ElectRow: Volume Four (UMF Korea 2014 Issue) by ElectRow Korea

Photo: Rutger Geerling / Ultra Music Festival Korea

ElectRow www.electrow.com Submissions: content@electrow.com Editor: editor@electrow.com Yisia Korea Inc. 33rd Floor Trade Tower 159-1 Samsung-dong Gangnam-gu, Seoul 135-729 South Korea Tel: +82 (0) 2 6007 2227 Email: electrow@yisia.com 2014 ÂŠ ElectRow. All rights reserved. Yisia Korea Incorporation, a company incorporated and registered in South Korea under number 119-86-30762. Elect Row is a trademark of YISIA Korea Incorporation, reigstered in South Korea, and is being used under license.

THE ULTRA MUSIC FESTIVAL KOREA 2014 ISSUE

TABLEOFCONTENTS

#COVERAGE 6 #QUOTES 16 #PAULVANDYK 20 #BAUNDER 30 #BRASSKNUCKLES

www.electrow.com www.umfkorea.com

ULTRA MUSIC FESTIVAL KOREA 2014

#COVERAGE A

s a disorganized trio of aspiring media hounds and reporter-wannabes, it was just another

music gig to cover. And maybe being two days long and in the heart of one of the largest and most congested cities on the planet would make it a challenge, but ELECTROW was down for the task. Mission: Watch all the crazy shit, listen to all the pumpinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and thumpinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, get some up close and personal interaction with the millenniums marauding the picnic grounds, and maybe talk to some talent, if the corporate hookup came through. Crew: ELECTROW intrepids; yours truly, reporter, scribbling notes, checking sound bites, trying to watch with one eye and listen with the other ear at the same time, ELECTROW management, confidently going where they went last year, and interviewing only the most excited patrons, and the CorporateConnection, he who would get us into VIP areas, upper decks, and artist interview salons.

FRIDAY

windups, a murky mix that even I could not inspire him out of from three feet in front of his

Friday may not have been crowded; there

decks.

were no lines for anything, anywhere, up until maybe 6 p.m., but the vibe was nice and

Probably because of the World Cup matches

sweet, and the energy was palpable, I mean,

being in full swing, UMF showed its national

you could feel the vitality everywhere. It was

colors all over the place. Lots and lots of tied-

kind of like being in a baseball stadium and

on, tied-up, and tying-one-on national flags

hearing the ballgame echo through the pillars

were swirling through the pandemonium. And

and dark corridors, wanting to hurry and get to the open air and let the

each of these banner bearers was, in turn, royally enjoying the party, shouting,

sound and sights slam into you.

screaming, and singing for all

And yeah, three of the

of us to enjoy. And it was

stages were outdoors and

contagious. As the split-

open, so the full effect of

second rush of hoisting

the large stages, speaker

the flag overhead blended

towers and light masts

with banging into about

was felt as soon as you

twenty or so random

came into each arena.

revelers within armâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s length, the goodtime vibe bounced

The fourth stage was a clever Underground, tucked in and under

along with the electro-jolt of the music. You just could not turn on

some concrete seating somewhere in the

either heel and find a sour note. It was good,

back bowels of the stadium. But it was a ton

everywhere.

cooler in there, and the DJâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s who cooked it the cave got the best of crowd interaction. DJ

The Live Stage was pitched at the end of an

Conan, apparently a DJ from Busan I was told,

outdoor athletic field, and had a host of food

did an excellent set and worked the crowd

booths holding court at the opposite end. Fear

flawlessly to the end. Los de la Vega, on the

and Loathing in Las Vegas did their best

other hand, coming back for his second

raging live band performance, with hot flaming

appearance at UMF, gave a lackluster

visuals to back up the hot flaming jumpsuit of

performance of short throbs and tedious

the bearded guitarist.

Photo Courtesy Of: Ultra Music Festival Korea

But a real crowd pleaser was Idiotape, a trio

impress with his hand waving set of infectious

with a live drummer. Yeah, this dude not only

smiles and wandering builds. Nod to Chris

kept up with, but he set the pace for this

Lake on that one.

blistering synth-sync set. Pretty impressive to see him hammering through the electronics

The sister tandem act Nervo was a certified

with two hands, sticks, and skins.

crowd pleaser, and their set created the energy into the sunset beyond Laidback Luke

Back at the Main Stage inside the stadium,

for headliner Steve Aoki to take the stage. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

Chris Lake kept his hands busy on the dials,

a good thing someone fired up the crowd

and that meant he kept the beat pumpin,

because Aoki did not. He may have misjudged

unlike Laidback Luke, who, while he may have

the vibe, but his chant/rant f**k yeah fell flat,

scored higher on the boytoy scale, did not

like a cake, on the crowd.

