U:Move

written by Chris Mills

There’s a long-standing philosophy in the grimier music scenes which maintains the notion that you should never wear your “good shoes” to a drum and bass show.  But we’ll let the doormen tell you what you can and can’t wear when Treasure Fingers is scheduled to come through and deliver Kansas City some of the finest dance music out.

As a former member of the well-respected Atlanta drum and bass crew Evol Intent, the music Treasure Fingers is making today would probably cause many of his old dnb listeners to scratch their heads and say, “Boh?”  Straight out of the ATL’s burgeoning dance music scene, and current NYC resident, Treasure Fingers has a style all to his own.

More musical than most of the over-flooded dance-fidget stuff you can get on blogs these days, and staying just as true to disco as the more traditional EDM stuff, his definitive 2008 hit “Cross The Dancefloor” is a disco-house firestorm that has caught on as a transition track with DJs across the world, specifically used as a way for the DJ to persuade the crowd to do just as the song says.

Weather he’s pumping out his own OG productions or remixing for the likes of Kid Sister, Chromeo or Romanthony, this is about as funky and sexy as dance music gets in 2009.  His current stint of national and international club gigs pits him against some of the best clubs in the world, including Smart Bar in Chicago.  However, on Thursday May 28th, Kansas City club goers can catch him at the Mosaic Lounge in the Power and Light District.

Regardless of what the doorman at Mosaic thinks of what you’ve got on your feet, remember that Treasure Fingers is a drum and bass DJ at heart.  But despite his vastly different, newer style of production and Djing, just know that whatever shoes you decide to wear on this night will probably get scuffed up quite a bit.

Q&A

Most people think of Atlanta as having a very fertile southern rap scene.  But is Atlanta more musically rich than people give it credit for?
Yes, definitely. Rap is the biggest, obviously, but there’s a lot going on in the underground. Atlanta has always had a pretty strong IDM/experimental background, and more recently a good indie rock movement has been going on. Electronic/Dance music wise there’s a lot of great producers and DJs who are doing good stuff.

How’s it going living in New York now after moving out of Atlanta?
Cold and noisy. I miss Atlanta and will move back at some point, but NYC has been great so far besides the winter. There’s a lot of energy here and so many creative people, it’s great.

How did you get a name like Treasure Fingers?
I really don’t know, I was just thinking about this the other day, strange!

Are there any hits, or even just singles, out right now at this very moment that you’d like to get your hands on for remixing purposes?
One of them just happened actually. N.A.S.A reached out for a remix and it was my favorite song off their record so I’m pretty excited. It’s “Gifted” feat. Kanye, Santogold, and Lykke Li.

Some have said that they feel that the best era for music is happening right now under our noses.  Would you agree or disagree with that and why?
I think people are just open to new things right now. Artists are interested in collaborating with other artists from different genres and it’s become “cool” to like different and new types of music. 10 years ago, you would’ve never seen a hardcore/punk kid dancing to disco house and now it’s not that rare.

Can you tell us anything about new releases or remixes you have in the works?
I’m working on a lot of original music right now. Shooting to have an EP out later this year and follow that up with a full album. I have a stack of remixes I’m currently working through also, I’ll hold off on any details because I don’t have any release date info from the labels and more times than not, releases get pushed back. Best to check my myspace/facebook/website regularly and I’ll post info when it’s available.

Cake or Pie?
Pie! all the way. any kind of pie except lemon meringue, I’m not a fan of that.  Apple, Strawberry Banana, Chocolate are probably the top three favs.

Thursday May 28
Think 2wice & u:move present
Feel the Remix release party featuring
Treasure Fingers
Norrit
Spinstyles
Mosaic Lounge - KCMO
MORE INFO

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Friday May 29
Treasure Fingers
Spencelove
Kobrakyle
Mello Mik
Masaris
Nomad - Omaha, NE
MORE INFO

Richie Hawtin has announced a new Twitter application that pulls track titles from his Traktor software and broadcasts in real-time over the Twitter network.  The techno pioneer will be using this application to highlight his upcoming DJ gigs over the next several weeks. During his gigs, track details are automatically posted to his twitter account every 30 seconds.  This will provide great exposure to artists and labels whose music is being played.  You can already check out tweets with his tracklistings on his twitter account.

