Beatrock Music - Anniversary Celebration [Feature Interview]

Beatrock Music: Official | Online Store | Bandcamp | Facebook | Twitter
In celebration of the upcoming anniversary of Los Angeles based independent record label Beatrock Music I had a chance to talk to founder Eric "Fatgums" Strand about the origins of the label and it's associated with local clothing company Beatrock. For those of you who may not be familiar, Beatrock Music is home to artists such as: Bambu, Power Struggle, Otayo Dubb, The CounterParts, BWAN, and the DJ crew Mass Movement. In addition to speaking with Fatgums we had a chance to hear some words from Beatrock supporter Manila Ryce and Mass Movement DJ ReVision on what Beatrock means to them.

Nativity: First off how did Beatrock Music Start? How is it associated with Beatrock Long Beach?
Fatgums: After the release of the Beatrock Presents: FATGUMS X BAMBU A Peaceful Riot EP, I was at a crossroads. At that time I was on a leave of absence from medical school and was trying to figure out where my heart and mind were truly at in life. Other than my family, my friends, and a commitment to social change, I knew that music was something that would be a part of me forever. It wasn’t only making beats and scratching that I was in love with, it was the entire process of creating physical things that could become timeless pieces of art. I asked David Araquel, the owner of Beatrock, what he thought of expanding upon what we started with A Peaceful Riot. He told me that his vision for Beatrock had always included a musical component. I love Beatrock. I love what they represent as a company and I love the image and style that they have created. It was clear to me that by becoming a part of the Beatrock family through establishing a music wing of the brand, I would be able to realize my own personal vision for a record label – to create and spread music that is rooted in social change. I am forever grateful that the Araquel family entrusted in me the Beatrock name. It is and will always be my priority to represent it well through the music we make.


Bambu - Old Man Raps from ...paper cuts...
Nativity: Have there been any struggles over the past year to get everything going?
Fatgums: It was my objective from the beginning to create a label that is for the artists and in many ways run by the artists. Given this approach, getting Beatrock Music started has been a very team-like effort. As with anything in life, working as a team or collective has made the whole process much easier. It has been a blessing to work with artists who have more than their own self interest in mind. We all are striving for something bigger than our music and our own self recognition. There have been struggles, but together we have been able to rise above any obstacles that have faced the label thus far

Nativity: Why Long Beach and San Francisco for your celebrations?
Fatgums: Long Beach is the city where Beatrock started. The Beatrock Clothing Store/Art Space was a cultural magnet for many activists, musicians and artists. From the grand opening celebration to the final show, artistic creativity, political discourse, and live music oozed from its doors. Beatrock became more than a safe space for artists to show their work, it became a community that we all became a part of. Now that the physical space is no longer there, it became very important for me to bring the anniversary celebration back to Long Beach and to the community that Beatrock inspired.


Beatrock Long Beach, CA
We chose San Francisco because many of our artists, like Power Struggle and Otayo Dubb, are based out of the Bay Area. I wanted to be sure their fans and supporters could join in on the celebration.

Nativity: What is your favorite Beatrock moment so far?
Fatgums: My favorite moments have to be back at the Beatrock store when we’d take shots of Lori’s crazy drinks with like 30 folks at a time.

Nativity: What's in the future for Beatrock? What are your hopes? Where do you see Beatrock in 5 years? 10 years?
Fatgums: I want Bambu to become the next Jay-Z, Bwan to become the next Nas, Otayo Dubb to become the next Biggie (but alive), and Nomi to become the next Chuck D.

Nativity: How can an artist get in touch with you if they feel their music fits with Beatrock?
Fatgums: The best way is to visit the contact page on our website. There is a Soundcloud dropbox and an email form that sends emails directly to me.

Nativity: Do you have any special thank you messages for your supporters?
Fatgums: I’d like to thank everyone who has supported us. From the young kid who told his or her friend to check out one of our videos to the family and friends that have helped us realize our dreams of making music, we thank you all.