Somewhere in the Red Bull balconies,

many flags were still in circulation. The

ELECTROW was setting up for a trifecta on

Japanese house duo Dexpistols were doing

Saturday night. The good Dr. Dave scored an

their best to draw the crowd as they droned by

interview with an Argentinian DJ named

in a pathetic stream of 5-hour washouts, but

Baunder, via a Nicaraguan adoptee who is

even so, the mini-mass slogged by and

now a French prodigy working out of Cannes,

missed what was a pretty good effort by the

France. Hard to follow? It was even more

Dexpistols. Was this some sort of parental-pull

confusing to set it up, because it went back

in effect, bringing the teeners home before

and forth in English, French, and Korean for

their midnight curfew? Who knows, but there

about one vodka-drenched hour. At the end of

was no stopping the exodus, good groove or

Aoki-ness, we crowd-surfed to the Mega

no.

Stage, noting how many flower-tiara-ed gypsies there were [a lot, yes, a lot], and how

SATURDAY

a little swagger and about four hours to kill, we dove in.

Media badging was much smoother, and I felt kind of slimy walking past the long line of my

The Live Stage, which I constantly took for the

fellow drunk-as-yet-to-be revelersâ&#x20AC;&#x201C; well,

Main Stage, mostly because it was just as big

maybe not slimy, but just a little greasy for

and had just as much green safety padding,

being able to slide past the majority of the

and there was no way to tell the difference

crowd standing in the bright sunlight.

once the Carlsberg mixed with the sweat in my

ELECTROW had a full plate, and there was

eyes, had Tara McDonald doing her best to

even something that sounded like a frigginâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

infuse the small crowd of groupies she had

schedule, according to Corporate Man, whose

into a frenzy. Maybe it was just a little early in

steady texting and covert conversations the

the evening, but the British lassie did not seem

night before had secured us a little up-close-

to electrify too many, although she seemed to

and-personal time with Paul Van Dyk. So with

give it her best.

at least one or maybe two more wristbands on the way to the artist suites in the back hallways. You can read the Paul Van Dyk ELECTROW interview later on in this issue. After a cool champagne toast with my good friend Paul, we hung out conspicuously in the VIP area, waiting to be recognized as ‘the crew that has kept PvD backstage doing an exclusive Back in the Underground, where the cool,

interview while we’re listening to

damp recesses and low-hanging ceiling made

some UMF hot air about tomorrow’s pool

it seem like a grotto scene along the Seine, I

party’. But since none of the Ultra-cool

caught the renowned Sasha working to a

hipsters could identify us as Ultra-cool media

much tighter crowd than Friday. His VJ was

moguls, and we realized it would be more than

keeping up with him and the karma here was

30 minutes before we got more liquor in our

strong between the crowd and the creator.

throats, we slithered over to the Red Bull patio

Just knowing that I was headed for PvD in

and pounded some more Smirnoff while letting

about 15 minutes had me down here getting

Corporate man set up the interview with

my fix from one of his colleagues from back in

Baunder, the Argentinian.

the day in Berlin. Sasha, I wish I could’ve stayed with ya. Bonus to the babe wearing the

Once again it was back through the security

long black tee with the label ‘Automatic

portals of Men in Black, but this time we were

Weapons’, just because the letters fit so

recognized, and did not have to raise our

perfectly across her shoulders and hips.

wrists in the manner of the humiliation of the

Now it was time to get the VIP escort

unknown. So we get in and interview Baunder,

backstage and link up with Paul. I can call him

whose real name is Paul Carr, an Argentinian

Paul because I chilled out with him, but he’ll

DJ with not much experience outside his

forget me soon enough. We took a

native country and his first time in Korea. He

professional photographer in with us as we got

was excited, and we enjoyed his positive

energy and good vibe, asked him a few mildly irritating questions, and then ducked out to meet his friend from France, the young prodigy whom we met Friday in the confusing setup to this interview. We looked him up prior to the show and really liked his drum and bass beat style. Catch his interview later in the issue as well. We finished the night by standing loyally with Baunder at the Mega stage, imploring all the deserters to come and get their last groove on with the Argentinian. I gotta give him credit – he and his brother the VJ, were not pulling in everyone, but there was a steady stream of hardcore partyers who shuffled over and kept Baunder honest. Judging by his FB posts, he’ll be back. Nothing but goodness all around for this ELECTROW writer. Yeah, there’s probably some critiques of UMF that won’t be all good. But for the organization – having an efficient

All photos courtesy of: Ultra Music Festival Korea

layout and well-organized staff – that is what allowed the party to roll along smoothly. Maybe I just got lucky and missed the glitches and jacked-up situations, but I don’t think so. Everywhere I went there was a ‘hell yeah’ attitude and a ‘no worries’ reply. I hope everyone had a great time.

