Monday Commute (015) - DJ Xboyfriend

DJ Xboyfriend on the pod this week, dj/producer and curator of Cool Contest records. Anthony has been around the block and has carved a unique space for himself by hosting a label for the unique and weird underground house music. We get into the humble beginnings of the label, the grind of being in the scene, and the chaotic life of being a starving artist.

DJ Xboyfriend Links:
https://www.instagram.com/djxboyfriend.wav?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==
https://www.instagram.com/coolcontestrecords?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==

Ian Myers links:
https://www.instagram.com/ianmyers_official/?hl=en

Monday Commute on IG:
https://www.instagram.com/mondaycommutepodcast/?igsh=MWpqczVmcjM4MHdvaw%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Alright, mics are hot.

SPEAKER_04 0:01

What up? What's up, dude? Chilling, brother.

SPEAKER_01 0:06

Thanks for doing this. Yeah, dude. Stoked to have you over.

SPEAKER_04 0:10

Yeah. I uh I feel like we should have met like a long time ago.

SPEAKER_02 0:14

We've met twice. Twice? We met twice. Uh Colin introduced us at Linz's I remember that. For like two minutes. And then I think another time briefly at maybe footwork for like two minutes or somewhere else.

SPEAKER_04 0:30

Probably. Just in passing. Yeah. But yeah, uh, welcome to the show. Happy to be here. Thanks for doing this. Um, for those of you don't know, this is uh Mr. Cool Contest, CEO, CFO, and C3PO. C4HTV. Um one thing I wanted to ask you is just about cool contests. Like, I guess why did you want to start a record label?

SPEAKER_02 0:58

So my friends and I years ago were all making beats not as well as we were now. Yeah, of course. But um we're still making stuff and I thought it was cool, but you know how hard it is like sending out demos to labels, especially like when you're when it's not where it could be when the vision's there, but the execution isn't, you know, like there's not really labels for that. And we're just like, why is there not more just like punk rock, yeah, who cares, attitude, music in-house? And so we're like, well, let's do it. Now I realize why there's not because there's a standard to house music and engineering and stuff, but um, yeah, we're just like, no, the the stuff that we're doing is tight, so yeah, let's do something, you know. Yeah, just a way to like release your own stuff for sure, for sure. Cause uh cool contest was started by Bobby Lava and myself. So there's always been like the two of us who've just had too much creativity like to sit still, you know, like gotta do something with this stuff.

SPEAKER_04 2:16

Yeah. And do you uh I like all of the just like the artwork and stuff. Do you do all that? It's Bobby. I was gonna say, dude, the artwork is so sick.

SPEAKER_02 2:25

Like it's Bobby, like I couldn't do it without him, like literally. Yeah, he's the goat.

SPEAKER_04 2:30

Yeah, because with all of my stuff, like with Town Hall, like I have to do all the artwork and just like make all the flyers and stuff, and I'm like I'm creative, but I'm not that artsy, so it takes me so long to like make the flyers and just like figure out kind of like the branding side of it. It's a lot, it's a lot.

SPEAKER_02 2:49

I've like I've learned a lot from him because uh he's just so good at it and so fast at it. He's like a professional designer, so like my sensibility is like it's one thing, like I can do some cool stuff, but he can do consistently cool things every time. So like 95% of the visuals are Bobby. The other five, I'm I'm killing it, yeah. You know, like um, but 90% of what you're talking about, 99% of what you're talking about is Bobby.

SPEAKER_04 3:18

Yeah, you know, like yeah, because the aesthetic and just I don't know, just the branding of everything, I think is really cool.

SPEAKER_02 3:23

Yeah, that he's he nailed it. He he gets it right every time. I'm like, so let's do something, and then he'll always send me like three or four ideas, and we just boom, like alright, cool, yeah, that's the coolest one.

SPEAKER_04 3:34

Yeah, and you guys just hit 10 years, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 3:37

Well, this year, like towards the end of the year is ten years. That's crazy. Yeah, I know.

SPEAKER_04 3:43

Yeah, ten years is a long time to be. And how much music, I guess I went through s like some of the catalog, but like how much how many releases were you doing like per year?