Native Instruments, designers of the Traktor software will soon release this feature in the 1.2 version of Traktor Pro.

Gaby Dershin, cornerstone of NYC’s classic Sunday Sessions at Le Souk.  With productions in groups like the heavyweight Astro&Glyde duo and the streetwise Bit Crushers production team, Gaby’s music has been featured on some of dance music’s most respected labels like Azuli, CR2, Little Mountain, Bedrock, Perfecto and Pacha Records.  u:move welcomes Gaby Dershin to their monthly f**kA! party at Kansas City’s Czar Bar April 18.  More party info

Tell us a little about recent projects/collaborations you have been working on?
I have three different projects to focus on, Gaby Dershin solo work, Bit Crushers collaboration and recently I started working with Grammy nominated producer Tony Dofat on his new artist album Touch.  Touch is a crossover from Hip-Hop to House, blending the styles and genres for the mass markets.  I was at Diddy’s studio last week (Daddy’s House) and worked on beats til the sun came up, it’s nice to know us dance music peeps aren’t the only ones who stay up late…

What is the current status of Astro&Glyde?
A&G is on hold at the moment.  My 8 year long partner in crime James Bem has moved to the south of Spain to pursue greener pastures with his wife and two children.  We have a reunion tour of Asia in May booking up, I’m looking forward to that.

What releases do you have coming out that should we be looking out for?
“Rebels Of The Sun” featuring the ever-talented Hadley on vocals.  With Dr. Kucho on remix duties this is definitely one to watch for.  Kucho’s remix of A&G’s “El Mariachi” has become a global success story, if he does even half as good a job on this remix I’ll be thrilled.  Bit Crushers remix of Shannon’s classic “Let The Music Play”, out on Oakie’s Perfecto label.  “The Funkk”, remix by Medway.

What DJs/Producers are influencing you right now?
Nick Bridges, David Tort, Dada Life

What track (other than yours) is getting the best response at your gigs right now?
Ricochet! [Nadastrom Head Spin Dub]

What gigs are you regularly playing & promoting at home in New York?
My long term Sunday Sessions residency at Le Souk is on hold as they relocate to a new spot.  For the time being Sunday Sessions are being held at Kush.  We’ve done a month of parties so far and the vibe is killer.  Packed out room from midnight to close (which is 4:30 here in NYC, LOL).

Cake or Pie?
I do love me some cake, but there’s nothing better than pie in your face

Listen to Gaby’s latest mix featured in our Mixtape series.

Gaby Dershin on Facebook
Gaby Dershin music on Beatport
Bit Crushers on Myspace
Astro&Glyde on Myspace

Written by Dan Leist

We live in an age defined by electronic media. It surrounds our culture as a riot or barrage of information that influences the way we act. What we do with this media says who we are in society. The way people interact with the electronic culture is an art form. The synthetic blending, mashing, or breaking of what we see everyday makes us artists in our current age. DJ Spooky recently performed at Wilde’s Chateau 24 and the Lied Center at KU, and is considered the Professor of DJing. He attributes an academic mind behind the mixing of media found in film, hip-hop from far off cultures, YouTube videos of pop artists, in addition to media from a long forgotten era. Imagine what DJs had to work with in the early days of this DJ culture era-people were not so adaptive to experimental media back then. Now electronica is at our side at every ringtone, advertisement or escape into this synthetic world we exist in.

“Terra Nova: Sinfonia Antarctica” is DJ Spooky’s most recent performance aside from his gigs at clubs and “Rebirth of a Nation” found at rebirthofanation.com. Spooky, aka Paul D. Miller, ventured into the void of a once idolized continent of Antarctica and created a sound to compliment it’s harsh terrain. On stage along with the composed DJ are violinist, cellist and pianist below two projection screens. The first act is specifically terrain. The music is deep and dramatic. The heavy vibrations of classical instruments next to turntables are Philip Glass or Brian Eno-like reflecting on vast deposits of landmass to be conquered. Untouched by man, the piece flows into a political climate storm as countries from all over the world laid claim to the continent of barren ice. Suspenseful notes interfuse with slight electronic crashes and samples creating Act II. Here there are mainly graphics of flags, graphs, climate charts, etc.; the concept being music is information. Finally, Act III flashes back to the path of conquest, mainly from a Soviet perspective, with military trucks and explorers claiming the landmass for their motherland. The true vision of Antarctica is blazing in the eyes of these explorers and sets an entirely different strain on the piece. Whereas before there was film of ice and landscape, the third scene is of film noir dubbed with this gangly electronic symposium fueling the hearts of communist Russia.

