Tag Archives: electronic

Interviews

Two Owls Interview

 

3MiloE: So if you could state your names?

Andrew: I’m Andrew, one half of Two Owls.

Scotty: I’m Scotty, the other half of Two Owls.

3MiloE: Awesome!

Scotty: That your math homework?

(3MiloE flips through his notebook)

3MiloE: (Laughs) No, it’s my psychology homework.

Scotty: Right on.

3MiloE: Okay so, where are you guys from and what’s the music scene like there?

Andrew: L.A. area born and raised. I’m from around this area, grew up in Laverne. I live near Long Beach now. What about you, Scott?

Scotty: I’m from Florida originally, and I’ve been living in Los Angeles for the past two and half, three years. The scene in both Florida and Los Angeles couldn’t be any different. But they’re definitely both a great ode to electronic dance music. Florida, for example, has Ultra Music Festival in Miami and then, you know, Los Angeles has…where we’re at right now… Escape. So yeah, the scene in Los Angeles is way more underground. It’s thriving right now.

Andrew: I think it’s the best for new artists because many can’t go play shows in other states cause they aren’t getting paid enough to travel. But over here…

Scotty: You can play shows here and build your entire fan base out of Los Angeles. I’ve seen it happen.

3MiloE:  So how did you guys come up with your DJ names?

 

Both: (Laughs)

Andrew: Well, we used to tour and make music as Night Owls together, then  we went through a re-brand process from April 1st?

Scotty: Yeah, and we’ve always had this concept of… duality within our brand.

Andrew: And in the fascination with owls and nocturnal life and the occult things. I’ve always been infatuated with those kind of interests. But yeah, a mix between duality and like… our love for owls.

3MiloE: So, obviously the animal that best personifies your music is the owl.

Scotty: Yes.

3MiloE: Why?

Scotty: Essentially, it really comes down to, Free Masonic imagery, as well as the Illuminati symbolism. In the middle of the Redwood Forest is Bohemian Grove, there’s a forty-foot stone owl that they call Malik. (Editor’s note: Moloch.) Malik, as we know, has been around for whatever, so um…

Andrew: From the mythology, Malik isn’t supposed to be an owl, it’s supposed to be a bull.

Scotty: They’re both, so, Malik is an owl but it also, the same… force…has been represented as a bull. So it’s like, the same thing.  So I say it’s like a bull, the symbolism is really interesting. And someone snuck into the Bohemian Grove and took hidden camera footage of people sacrificing what seemed to be like a human, or maybe they, if maybe it was, just some sort of a whatever…

Andrew: A mock sacrifice.

Scotty: …to a forty foot stone owl. So this has actually been going on for thousands of years. (Editor’s note: Thousands, eh?)

Andrew: What does that have to do with our music, dude? (Laughs)

Scotty: And, this is where, I think that’s where a lot of power of the brand comes from. Because, that has existed throughout human history for thousands of years. So I think it could thrive in a brand and use it.

Andrew: I like owl’s personifications. They’re really swift creatures that are able to see through the bullshit.

Scotty: And they’re nocturnal.

Andrew: And nocturnal. I’m a nocturnal person. I kind of see our music as swift and sleek. But owls are also very dangerous things. Like, kind of like our drops.

Scotty: Yeah, my bedroom is also full of owls too. I have all these different owls.

3MiloE: That’s great. So what are you trying to convey with your music?

Scotty: Emotion. The goal, yeah? To be able to convey emotion through music. That was a good concise answer.

3MiloE: Alright, next question okay? Can you describe the feeling you get when you’re on stage?

Andrew: Not really, I mean, it’s almost like…

Scotty: …Transferring energy.

Andrew: It’s almost like, when I was playing baseball as a little kid, and I was like, batting. Like, I almost like, blacked out. I don’t know how to explain it, it’s like you black out and you go in…

Andrew: Yeah, blackout…

Andrew: If you’re prepared, you just go. That’s how, that’s how it is for me. I don’t know, I mean, we work well together. We can read each other, off of our energy. We can do things with each other and we’ll do things vise-versa, and I don’t know, it just flows. Like, I just almost blackout. It’s weird. I don’t remember what I do during my set, or after my set (Laughs). I don’t know. And also, every single one of our sets is prepped different. We couldn’t go and do the same set twice. A lot of artists do the same set forever, but we never do that.

