Following The Disco Biscuits‘ tenth anniversary of the band’s annual music festival, Camp Bisco (which reached capacity by selling over 25 thousand tickets this past summer), the group joined Kaskade, Steve Aoki, Booka Shade and many more on the inaugural tour of IDentity Festival, a month long traveling bill of electronic musical acts spanning from coast to coast.  On the front end of this string of gigs, this full day of music made a hometown stop for The Disco Biscuits featuring live performances on three stages over the course of twelve hours at the Susquehanna Bank center, located along the Camden waterfront across from Philadelphia’s picturesque Center City skyline.  The evening was capped with a special two and a half hour headlining set by the Biscuits, the tour’s only organic (non DJ) act to receive such a nod.

As the day unfolded and the amphitheater began to fill up, F5F’s Alex Raubicheck paid a visit backstage to the Disco Biscuits’ tour bus, where he sat down with Aron Magner, the band’s extremely talented keyboardist.  The two talked all things music, including the group’s presence on IDentity Festival, the recent release of the Biscuits’ sixth studio LP, Otherwise Law Abiding Citizens, and Magner’s other chief live musical endeavor, Conspirator.

Enjoy a recap of this interview by clicking ’Play’ in the embedded video below:

Fortune5Fifty.TV Presents: An Exclusive Interview with Aron Magner of The Disco Biscuits from Fortune5Fifty.TV on Vimeo.

The Disco Biscuits’ 2011 New Year’s Eve run is less than two weeks away, as the band prepares to wrap up 2011 in style!  Following three shows at the Best Buy Theater in New York, including a special late night performance on the night of December 28th, the group heads to the Midwest to the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago, where it will play its final two shows of the year, ushering in 2012 with a three set performance on New Year’s Eve.  Additionally, Mr. Bugsly Presents will be providing late night entertainment with a lineup of gifted musical acts, hosting two official Disco Biscuits’ after parties in New York, located just two blocks away at B.B. King Blues Club and Grill.  And of course, the Biscuits will be joined by several other talented artists in the Windy City as well, via Silver Wrapper at the House of Blues Chicago.  Tickets for all the above mentioned concerts can be purchased by clicking the links below.

12.26 – Disco Biscuits with Mord Fustang - Tickets

12.26 – Official tDB After Party with Mord Fustang, Abakus and The Manhattan Project - Tickets

12.27 – Disco Biscuits with Tipper - SOLD OUT

12.27 – Official tDB After Party with Tipper, Orchard Lounge and Alpha Data - Tickets

12.28 – Disco Biscuits with Brothers Past and Orchard Lounge - SOLD OUT

12.30 – Disco Biscuits with EOTO and Abakus - Tickets

12.30 – Official tDB After Party with Dr. Fameus - Tickets (on sale 12/26)

12.31 – Disco Biscuits (3 sets) with Future Rock - Tickets

1.1.12 – Official tDB NYE After Party with The Polish Ambassador and DJ Thibault – Tickets (on sale 12/26)

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

As mentioned STS9 is playing both Saturday & Sunday March 13th & 14th at the 9:3o Club.  Saturday is sold out but limited tickets are still available for Sunday night.  BUY TICKETS NOW

It’s my pleasure to announce that F5F will be co-hosting the Official STS9 Afterparty at Club 24 on Sunday immediately following the STS9 show.  Doors are at 11pm and music will go until 4am.  Musical Acts include Big Gigantic (Boulder,CO), Break Science (NY,NY), Sonkin (Philly, PA), and Jables (Ashville, NC).  Event details and updates can be found on Facebook.  Feel free to invite your friends to this event…trust me the juice is worth the squeeze.

Fortune5Fifty: Bethany would you care to tell us your opinions on the rise of the so called “spacebar dj”.

Bethany:So, if you know me, you know I’m not the BIGGEST fan of new genres that pop off overnight like they’re the greatest thing in the world. I do always however, give them a chance. Forever if takes it. I’m extremely curious about what makes something popular and the art of balancing that with your own vision. An example is recently, after seeing Benga perform…I “got” dubstep and found some beautiful moments in there. I’ve been trying with the ableton dj performances and the glitch/electro and ….well, just basically most west coast stuff. But I will keep trying and I think it might even be fun to get a little battling goin on. East/West rivalry? It’s sure a fun time to be alive in music! Please tell me you’ve seen the sasquatch dance party !

Fortune5Fifty:What are you most looking forward to at Camp Bisco this year?

Bethany: What I’m looking forward to is seeing loads of Disco Biscuits of course. I look forward to a huge reunion with friends and music lovers from all over. I look forward to making new connections in life & sound. I look forward to Kid Cudi, Dr Fameus, Flying Lotus.OL rocking out the VIP tent for 3 hours one late-night. The Rage Stage. Rocking in the rage clothing booth. Bonobo live, Bonobo live, and Bonobo live! [Just saw them in chicago and they were phenomenal, can't wait for everyone else to be able to see them]. Biodiesel, My man!: Joe Nice, Bluetech, Haitian, DFA latenight, and of course ’superjam’.
What I’m not looking forward to is missing seeing one of the greatest Nas, as we will be sound checking just like last year when Snoop was playing. But that is the price ya pay I guess. I can not and will not complain!
OH YEAH, almost forgot to mention….I also look forward to blowing a couple o’ minds out there. Ya know, melting a few faces.
See ya on the Tent Floor @ 6:30 pm on Saturday.