Photo Courtesy Of: Ultra Music Festival Korea

QUOTES FROM ULTRA MUS Anna from Venezuela "UMF (Korea) is awesome. This is the best thing ever!" Christian from Venezuela "I think UMF is like the bomb. This is the motherf**king sh*t!"

Nicola from Cambridge, England "I think the pool party is fantastic Brittany from New York "I think it’s great!"

Lucy from Australia "I went to UMF yesterday and I actually thought the DJ sets were phenomenal even though a lot of them I hadn’t heard of, I liked it was more underground than commercial" Melly from Italy "I went to UMF last year but I thought that this year was much better, I really liked the live stage this year and I loved all of the artists"

Albert from Miami "I came here traveled to Ultra Korea because were big Ultra guys we travel all over the world. It was really exciting, I love the music, I love the energy. The vibe was really good. Ultra, this is where it’s at."

SIC FESTIVAL KOREA 2014: Yuki from Japan “(UMF Korea) I love you!" Haruka from Japan “(UMF KOREA) very fun!"

Pat from Australia “(UMF KOREA) It’s great!"

Allen from Mexico "I think UMF (Korea) is the greatest festival in the world!" Alejandra "I think Ultra festival is the best festival in the world!"

Chris from Puerto Rico "UMF is the greatest night of my entire life YEEEEEAAAAAAH!"

Every issue, we choose a place in Korea that we think deserves some press and recognition. These might be bars, clubs, lounges, restaurants, or stores. Hopefully you’ll find them as interesting as we did!

Philippe from Brazil "Ultra Music Festival is a great concert because I love electronic music" Carrel from Brazil "Ultra Korea is really different and it’s really special because the Korean crowd has a different vibe. They are really cheerful and hectic. I like it. It’s awesome!"

Ichbal from Malaysia "I came here (Seoul) all the way from Malaysia for Ultra Music Festival 2014, to me this year is better than last year"

Tammy from South Africa "We love Ultra Korea!" Jamie from South Africa "It’s been really cool. It’s just so great people can just express themselves. Yeah, I love, love the fashion. Just to see what people are wearing - the most outrageous things. I am so happy people can just be what they want to be. I think it’s really great and so much fun!"

Florian from Switzerland “UMF Korea is crazy and f**king awesome!" Steven from Germany "(UMF) Korea is awesome. I recommend it to everyone."

Jamie from Vancouver, Canada "This is the best thing I've done in my entire life!" Victoria from Canada "Oh f**k yeah vibe!"

Jung Un from Hawaii "I think this is awesome. I just watched Above and Beyond yesterday and they are one of my favorites, and I just hope they keep going over the years and I’ll come every year!" Chon So from Korea "It’s very, very fun and awesome! Awesome!"

Gazo from China "I like Korea Ultra. YEAAAAAAH!" Neo from China "It’s so f**king great!"

Ivan from Ottawa Canada "It’s my first time here actually. I never thought I would be into this kind of scene, but it’s actually one big party. You get a lot of pictures. You mingle with a lot of people. You mix it up. It’s a great time. I recommend it to anyone. You got to try it out once. Get in there like swim wear, baby!"

PAUL VAN DYK He is without question one of the most dominant DJ’s ever in EDM. He stands as one of the longest running top-10 DJ’s by DJ Mag – an astounding 15 years, as of 2011. His consistency at the pinnacle of EDM is hard to fathom, and stretches into TV soundtracks, movie soundtracks, and video games. His career thus far spans 23 years! He has performed in Korea more than ten times, not including tonight’s show for UMF Korea.

ELECTROW VOLUME FOUR PAUL VAN DYK @ UMF KOREA ’14 by Dr. Dave We were lucky to squeeze this one in. Paul Van Dyk was relaxed, welcoming, and gave a very candid and thoughtful interview to us in his VIP suite barely 30 minutes before his first appearance at Ultra Festival Korea on the Main Stage. After meeting him and his longtime lighting/video fabricator, Chris Moylan, we settled in for as much as we could get from this living legend. He shared some deep thoughts on the source of authenticity, being able to bring it across, some sage advice for the up-andcomers, and a lament for the older gear. He also spoke of his desire for Korean unification, and Germany’s reunification history. We shared a quick toast of German champagne and sent the maestro on his way upstage – pumped up on ELECTROW energy. ELECTROW: Paul, thank for your time and welcome to Korea and ELECTROW magazine! Our readers and followers will be pumped up to know that you spoke with us directly. We know you are originally from East Berlin, and we have recently run an article on some