Such a piece offers pleasure to the other half of the brain, while enjoying the art of electronic music and its endless possibilities. To read more on DJ Spooky’s insightful advances in the world of turntablism, check out his new book published by MIT Press at soundunbound.com .

Commence syncopation:

What other DJs do you find influencing to the type of work you produce?
Usually, I listen to stuff like Dj Krush, Amon Tobin, Kid koala, DjSpinna, King Britt, Cut Chemist, Thievery Corporation, Green Lantern and other types of electronic music and rock like My Bloody Valentine, The Bordeoms, Led Zeppelin, Sonic Youth, Trouble Funk and a lot of dub from people like King Tubby, and Mad Professor. Everything is dub!

You’ve come across a lot of hip- hop throughout your international travels, who’s the act with the sickest beats you’ve come across?
I love DAM from Palestine! Also, groups like BLK JKS from South Africa - they’re kind of like an African Radiohead. But there’s also a lot of good Korean hip-hop and I like producers from Seoul like Gazae Bal. I did a megamix of electronic music and hip hop from all over Africa on my website - it’s a free download  Check it!

What’s your favorite genre to spin and why?
I love spinning breaks! Dub and hip hop mashups, and weird after hours house etc I don’t really have one favorite - I like a lot of different styles.

How do you come across the video that you use when you DJ?
I collect a lot of film and old video clips wherever I can - there’s a lot of great stuff on Archive.org

Your Terra Nova piece is a great informative electronic/classical collaboration. What are your thoughts on Techno Classicale, i.e. Beethoven trance?
I’m open to different styles - it’s what makes life interesting. As much as possible, I always look for conceptual links to what’s up with dj culture. My new book “Sound Unbound” is on MIT Press. I worked with people like Brian Eno, Steve Reich, Moby, Chuck D, Saul Williams, and Daphne Keller (The Senior Legal Counsel to Google), and my new film that just came out on DVD is a remix of DW Griffith’s film “Birth of a Nation” from 1915. It’s the same year as Luigi Russolo’s book “The Art of Noise” - I like stuff like that. Terra Nova is all about looking at the environment through the lens of electronic music - I went to Antarctica with a studio and took the studio to a lot of different locations and ice fields to make the composition. I guess you could say that it’s all inspired by the ice.

Cake or pie?
Mos definitely cake!

It’s hard to fathom how quickly Bassnectar’s reputation arose in Columbia, MO. It wasn’t that long ago he played this town’s small club, Mojo’s. Now he’s performing at the Blue Note to a sold out crowd of 850.  As we wander aimlessly downtown before the show, we run into Lorin Ashton, a.k.a. Bassnectar, who looks like a hip hop hessian in a hoodie and backpack.  After a few hugs and hellos we head to the show.  A few fans scream out “Slayer!” or request “Womp, Womp!” The crowd outside is eclectic and contagious. The door guy outside is giving Lorin a hard time getting through the back door. Even after explaining to him that Lorin is the headliner, he still gives the shaky head. Luckily, one of the techs on tour with Lorin shows us in the back door and we duck inside, straight downstairs to the dressing room. Suddenly we notice the door guy has followed us in and realize he doesn’t work at the venue at all. Instead of throwing him out, Lorin grabs three Maker’s Mark whiskeys and we’re toasting to the night. As quick as we’re down there the excitement moves upstairs to prepare for the three hour set. After a confrontation with the tour manager, the imposter door guy’s presence is in jeopardy. His only escape is back into the mess of wild ravers. With a quick handshake and thank you to Lorin he is escorted to the main floor saying “My friend’s are never going to believe this. “
     