Bethany was nice enough to give Fortune5Fifty an exclusive track for our readers to tune into on their way to CAMP BISCO VIII! Here it is: Queen B Live on 7/11/09

Additional Mixes and Tour Dates can be found on their website and their myspace.

Eliot Lipp is one of my personal favorites.  In my opinion Eliot is one of the more versatile producers in the game.  Originally out of Tacoma, Washington Eliot’s music didn’t take true form until his travels began.  Over the past decade Eliot has moved from Tacoma > San Fransico > LA > Chicago > NYC (where he currently resides) and his music has a distinct hint of all of the above.   Hip Hop roots in the electronic game leaves many doors open for collab projects.    

Eliot is no stranger to collab efforts, as he is known more recently for his work with Lipp Service a joint venture with Pnuma Trio’s Alex Botwin (aka Alex B) & Lane Shaw (drums).  We had the pleasure of hosting Pnuma PA this past February in Baltimore for Phobia at the Belvedere.  Mad love to Alex & Lane…both of which are holding it down proper, and we expected nothing less.  All three of these musical prodigies had the distinct pleasure of playing Rothbury last week and from what I’ve heard, their sets were well received.

Lipp’s unique sound eminates heavy electronic beats mixed in dark hip hop undertones.  No wonder his latest collab effort goes by the alias ‘Dark Party’.   This collaboration consists of two key elements Eliot Lipp and Leo123.  This might be a new name brand for you, but its far from new…Eliot and Leo go way back.  As you will soon find out in our exclusive interview with Eliot (as seen below), these two first teamed up 9 years ago while attending The San Francisco Art Institute.  {Side note: I’ve got to give a big shout out to my lil’ sister Sally, who is just got accepted to The San Francisco Art Institutes’s master program.  She starts classes this August.  Congrats Sal Pal!} 

The combination of Leo123’s glitchy swagger, Eliot’s hip hop demeanor all coupled with a distinct 80’s infused sample selection makes Dark Party something unique unto itself.  As a product of the 80’s myself its refreshing to hear a new take on the synth infused generation we know as the 80’s.  I highly recommend this new flavor and hope that you enjoy as much as I do.

And with out further delay F5F’s exclusive interview with Eliot Lipp…

F5F:  Most of you know as Eliot Lipp the solo producer, and the occasional front man of Lipp Service (Pnuma’s side project).  How did Dark Party develop into what it is today?  When did you meet Leo123?

Eliot:  Leo & I met at art school in 2000. The San Francisco Art Institute…I
was studying painting & he studied photography. We both had some
samplers & drum machines so we started meeting up & making tracks.
Since then we’ve moved around a bunch and now he is in Chicago and I’m
in NY. We manage to practice and work on new tracks every month
because of our touring schedules.
 
 
F5F:  The term “spacebar DJ” is being tossed around the music industry a lot as a direct result of technology playing such a huge roll in today’s DJ.  What are your thoughts on technology’s effects on today’s music?  Does this help or hinder live performance?

Eliot:  It helps of course.I love analog gear but just because something takes
longer to do and costs more doesn’t mean it’s better. 
 
F5F:  As much fun as touring can be, traveling via car across the country can be cramped.  What is the one thing you cannot live without while on the road?

Eliot:  my Iphone. I’m able to check emails, play sudoku, google map the
destination and make beats in the palm of my hand! that’s awesome.
 
 
4.  You have been blessed with the ability to see the world from a very unique vantage point (aka on stage looking out over a sea of smiling/dancing fans).  Is there a particular venue that you favor?  Is there a particular venue you aspire to play?

Eliot:  I really like Mezzanine in SF. One venue I’d love to play is the Bowery in NY.
 
 
F5F:   You clearly have a keen eye for talent, as seen through Lipp Service & Dark Party.  Hypothetically speaking, who else would you like to collaborate with?

Eliot:  D.J. Quik. I’ve learned so much from him just by listening to his
music…everything from mixing, sampling, drum programming,
incorporating live instrumentation, keyboards etc…he is my all time
fav hip hop producer. I also love Morgan Geist. He would be cool to
work with on some uptempo beats. 
 
 
F5F:  You are lucky enough to call NYC it home.  When you are not off touring the nation, where is your favorite hometown hang out?

Eliot:  When I get back from tour the last place I wanna be is at another bar
so I usually try to chill in the park as much as I can. Either
mccarren park or fort green 
 
 
F5F:  Give us a taste of your music collection.  What music is getting rotation on your ipod?  Any group or track we NEED to check out?

Eliot:  The new DJ Quik & Kurrupt, the new Depeche Mode, the new Slayer! the
new Omar S 12″, the new John Robert 12″, old Kate Bush and the Uhh
Yeah Dude podcast every week.