Bambu - Who's That?!
Nativity: What does Beatrock mean to you?
Manila Ryce: To me, Beatrock means community. It is truly communal in the sense that there is no one person leading the charge and calling the shots. Every artist; be they musician, painter, or designer; helps to advance the Beatrock brand and philosophy in their own way and on their own terms. Beatrock is a collective of friends, old and new, whose primary motive is to bring a certain level of consciousness to the neighborhoods they live in. Without that social bond, Beatrock would just be another failed establishment in a collapsing economy, but since it is so much more than a business it continues to flourish.

ReVision[Mass Movement]: For me, Beatrock Music is synonymous with Community. Not only is it a close knit community of artists, but the artists themselves are people who are FOR the Community as a whole. When you listen to any of the MCs on the roster, it's clear that each one has a genuine love for the People in the positive messages that they convey. It's not just art for art's sake...it's art with a purpose. It's art with a progressive message.

At the same time, the Beatrock label is passionate about the Music itself and won't settle for mediocrity. Whether it's beats, lyrics or videos, everything is always top notch quality. There are tons of conscious artists out there, but they're so focused on their message and not the quality of the music that it ends up falling on deaf ears. Since its inception, every single record that Beatrock puts out is just damn good music, so the listener gets the best of both worlds.

Beatrock Music is a true representation of Hip Hop culture. This label isn't going to sacrifice quality in exchange for commercial success. It'll stay true to its vision while carrying on the tradition of its predecessors. Beatrock Music pays homage to the Golden Age of Hip Hop while maintaining its own fresh style instead of simply trying to emulate the sounds of the past.


12/10: LONG BEACH – The Cellar (201 East Broadway) | More Info
Live Performances by:
· Bambu and DJ Phatrick
· Power Struggle
· Otayo Dubb
· The CounterParts
· Bwan
· L.U.V
· K-nine
Host: Mass Movement
DJs: DJ ET and Krissfader

12/11: SAN FRANCISCO – Pier 23 (Pier 23 on the Embarcadero) | More Info
Live Performances by:
· Otayo Dubb
· Power Struggle
· Dirty Boots
· Kiwi
· Rocky Rivera and more
Host: Bambu
DJs: DJ Roza, DJ Fonz and Fatgums

The events will also celebrate the birthdays of Nomi of Power Struggle, Rachel and James of Dirty Boots, and DJ Phatrick!

<->Nativity<->

Incubus - Xmas Present To Fans [New Video]

Incubus Xmas Present to Our Fans from Steve Rennie on Vimeo.

Incubus recently takes some time off of recording new tunes for their upcoming release to make a trip down to South America. After catching their exclusive headlining performance at this years Smoke Out Festival, I'm greatly appreciative of their continuing efforts to spread the love of music to the people around the world. This video is a great inspiration to musicians and artists that are working towards using their gifts for the greater good. After a brief hiatus, Incubus is coming back with more life experience, more energy, and more sounds. Expect big things from this band in 2011, they are here to stay!

I'd like to thank Incubus on behalf of all the fans for reaching out to us with this video to show us their adventures as we anxiously wait for the newest of tunes! Until then, check out Brandon & Ben's solo releases from this year:

Brandon Boyd - The Wild Trapeze

Official Website

Pick Up the Album: iTunes | amazon

Ben Kenney - Burn the Tapes

Official Website

Pick Up the Album: iTunes

peace + love

[e]ccentric

Sound of Stereo - Interview

Sound of Stereo: Official | Facebook | Twitter | Soundcloud | Beatport

Everyone here at Dank Radio loves it when our family and friends get involved with our creative processes. Not just with our music, the radio program, but this site as well. With that said, we will be featuring a piece from one of our trusted friends every so often [haven't worked out the schedule just yet]. To start us off, I would like to introduce you all to my good friend Nightfox. Here she is to explain how she managed to secure an interview with Sound of Stereo by the use of modern day technology.

Dank Radio: Here’s my not so recent interview with Sound of Stereo from their show at the Avalon on October 22. I had so many other questions I wanted to ask, but with the limited amount of time I had and the excitement of it, I found it hard to formulate coherent thoughts and focus long enough to create a through interview.

I was already in Hollywood that night to cover the wrap-up of LA Fashion Week, along with a fellow writer.

I didn’t even expect to interview them that night. But much to my surprise, the guys responded to my request to speak to them- via twitter. It’s a good thing Mando Fresko was spinning at the time so no one could hear me screaming my ass off.

