Takin’ down Brown

Sorry for not posting in while.  I’ve been working like crazy.  Something like 16-20 hour days for almost a month.  Ya, wtf.  Anyway, in light of working that much, I don’t have anything really good to talk about.  Instead of babbling, I’m going to give you some awesome lyrical enjoyment.

It’s some funky house music dissin’ on Chris Brown, the douchebag that beat his girlfriend Rhianna.  Even if you don’t like electronic music, you have to listen to the lyrics.

Takin’ down Brown!  I’m definitely adding this to my dj set.

Freaknight 2008

Well, it’s about 3:30 in the afternoon now.  I woke up about 2 hours ago.  I was pretty much up all night long revisiting my old rave days.  Man, last night was freakin’ awesome.

While I didn’t do any drugs, I did drink quite a bit and tried an oxygen bar for the first time.  $9 per mixed drink, that was weak as shit and $20 per person for… oxygen.  I was always told I should try an oxygen bar, so I did.  I can’t say it was worth the $20, but still kinda cool.  It woke me up.  That’s about it.  $20 used to get me so high on X that I would be completely dysfunctional for days.  However, I don’t do drugs anymore, so I guess oxygen was the next best thing (?).  

So, now that I got that mini-bitching session done, here’s the good stuff:

I know not everyone who reads this blog is fully aware of the whole electronic scene, but you may recognize some of the names:

• Crystal Method
• Moby
• Paul Van Dyk
• Andy C
• DJ Icey

There were others, but those were the ones I was there to see and holy crap man, THEY ROCKED THE F***ING HOUSE!

This is the first time I’ve seen Crystal Method live.  They weren’t the headliner for the night, but they should have been.  They laid down some of the funkiest breaks I’ve ever heard, along with most of their classics that you’ve probably heard: Trip Like I Do, Busy Child, Name of the Game, and a good ol’ remix of Rage Against the Machine’s Guerilla Radio.  

I know most of us have heard Moby.  He’s got some nice melodic, sometimes upbeat tracks that most people (Eminem being the exception) can thoroughly enjoy.  I have to say I wasn’t too stoked on seeing Moby live for a bit of the boring factor after having been all pumped up from Crystal Method, but surprisingly enough, Moby did not disapoint.  He threw in a couple of his classics, but along with everything else he played – wicked hard beats, funky house and breakbeats.  Nice work Moby.  Awesome Show.

Paul Van Dyk – egh, he’s ok.  Van Dyk is a worldwide sensation and the main headliner for the show, but I just don’t see why.  Sure, he’s got some good stuff, however a lot of it is that whiney candy-kid trance that I just never understood.  When I go to a massive like this, I don’t want the relax-and-feel-good-melodies-that-put-you-to-sleep music.  I want the make-you-dance-so-hard-your-feet-barely-touch-the-ground music.  With that said, I walked away and made a visit to the other room…

I was able to catch the end of DJ Icey.  DJ Icey is always good.  I don’t have much to say about him at the show though because I seriously only caught that last couple minutes of it before Andy C came on.

Andy C… this is a guy from the U.K. that proves that Drum n’ Bass isn’t dead yet.  A lot of DnB has been killed because so many DJs lost the rhythm and beat and just went dark and evil and, well, noisy as sh*t, but not in a good way.  Not Andy C.  This guy has kick ass solid drum and bass beats that, at times, it’s hard to differentiate between DnB, Breaks, and Hip/Hop.  That’s they Drum n’ Bass should be.

So, needless to say besides the super-weak $9 mixed drinks that wouldn’t even give you a buzz after 8 drinks for $81 and another $40 for the my wife and I to try the oxygen bar, it was an awesome show and an awesome night.

If you’ve never experienced a rave before, I suggest going to try it at least once.  You’ve never seen so much energy, incredible visual setups, and the best people-watching you will EVER see.  Guaranteed.

Well, with all that said, here are some pictures I took, and there’s even a video of Crystal Method’s opening with the always classic “Trip Like I Do”.  Enjoy.

Techno Rooster

As we all know, I am the Rooster. As anyone who even slightly knows me, also knows that I love techno in just about all forms.

That’s why I think this video was made just for me. Make sure you have sound!

Let the Beat Rock!

A lot of people ask me why I am so “in love” with electronic music. My question back to them is “how can you not love it?”

People in this country are so enveloped in rock, hip hop, and country. People say techno is repetitive. When I listen to the aforementioned genres, I hear:

• Rock: The same old guitar rifs, all the time.  I like bands/singers like Dave Matthews, Jason Mraz, John Legend, Green Day, and a few others, but when you get into hard rock/metal, it’s all the same: HATRED! DIE! WORSHIP SATAN! KILL! Call me crazy, but that is just not my thing (especially the worship Satan part).
• Hip hop: I like the beats for the most part. They aren’t too different from most techno beats that I listen to, just slowed down.  The thing that gets me, much like hard rock/metal, the message is repetitive:  Got my gat, gonna bust a cap, (droppin the “N” bomb), killin gangsta’s, gettin some boot-ay!, and the always classic “BLING”.  Talk about repetitive!  And the hip hop fans are the one’s who question my taste the most.  Of course, it’s generally the white guys who think listening to hip hop makes them tough.  
• Country:  Twang twang diddly dang, ”My wife left me, my truck was stolen, and my dog ran away”.  Enough said right there.

My response as to why I like techno so much:  First off, I don’t like the mainstream crap you hear on your local FM radio station.  That, in fact, does fit your stereotype of annoying and repetitive.  I’ll give you that.  

I listen to the stuff you can’t easily find in the U.S., yet has taken the rest of the world by storm.  Breakbeats, house, ambient dub, and drum n’ bass.  

The best part:  There is no message.  It’s all about the music.  It is not defined by the lyrics.  You’re not influenced or corrupted by some dumbass like Kanye West who seems to think their musical talent justifies a political opinion.  

My challenge to you is to take a look at a couple of the links I have provided below.  This is electronic music by genre, that has swept the world, yet is difficult to find in the US.  This is the music I live by.  The music that I love.  Enjoy.

Some of these are links to podcasts, so it will open up in iTunes if you have it:

• Breakbeats:  Strongarm Sessions Hosted by Elite Force
• House: Emerging Frontiers hosted by Matt Barge
• Ambient Dub/Chillout:  Ablak-A-Dubra Radioshow Hosted by Fine Cut Bodies
• Drum & Bass: hosted by various artists associated with Drum & Bass Arena