Scotty: Yeah that’s very true. Yeah I definitely agree the whole blackout thing definitely does happen. As soon as we go on stage and we press play, everything else is just a blur until we’re off that stage. It’s really… it’s a really interesting feeling. I think as far as being on stage, I feel like there’s this transfer of energy between the person on stage performing and the crowd. So it’s like, the person hypes it up, and their crowd looks at that and is like, “Okay, this person is hyping up. I’m gonna hype! And that’s like this transfer of energies for the crowd’s hyping and, the performer is hyping, so it’s this cycle that goes on and the bigger the crowd the more you can feel it. You can actually feel this.” (Editor’s note: HEADY!)

Andrew: That’s true though, the better response I get from a crowd, usually, the more confident I am with my DJing, too.

Scotty: Yeah, it’s so surprising. The bigger the crowd, the more confident we are because we know that they’ll fucking like what we do. So the more people there, the more heads we can turn.

3MiloE: What moment do you cherish the most so far in your career?

Scotty: Moments like these, when we’re with our friends at these festivals, and able to, you know, run around the entire place like a playground… it’s like a theme park.

Andrew: I think the one I cherish the most was probably our Global Dance set. Because that was our first time playing to a real festival crowd, and I was really nervous before like,  “Fuck. It’s my first time having fucking, 5,000 people watching me do what I do.” But I really cherished it. After I got off stage. I was like, “Damn. I really just did that.” That was probably the one I cherish the most. It was the first time, it’s like losing your virginity, you know what I mean?

Scotty: (laughs) Very true.

Andrew: Yeah, that was the one for me.

3MiloE: So what are your major influences?

Scotty: As far as music or as far as…?

3MiloE: Anything.

Andrew: Major influences…

Scotty: His is baseball. If the Dodgers lose, then he can’t make music. If they win, he’s grinding.

All: (Laughs.)

Andrew: Nah, but major influences. Let’s see. Music wise, a lot of the guys doing melodic shit right now, like Illenium, Seven Lions, Zed’s Dead, Nghtmre. People like that. As far as direct music, but I draw a lot of inspiration from like, I used to listen to a lot of heavy metal shit, like screamo post-hardcore shit. I grew up listening to that. I still draw inspiration from that going into, creating chord progressions or something like that, you know what I mean? But yeah, I also draw inspiration from just everyday life, you know what I mean? Like, some days I’ll be in a rut like, I’ll open Ableton and I’ll just stare at it. And I’ll go do something, I’ll go get lunch or something and just get inspired, come back, and get ready to work. I don’t know, but yeah that’s it for me.

Scotty: I think there is a really fine line between what your influences are, and what you’re actually a fan of. I think there’s a lot of artists and music that I’m a fan of, but don’t think actually influence me. And I think at the end of the day we most influence ourselves. We become some sort of anti-influence because we’re our biggest critics you know? We have the most to lose. So in a sense our criticism of ourselves is what really influences us.

3MiloE: That is profound. Yeah, that made my head spin. I like that.

Scotty: So I didn’t get you at the forty foot stone owl that they sacrifice people, to but I got you at influences. (Laughs.)

3MiloE: Yeah, well I mean. I take my influences, and they’re not necessarily the people I listen to.

Scotty: Well, I get influences from movies, I get influences from books, I get influences from stuff that has nothing to do with music. That still influences me.  I see comedians, the way comedians come up is so similar to the way DJs come up. A comedian for example starts off at a small club, doesn’t have any pull, is probably performing for free. They have to develop an entire set, test it out with the crowd to see if the set works, like, “Oh, these jokes don’t work, let me scrap it.”  DJs are kind of like the same thing. It’s like, “These songs don’t work, let me scrap it.” They develop a set, they start off at this shitty club. They’re not even getting paid, and they end up, you know, being able to pull their own crowd, being able to, go on their own tour with their own headlining tour. So I think kind of stand up comedy and DJing, are both thriving in Los Angeles. I think both of those scenes kind of are so similar. So that influences me too, I could see the way this dude came up, how can I superimpose that to our shit.