SPEAKER_02 3:56

Um Were you on like kind of a schedule or you kind of just at the beginning it was so loose, yeah, so it's just like whatever, whatever. Like, oh, I got something. Oh, it was like maybe every couple months we were putting stuff out the first couple years. Um, and then like we definitely slowed down the past couple years just intentionally because a lot of our friends have moved on and like the scene here has changed for us, like because we've gotten older, and um we just like want to be able to give the attention to the music that we can, yeah. Like um, we're not going anywhere. Yeah, like so we're taking our time.

SPEAKER_04 4:36

Yeah, that's good. Cause I think once you get in that hamster wheel of just like releasing, the quality seems to go down and just like our quality's always been down, so like we've only had we've only had up, you know, like I guess that's true, but not even just the quality, just like tracks that you want to actually sign, you know, like you're not forced to sign something.

SPEAKER_02 4:56

For sure, for sure. Well, like I feel like we've never really been forced to sign anything because I'm like purely like all right, when I when I'm looking for music, it's from my friends and it's what they believe in, you know. It's like cool, like, and if it's cool and it's not there yet, I'll help you get it there, you know. Like, um, because if it's a good idea, it's a good idea, you know. And if you believe in it, that's what I want, you know.

SPEAKER_04 5:22

Yeah, and we just need to support each other, yeah. Yeah, because they're especially with production, it's like you really get out in the weeds.

SPEAKER_02 5:33

You get lost, you really get lost. Yeah, and just run yourself in circles and be and then ruin your idea. Yeah, you know, like I do it all the time. I'm like, oh yeah, like this track is cool, like, and then I'll open it the next day and be like, I don't like the baseline. It's because I'm not in the studio, yeah, and I'm not in the same mood that I was in last night. And it's like I make certain things in certain moments, and then it doesn't translate in another moment. Doesn't mean it's wrong, doesn't mean it's not tight. It's just like I'm not there anymore, you know? But then I'll completely ruin it. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 6:06

Well, that's why I think I think a lot of people are like this. You have to like basically finish it in the time that you're sitting there, or just like start another idea when you like come back, you know?

SPEAKER_02 6:19

Pretty much, pretty much. Some but sometimes like I get magic after I'm like hyper critical, and I'm like, okay, cool, like what don't I if I don't think it's a good idea in this moment, like then someone else wouldn't like it in that moment. So what what can I do to meet myself in the middle, you know, and then try to get there and then ruin the idea and maybe maybe something cool happens, you know?

SPEAKER_04 6:45

I think it depends on where what stage the track is in, also. Yeah, yeah. Because like if you've barely built anything out, you can kind of go back and be like, all right, I gotta like finish more, you know.

SPEAKER_02 6:55

I think the the thing on like when listen when like I'm playing back a track, if I'm actually second guessing anything, I should probably follow through on my intuition. You know, like um, like cool, the baseline's cool, but like maybe I can make it cooler, make it cooler, you know. Simple as that, like every time. Because then on release, I'm like I literally think I could have done it better, you know?

SPEAKER_04 7:18

Like Yeah, you gotta use all the the things in your head or else you're just gonna like hate it.

SPEAKER_02 7:25

Yeah, well, especially now, like I you can put anything out, but like you gotta believe in it, you know?

SPEAKER_04 7:33

Yeah. And have you gotten any like do you actively try and get signed to other labels? No, or you just release everything yourself?

SPEAKER_02 7:44

Not at all, not at all. Like, I really wish uh I wasn't so antisocial because I'm like, I'm not sending anybody anything, you know, like I'm just gonna put it like out, I guess. And if anybody listens to it, that's really cool. You know, like but otherwise I'm just making the music, you know, like DJing and no, I don't know where I fit in either. You know, like I'm kinda like I make just weird house and not very contemporary, like I'm I mean I guess I do, but like also I don't know, like you have to meet you have to know people in real life, you know. I think that's like that's the only reason I'm working in LA. I mean I'm fine, like without signing to labels, but like I don't know, it'd be cool to work with vocalists on Defected or something, but like it's you have to like I'm also like I have the cool cool cool contest sound is uh like a thing, you know. It's like and I'm kind of there. I'm like, where does my sound fit? I could probably go anywhere, like across the board, but I'm not really aiming for anything, I'm just kind of making music, you know? Yeah, yeah. So it's like it's hard because I'm like, what the fuck am I doing? Like, where where am I going with my own music? Yeah, but like I'm really happy to have a home for everybody else's shit that's kind of similar, you know, in that realm.