 If you are interested in catching Dark Party live this summer you shouldn’t have to go to far.  They are currently in the midst of a very intensive east coast run.  For tour dates and ticketing info click here.  I will admit I am a lil’ disappointed these cats aren’t rolling though Bmore but hell Philly and Richmond are a stones throw away.  I was lucky enough to catch them last December at  Alex Grey’s Winter Solstice…and I can attest first hand, the juice is well worth the squeeze. 

Big thanks to Eliot for taking the time to rap with us here at F5F.  We look forward to getting Eliot, Dark Party, and Lipp Service involved with future events to come.  Keep on grinding!

Damn Right! and Basshound have been entertaining my brain for sometime now.  Although completely different styles of music both have a special place in my heart.  We formed Fortune5Fifty with a mission to sling the freshest music out there and to support the Baltimore music scene in anyway we can.  Both of these bands fall right into our mission of keeping our content current while showing some ‘Charm City’ love.  The common denominator to this whole equation is Blake’s versatility on the keys. 

I was lucky enough to catch up with Blake and Damn Right! last Saturday June 25th at the 8×10 for WTMD’s live recording of ‘Baltimore Unsigned’.  This was a very intimate (only about 20 people) show which mixed live tracks with interviews.  It was a great experience to get to know the people behind the music.  So nice to know WTMD is so actively involved with up and coming bands in the Baltimore community.   ”Conscious Music for Music People” that’s their slogan and I am 100% behind it.

Damn Right! is four piece group known for blending positive electronic, break-beat, hip hop & funk (aka “the discustaFUNK”) all into one ball of fuel for a sweaty dance party.  Their high energy ‘get-up-and-dance’ vibe reminds me of early Sound Tribe Sector 9 accompanied by a strong to quite strong dose of The New Deal.  Their sound montage is centered around bass player Johnny Fissinger and drummer Tommy Bradel both of which hail out of ‘ill’adelphia.  Once these two lay down the track, percussionist Colin Stodd and Blake begin the layering process adding both color and depth.   Recent tracks have even included sampling and looping of vocal tracks.  Personally I love a concious MC/rap sample mixed in.  I find that if the lyrics reflect a message or have a conscious point then the song establishes a connection with its audience.  Damn Right! has mastered this art and inspired F5F in the process.   

Without further adue, F5F’s exclusive interview with Blake Mobley:

1. When did you and music start dating?  Give us a lil’ insight into how you got to where you are now musically…
 
Hah, I guess music and I got together in High School but didn’t really start seriously dating until College.  Through high school I had played some guitar and trombone but believe it or not, I majored in the Tuba at St.Mary’s College of MD.  By the time I graduated, I figured out that I probably never wanted to play that instrument again…so I sold that beast and put that money toward a car, ha.  The one thing I did learn from that instrument was if you can make music with a tuba, you can probably make music with anything.  It was around the same time I started losing interest in this brass monstrousity that I started playing more piano.  So after college, the transition to just keyboards was an easy decision.
 

2. Managing 3 band’s schedule’s must be overwhelming.  Where do each of them fit into your musical future?

Wait, I play in the 3 bands?!   Just kidding.  Yeah, it can get hectic but I wouldn’t call it overwhelming. 
I think it’s exactly what I want to be doing right now.   Each group is so different that it pushes me musically in different ways.  I get to funk it up with Basshound and get to be a little darker with Damn Right!.  The Talking Heads have always been one of my favorite bands and I think the Psycho Killers really do the music justice.   I really feel blessed to get to play music on a regular basis with so many incredible musicians and hope to have all 3 groups in my musical future!
 
3. Obviously your hands are full these days.  What events are you looking forward to playing this summer?

Basshound will be playing Floyd, VA’s Fandango Beer and Wine Festival, Artscape and Camp Barefoot this summer.   I have been  going to Artscape for as long as I can remember so to finally get to play one is pretty exciting!

Damn Right! will be playing the Muddy River Jam Festival just north of Philly at the end of July and I am thinking that is going to get pretty wild.

4. Give us a taste of your ipod.  What music inspires you?  Any bands or tracks we should check out?

I am obsessed with music.  I will rock pretty much anything I can get my hands on.  I have a hard time with people that only like a certain type of music. There is so much good stuff out there!  When I was younger I was wayyy into The Beatles and classic rock.  These days I’m more about the groove.  Jamiraquai, Beck, Brazilian Girls, MMW, Antibalas & Budos Band(afro-beat) to DJ Collectives like The Avalanches and Orchard Lounge.   But getting away from the groove, I’ve also been heavily influenced by Ben Folds Five, Marco Benevento, Arcade Fire, Feist, etc.  Right now I’m listening to Bonobo, “Days to Come”.  The title track is hot.

 
5. I know that the 8×10has a significant sentimental value to you & Damn Right!…I was lucky enough to witness the first ever Damn Right! accidental concert at the 8×10.  How exactly did Damn Right! form?  How do you all know eachother?   
 
Are you freaking serious?  You must have been 1 of what, 20 people in the room?  Hopefully you missed the 2nd one where Johnny was yelling “BUSH 08″ into the microphone as a joke.  The problem was I’m not sure anyone else in the room got it.  Even Tommy looked at me like, “who is this guy?”, haha. 

