy Ship! Were there any other highlights that stand out for you that occurred over the weekend? Can you name your top 3?
Destructo: Sunday, the third day at sea, I walked from my cabin to the 24-hour buffet at the back of the boat. It should only take a few minutes, but it took literally an hour because everyone was just hugging me and thanking me. It's an awesome feeling, but it almost got to be too much like, "Hey, guys, I just need a salad."
The beach party on Sunday morning was also surreal. We secured this private island in the Bahamas and ferried everyone out there. They have this giant shipwrecked pirate ship on the sand and we used that as the stage. I'm looking out over the crowd while Diplo and Fatboy Slim are playing and the helicopter we hired to take our cameraman out there comes along the beach. All these people were having the time of their lives and then the helicopter just put it over the top. The pilot was really having fun with the crowd, flying in close and reacting to the way everyone was dancing on the beach.
I can't even pick a third moment; they were all so extraordinary. Dita Von Teese in a giant martini glass. A-Trak and Craze and Laidback Luke all giving a turntablism lecture to the passengers. Laidback Luke and Gina Turner got engaged on the flight over and celebrated at our sail away party. A long time fan of ours and local promoter who goes by Deathless got engaged during Skrillex's set. Sofi came out and sang with Tommy Lee and Aero. But even then, the event was just as much about what happens off-stage as on. It's like the music made sure we had only the right people on board, and the whole time was nothing but good times with all those 3,000 people. I'm still on like a natural buzz from it all.
Photo by : Rukes.com
Nativity: You must have been ecstatic upon your return to port. You tweeted, "So much love is in the Florida air right now. " and "Everyone is thanking me for the amazing weekend truth be told thanks to all who bought a cabin and believed to support this crazy idea." Not even a day later to recuperate and we hear news of your performance at Coachella. "#HolyShit" is one way to put it. By your response it seemed like a surprise. Did you contact them about spinning or they contacted you? How did it happen?
Destructo: Coachella set the bar for modern music festivals. I've known many of the people in their organization over the years and I've worked with Paul Tollett and Goldenvoice doing shows at Club Nokia for HARD 13 and HARD Weekend and the El Rey for a couple other HARD shows.
I've been a guest at nearly every Coachella and I was helping get the Crookers going in 2009 when they played, so I've seen it from every angle except from the DJ booth.
I'm really excited they chose me for the line-up. I don't know what made them push the button. Boys Noize and A-Trak have been playing my tracks. I've had a lot of good shows across the country. I was the only techno guy on the dubstep stage at all the Stereosonic festivals in Australia. It's just all coming together and I'm really appreciative. I want to do something special for that show, so I have three months to really dial it in and put together a surprise for you all.
Destructo - Technology
Nativity: Coachella has grown from a festival that barely had clean working bathrooms to a three day festival organized down to a science. Aside from Coachella, are there other National and/or International music festivals you respect and learn from? Some that you might want to perform at in the near future?
Destructo: The main one I always look at is I Love Techno in Ghent. When I did one of my first DJ mixes for the hardfest.com playlist, I named it "I Love Techno" in honor of them. I just love that name, and they're really on top of it in terms of the artists they book and the kind of production they bring.
Going to Australia and seeing Stereosonic from the inside was also really eye-opening. There's a lot they do with those venues that sparked my creativity.
Nativity: Dank Radio as a whole has been attending and supporting your events since 2008 and with extreme regularity. You've exposed us to artists new and old that we may not have discovered ourselves. It was a real treat as a fan to be given a free show as a thank you (Mouth Taped Shut). How important was it for you to do something special for your supporters? Even with scalpers trying to make a buck out of the situation you still made a point to set things right.
Destructo: I look at it as karma. Our fans—the people who stuck by us from the beginning—deserve something special and it just worked out. Those are the people that got the first crack at these free shows because they're on our Hard Twitter, Facebook and e-mail.
It's something I wanted to do for a long time and Trent Reznor and Girl With The Dragon Tattoo came along and already wanted to do the same thing in all these different cities. I hope fans went out and saw that amazing movie because Sony Pictures made those shows possible.
Nativity: We've always felt HARD events presented a balance of crowd favorites and up and comers that not everyone may be familiar with. Events ranging from your smaller club dates w/ Joy Orbison + Ramadanman/Pearson Sound [That was a really fun show by the way! I'd love to see more "UK Bass" artists in the future] to your principle concerts Hard Haunted Mansion and Hard Summer, featuring everyone from Daedelus to Skream + Benga, have presented a wide scope of talent. You've even exposed a younger generation to the likes of Fatboy Slim, Underworld, and Basement Jaxx. How important is it for you to have a balance between the bigger and smaller shows, the more exposed artists and those that need the push?
Destructo: That balance of established/newcomer is as essential as the air we breathe. I'm not in this business because I want to put my money on the line and possibly lose everything in a single day. I'm not in this business because I want to work long hours for a disproportionate return. I'm not in this business because I want to sit around with government officials and discuss safety issues and crowd control tactics.
I'm in this business because I love music and I want more people to hear the good stuff. I want the great, singular artists to have the careers, not just the ones that conform to some perverted commercial pop tradition.
Whether we are flying someone out for their first U.S. gig or putting out their records on my label Nitrus or giving a headlining slot to someone who was opening last year, it's all about that flow. It's about having our own system where the artist's music and the response from the fans and their peers gives me the real insight. I take that information and I decide where HARD takes them next. For some that might mean a boat to the Bahamas.
Playing a critical role in the development of artists at a time when so much of the music business is in turmoil is a reward in and of itself.
Nativity: You've stated in numerous interviews that you book the artists that you like. If you'd play their music it in a set, you'd most likely book them at a HARD event. Who's music has been filling your digital DJ crates as of late?
Destructo: Prepping for Holy Ship! I got back into this really groovy tech house. My guys Oli and Vaughn (together as OLIVER) and this kid on Dirtybird named Justin Martin kill it. I also think that Surkin track "Ultra Light" is the unsung classic of 2011.
For heavy shit, I'm into this guy Antention from Russia. I'm putting out more of his music this year. I can only dig dubstep for so long, so this new style of hardcore techno is a different zone of headbanging electronic shit.
Nativity: Thanks again for doing the interview! Is there anything else you'd like to share with your fans + family + supporters? Maybe a hint at any upcoming headliners for HARD Summer.
Destructo: Plug #2: HARD Summer tickets go on sale January 21. Only $99 for both days to start. We've doubled it up to two days this year, which is a big step, and it’s really allowing us to expand the lineup and make the best use of the 44 acres in the park yet.
As for hints, all I can say is HARD Summer 2012 promises to remedy whatever ails you.
HARD Dates:
3/03 HARD + SMOG + Media Contender present: Dub Police Tour LA w/ Caspa + Trolley Snatcha + Subscape + D1 | Tickets
3/21 HARD/Mad Decent Moombahton Miami w/ Diplo + Dillon Francis + Nadastrom + more | Tickets
3/22 HARD Miami w/ Boys Noize + Brodinski + Gesaffelstein + Destructo + Oliver + more | Ticket
3/24 HARD NYC w/ Knife Party + Jack Beats (LIVE) + Kill The Noise + 16bit + JWLS | Tickets
3/31 HARD LA w/ Jack Beats (LIVE) + more | Info
7/03 HARD SUMMER 2012 Night One | Tickets
7/04 HARD SUMMER 2012 Night Two | Tickets
[Many thanks to John @ msopr for facilitating the interview]
Nativity
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