SPEAKER_04 9:11

Yeah, just do it for the love of the game.

SPEAKER_02 9:13

It's kind of just making music, you know?

SPEAKER_04 9:15

Yeah, because I feel that too, because I'll make stuff and I'm like I think nowadays, especially if you want to go that route of getting stuff signed to labels, like if they're gonna sign something, you have to have like a sound, you know, you can't just be making random shit.

SPEAKER_02 9:36

And like I think I think you're right. Like it's like of course there's like uh ultimate goals, like Turbo is an ultimate goal. I want to release on turbo eventually, you know, like for sure. But um am I sending shit to turbo? No, you know, like like so. How will I get there? I don't know, maybe I'll maybe I will, maybe I won't.

SPEAKER_04 9:57

Yeah, but I think you have all the back end of like releasing a bunch of shit, you know?

SPEAKER_02 10:03

For sure. Like um that which is a good thing and a bad thing. I it's because I have history. Some people don't want history, some people want fresh artists, you know, like and I'm uh maybe I know too much, you know. Like you're it's it's hard to pull one over on me. I mean it's not because the music industry is very, very diverse, and there's so many angles, and like as an independent artist, like who's actually looking out for you? Yeah, not really anybody, you know, like you're kind of on your own, except with like if you are lucky enough to have a crew and some friends, you know.

SPEAKER_04 10:35

Yeah. And do you use are you just releasing all these on like distro kid?

SPEAKER_02 10:41

No, we have uh a couple label partnerships now. Like nice. I have like my own solo distribution deal, and then uh cool contest is locked in uh with distribution with Proton in Berlin. Sick. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 10:56

Yeah. So it's cool. Yeah, because I was looking into all that when I was like trying to start Town Hall as like a record label, but I will at some point. I just need to figure out my own shit first.

SPEAKER_02 11:10

It's the worst time to release music, you know. It's like it's just because when you streaming is not for us, you know, like it's just not for our level of artistry, like underground dance music not prominently making vocals, you know, like uh Dance Force It. Like I I am not gonna listen to a full track on Spotify. I don't use Spotify, but like on Apple Music, I'm listening to usually I I guess I'm listening to whatever. Yeah, um I would say the normal average listener's not listening to a five to seven minute dance track.

SPEAKER_04 11:45

Yeah. Yeah. I mean they it's getting less and less. Like now it's all just the radio edits. But on SoundCloud, they have like the full yeah. I love it. I love it. Yeah, SoundCloud's cool. I saw that they um you can press vinyl through SoundCloud now. Yes, yep. But there's gotta be this there's no way these like corporate companies don't have some sort of shisty stuff on the back end.

SPEAKER_02 12:15

I mean, I'll tell you exactly. I have I released a vinyl through SoundCloud. Did you? Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 12:20

Um how much did it cost, if you don't mind me asking?

SPEAKER_02 12:23

No, they're like, um well, I did like a full the full A side and the B side, the full like 22 minute length on each on each side. So I don't know if that factored into the cost too. So it was like $39 for the consumer per album. And then shipping is another almost like $10. So consumers paying like almost $50 for one of my records that are on demand. Yeah. And I make like $11.

SPEAKER_04 12:54

So they just print them as they buy 'em?

SPEAKER_02 12:56

Yep.

SPEAKER_04 12:57

What?

SPEAKER_02 12:57

I thought they uh I I hope I don't know. I didn't sign any NDA. Like I think I can say that.

SPEAKER_04 13:03

Yeah, because I was thinking you had to print a certain amount. And it was just through them.

SPEAKER_02 13:07

I ordered two for myself.

SPEAKER_04 13:10

That's tight.

SPEAKER_02 13:11

So we'll see.

SPEAKER_04 13:13

Do you uh uh like mix the records differently if it's being pressed on vinyl or you just leave it the same?

SPEAKER_02 13:20

We'll find out. This is literally the first time I've done it.

SPEAKER_04 13:22

You know Oh, you haven't gotten them yet?

SPEAKER_02 13:23

No, they come in, they're like they just shipped out of the UK. So they're not even using like an American plant.

SPEAKER_04 13:30

Like Damn. I'm gonna have to do that. Just like have it on your wall. Just like make just make like a fake platinum record. Just put it on your wall, cool contest. That'll be so sick.