For almost a year I had talked to Tommy & Johnny about putting together a New Deal-esque electronic trio, so when I got the call from the 8×10 asking if I could put something together for that night, they were the first people I called.  I went to college with Johnny Fissinger(bass guitar) and knew Tommy Bradel(drums) from Basshound making friends withhis band, Earthtone.  I always thought(and still do) that he understood beats better than most drummers out there.

 
6. WTMD “music for music people” truly has gone out of their way to keep their content both conscious and fresh.  Just this passed weekend Damn Right! had the privilege of headlining ‘Baltimore Unsigned’ which airs “TBD DATE”.  How did you all get involved? 

WTMD generally rocks my world.  They pretty much called us up and asked if we wanted to be on their Unsigned program.  When they said it was going to be recorded at the 8×10 we could not turn them down.   Unfortunately, none of us are endowed with the gift of gab so I hope you enjoy the music but get ready for a super-awkward interview…haha.

 
 7. If you could collaborate withany band living or dead, who would you go out of your way to work with?

I certainly can’t speak for the rest of the guys but it’s always been a dream of mine to get to play on stage with Les Claypool.  I could wear a silly mask and kick ass at the same time! 

If I had to guess, I think Johnny would say O.A.R. and Tommy would say the Jonas Brothers.
 
 
8. Being on the road, although a neccassary evil, isn’t always the most comfortable mode of transportation…packed 5 deep in a van crammed in the back with all your gear.  What is the one thing you cannot live without on the road?

Oh man, touring is the fun part!  Meeting people in new cities is just about the best.  However, I gotta say that travelling around would not nearly be so easy without an iphone.  It’s seriously one of the greatest inventions in our lifetime. 

 
9. Any studio plans in the near future?  When can we expect your first album?

As I type, Johnny and Tommy are working up in Philly on some tracks.  Lately, those guys have been coming up with these great hooks, they record them and just e-mail them to me since I’m down in Baltimore.  Since we never practice, all I have to do is learn the hook and we have ourself some new material at shows.  I am willing to bet we release an E.P. by the end of 2009.  If I’m lucky, I’ll actually get to record some keyboards for it!
 
 
10. If you could buy any new piece of gear what would it be and why?

After a few years, it’s definitely time to get a new synthesizer.    To be honest, I am waiting for that new design that just blows people out of the water.   It needs to be a hybrid of that warmer analog tone with the dirtiness and elasticity of the digital synths.   I’d like to go Moog if they ever went polyphonic but I’m probably looking at you, Korg. 

If that is not in my price range, I would definitely want one of those creepy mechanical arm waving cats that you see in Asian places of business…

I want to give a big shout out to the 8×10, Damn Right!, Blake Mobley, Jolene Mattison, Ryan ‘BUG’ Glazer and the whole WTMD family.  You all inspire me daily…keep up the good work!

For more info on tour dates check out:

Damn Right!

Basshound

The Psycho Killers

Fortune5Fifty was recently lucky enough to get an interview with the band’s drummer Allen Aucoin. Allen joined the band in 2005. He has seen the stages the band plays go from your local music venue to stages across Europe and in the near future Red Rocks. Allen also has a solo act known at DrFameus which you can catch at multiple festivals this summer including Camp Bisco, which is the band’s signature festival and  The Projekt Festival which is being presented by our friends ihnken and Weapons of Mass Production. So if you came here looking for a prescription to boring beats lets see what the Doctor has in store for us…

Fortune5Fifty: Can you tell us a little bit about your musical background? How long have you been playing drums? What styles interest you the most? Have you played any other instruments?

Allen: I started playing drum kit when I was about 15. Before that I played a few different wind instruments and spent a few years on snare drum and timpani before falling in love with the kit. I’ve been playing drums for about 15 years maybe a little longer. There was a a couple years before that but that’s when I started to take it seriously. My styles of choice are drum-n-bass/jungle, jazz , funk, and hard rock. I taught drums privately and was the in-demand marching drumline instructor in Columbus, GA and the surrounding areas for about 10 years. Just before tDB called I’d bought a motorcycle, got really interested in it and had worked in a Triumph shop and then Harley-Davidson.

F5F: Can you tell us about the process of transitioning into the Disco Biscuits?