I met up with the duo right next door at The Redbury hotel, the newly refurbished hotel adjacent to the Avalon. The duo was in the US for about two more weeks before heading back to the motherland (Belgium) to play the fifteenth annual I Love Techno Festival, the music event that kicked off the duo’s careers. In March they’ll be headed to Australia for Future Music Festival. Hopefully by then their album will be finished and they’ll head back to the states!

I want to note one of my favorite parts of the interview was when my forced partner Cherelle got up and started moving a coffee table around in their room, in order to get the voice recorder in prime position for picking up sound. It made me cringe when it happened (moving other people’s furniture around during an interview doesn’t exactly put the interviewee at ease) but I laugh at it now, and hope that Vincent and Jochen forgive me for that, haha.

Enjoy,
Nightfox


Photo: Bick Narcelona
Nightfox: How different is the Belgian music scene compared to the music scene in the U.S., specifically Los Angeles?
Vincent: I don’t know, I think the European crowd is more used to having dance music around, so they’re more snobby about it, I think. So when we play in the U.S., it’s more fun, and we can do whatever we want.
Jochen: It’s not more fun then playing in Europe, it’s just different. It’s a bit more over the top, especially in L.A. It’s different, but it’s both a lot of fun.

Nightfox: What is the ideology behind your band’s name Sound of Stereo?
Vincent: Where did the name come from? I have no idea. We were thinking about changing it but we just kept it.
Jochen: I was making music, producing electronic music, and I was like, we need a name. And that was it. So there’s no real nice story to it.

Nightfox: As far as your sound goes, do you find your musical style still evolving, or have you pretty much found your voice?
Vincent: Oh no, it’s evolving like, everyday. We’re getting inspired all the time by different artists. If we pick up a CD from someone, well, I don’t know, it’s constant.
Jochen: That’s the cool thing about DJ’ing. When you play in a band it’d difficult to make rapid changes to the style you play. Playing so many different places and meeting so many different people it’s nice to pick up other stuff. Like, yesterday we met some people and today we got some tracks from them that were really cool so we may play them tonight.
Vincent: It’s all really instant.

Sound of Stereo - Metric by Sound of Stereo

Nightfox: I know you guys have been doing this a long time. Do you still get excited playing venues like Avalon and traveling? Do you still get that thrill?
Vincent: Absolutely.
Jochen: Sure.
Vincent: It’s cool to play all these different places all the time, yeah. It’s always exciting because every club is different, every crowd is different.
Jochen: Even every night in the same club is different.
Vincent: Yeah, we’re still excited as much as we were years ago. Years? Yeah years. Two years ago. (laughs)

Nightfox: How did you guys meet each other?
Vincent: Uh, I got some music from him through a friend and I was like, we have to meet up! We did a party together and after that it just took off.
Jochen: He was already DJ and I was already playing in rock bands before I started producing electronic music. He picked up a track that I did and then we kind of decided to work together.
Vincent: And it’s funny because we live really close [to each other].
Jochen: Yeah, we didn’t know and we live like, I don’t know, 5 kilometers from each other. And we say kilometers, it’s like 2 or 3 miles. Like 15 minutes.

Nightfox: What motivates you? Would you say one of your goals would to be to gain international stardom or do you just do it for the passion?
Vincent: You have to do it because you love the music.
Jochen: I hope it’s the second one. At this point, it still is.
Vincent: Definitely the second one. Yeah, if you don’t like it you’re not going to push yourself.
Jochen: Stardom is not something we pursue at all but it’s fun to be able to get rooms like this and talk to people like you. It’s just fun you know, and I don’t consider it stardom it’s just so much fun to be able to travel and do what you love.
Vincent: Yeah!
Jochen: It’s cheesy but that’s what it is.

Nightfox: So what have you guys been up to lately? Anything the fans should know?
Vincent: Album, album, album, right?
Jochen: Yeah. It’s all about the album at this moment.
Vincent: And trying to tour in between, playing gigs and just trying to combine both and get things moving. We are really trying to think about what we’re going to do with the album. It would be stupid to do all club bangers on an album because no one cares. We were trying to find a sound. I think now we found it, or kind of found it, so now the process has started.
Jochen: And like, playing wise, we’ve been in the states for three weeks now and we’ve got one more week playing shows. Then it’s every week somewhere else in Europe and then in March it’s Australia and probably U.S. again.
Vincent: By then the album should be wrapping up.