SPEAKER_02 13:40

You can do it, you can do whatever you want. Yeah, there's no rules here. Like you can get a platinum record, yeah. You can make a platinum record, dude. That would be so funny. That's like turning yourself pro. Like as a like you start your own company and you just turn yourself pro. That's exactly what we did with cool contests. You know, we're just like, yeah, no, we're we're pros.

SPEAKER_04 14:00

Like, yeah. That's too funny. Um yeah, so when I guess how much time between when you started producing and then when you started cool contests?

SPEAKER_02 14:16

Probably probably like four years, three years. Yeah. Um yeah, I was like I didn't know what I was doing. I was in like bands first, and then uh started like dabbling with production and then randomly started to try to play my tracks out and DJ. And what year was this? Like when I started or cool contests?

SPEAKER_04 14:44

Uh like when you started production.

SPEAKER_02 14:49

I don't know. I first probably touched Garage Band in like 2007, you know, and then started, I was like, what is this? Like I had no idea, and then started making loop-based beads, and then uh figured out garage band to like the maximum maximum extent, transferred to Logic, then got on Ableton around 2013, and uh been there pretty much ever since.

SPEAKER_04 15:21

Yeah, yeah. Ableton I was on FL before, I think. Yeah, I had like a cracked version of FL that I was on.

SPEAKER_02 15:30

I for sure used FL in like 2008. I was like, I tried everything.

SPEAKER_04 15:34

Yeah, it was cool, but I would once I like actually wanted to learn how to make house music, all the tutorials and stuff on YouTube were all in Ableton. So I was like, you know what, I'm just gonna buy this.

SPEAKER_02 15:47

Yeah, it's it's a good doll.

SPEAKER_04 15:49

Yeah, for sure. Yeah, especially if you're just starting out. I feel like kind of everyone's on Ableton now. If you're just starting out, like no one's buying logic. I think these days it's still good, but I feel like the people that are on logic are on logic because they were on logic before Ableton like took over.

SPEAKER_02 16:09

I don't know. I still like I know like my little cousin who started out, um he's like 20 now. And uh he uses logic and he's not I'll like I'll give you Ableton, like I'll I'll get it for you. Like and he's like, no, like I'm sticking here. Yeah, it's just not for everybody.

SPEAKER_04 16:29

Yeah. Does did Logic come with like MacBooks?

SPEAKER_02 16:34

Back in the day, like um pull the mic up. Oh I'm sorry, yeah. Back in the day, yeah, it did. I think I don't know. I think it came on a disc, maybe. I don't know how I think I bought a secondhand laptop off Craigslist that had logic on the discussion. Had it on there? Yeah, that's tight. Yeah, for sure. That's what I did. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_04 16:55

And why did you switch to Ableton from Logic? You just wanted to try something like that.

SPEAKER_02 17:00

I was just making beads, and I was like, mm, I think I had some friends who are knew a lot more than I did at that point. Like um my friend Jared, he was already using Ableton, and he was like, Yeah, you need to eat beyond this. Yeah. And so like one night at a party, like um, I think we ate mushrooms, and everybody went home. I was young, probably like tw 19 or 20. And uh maybe I was 21 actually at this point for sure. And that was the first time I used Ableton. Everybody left the party, and I stayed up till like 5 a.m. stuck on like the worst loop ever, just like in my headphones, like my friend's like back room, just like whoa, like what is this? Yeah, yeah. From there it was just like, yep, Ableton's yeah, here. Yeah, I still do that. And then you left the back door the next day. Like, this is so shitty. I'm like, alright, cool, I'm gonna stay in this loop for three hours until I get either super annoyed where I turn it off or hit like uh an epiphany, you know. It's like, oh wow.

SPEAKER_04 18:08

Yeah. Yeah, there's this thing in I've talked about this before, but if you let something, it's something with like your brain, if you let something loop for long enough, your brain starts to like change the way you're actually hearing it. So it like changes the way it sounds so it's more pleasing to your ears.

SPEAKER_02 18:27

That makes sense. You're just conditioning yourself, you know? Like, yeah, you're like, no, it is good.

SPEAKER_04 18:32

Especially if something's too loud, like your ears will automate automatically start ducking the loudness. I forget what the what it's called. It's like an audio thing.