Allen: I was actually practicing drums coming up with some drum parts for a DrFameus tune I wrote when Dan Berkowitcz called to ask me if I was interested in flying up to Philly for an audition. I didn’t even stop practicing to answer the phone. I saw my phone ringing, looked at the number, didn’t recognize it so I let it go to voice mail. 3 hours later after I was done working on a part for a DrF tune I checked my voice mail and Dan was on there. I was like, Whoa! Crazy. Of course I immediately called him back and was like, what about the original drummer? When I found out he wanted to become a doctor I thought it was hilarious since I call my solo thing DrFameus. Anyway, I spoke with Dan, was very excited, he told me my friend Pat Hutchinson(then the monitor engineer and now the front of house sound engineer) gave him my name and number. I had a band called Skydog Gypsy from Columbus, GA. We toured pretty extensively in the south. Johnny Goode (lighting engineer for tDB) and Pat Hutchinson were sound and lights for Skydog. Eventually they moved on to tDB. I was a little burned to say the least back in 2002 or 2003 whenever they made the move but I guess everything happens for a reason. So, Dan gave me a list of 10 songs to buy from digital downloads and learn. I had about 2 – 3 weeks to learn the songs, flew to Philly in June of 2005, Dan picked me up and took me to the practice space. Immediately it seemed Marc and I had the drummer bass player connection. We ripped through House Dog Party Favor, Story of the world, Spy, Hot Air Balloon, Floodlights, Rock Candy and my favs Svenghali and Save the Robots. i had actually made some charts out to a few of the tunes and the guys were pretty impressed. After jamming for a good hour or so they made me sing. haha til this day I still don’t sing live. haha and no, I don’t wonder why… trust me. The audition seemed to go well. Jon and I connected on his solos and rhythm playing, and Magner and I were locking up and feeding off of one another during his solos. I was pretty psyched. At the end they seemed to really be excited as well. They said they’d be in touch and then sent me back home. I actually didn’t hear from them for a good 3 or 4 months. Which led me to believe they weren’t really into the idea of me on drums. So I dealt with not making the band and moved on with my life. Never heard from them. So in September of 2005 as I’m getting a few projects ready to play out (while working at a Harley-Davidson) I got another mysterious call while practicing again. It was Dan again. I was shocked he called. He gave me a list of about 5 more songs or so. I flew back up. Auditioned again and told them I thought they had found somebody else and they knew of no such thing and said someone should have been in touch with me from the start. Funny how things work in the music bizz. The second audition went well. Within a week Dan called me again (I guess that communication prob got fixed haha) and told me they were on the fence between me and a few other drummers and that tDB wanted to have a drum-off at the Borgata in Atlantic City in front of about 1000 fans. That certainly got my blood pumping. I took most of October and November off from working at Harley and teaching and did nothing but practice at least 12 hours a day. It was just like college all over again.

I flew back up around November 15, 2005 met the competition and then it was my turn. I had to follow Mike Greenfield, a long time friend of the band and an awesome drummer. He raised the bar for me. He was killing it up there. He’s a very VERY talented drummer great chops and great grooves. I’d heard he wasn’t interested in the position and was just there to play with the band as kind of an exhibition thing. Good thing! I played Hot Air Balloon, Spy, Save the Robots, Confrontation and Munchkin Invasion. When we were done it felt like we’d blown the roof off the Borgata and the crowd was gong crazy. Very cool feeling. The band tried to act very nonchalant about it as they were still on the fence between me and one other drummer. That was cool though. I was feeling pretty good about everything. I flew back to Philly in the beginning of December for one more audition. This was more of a hang-out session it seemed. They were spending more time getting to know me. Marc and I had a private conversation and he told me how much fun he’d had playing with me and the fans seemed to favor me as well. I spent a few days with them and they sent me back to Auburn, AL. 2 weeks later Jon called me and extended an invitation to me to join his band, The Disco Biscuits… I graciously accepted. I flew to back to Philly, this time they were paying for the flight, and we began rehearsing for the new year’s run of 2005/2006.

F5F: How long did it take to learn the material? How many songs did you initially learn and how many old numbers have you learned along the way?

Allen: From June of 2005 to the Borgata show I learned about 30 or so songs. Now I have around 125 under my belt maybe a few more as we keep adding new songs.

F5f: Were there any major changes that you had to make to fit with the rest of the band?

Allen: I had to play techno/trance. I was a funk, drum-n-bass, jazz and rock drummer. Trance and techno weren’t really my thing actually. In the world of electronica everyone knows that drum-n-bass/jungle is where its at!! (especially for the drums!!)

F5F: What were your influences growing up? Who have you been listening to lately?

Allen: I listened to Zeppelin, Rush, I really loved Soundgarden (wish they were still rocking) and Smashing Pumpkins. Then got into jazz with Tony Williams, Elvin Jones, Dennis Chambers, Vinnie Coliauta and Steve Gadd. Later on I found LTJ Bukem, Goldie, Dieselboy, AK1200, Dara, and Adam F. What a great way to find jungle and drum-n-bass… I’m still in love. Right now you will find KJ Sawka on repeat in my headphones. If you don’t know him… you should! Youtube him… now!!!!!

F5F: Can you tell us a little bit about your setup (TDB & Dr. Fameus)?

Allen: I blend an acoustic kit with electronic drums and computer setup. I like a 4 or 5 piece kit with an array of cymbals, use two different edrum units and run ableton, logic, and fruity loops with the computer… at the moment.

F5F: I’ve seen you tinkering with your MacBook and I assume Ableton Live on stage; what are you doing when we see you put a finger on those keys?

Allen: Yes, ableton is part of the show for sure. The keyboard is there for twirking the loops (adjusting fx and such) and firing off and stopping the loops. I basically use it to get from point A to B to C, etc… as well as the coloring and shaping with the fx.

F5F: Where will we be seeing you this summer?

Allen: We’re hitting up Starscape, Rothbury, High Sierra, Red Rocks, and Fuji Rock in Japan!