3MiloE: Awesome. Where do you see yourselves a year from now?

Andrew: Hopefully doing more of these at a later time (Laughs) But really…

 

Andrew: We opened the main stage today. We’re kind of getting on the stages where we see ourselves being. But we want to make it more frequent. Maybe outside of California like, other east coast festivals, blah blah blah. Try to get some of these later time slots, bigger crowds, you know what I mean? But we got to start somewhere, definitely blessed to be doing what we’re doing right now, even opening, that was so awesome.

Scotty: Exactly like, I love DJing. It’s so fun to DJ. In a year I would hope to be at a placee where we would be able to make something that we wouldn’t be able to make right now. I would like to be at a place where we’re able to make something we couldn’t make a year ago. Whether its goals or achievements or whether, it’s music. As long as we’re always improving. One year ago we were not able to fucking make this song, or one year ago we weren’t able to fucking pull out, or sell out this venue or something like that. So whatever it is, I hope we’re always progressing, whatever it is, it better be something we weren’t able to do right now, you know what I’m saying?

Mike: When you guys said you opened up the main stage, what was the moment you realized, “‘Wow this is actually happening?”

 

Scotty: Well, we kind of got booked for these shows months in advance, so we were kind of able to somehow envision and strategize everything out, you know? For example, we’re playing at Countdown, Insomniac’s New Year’s Eve event, and it’s October. So we have three months to prepare for that.

Andrew: Also to answer the question… I don’t even think I’m personally at that point yet,  you know what I mean? I’m still struggling every day man. We can be on the stage right now and not there tomorrow. But take everything with a grain of salt. Appreciate everything.

Mike: Whose the brains behind this operation? Like, do you guys have equal parts?

Yeah, it’s equal, definitely like, we’re partners. Business partners, music partners…and I mean it, fucking basic brothers. But there’s no brains.  I mean, sometimes he’ll take the head on something, sometimes I will.  It’s just how we trust each other. That’s just how it works.

 

 

 

Interviews

Tim Shopp Interview

 

Where are you from? What is the music scene like there?

I live here in Middletown, New Jersey and have lived here my entire life along with most of my family. As for music scene, there is a lot of pop punk, alternativ,e and other music but absolutely no hard dance scene. It’s very slim pickings in this state!

How did you come up with your DJ name?

My DJ name is my own name. When I first began, I realized the obsession artists seem to have with the letter “Z” and random adjectives, so I strayed far from that! I realized I wanted to just make music under my own name because simply it’s just who I am… literally.

What animal best personifies your music and why?

Hmmm, that’s a hard one! Maybe a grizzly bear? They’re aggressive and from what I hear on documentaries, they hit hard!

What are you trying to convey with your music?

Nothing. I know it sounds crazy, but quite honestly I just enjoy making hard music. Each track is usually a different vibe from the last, and I just try to make stuff I think sounds cool and aggressive, or even different that typical stuff.

Can you describe the feeling you get when you’re on stage?

Even still I get butterflies before some shows, especially when I have a load of new music to play. Testing new tracks always gets me a bit jittery. On stage I usually get a huge rush the second I hit play for the first time, and then from there on out it’s all about going crazy and enjoying myself.

 

What moment do you cherish the most so far in your career as a DJ/artist or musician?

It’s hard to pick one specific moment to be honest, because it feels every single moment in my career so far has brought me great happiness and pride. I always tell people of course this is what I love to do, but I never imagined I would be doing/accomplishing some of the stuff I have already in my career.

What are your major influences?

There are so many, but here are three that come to mind immediately…

F. Noize—Been a fan for as long as I could remember, as well as a friend. He’s supported me and my music a ton, and is one of my favorite producers in the game.

Furyan—Probably my favorite producer on the Masters of Hardcore label. Blows me away with every track, and inspires many of my new tracks I’m working on.

Partyraiser—Do I even need to explain why? Absolute legend.

And without question the two legends of American hardcore: Rob GEE and Lenny Dee!

Where do you see yourself a year from now?

This is an interesting question, because where I saw myself a year from now is happening sooner than you realize…so I’ll wait for you guys to see.