Berlin Wall artifacts brought here to Korea, so we’d like to offer that to you as something you might like to read as a connection between Germany and Korea and how we are trying to foster unification here on the peninsula. PAUL VAN DYK: Well, very obviously I’m looking at the North and the South Koreans, sort of, situation very closely, because you know, I grew up you know, for me, it was east and west, and for you guys its north and south. And I hope all this nonsense, these political barriers that people put up, in between human beings and societies. And those barriers are gonna break down eventually. And everybody, actually, has the right to live, you know, and, in a proper democratic society. ER: Yes, and we think that anytime we can join those thoughts and energy with things happening here – it’s just so frustrating to make any progress - towards those ideas and circumstances to move along and become more real, then that is goodness for the world, for sure.

ELECTROW VOLUME FOUR

PVD: No, absolutely. I mean it’s like the thing is, obviously the reunification of Germany came from the inside of East Germany, it’s not like the West came progressing towards it, it was like, more like the opposite. If you really look at the history, West Germany used East Germany very well as a cheap labor country. And so, you know, history isn’t always black and white. ER: Yes, there’s several layers. Right, well let’s get to the music stuff! We know that you take inspiration from things going on in everyday life, so what is inspiring you now, these days? PVD: Well obviously, right now, very straight, very straightforward. It’s like the, the Ibiza season just started, we just came straight in from Ibiza, it was absolutely fantastic, the last show. And so that’s always very inspiring, a lot of energy on the island, of course. I’m just in the final phases of the new album, so that’s very exciting. And then of course, all the big festivals all over the place...it’s always good to be a part of it. ER: Are you staying in Asia for a bit, or are you leaving the Asian region? PVD: No, we’re going to Beijing tomorrow and then we’re going straight back to Ibiza after that. ER: Has there ever been a moment when you had an idea for song or track and it was just at the wrong time, just awkward and too funny trying to capture it somehow? PVD: Well there was a time, when it was before iPhones, and I was messing around with a voice recorder, and just like, singing a melody into it, like in, when I had an idea, and usually it sounded really horrible. And I never really knew ‘what did I mean?’...so I stopped troubling with that voice recorder. ER: A hand-held mic. And then you were taking that home? And...

PVD: Yeah, and then I would try to come up with, ‘what the...heck was I thinking?’...so, it never worked. And so I decided to stop focusing on the full melodies and more on the feel, of the moment, and trying to bring that across, while working on a piece of music. ER: You mentioned feel again right there...that’s obviously a big part of it. So how long does it take to capture that feeling, how many times does it take to get that feeling right? PVD: Well, it’s like, it’s different every time. I mean, sometimes it goes like really quick, it’s there right away. And other times you just like, work for weeks on a piece, and you can decide its crap. But then, it just happens, it’s a creative process, and you can’t force it. It’s like, something, when you’re not producing after a commercial formula, or just like, reproducing something that is in the Top-10 and popular, and...then you end up in a place where, you know, sometimes you challenge yourself, kind of like finding that one-thousandth percent moment, to bring it across. And then, you cannot say it takes, a day, sometimes it takes even longer. ER: So that dynamic moment when you’re trying to capture it... PVD: It’s not even just like nabbing it, it’s also like, it’s also quiet moments of making music. It’s like, you know, to really kind of sit down and to bring something across. I remember when I watched Schindler’s List for the very first time. I was really, really sad. And I went to the studio and I started working on something. And...ahhh...it took me one-and-a-half years to finally actually finish the piece, because it’s like, you know, I’m a very happy, optimistic person, and so, to come down to this really intense set moment again and to kind of like re-feel it, and make to actually make a piece of music of it, wasn’t really easy, but it was a very important piece of music for me, so I wanted to actually sort it out.

ELECTROW VOLUME FOUR

ER: And when you refer to authenticity, you are talking about the genuine-ness if its originality.

while the other people had fun. It was actually about, it was like, do I to eat something or am I going to buy this record? It was like that. ER: It was like that for you.

ER: [large POP!! in the background...ER] That sounded good! Was it what I think it was? PVD: Yep! Ay-yai-yai... ER: In our next issue, we will be providing tips to up-andcoming DJ’s and producers from very strong producers here on the peninsula. Can we ask you to provide one or two tips that we can dovetail in with this piece? We know that you are very strong on authenticity... PVD: Well, that’s a key point. If you have something inside of you that you sort of want to express...if it’s like, writing a book, or doing a painting, or doing photography, or in my case, I’m making music...ahhh, again, focus on what you really feel, focus on what you really believe is the way forward for yourself, because that’s the only way to do something that’s unique, that’s only you. Otherwise you’re going to end up maybe copying something that you saw somewhere, that you read somewhere, or, in the case of music, that you heard somewhere.

