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Originally published in Detour Magazine.
Spinning In the Sun
In the high desert of California , surrounded by stately palms and majestic purple-red mountains, under an open-air canvas of fluffy white clouds and shooting stars, the most astounding outdoor arts and music festival in the U..S. takes place -- Coachella Music and Arts Festival. Over 32,000 fans gathered together to hear the most progressive beats on the planet fused tight, dropped loose, and funked out in quintessential California fashion. Gotta turn up your disco? Coachella is the place to be.
Coachella gives props to the future of music, a medley of organic and digital vibration, baked into a delicious, sexy groove. No longer limited to map points and sketchy downtown warehouses, DJ's are spinning their sound to the masses, and the masses are all shapes and colors. Glowsticked ravers dance next to dred-headed surfers, 80's mod junglists, Hollywood blondes, Santa Cruz hippies, hard-core rockers, and street-wise B-boys. The diversity in style and sound was amazing, and yet, no fights broke out and no clashes disrupted the scene. The vibe, like the music was oh-so California .
Decks and effects headlined Coachella, which featured electromasters The Chemical Brothers and Fatboy Slim next to hip-hop faves MosDef and 80's rockstars Jane's Addiction. Instead of dragging through the overblown, however, we scoured the scene for the hippest, chillest, cutting edge acts just ready to break loose on America ; groundbreaking sounds like Uberzone's tech-break and live drum set, Doc Martin's classic, funky house , and Adam Freeland's sexy nu-skool breakbeat. If you haven't heard these turntable masters, yet, you soon will. Or, you can just move to California .
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Uberzone, aka Q, is a California native. His Coachella set included turntablist, Davey Dave, and audiovisual expert, Brian Conwell. His backup? Two old-skool breakdancers who ripped the stage to shreds. We asked Q,
D: Why be a DJ?
Q: It allows for extended adolescence (I stole that from “The Boss.”)
D: How important is music in your life?
Q: Music is the soundtrack to my life. It has the ability to almost exclusively determine my mood.
D: Who is your biggest influence in musical style?
Q: Bruce Lee. His philosophies in Jeet Kune Do teach you to flow effortlessly from style to style. This, of course, is speaking in terms of martial arts, but can be used as a philosophy for other arts, as well.
D: How many records do you buy every month? How many are given to you?
Q: Bought: 10. Given: 30.
D: If you weren't in music, what field would you be in?
Q: I always wanted to be a rocket scientist.
D: Describe your perfect set.
Q: One in which I emotionally connect with the crowd.
D: Describe your perfect day.
Q: One in which I emotionally connect with myself.
D: Where's your favorite club/venue to spin in CA?
Q: The Viper Room. I love intimate settings….a great PA to boot.
D: The energy of a place affects a DJ and his set. What is CA energy? And how does it enhance your set?
Q: I'd say there's a certain optimism and positivity that I've always felt here. I feel the crowd's desire for unity.
D: They say that California is for dreamers and nuts. That do you think of the California attitude?
Q: I've been accused of being both a dreamer and a nut…guilty as charged, so I guess there's some merit.
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Doc Martin is the king of house. His legendary early 80's underground warehouse parties kicked off the scene on the West Coast. Although he now spends more time spinning abroad than back at home, California is his fave place to be. We asked Doc,
D: Who is your biggest influence in musical style?
DM: Musically? Bob Marley, The Doors, The Jam, The Clash, P-Funk, Eric B and Rakim, and Kraftwerk, to scratch the surface. These are all people who changed the face of music one way or another.
D: How many records do you buy every month? How many are given to you?
DM: Bought: 50 to 60. Given: 100.
D: Describe your perfect day.
DM: Being so busy now, it's just being able to spend quality time with friends and family.
D: Where's your favorite club/venue to spin in California ?
DM: We do a party every once in a while called, “Unlock the House.” It's a traveling party that happens in a different space every time. It's the only time in L.A. that I get a chance to play six to nine hours. The crowd is always good, and the vibe is amazing.
D: The energy of a place invariably affects a DJ and his set. What is CA energy? And how does it enhance your set?
DM: The energy in California is amazing. After playing all over the world, people out here are more free with the music than they are in other places. That's why people from all over the world are always asking me, “What's going on out here?” When you're free to express yourself musically, you can grow as a musician.
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Adam Freeland spins a nu-skool take on U.K. breaks, overlaying beats with softly teasing female vocals. His signature set manifests high-energy funk, chilled with the “ahhh” that comes from riding a skateboard while watching a perfect sunset delicately linger over lips of the Pacific Ocean . We asked Adam,
D: How important is music in your life?
AF; Music is what I am doing or thinking about 90% of my waking hours. It's the dominant force in my life and why I can't keep a girlfriend. Music makes my soul sing.
D: Where do you see DJ'ing in five years?
Q: I imagine that people will integrate sequencing and samplers into their sets more and more. Although there is no doubt that DJ's are getting bigger than bands, I'd like to see more integration of live elements.
D: Where's your favorite club/venue to spin in CA?
AF: I can't say just one, but New Year's Eve at Nikita in SF was off the hook.
D: The energy of a place invariably affects a DJ and his set. What is CA energy? And how does it enhance your set?
AF: It's chilled. People are open in CA. I can do what I want without the pressure to play more full on, or harder.
D: They say that California is for dreamers and nuts. What do you think of the California attitude?
AF: I just drove to Big Sur this week. Loved it over there. Met a dude on the way who lives on the beach in this beautiful camp he has made. He surfs with the rangers and cops every morning and gives ‘em hot coffee from the fire. In return, they don't give him stress about living on the beach, as they see that he respects the place. Can't see that happening in someplace like Florida .