F5F: What shows are you most looking forward to playing?

Allen: That’s a tough one. I’ve been trying to get to Japan my whole life so I am very excited about that. Although, … Red Rocks!! I still can’t believe it. Playing an amphitheater (a real, prestigious amphitheater) has been a dream and goal of mine since I was about 16. For the first one to be Red Rocks… I’m speechless!!

F5F: You’re booked with quite a large variety of other acts during multiple different festivals this summer. What other bands are you looking forward to seeing this summer?

Allen: Well, I am extremely happy KJ Sawka and BioDiesel are FINALLY playing Camp Bisco. I’ve been trying to get those guys for Camp since I joined the band… finally! Now if we could just get LTJ Bukem or Goldie or Dara or AK1200 or Dieselboy. I’m looking forward to playing with Lotus, Eoto (love those guys), Drizno (true guru!), Shpongle, RJD2, The New Deal, Umphrey’s, STS9, Chromeo, the Orb, Orchard Lounge, Nas, Damian Marley… lots of great music ahead this summer. Really looking forward to it all!

F5F: The band has been playing so many new songs. How many have been written in the recent months and how many more are we going to see being played this summer?

Allen: There has been close to 50 songs maybe even closer to 100 new songs written and more and more keep getting pumped out. There’s no telling how many new ones we’ll be playing this summer and after.

F5F: Can you explain the songwriting process for the new songs you’ve played (Mirrors, Tamarin Alley, Rivers, etc)?

Allen: Sometimes someone has a song close to being finished that just needs a few adjustments, sometimes they’re bare bones and we finish them together. And yes, sometimes someone will bring a song in and that’s the way it gets played regardless if someone else is feeling something different or not feeling it at all. It’s a bunch of different processes depending on the composer(s) and the vibe. Most are written on the computer and then transferred to a live setting.

F5F: We know you’ve been working with various producers including Simon Posford and Dirty Harry. How did the song writing go with those producers?

Allen: Simon is a genius. He’s a magician and a master. That guy can take any song and make it epically electronic. It was an amazing experience to work with him. One for the history books for sure! One that I will cherish for the rest of my life!

F5F: I know I said I didn’t really want to ask any questions about the new album because everyone has been beating it to death, but I am curious, is there anything that you would like to tell Fortune5Fifty about it?

Allen: It will be a unique album, in our minds already epic, timeless, groundbreaking, and trend-setting from the music to the artwork it is definitely a jewel of its own.

—

If you’re looking to get your prescription filled you can catch The Disco Biscuits on tour here:

05.29 – Bisco Inferno: Ogden Theatre – Denver, CO
05.30 – Bisco Inferno: Red Rocks Amphitheatre – Morrison, CO
06.03 – Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel – Providence, RI
06.04 – Thursday at the Square – Lafayette Square, Buffalo, NY
06.05 – House of Blues – Cleveland, OH
06.06 – Starscape Music Festival – Baltimore, MD
06.24 – Bottle & Cork – Dewey Beach, DE
06.25 – House of Blues – Atlantic City, NJ – with Lotus
06.26 – House of Blues – Atlantic City, NJ – with Lotus
06.27 – The State Theatre – State College, PA
06.28 – Church of Universal Love and Music – Acme, PA – with Future Rock and more TBA
06.30 – Newport Music Hall – Columbus, OH – with EOTO and Future Rock
07.01 – Egyptian Room at the Murat Centre – Indianapolis, IN – with Future Rock and more TBA 
07.02 – Rothbury Festival – Rothbury, MI
07.04 – High Sierra Music Festival – Quincy, CA
07.05 – High Sierra Music Festival – Quincy, CA
07.16 – Camp Bisco VIII: Indian Lookout Country Club – Mariaville, NY
07.17 – Camp Bisco VIII: Indian Lookout Country Club – Mariaville, NY
07.18 – Camp Bisco VIII: Indian Lookout Country Club – Mariaville, NY
07.26 – Fuji Rock Festival: Naeba Ski Resort – Niigata, Japan

Images: Dave Vann and aTOTHe Photography

F5F: What inspires you to create?

Hank: No one thing. There are so many aspects of life that interest me, so many realizations and notions that occur to me, or found in other artists’ work that some how create energy within. Furthermore, the active process of creating art is addictive, especially if it challenges my skill set. I enjoy being the spectator as well, so I do try to give my audience images that provoke thought or conversation, or a crazy dream.

F5F: How would you articulate your style and does it vary across mediums?

Hank: It is actually hard to say what my style is. My work takes on a multitude of styles and it usually varies between pieces. What the piece deserves is what ultimately dictates the visual aesthetics. It’s like directing a film… the story will suggest the kind of imagery and feel, and the cinematographer will push to convey emotion through the quality of light, color, and movement. A true hank.. will always be conceptual and generally have an off-centered topic.

F5F: Is there a medium that you prefer over others?

Hank: I do not prefer one over the other, however, I do enjoy painting a great deal. I am also still growing as an artist, so maybe I just do not know what I prefer yet. I will say, though, I ultimately plan to become a full time director of photography for independent filmmakers. I will always have my personal work on the side.