PVD: Yeah...I mean, the thing is, you know, it is, it is absolutely okay to be inspired by something. But it’s like, a great artist out there...ahh, would be an absolute less famous thing to say that I’m not inspired by great artists, like Depeche Mode, as an example. But then again, my music doesn’t sound anything like Depeche Mode, because it’s like you know, I took what they gave me, and made it my own, made it something that is me. And that’s what creativity is, this is what an artist is, because just copying something would never be satisfying for me. ER: We’ve witnessed maybe a few acts in this genre, but we don’t need to go into that. I think I’m pretty clear on the use of inspiration to help you be original and authentic to yourself. PVD: Yeah, but the thing is, this is important. It almost comes down to the point like, ‘why are you doing what you’re doing?’ And just like, OK, why is somebody a DJ in 2014 versus being a DJ in the year 1990? When I started, and it sounds kind of funny, but if you think of what it actually means, it really comes down to the point, the DJ was the freak in the corner

PVD: It passion for the music, not just for me...for many of my colleagues, from like, Carl Cox to Sasha, to all, we all went through this phase – there was no money, there was no fame, nothing assuch – it was pure passion for music. So if you look at some of the kids that are out there right now, it’s like, I mean, if you ask them, ‘why are you doing what you’re doing?’, then you get a very different answer. And, it’s a different approach, I guess, a different passion. ER: Well you have certainly been a very powerful inspiration for many, no question about it. We can all be grateful for that. Can I ask you about the equipment and the gear again? Where do you sit with the progression of the gear used in EDM? Do you wish for some features that are no longer used or have been replaced? PVD: Well first of all, is, I think it’s always about creativity. Because like, if you listen to some of the stuff that people produced in the early days of computers and electronic music, it’s just kind of like WOW, it sounds actually really, really awesome! And then you see that they had like, an old Atari ST-1224. This is how I started. And then you see, now you have those notebooks, and those

Photo: Rutger Geerling 25/ Ultra Music Festival Korea

ELECTROW VOLUME FOUR

softwares, and those synthesizers and you have everything, and it’s just like, you press, and there’s a great sound there already. I remember all this really hard-sounding electro stuff, you know, we created ourselves! I remember putting a guitar jack into a guitar distortion [box...ER], and then when you hold the jack, you see, you short-cut this thing [short-circuit...ER], and it makes the sound, - it makes this ‘aaananaannnnnnnnn’ – we sampled it and tuned it to a note, and then we’re able to play it. But those sounds, now, they just come, like, [snap!] that! – pretty much with every pre-set synthesizer these days. Again, this is when you live and feel every single sound and element that you put into the music. And in terms of like, the equipment – of course it had an amazing important influence on what electronic music is – starting from the 303 and the 909 [ref to the Roland Juno 303 and 909 Synthesizers...ER] sort of like, the early days, to you know, everything we see these days, that actually people are using onstage. And for me it was always important to take that technology actually on stage. As soon as it was possible to take production elements onto the DJ’ing, the DJ stage facilities, it was like, this is what I did. ‘Til the point now that I‘m now basically playing live with my keyboards and computers and all those controllers that I’m using. That’s my approach to it. A lot of other people have a different view on it, a different approach to what’s going on, but that how I see it, and this is how I do it.

ER: Did the two camps of European music after WWII have any influence on you, the French in Paris and the Germans in Cologne? PVD: The thing is, I‘m not even going back that far and being so analytical about it. There was music that I liked and music that I didn’t like. So looking back now I realize that okay, there was already a lot of music that was actually already very electronic sounding. At the same time, I was one of the biggest fans of a band called the Smiths, which is purely guitar music. So it really is about a feel, it’s about something that’s coming across. I didn’t speak a word of English when I was a big Smiths fan. it was just the music that inspired me. It was something that made me feel like, yeah, so I’m a young, fucking rebel.

ER: You talk about wanting to learn to be a guitarist like Johnny Marr of the Smiths. PVD: Still, you know, listening to this music [the Smiths...ER], is like, I don’t know, there’s so much going on, and it’s so inspiring because, apparently it’s like all those different elements, they almost seem not to...work together, but then they really work together. It’s like Morrissey was always singing against any melody Johnny Marr was playing on the guitar, and it still was like, WOW! it was enlightenment, sort of, if you want to call it that. It was interesting and new and special.