Nightfox: How do you feel about electronic dance music and the direction it’s headed now? I know EDM is a big thing in Europe but here in the U.S. they are starting to play it a lot more on the radio and it’s kind of becoming more mainstream. What do you think about that? Do you think it’s a good thing?
Vincent: It’s cool because it gives us a bigger platform to do our stuff. And more people are getting more into dance music so that’s good. We get a bigger fan base, I think. But when something gets mainstream, the whole charm of the underground goes away.
Jochen: It’s always difficult to make that crossover.
Vincent: Yeah, you have to find something in between, but it’s cool exposure for dance music, really.
Jochen: It’s cool because it’s fresh in the U.S., fresher than in Europe. Yeah, at first it’s strange to have it now on the radio here cause…
Vincent: …our radio station plays it all the time.
Jochen: Yeah. Like, our national radio plays it all the time, even during day rotation. But it’s good. I like it.

Nightfox: Who are your biggest influences at this moment?
Jochen: I think the guys we listen to and the guys we meet a lot are our biggest inspiration, like the other DJ’s we meet on tour. We really like Harvard Bass, Wolfgang is doing really well too. The guys from MSTRKRFT, we talked to them too. Erol Alkan, Brodinski and Boys Noize are still DJ-wise and production-wise the guys who…
Vincent: And there’s some cool new guys coming, these guys called Mumbai Science. They’re on the same record label as us (Lektroluv) and they’re like, blowing up right now. Then there’s another guy from Scotland, his name is Clouds. It’s like, those guys, they keep it alive.
Jochen: It’s like, they’re friends, we know them so it’s not like when you say it’s Daft
Punk and you really look up to them. It’s just friends and we keep each other fresh.
Vincent: Yeah, we unintentionally push each other to do better stuff.

Mumbai Science - Gold (Original Mix) by MumbaiScience

Nightfox: So you motivate each other?
Vincent and Jochen: Yeah!

Nightfox: So when you produce music, what is your artistic process? I know a lot of artists like to ‘put themselves on lock down’ so to speak, for a couple weeks to focus on their album. Do you find that you need that as well?
Vincent: He’s on lock down (laughs).
Jochen: He locks me down (laughs).
Vincent: I have a chain (both laugh).
Jochen: No, uh, [all my stuff] is at my house so whenever I feel like it. Like, the last few months, I’ve been doing more and telling myself “Okay, now produce.” Otherwise if you’re just doing EP’s, when you feel inspired, you go to the studio and you make some tracks. Now I’m sitting in the studio more and really making ideas and keep writing. It’s a different process but it’s fun. I don’t lock myself down yet. There’s a lot of demos and I think once we’ve chosen [them] then we’ll be on lockdown to mix down everything.

Nightfox: What makes you stand out as DJ’s? What makes you different?
Jochen: We want to make everyone have a good time. We just like to play stuff we really like and adapt to the public that is in front of us. We never have a steady tracklist. We always have our CD’s and our music with us. We have our selection of what we like and try to match what the crowd likes without making too many compromises. You wanna have a good time but you want the crowd to have a good time too so the interaction is important. I think that’s the thing about being a good DJ that makes a difference. I’m not saying we’re really good at it but I think that’s something that’s really important to do.

Nightfox: So where are you off to next after LA?
Vincent: We’ve got a couple days off.
Jochen: Then Sacramento, Calgary, London, Canada. And then back. Rest for a couple
days.
Vincent: And then an extra show on Sunday. Then it’s back home for I Love Techno.
Jochen: We’re doing a big Dim Mak show in Vienna, too.
Vincent: Yeah, just back to Europe for touring.