SPEAKER_00 18:44

Hmm.

SPEAKER_02 18:44

Yeah. Do you know that like vocals hit harder in your left ear than your right ear? No. Yeah. Are you being serious? Yeah, yeah. There's like a like a thing where it's like I guess your right ear just picks up music and translates it better, like, to your brain, and then like I don't I don't know. I'm not a scientist, and I don't know. I probably I'm probably just lying. I'm I think I just made that up. No, I think I think you are there's something that maybe I'm on a on a path. I don't know if it's the right path, but I'm on a path.

SPEAKER_04 19:20

Have you ever like I answer phones a lot at work? And uh if you try to like talk to people with your left ear and do something at the same time, it's a lot harder than if you do it in your like dominant ear.

SPEAKER_02 19:37

Hmm.

SPEAKER_04 19:38

I think there's something to that.

SPEAKER_02 19:40

Do you have a dominant ear?

SPEAKER_04 19:41

I think so. Whoa.

SPEAKER_02 19:42

Yeah. I don't have a dominant ear. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 19:46

I've never so like when you answer the phone, you don't always answer it on the same ear?

SPEAKER_02 19:51

Really? I don't think so. I've never paid attention to that. I feel like I think it's like I I always have something in my hands. So I'm like, wherever, and it's always in a different pocket and I can never find it.

SPEAKER_04 20:02

Are you left-handed?

SPEAKER_02 20:04

No, but uh but I my right arm is super messed up. Yeah. So I use both of my arms. Yeah. Yeah. From skating skating. Yeah. Fuck. Yeah. I have like uh what was the like prognosis? Um, I broke it a bunch of times and like within a short period of time, like I broke it twice in like a three-month period with like metal hardware in there, so like really fucked it up. Um yeah. I have like a big ass bar like down this whole side. Um and then plates and screws in the front. Like, yeah, it's they're like, yeah, don't ever fall again. I'm like, okay. Do you still skate? I skated like two days ago in You slammed. No, no, no. No, no, no. But um the you know howton? Yeah, okay, Jordan. So the big bowl, like the deep part, is filled with water, it's not draining. Yeah. So I was like skating the flat bar, like, and I shot out a front board and it just went directly in the water. Directly in the water, brand new board. I just set it up like like two weeks ago and skated twice.

SPEAKER_04 21:17

Like maybe that's the universe telling you something.

SPEAKER_02 21:21

I think so. Like every time I try to skate, it's like, nah, nah, nah, nah. Yeah. I went to the skate park like two weeks ago after like the first time I set the board up. I was so scared. Yeah, I was just like, I was like, I shouldn't be here. Yeah, maybe I shouldn't shouldn't not skate anymore at all.

SPEAKER_04 21:37

Dude, because you just lose your balance, like your balance is not the same when you're gonna get it.

SPEAKER_02 21:41

And I've gained so much weight since I stopped skating. Like, you know, it's just like, oh, like here's that 30 pounds you were avoiding your whole life, you know. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 21:50

You know who's actually good at skating is uh Ian, the other Ian. Ian's good, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 21:54

Ian's really good at skating. Yeah, I want to skate with him, but I don't want to skate ever again. Like, low key. I love it. And but I really just like I can't skate the way I want to. Yeah. Like there's fear in my body. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 22:05

There's a I feel like I know a lot of good d DJs that are good at skating too.

SPEAKER_02 22:10

I think it's a thing now.

SPEAKER_04 22:12

Yeah. It's like it kind of goes hand in hand, like the Yeah, it's like solo.

SPEAKER_02 22:16

Solo dolo. Independent. You're vibing. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 22:20

Um we're in a studio, if you can't tell. What's up? Shout out playback. Shout out playback. But uh, I wanted to ask you how much experience have you had with just using analog gear?