ELECTROW VOLUME FOUR

they, he was like more of like, a theatric director. It wasn’t so much about the music as it was about this whole laser show, and this whole...some kind of Paris thing, and the music was like this element of his whole artistic view. It’s very unique, very special, I mean, definitely props up to the guy, he’s done something amazing. At the same time, I think music was just a part of something that he wanted to do. For me it’s always music first and then comes the other stuff. And lucky enough, I have one of the best video and light directors, in the world, with me, so, whatever I passionately do musically, he’s capable of actually creating, on the screen and on the stage. ER: I was influenced a lot by the Cure. PVD: Sure, of course, yes, that too. It was like, I don’t know, in the 60’s or 70’s, you either were Rolling Stones or Beatles, and in Berlin, it’s either the Smiths or the Cure. So, I was the Smiths, less the funny haircuts! I still love them, you know, monstrous, masterpieces forever, they just stand out.

ER: Awesome. Well, I think that’s a lot of your time and I will thank you for all of it, very much. Can we take pictures? PVD: Of course, of course.

-Dr. Dave

ER: Jarre, Jean Michel Jarre, can I ask about his influence? PVD: Well, of course the soundscapes that he created, were some sort of inspiration, but

Photo Courtesy Of: Ultra Music Festival Korea

BAUNDER Before his Korean debut at Ultra Music Festival Korea 2014, ELECTROW got the opportunity to sit down and pick the brain of Baunder, a DJ all the way from Argentina. In this interview, we learn his thoughts on Korea,

ELECTROW VOLUME FOUR BAUNDER @ UMF KOREA ’14 by Dr. Dave ELECTROW: In Asia, but why Korea the first time? BAUNDER: I really don’t know. I’m doing an Asian tour and the first step of the tour is Ultra Music Festival. So, from here I’m doing two shows in Japan and then two shows in China. ER: Well you’re going to be busy. How long will you be on the Asian tour? B: Three weeks. It’s a lot of fun. It’s my first Asian tour, so I’m very excited. ER: We’re happy for you. In Korea, you’ll find a very responsive group, and even in Asia, you’ll find a lot of love from the crowds here. And personally, we listened to your stuff, and we love it.

ER: I will tell you that you share a very strong passion for authenticity. And we just spoke to Paul van Dyk, and we know that you have a common performer that you also both respect who is Sasha. So this is something that is putting you all at high levels because I think because of the way you approach things. B: Well when I started making music with my partner as Soundexile [with ...]l, we tried to make music different. My partner comes from a very different musical background and so do I. So I think that the mixer of that is what makes our music different. ER: Well now was that difficult to mix those two backgrounds? B: Sometimes it is and sometimes it’s just natural. ER: So you’ve got a natural blend that really sometimes works very well.

B: Thank you. B: Most times it works perfect. Sometimes you have to arrange things, but normally we share

ELECTROW VOLUME FOUR

passion for bass, you know? Then melodies. It doesn’t have to be dreamy. Just good melodies. That’s what we like. So maybe he's more pop oriented and I come from a rock background when I was a child, and I think that’s the mixture. ER: Have you got any other exciting things coming up in 2014 that you’re looking forward to? B: Right now, yes, we have in Buenos Aires, Creamfields Festival. It’s a very big festival in England and they do it in Argentina too. ER: Will that be several days? B: No, that’s one day, but it’s Argentina’s biggest festival with Ultra Music Festival. In Argentina this [UMF] was the first year they did it. ER: Along the lines of coming down to South America, we understand that Ultra might come to Brazil as well. Will you be on that? B: I still don’t know. I hope so. I think that this festival is great. ER: That’s exciting. So back home and then Creamfields. B: It used to be a very big club in England. It was called Cream, and then they did the first outdoor festival, called Creamfields. [In] Argentina, this is gonna be the, I told you, number 12, so it’s a very old festival.

ER: Great! So, do you think you’d like to come back to Korea again? B: Yes, very much. ER: Have you experienced any side culture in waiting for your shows and things? B: We did that and I experienced a lot of nice food. ER: Do you like the food? B: A lot. ER: What’s the best food? B: Korean BBQ. It’s perfect! We have friends living here and they know special places to go. So, we’re doing a lot of things. ER: Were able to find any Argentinean food here? B: I think there is one. But, you know, we eat Argentinean food everyday so…we prefer Asian food. ER: They’ve got some delicious food and the fermentation is marvelous. Now, being in Korea, any plan to work with some of the Korean or Asian producers? B: I haven’t really arranged anything. We're staying here just one more week and then we’re doing Japan and China. So, I might do something, but maybe like a collaboration online instead

of working here. Nowadays with internet, you can even work in different parts of the globe without problems. ER: Right, so the clock and the distance and the miles don’t matter as much as the coordination? B: Exactly, and the love for music. ER: Do you prefer these larger venues, maybe the clubs? What’s your feeling? B: I think both have their special things. Big festivals...people come to have a lot of fun and it’s always fun. Clubs…maybe it’s a little bit more work. You know? You have to get the vibe of the club and stuff, but it’s always perfect too. So, I think, I enjoy both.