Sound of Stereo - Live @ I love techno 2010 by Sound of Stereo

<->Nativity<->

My Parasol - Spacetalk (Live)


My Parasol : Official | Facebook | Vimeo | Bandcamp

My Parasol = Susan Park + Mark Redito a.k.a. Spazzkid. A local Los Angeles based group that creates soothing electronic tunes. You can see for yourself from the video above which depicts their latest creation titled Spacetalk (Live). Enough of me talking, here's My Parasol to explain it in detail...

"This live video of "Spacetalk" was filmed and directed by Daniel Chae on a brisk autumn afternoon. A spot was found about a mile into a wooded area where we lugged all our gear, set up, and jammed away. Daniel and I prepped this video for about a month before we actually shot. Shooting the video in a forest was very intentional. We wanted to explore the idea of recording our sound which is largely electronic, in a very natural uncontrolled setting. As an electronic musician, being without a steady source of power and being under the mercy of the elements is an uncomfortable situation to be in. All we had were the bare essentials and about 3 hours of battery life at best. But we made it happen and the whole experience paid off. A big thanks to Daniel and his crew for everything. We had a blast.

Credits:
Daniel Chae - Director/Producer
Grace Baek - 2nd Camera
Steve Lee - Sound Engineer"


Purchase @ My Parasol's Bandcamp
Upcoming Show:

More info here
Bonus download: Turbo Goth and Spazzkid - Morning Swim (Spazzkid Vocal Remix) (192mp3) [A constant track in all of my opening sets and now you have it for your listening pleasure. Spazzkid send me the high quality file ;)]

<->Nativity<->

FLYING LOTUS - ZODIAC SH*T [NEW VIDEO]

Watch the Zodiac Sh*t Video Here

I am extremely excited to see one of my favorite tracks [Zodiac Sh*t] off of Cosmogramma turn into a visual work of art. The world of colors and symbols, as well as the seamless blends and transitions Lilfuchs uses perfectly match the wide spectrum of sounds and instruments Flying Lotus effortlessly fuses together to create this masterpiece. Too bad there isn't any visuals for the second movement of the song. I'd definitely like to see more of Cosmogrammy visually in the near future. Hats off to Flying Lotus, Lilfuchs, and Adult Swim for making this happen.

"Adult Swim and Flying Lotus have been BFFs for a long time. We've always loved the track "Zodiac Sh*t" from his album "Cosmogramma," so one day we decided to throw some money at our friend Lilfuchs and see what he could come up with for this song. Clearly, he decided he could do a lot. We hope you enjoy it. " - Adult Swim

2010 Flying Lotus Releases:

Pick up Cosmogramma: iTunes | bleep | amazon

Pick up Pattern+Grid World EP: iTunes | bleep | amazon


if you don't know, NOW you KNOW!!

peace + love,
[e]ccentric

Wild Pack Of Canaries Tour Dates & Interview

Wild Pack Of Canaries: Facebook | Myspace | Tour Information
I caught up with Rudy De Anda of local Long Beach band Wild Pack Of Canaries [Mountain Man Records] before they embarked on their Mini Van Super Road Trip Winter Tour. Check out the interview below to find out how non-fiction fantasy is included in their song writing and what great lengths it would take for someone to take over his band.

Nativity: First off congratulations on the release. How does it feel to have all your hard work set in stone into something tangible for the world to hear?
Rudy: Thanks it is supremely cool to finally release a little something something to the people. I feel like its been long awaited and to be honest really overdue. Its cool to know that the public can access it now.

N: With that said, Can you explain into detail what your specific role is with the band? Are you the primary song writer or do you all work together to create the music and lyrics?
R: Well I love soccer so i kind of see myself as the head coach of the band. I am the only original member, these are my songs but i dont think the band would be the same without the people who are currently in it. I do take a "leadership" role and i dont mind being that person. So someone has to kill me if they want to take over this band.

N: My favorite tracks so far have to be Angola Prom, Little Brazilian Kids, and The Corner Can Wait. Are there any life stories where any of the songs from The Corner Can Wait are based from? If there aren't, feel free to make one up.
R: Actually these songs are quite the opposite of real-life stories. These songs are all non-fiction fantasy based themes. I was trying to create little stories that the listener could follow. The Coroner Can Wait (title track) is about a town in Arizona where a body was found next to the river and its a completely made up fib. The goal i think songwriting wise is to veer away from real life as much as possible.