Otherwise I just see myself making more music and continuing to push the limits of myself and my tracks and bringing fresh ideas and sounds along the way!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TimShoppOfficial
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/timshopp
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Tim_Shopp
Instagram: http://instagram.com/timshopp

Interviews

Ron D Core Interview

Captured in this film is an interview with Ron D Core, a hero from the underground hardcore scene. Ron is a DJ, and is known for being a pioneer in the early years of electronic music. This interview gives insight into his personal experiences as a DJ and insight into his style of music. You’ll learn how he gained his notoriety, what some of his musical influences are, and some of his accomplishments as an artist and DJ.

 

Articles, Events, Reviews

My Hostile Takeover Experience by 3MiloE

The thing one has to realize about riddim and dubstep is that the crowd loves to get wild and aggressive, but due to the hard, raw nature of sounds of the genres, who can blame them for being so intense? Its hard to contain one’s self when these styles are blaring through enormous speakers accompanied by trippy visuals, lasers, and masked DJs. It truly makes you want to throw your fists in the air.

I bought my ticket for Hostile Takeover months in advance, so it was definitely time for the anticipation to end and for the experience of what Hostile Takeover really was to begin. I grabbed my EDC 2016 shirt and my bandana and headed from Santa Barbara to Los Angeles.  Hostile Takeover took place at the Union Nightclub, a very enjoyable venue. The bathrooms were clean, they served free water, and blasted hard, loud music that made everyone go insane and rage. As crazy as the crowd was, the venue was able to keep things under control—no easy task with this kind of music. I give the the club respect for keeping everyone safe while also letting people let loose and express themselves. Apart from an altercation between two women outside while I waited in line, everything was chill.

When I first entered the venue, I was hit with a  powerful energy… the energy of dubstep and riddim. As the night grew on, the energy got more and more intense until it peaked around 1:00 a.m.

Clowning Dubstep
This was my favorite DJ at the Loft stage, clowning the dubstep.

At one point, all of the DJs put on masks.  Some were in costumes, everyone started going twice as hard. Mosh pits were rough, but no one was punching or throwing elbows at each other. One raver fell while in the mosh pit, but myself and others picked him back up to his feet before he got trampled.

At the Riddim Stage
These guys killed it on stage.

I was drawn to lights all night. I actually found the person who was controlling the visuals for the stage, which included the lasers and background screen. For a few moments I observed him control the visuals as a DJ would a deck. He changed the visuals with the music, keeping them in sync as it played. I watched him use technique and skills that looked like it took years of training to learn. I always had thought light shows were automated,  and was surprised to discover that it actually took a person to control such amazing visuals.

Visuals Controller
This was the man behind the visuals

My favorite set of all night was Subtronics back-to-back with Svdden Death and Uber Dubstep. The skills of the DJs at Hostile Takeover rivaled some of the DJs that performed at Project Z! I went so hard I could barely stand the next day because my muscles were so sore from dancing. I entered the pit and came out a happier person after I did exaggerated body movements, fist pumps, and jumping up and down to get out my frustrations and aggression in a positive way.

Overall, I would say that Hostile Takeover was an incredible event, that will not long be forgotten. Quality riddim and dubstep, along with a good venue, is an experience that will not long be forgotten. I definitely had a great experience, and I plan on going to another Fresh event soon. I was impressed with the promoters because they know how to throw sick events. The music quality was phenomenal, the vibes were chill, and it allowed me to feel and explore the harder side of EDM. Thanks to everyone who went for making it an amazing time!

Articles, Events, Reviews

My Project Z Experience by 3MiloE

Every time I listen to electronic music, the experience seems new to me. Perhaps maybe it is because electronic music is an ever- changing, ever-expanding entity, with each genre and style having its own sound, social groups, and individual cultures. Festivals like Project Z is where all these groups of people who love different kinds of  electronic music unite together and celebrate not just the music, but the way it makes us feel.

Project Z 2017 was my first Project Z experience, and my girl’s first Insomniac event. It seems needless to say to those who attended, but we were both blown away.