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ER: Can you tell me how much experience do you have outside of Argentina? Have you taken your performances outside of Argentina? B: This is my first big experience outside of Argentina. I’ve done South America…many places in South America. But, this is my first tour, you know? I am already planning a Europe tour, but I don’t know if it’s gonna be…maybe June, next European summer, so I can do Ibiza, [etc.] Yea, most probably I will be doing that next year...next summer. ER: I wish I was gonna be there. Maybe I’ll plan that. B: I lived in Europe for five years. ER: So you’ve got some roots there? B: No, it was just trying new stuff. ER: At that time were you kind of young in your artist career? B: Yes, exactly…in my mid 20s. I think Europe helped me build my career a lot. ERL Is there anything about this Asian tour that attracted you to come this way? B: I think the whole experience is what got me here. Playing in big festivals, I’m gonna play in smaller clubs, and being able to be in…I mean Argentina is the other way of the world. I had 32 hour flight. Not one flight, there were four flights, but it took us 32 hours to get here, so

it’s a lot. I think everything here is amazing. I’m enjoying everything, basically. ER: This country that has come a long way. You’ve got affluent fans that are able to come. They can afford to be here, they can afford the music, and they can afford the environment. So, you’re in a good place. I think you’ll find that with the rest of Asia. I think you made a smart choice there. B: Yes, I’m happy with it. ER: We’re going to do an issue that is going to ask some of the local Korean producers, some of the strongest ones on this peninsula, what they would recommend, 1 or 2 tips for younger DJs. We want the DJs to learn from the mentors and some of the folks that have got the experience. We don’t want to waste that and we want to take advantage of the fact that we can ask you. What tips could you give some of our young, aspiring DJs here? B: I think the main tip that someone gave me many, many years ago was “Never quit.” I mean, you’re gonna make music [and] have bad reviews, good reviews, regular reviews… you don’t have to stress with that. You have to believe in yourself and keep going forward. I think that’s the main tip if you are loyal to yourself.

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ER: Did you suffer some setbacks that made you become more determined?

where does your percussion knowledge come from, or is it just instinctive.

B: Sure, yeah. I remember the first time I sent my first track…the first time I took the courage to send my first track to a regularly known DJ, he wasn’t a very big DJ, he said it was shit. If at that time, I would have said, “Okay, but I won’t do music anymore because he said it was shit, I wouldn’t be here.” Keep forward. Keep moving forward. If you really love what you’re doing, it’s just a little pebble in the road.

B: Instinctive. I’m a wannabe drummer. I never had the chance to get a drum kit when I was young, but I would love to be a drummer.

ER: Do you do any mentoring of DJs and others in Argentina?

ER: That syncopation that you throw out…that’s good stuff. And it’s not repetitive. Anybody can throw a kick drum.

B: Yes, I teach in a school there. So, we do a production and a DJing course. ER: How old are your students? B: I have very, very young people like 17 and then I have a guy that’s 45-46. [I have] a guy that said, he’s a lawyer, and he said “I don’t want to be a lawyer anymore,” and he said, “It would be great to DJ.” Argentina has a very old fan base, you know? Because electronic music has been in Argenitna for like 30 years, so there are old people that follow electronic music. It’s not just young. You have the young crowd - the one that gets built everyday, but then you have loyal, older fans?

ER: I’m here to tell you, I’m a drummer, and I listened to your stuff, and I immediately thought that you had a background in drumming. B: I love drums.

B: When we’re making music we try to have something interesting happen every few bars. Little things that make it different, not just nuh, nuh, nuh. ER: I’m really looking forward to your show, and I wish I could follow you around Asia. I know you’ll find a lot of success. Is there anything else that you want to mention to the people that read ELECTROW here in Korea and the rest of the world? B: Just that Asia is great. That’s all I can say. What I’ve seen of Asia right now is great. I know I’m gonna be seeing a lot of great stuff in these following weeks.

ER: Are you a musician by original trade? B: Yes.

-Dr. Dave

ER: Could you share with us what your original instrumentation and what your musician background is? B: Keyboard. Piano. I love synthesis, you know…synthesizers. And I love everything that involves them. ER: Being in Argentina, is there any Latin influence in some of the stuff you do? B: I think there might be a little bit, but I’m not that drawn to Latin music as a whole actually. ER: You’ve got a passion for bass and that is usually on the percussion side of the house, so

BRASS KNUCKLES The aftermath of the two day Ultra Korea Music Festival was felt pretty heavily by all the participants. By far the best way to recover was to catch some sun and relax by the pool. This year was the first Ultra Pool Party held at the local hotel and casino, Walker Hill. A few acts got a second chance to perform in front of the Korea-based electronic music audience. ElectRow was lucky enough to meet Louis Rich, Brass Knuckles international agent, and was able to get a good Q&A out of the guys of Brass Knuckles Â about their first Asian tour, Korean food, and their inspiration to get into music.