DOWNLOAD: The Coroner Can Wait

N: Interesting. So the record is being released through Mountain Man Records. How did you guys meet MMR? What's it like to have the support of local DIY label from Long Beach, CA?
R: Yes Mountain Man Records is putting the record out. I actually met Mike Smith (one half of mountain man) over 6 years ago just through bands, friends etc.and Danny i met about a year ago, he is in a band called Brown And Blue. Its awesome to have their support, they are smart,motivated, and willing to help us out.

N: Do you think it's best for bands to join smaller DIY labels when they're in their earlier stages or do you subscribe to the notion that it's better to be picked up with a label that has more clout and influence?
R: Personally i prefer taking the smaller label route first. I mean you have to build up your own following. They dont just sprout up from thin air. I want to put in the work at a independent level and meet real people and real kids that go to shows thats what its all about.there are plenty of examples of bands that never really needed "big label help" to be succesful for example: Fugazi, Built To Spill just to name a few.

N: Regardless of how people may view labels these days there's one thing that everyone can agree on, Touring. It certainly is a necessity these days to get your music out there and to help build a fan base. How did the upcoming tour with New Lights By Dead Vines come about? Are there any specific dates you're looking forward to?
R: Oh yeah touring is the ticket nowadays and i think it always was. If you cant deliver live then you should not be in a band i think. It just shows who is really willing to put their ass on the line to go play shows hundreds of miles away from home. This tour has been in the works since last summer. We have been working with New Lights By Dead Vines to work out a tour route and band accomodations which consist of a mini van and a mitsubishi sedan. We are very excited to take them with us i think they will get a real positive response from the crowds. I think i am most looking forward to the Oakland show on Dec 7th with No Babies, Twin Steps, Structures etc. Its been getting hyped up for months now and i get to reunite with my old band mate Drew Pearson which will be great.

N: Name 3 essential items you're bringing with you on the mini van.
R: long johns, northface jacket, mental fortitude

N: The tour ends with a show in Long Beach on Dec 18th at The Dark Room. Are there any big surprises in store for the homecoming show?
R: We get to play with one of my FAVORITE bands around which are DANTE VS ZOMBIES (from l.a., members of Jail Weddings) I absolutely love that band so i cant wait to hangout with Long Beach homies and dance to their jams. There is also a band coming from Arizona for that show so thats cool. I think the surprise is gonna be that we are all still alive and breathing and not frozen to death.

N: Thanks again Rudy for doing this Interview! Any last thoughts before you guys head out on tour?
R: I just want to say get that album fa sho!!

Purchase @ Mountain Man Records | iTunes
Information on the Wild Pack Of Canaries Homecoming Party can be found here.

<->Nativity<->

LIVE BROADCAST - DANK DECEMBER (12/4/10)

Dank Radio on KPFK
Live Broadcast: December 4, 2010
Dank December - Click to Download

Tracklist:

Tokimonsta - Gamble
Jazz Liberatorz - Clin d'oeil
M.E.D. - Aint Bragging
Jinesis - 2 Fly
Q-Tip - A Million Times
Little Dragon - After The Rain
Flying Lotus - Dance of Pseudo Nymph
Telefon Tel Aviv - John Thomas on the Inside is Nothing but Foam
R.M.C. - Space & Time
Mulatu Astake & The Heliocentrics - Addis Black Widow
The Bad Plus - Boo-Way
John Coltrane - Goldsboro Express
Mutt - I Used To
Ramsey Lewis - Camino El Bueno
Rx Bandits - Pal-Treaux
Flying Lotus - Clay
Manni Dee - Gravity
Dibiase - Clocked Out
Flying Lotus - Breathe Someting/Stella
Manni Dee - Antidote
Oddisee - The Riches
Oddisee - This is Best for Finale
N*E*R*D - I've seen the Light/Inside of Clouds
Bilal - Lord Don't Let it
Q-Tip - Blue Girl
Bilal - Love Poems
Oddisee - Grey's Anatomy
Dam-Funk - Keep Lookin' 2 The Sky
Pat Metheny Group Letter From Home - 5-5-7
Pat Metheny Group Letter From Home - Have You Heart

ENJOY!

peace & love