F5F: When working on a piece how much of your original idea translates into the final product or does it morph as the piece progresses?

Hank: The original idea never makes it all the way though the process. It is always modified… I may discover a latent concept, make a compromise, or have an epiphany, and that alters the end result, even if it is of the slightest degree. Things get added, omitted, and some things never even make it to the sketchbook.

F5F:  Since you use the computer to aid in your work, do you find yourself using the computer as a crutch or just another tool in creating dope work?

Hank: Computers are simply a tool to create. I think it is an artist’s responsibility to know the craft and build techniques in order to create new work. I will say that when working in the digital realm, the importance of disciplining yourself is key. I think the tools allow you to do so much, and it can work against you. Of course it gives me/you freedom and the ability to experiment, and I do. Yet I feel my stronger images have come from very clear and sketched out concepts. I enjoy having so many mediums available to me.

F5F: What are you trying to communicate through your art? Are you trying to tell a story or convey an emotion?

Hank: I do not have one thing that I am trying to get across visually. It’s a lot of things. However, I doubt that my concepts always come through. And that’s a big part of my work. I feel I give enough to illustrate whatever my mind has forced out of me, and then I leave it up to the viewer to work and decipher what is going on. I like it this way, because I think a sizable portion of the art lies in perception. Thus, I am always trying to convey emotion, yet I want the viewer to walk away with their own idea of what my images mean. It should differ between individuals. And if it inspires them to take action in some way then I feel I have been successful.

F5F: What is your favorite piece to date that you have done?

Hank: Ha. I think I have one for every medium. But one of my more recent works, I call Ambitious Nature, (it was at the Snowball, one with wasp and evil clown man) just ‘cause it was begun about three years ago and I finally finished it. But I think the one that actually meant the most was a mural I did for my brother in the house he’s got in Canton. He’s done a lot for me and I guess it was kind of paying him back. (god knows how many bar tabs hes picked up for me…)

F5F: So, other then getting a private tour of the house, where can people find your work?

Hank: You all can see my action at www.Hanktastic.com. it will be an ongoing portfolio.

F5F: Do you have any shows planned for the near future?

Hank: Workin‘ on that one…

F5F: Who are some of your favorite contemporary artists?

Hank: I will start by saying that as my creative drive grew throughout high school, I was very into Dali and Freud. I was very turned on by the bizarre, illogical, and surreal, all things dealing with the subconscious mind. I think dreams are some of the best starting blocks for creating original art. However, since I have been toying with a lot of graphic digital art, I have been really digging James Jean, Tomer Hanuka, Aaron Horkey, and Alex Pardee.

Look for Hank painting live at PHOBIA February 13th, Friday the 13th @ The 13th Floor, 1 E. Chase Street, Baltimore, MD

Months later I still find myself enamored with Kleijn’s unique take on music as his mixes, even individual tracks, continue to push boundaries and blur genres.  So I figured it was time to talk to him- see what made him tick- get some answers on his unique productions and perspectives before this rising star became larger than life… and folks- this guys is the real deal.  

After emailing back and forth with EK for a few weeks, I sent him some questions and was really impressed by the time and thought he put into answering them.  If you want to take as close a glimpse as you are going to get into the mind of one of the new, electronic music pioneers-

please, meet EELKE KLEIJN.  

- I’ve read some biographies and general information on your career and they all say that you started your love affair with technology at an early age with web design. What was it that pushed you to combine music with your technological skills?

I’m not sure if there was really one thing you can pinpoint out, but I’ve always had a sort of feel for technology. I took up music production when it was already becoming PC centered with the earliest versions of Cubase. I never really was one of those guys that worked with an analog sequencer and tons of hardware, though I use hardware in my studio and really still see the advantages of it. My interest in computers in general really helped me a lot in the beginning, for one I was able to build my own audio workstation and solve any problems I ran into. But it’s still a great deal of help nowadays, my current website was written in PHP & MySQL and whenever I feel like it’s missing something I just take a day or so, write some new code and add new functionality to the site. It’s easy to keep everything under control. Although I’m slowly taking my hands off of it now, if you insist of doing everything yourself it gets harder and harder to find the time to make music.

- How would you describe your music making process?

Throughout the years I’ve found out it’s a more emotional process than I thought at first. For one, whenever I feel bad I just can’t write something good. I know there are artists that write their best stuff when they are feeling down, but not me. I really need to feel good to write good music. Basically I just sit in the studio and start working on some beats or a catchy lead hook or so. I record one part, maybe write a second or third part and just keep adding from there. Sometimes you go back and change a part because of what you add later. It always takes me more than a day to write something, most of my songs take about a week I think. I get bored easily as well,  more often than not I throw away a part 2 days later because I heard it too often. Although usually when you write something that makes you go ‘wow!’, the basic is there in a day. But it still needs tons of work to really get it to sound the way I want it to.

- What direction do you see music taking with the advancements in media-based technology, especially in the live setting?  