ELECTROW VOLUME FOUR BRASS KNUCKLES Q&A ER: What did you think of Korea? ELECTROW: Love the name “Brass Knuckles” how did that come to be the official group name. BRASS KNUCKLES: In July of 2010 the group had a meeting at the studio. We decided to take a new approach in the production game. In order to get our work out there quicker, we decided to start making DJ friendly remixes. The new plan sounded great but we had no name. Anthony said “We need a strong name.” Then I (Danny) looked at him. He was wearing a T-shirt with a big Brass Knuckle on the front. I said, “How about Brass Knuckles?” It stuck from there. That meeting was the start of it all. ER: How was your Asia tour? BK: The tour went great and over all very smooth. Performing at Ultra Korea was definitely a highlight of the tour.

BK: We love Korea. We had the best BBQ of our lives here. We were very impressed by the nightlife. ER: Was there any hesitation coming to Korea after hearing about what happened to Nick Warren? BK: Not at all. We always strive to play for the crowd never ourselves. ER: Did you make any changes to your normal set for the Korean audience? BK: From our past experiences in touring Asia we know to play nothing but high energy tracks and a lot of vocals. ER: Any plans to come back to Asia/ South Korea soon?

ER: What did you expect from the fans and how did everything turn out?

BK: We are hoping to come back at the end of fall. If not next summer.

BK: We knew if it were anything like our past Asia tours, it would be an unforgettable experience.. and it was. The clubs and festivals are high energy and a lot of fun for us and the crowds.

ER: You played a few new tracks at UMF Korea. Do you have anything coming out soon?

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BK: We played our current single with The Cataracs called CRACK. We debuted our new single WATERGUN featuring John Ryan at Ultra Korea, that is scheduled to be released at the end of July, early August.

ER: What set up do you use for the guitar? I didn’t see a marshal full stack in the back…

ER: How many years have you been involved with UMF?

BK Tony: I have a wireless system that routes through a multi effects stompbox into a soundcard into Ableton on Danny’s computer. A little more convenient than lugging all that stuff halfway across the world.

BK: About a year. Our first UMF performance was at Ultra Europe in Croatia last summer.

ER: Do you use a pedal board, or just run it direct into the computer for any effects.

ER: Does being on the Ultra Label help with getting gigs across the world with their various Festivals?

BK Tony: We use a Zoom Multistomp pedal which is basically a bunch of effects pedals in one stomp box. There’s also some more processing in the ableton channel such as compression, eq, delay, etc.

BK: Ultra Records and Ultra Music Festival are two different entities. Being on Ultra Records definitely helps in pushing our brand to their network of fans worldwide. We would like to thank our International agent Louis Rich The Rich Group, LLC www.WeAreRich.com for working hard and getting us gigs across the world. ER: UMF’s birth place was Miami, are you guys natives to the city? And if so did UMF have any influence on you when you got started in music? BK: Yes we are Miami natives! UMF and Miami nightlife had a big influence when we got started in electronic music. The best DJs in the world play in Miami on a weekly basis so living in Miami opened our eyes to the genre.

ER: When did you come up with the idea to use the guitar in live sets? Was it something from the beginning or something that developed over time? BK: We have a history in rock bands and live music. When we decided to perform out, it was natural to make the guitar a part of the show. We wanted something that would set us a part from other DJ’s. ER: Did you grow up playing or have any other experience with other instruments? BK: Amongst the group we play piano, sax, guitar, drums and bass, turntables. ER: Ableton or Logic?

ER: Who are some of your biggest influences/ motivations? BK: Our Mothers! ER: Who are some of your favorite performers/ artists in the electronic music? BK: Steve Aoki, Diplo, Skrillex, Justice, Daft Punk ER: Who are some of your favorite performers/ artists outside of electronic music? BK: Jay - Z , Radiohead, Sam Smith ER: What kind of guitars do you use on tour? BK Tony: I’ve used a white ESP LTD EX-360 for pretty much every show.

BK: Ableton ER: What kind of DJ gear do you use for most live shows? BK: CDJS, Pioneer DJM 900,Serato, Ableton Live 9, APC 40 ER: What do you use when producing in the studio? BK: We use Ableton Live 9 plus a bunch of plugins and we always have a keyboard and guitar handy.

Photo: Rutger Geerling / Ultra Music Festival Korea