Excitement and anticipation filled us with adrenaline as we got in line to enter, the music and bright lights shining over the fences making me nod my head and dance a little. Upon entering, I was hit with a wave of relief and euphoria. We had made it to Project Z! The scenery made me feel like i was in a dream. Colors of blue and green lit up the night and reflected upon a lake. A grassy field lay beside it, and there were many ravers just chilling and relaxing by the tranquil water. Security allowed people to relax and vibe out, while also making it feel very safe and calm when and where it needed to be. My girl and I came casually dressed and slightly unprepared in that sense, but we had comfortable shoes, a CamelBak, and an attitude to have fun.

Our main objective of the night was to find all stages and get a sense of where everything at the event was located, like exits and facilities, information booths, and other important locations. There was plenty of open space between the stages, bathrooms, and vendors, yet were also in close enough proximity of each other to navigate the event easily and comfortably considering the large attendance.

So many sights and interesting characters were there to be seen. Having just watched an entire of Rick and Morty a week prior to attending Project Z, it was fascinating to see how many totems and candies were dedicated to the show—it made us feel like we belonged. We happen to be glove enthusiasts, and so we had to sit down a few times to get some shows from a few different glovers. The interpretive dances of their hands illuminated by LED lights entranced us, making us feel a wide range of emotions.  We spotted a gang of roving go-go dancers dressed as bunnies that looked like they were from Alice in Wonderland moving their way through the crowd and stages—their sole purpose to trip people out. They did an excellent job of doing that. Another area which always caught my attention as I passed through had a projection of ticking clocks that were scattered and moving over everything around it.

Project Z dancers
These characters danced like creatures throughout the night, moving from stage to stage.

Once we discovered all three of the stages and key locations, we were ready to enjoy ourselves. The first stage we experienced was Bassrush. The sounds of riddim and dubstep sent waves of happiness and aggression throughout the crowd. One of the main highlights of the night was JoyRyde, who murdered the stage as if the crowd had taken Liam Nieson’s daughter. The intensity of the music matched with the crowd’s ability to scream and move their bodies to the raw rhythms were enhanced by lasers and intense visuals, all contributing to a feeling of euphoria and loss of self to the moment that gripped and captivated parts of our souls that had not been there before. It was hard to leave that feeling behind, but we HAD to check out the next stage known as…. Basscon.

Basscon turned out to be my favorite stage at Project Z. The music caused a chaotic physical manifestation of the emotions I felt conveyed in my dancing that only need be described with two words, “going hard”. The DJs almost  seemed as if they were controlling the crowd with their mixer. I felt like i was in a trance. The breaks and the drops flawlessly blended together into a musical roller coaster I could ride. Explosive bursts of energy that were followed by entrancing melodies gave pauses in perfect increments to where I could dance and get enough rest in between intense parts of the songs. I danced so hard, I felt like my heart was about to explode. We decided to stop before we both felt like we were going to collapse.

Going Hard! at the Basscon stage!
Screenshot of me dancing at the Basscon stage and a cameo of the candie my girl found.

When we started to get hot and thirsty, we found that Project Z provided a filling station where water was  distributed for FREE! The fact that Project Z provides free water separates Project Z from most other events or venues, as water is usually very expensive.,

We went on to find a place to chill and before experiencing the third and final stage known as Area Z. On the way there, my girl found her first candie ever, a geometric pattern that wraps around your arm.  Before “rescuing” it, we looked around to see if it belonged to anyone, because it looked as if it had taken hours of time to make. We pondered where it might have come from, and how many times it might have been traded from person to person. We questioned what kind of stories it has had, and how much it must have meant to someone. I hope whoever lost it reads this article, because the candie found a great home and is being loved and cherished!

The painter at Area Z
This artist painted to dubstep.

At this point, we needed to rest, and Area Z was a perfect place to do just that. If i could describe the music at Area Z. It was mellow dubstep, a style you could go either go hard to or just relax and listen to. A nearby painter captured the creative energy of the night and sounds into an image on canvas.

At the end of the night, we were handed fliers to upcoming events and underground shows in the nearby area. Although I may not go to all the events that were promoted, it is cool to think that at the end of every event like this one, someone can find an underground party and perhaps discover new music, new friends, and new adventures.

See you next year, Project Z!