I think the focus on live music will continue to grow like it has over the past few years. For instance, I’m also taking my dj set to the next level at the moment. I’ve been getting into Traktor lately. I’m still playing with CD’s right now but as soon as I feel comfortable enough with Traktor I will go for the 4 deck setup. It just offers loads and loads of new possibilities to remix and edit tracks on the fly, I’m really amazed by the stuff I can pull off just quickly with my laptop & controller only.

- Which active musicans/producers do you feel are the most influential on your music?  Which on music as a whole?

It’s hard to name just a few, there are so many that I listen to and I can get inspired by almost everything. I have these periods where I listen to a certain type of music for a while, and draw a lot of inspiration from it. This can be rock, hip hop, house or even classical music. Listening to different styles really gets me in the mood to produce something in that genre, though I try to give my own touch to everything. For instance, if I’ve been listening to a lot of Jazzanova I will definitely produce something funky when I get back in the studio. But while working on that it often turns into something else because you just try to follow the ideas you get while producing. But to return to the question, I think acts that really influenced me over the years are Jean Michel Jarre, Coldplay, Massive Attack, Enya, Junkie XL, Lemon8, Hernan Cattaneo. And many, many more, too much to name.

- After having worked hard to put out a number of tracks since 2003, what was it like to gain recognition from Global Underground so much so that they helped you put out your first full length album, “Naturally Artificial?”

It’s been one my highlights so far I think! I was thrilled to have GU work with me on the album. After having appeared on 2 of their CDs early 2007, I sent them some music I was working on for an album. They were really enthusiastic and signed it a couple of weeks later. It’s done a lot for my career, since it was released in late 2007 I really saw my gig schedule take off, playing in 2 or 3 different countries each month.

- I’ve read in a number of places that you like to keep mixing up genres and styles to keep yourself interested in the music that you are making- are there any genres that you have yet to explore that you would like to?

Yeah definitely, I don’t want to focus my vision on dance music only, there’s so much quality music out there that doesn’t stick to the 4/4 beats. Lately I’ve been writing more music for movie shorts and adds, I’ve actually just finished some hip hop groove for a new commercial. This is something that I really want to keep on doing, it really keeps things interesting when working on different genres. I wouldn’t mind doing something more poppy either. I won’t say top 40 right away, but if one day I write a track that I could push towards the pop charts.. As long as it’s quality though, I’d never want to enter the charts with a David Guetta like dance/pop production.

- You’ve done a number of collaborations with other artists- if you could choose one person to do an EP with, who would it be?

Definitely Junkie XL! One of the best all round producers and fellow Dutchman

- What does 2009 hold in store for Eelke Kleijn?  Will we get a chance to see you in the United States?

There’s a couple of interesting things happening this year. I will be attending the WMC so you can definitely find me in the states . I’m not yet sure if I can stick longer and visit other places as well, we’re still working on that.  I’m also working on a new album. I would say by now I am only about 33% done but I’m really putting heavy work into it at the moment. Hopefully it will be finished this year. Then there’s a couple of new tracks and remixes coming up on labels like Manual, Ready Mix and Armada. I’ve got a tight schedule for my own label (Outside the Box Music) as well, with upcoming releases by Logiztik Sounds & Kally, Terry Grant, Stefanowitz & Satoshi Fumi.

——–

Again- make sure to check out Eelke Kleijn’s website and his Autum Promo Mix (download link).

I’d like to thank EK again for this thoughtful answers and I sincerely hope you all check out his promo mix.  It’s pretty appropriate for the weather out there today, really, so snuggle up next to the fire and enjoy these tones.

I’ll be back soon with a podcast of my own to start getting you all pumped up for PHOBIA, which is only a couple of weeks away.

Stay warm-

bcos

Voser: BOTH, there’s no way this is 100% art form, but this is because graffiti is made illegal by whoever has to clean it up because they don’t want to clean it up, but then what are the people who clean it up going to do?
F5F: Any wild stories from a mission?
Voser: one night a cop was rollin’ into a spot we were rollin’ out of, as the car approached we walked towards it like nothing was wrong, then I ran up a hill to my right and hid in a bush for a minute, after not seeing the cop again, I ran across the street to where my car was ran through some backyards and was on my way, saw the cop speeding around the parking lot with his lights off when I was leaving
F5F: What was your most challenging location?
Voser: We had to climb a rusty roof one night in north Baltimore, it was so old and beat up that we climbed up through a hole in the roof then had to stand on the deteriorating metal to do our pieces, had to have a few natty bohs first.
F5F: Does that extra challenge give you greater satisfaction?
Voser:     absolutely, to have to work harder for it is more rewarding seeing that piece the next day while your driving along or when you go get a flick of it.
F5F: What would be your crown jewel of pieces in bmore?
Voser:  I cant believe im saying this but I like all my work at friends houses, in their stores (Elevation Underground) in Towson just because it shows how graffiti can bring positive things to the community. I like all trains too…

F5F: As graffiti and writing gain exposure and become less underground have you seen a shift in content?

Voser: a lot of people just don’t do it up right, there’s people out there just coming up with throws on the spot and filling them in and sayin they write, that’s why I like to do a nice straight letter or big fillin at spots where people do tags, older heads used to really burn every spot, people seem to take less and less time on graffiti over time..If you’re going to do it, do it right.