As Lorin takes the stage, everyone jumps up and screams in excitement. The chaos ensues. The speakers fill the room with the familiar guitar riff from “Welcome to the Jungle” Gn’R style, but this is no ordinary intro. While it hypes up the crowd, the riff takes a sudden scratch into Lorin’s adaptation and he makes it hit like a gyrating smack in the hips. Lorin orchestrates the circus of party people with broken basslines and sticky drum beats. This is when the barrage of glow sticks fly into the air. Above Bassnectar is a 50 foot long projection of glitch riot footage including break dancers freakin’, boom boxes exploding, minds warping, etc. After a generous mix of breakbeat grime step, Lorin turns a 180 and pulls the crowd into a soundtrack of the twilight zone. The dancing slows in motion then picks up again just as they hear Pow! Boom Boom Ka! The crowd loses it again. Scandalous girls in the balcony are spinning their glow stick necklaces around their neck while guys in the pit are throwing their shirts off. The people outside are freaking out as well but in entirely different ways. A beautiful Vietnamese girl dances around cars while playing her feather covered flute across from a guy playing melodica dressed in a kimono. The subs can be heard pulsating throughout the streets of Columbia, and it’s irresistible to stay out much longer. Venturing back through the mass of sweaty freaks, there is a sample of Cool Kids and a multi-faced Ghandi rides on top of a bear running through a dream-like forest on the projection screen.
 
After the show Lorin was able to expand on some certain aspects of his music with a quick interview.

What track of yours is getting the biggest response at your gigs right now?
Hmmmm…well I go in cycles with the music I create. Right now I’ve been making heavy crowd-response shit, jump-up woo-haa type stuff. Heads Up was great over the past months, same with Superstylin’, and lately the remix of Product 01’s Ready To Rage (they are all on the latest podcast!)

How do people’s reactions differ when you play indoor clubs during the fall/winter compared to outside festivals during the summer?
Well festival type shows are just a different schematic. I find it is kind of like grandslammer anthem style…REALLY stand out epic shit, where as the live shows on tour allow for more deepness, oddball experimentation, and just freeform expression…it’s like you kind of grab people’s attention at festivals and if you hook them, then they come out on tour where it can be more intimate and in-depth.

What other artists are out there right now do you enjoy or may find influence from?
Oh So Many!!!!  I have a big list of names on my MySpace page…I hate this kind of thing though cuz I don’t want to leave anyone out. Most of the artists I really like are buddies who I am collaborating with (Audiovoid, Babylon System, Excision, Jantsen, Wiseproof, Mr Projectile, Si Begg, iLL Gates, etc)

I’ve heard you speak on the mic about political issues and taking action while everyone is at the peak of dancing and partying. Is this the ideal state you want your fans to be in?
The ideal state I would like to see people in is one of balance and awareness. Literally. Those aren’t catch words. Awareness, meaning clear, smart, inspired, strong in thought (the brain is an amazing muscle!!). Balance, meaning its great to party, rage, freakout, achieve meltdown, whatever…. but I think it is key to BALANCE that luxury/privilege with some work, and we are all really capable, privileged people.

It is crucial to not preach at people, nor be abrasive. I actually do think the potential we hold inside is EXCITING, and that’s what I like to share at a party, but I actually do it less than people think. I might go 10 shows without saying much, but I will speak my mind if I feel it. You going to tell me Black Flag should have shut up and just played music? No. There are no rules.

All that said, I think there are way better formats for intelligent discourse, so its more about forging a connection by any means necessary and leveraging that connection later through other avenues.

What components of your music do you feel connect the listener to your vision?
Too broad a question

Your music is a very tangible amenity to people’s lives. Whether they dance to it or listen on their mp3 player does the interaction end there?
I hope not.  I like the word “omni” more than “multi”. Building networks, community and experiences that go beyond music.

What track (other than your own) is getting the biggest response at your gigs right now?
To be honest, Nirvana’s “In Bloom”.

Any new projects, or remixes in the works?
Absolutely.  www.bassnectar.net/podcast go help yourself, lots of free music there. Always working on new material, but most of it ends up heavy in the live sets, releasing music is such a hassle, and we are blessed to have an amazing outlet for music right now which is wall to wall freaks at the live shows

And finally cake or pie?
Spirulina Smoothie

As one of the forefront DJ’s of his time, Lorin is hooking a lot of people rapidly and effectively pushing them to rage within this new joining of cultures. Whatever comes next in this underground revolution? Perhaps it will happen at the next show.

images by Dan Leist / written by Dan Leist