SPEAKER_02 22:36

We talked about it a little bit before, but I mean anal like a good amount, but like a lot of digital, like virtual and like recreations, you know, like um I never had access to analog like growing up. I played guitar and then played drums. Those were like real analog things, and then I got like laptops and made stuff, and then eventually we've got like uh my first real like beat machine was a Korg Electribe, like the the ESX the or the EMX. No, yeah, it was the ESX, the red one. And uh that really was so hard to use and I didn't know what I was doing, you know? Um but now I'm like I love it. Like after a while you just stop being scared and you're like cool, like I know what this stuff does, like I know what I especially now that like I've transitioned to like playing live a lot more, like just for fun. Um the analog stuff really just does sound different ver versus like the digital recreations. It's like sometimes just one knob per function is absolutely what you want, you know. Other times it's like getting in the way, or like you you just think you need more than you already actually have, you know. Like, oh, I can make more than enough with the things that I already have at my disposal, just put them set them up, you know.

SPEAKER_04 24:05

Yeah, so you're normally kind of just like clicking stuff in pretty much, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 24:10

Pretty much like I like I had a bunch of keyboards for a while and like was like trying to play stuff in. It's just like I'm done, I'm done. If I want to play piano, I'll like play piano. Yeah, um but sequencing now, you know, just sequencing every yeah, it's really fun. I like the like the tactile hands-on part, it's sequencing. I just I love sequencers are so tight. Yeah, and it just gives it more like a textured, you know. It's just it's there's a real like randomized part of it, you know. It's like when I'm making I can never when I had my studio in Long Beach, like I could never go in and actually make the same thing twice. Never. Like it was oh I could always like try, and I would never, ever, ever get to the same point. Even like when you do a hard stop on your sequencers after everything is uh like patched in and and synced, like if you actually press stop after you've made a bunch of changes, you press play again, it's going to sound different. So af like I eventually had to learn like don't ever like during this whole session today that I'm gonna be here for eight hours, I'm not pressing stop on on like I'm gonna press start and I'm gonna go, and if I need a break, I'm gonna turn down the master volume, yeah, and then bring it back and then pick up where I left off because once I press stop, like that's all gone.

SPEAKER_04 25:31

Like that's well, that's why I actually just was saw this the other day. But like if you use like a sequencer in Ableton, like not an actual like analog one, you just because it's gonna change every time, you know. You just record it to audio and then you just copy and paste the audio so it stays the same. For sure. I was like, why have I never thought to do that?

SPEAKER_02 25:58

There's times where like audio is actually like king, you know, like cool, I want this to stay as it is. Well then bounce it now, you know. Other times I'm like, well, hmm, do I want to commit or do I want this like randomized like flare throughout the creation process, you know? Yeah, and sometimes that'll like bite me in the ass, like I'll open it like a couple weeks later, and it's like that's definitely not what I was doing, you know. Like, but yeah.

SPEAKER_04 26:28

Um another thing I was gonna ask you. Um it's just I just drew a blank right now. That alright, cool.

SPEAKER_02 26:37

So I I love my one of my favorite things in life is is like forgetting what we're talking about and drawing blanks because like creates room for magic and fun exactly and humor, you know?

SPEAKER_04 26:48

Yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_02 26:49

Keep it light, my brev.

SPEAKER_04 26:51

Yeah. Um how old are you? I'm 36. 36, okay, yeah. Yeah, so I I kind of figured you were around that age.

SPEAKER_02 27:00

Yeah, I'm I'm around I'll be 37 in a couple weeks. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 27:05

So you grew up in Long Beach?

SPEAKER_02 27:08

Yep. In and around Long Beach, Lakewood, Paramount, like yeah, everywhere.

SPEAKER_04 27:14

So how was the I guess Secret Service was like the first people, I guess, to like actually like be throwing parties consistently that I know of. I wasn't really around back then. Was it was there people throwing parties in Long Beach?

SPEAKER_02 27:28

I mean, yeah, but but subtract, like subtract was first. Um but before then it was like house parties, man. It was just all house parties because like it it was hard to find. Like I feel like Long Beach was not receptive to house music and electronic music when I was growing up. Yeah, and like once I started going getting into it, like even in my early 20s, like they wouldn't want us to play. Yeah, you know, like they're like nah, it was punk, it was a punk town, you know, punk bars, and like definitely played at a couple punk bars and like didn't get asked back, you know, like but they didn't want that, and then eventually like subtracts started and and then uh Secret Service came through and then really like had some working relationships and made it happen, like for the broader community, you know, and like they brought a lot of people in and helped it grow to what it's at right now for sure.

SPEAKER_04 28:25

Yeah, I think it's just like the timing, like timing was perfect before house music's so big now that if you go to like a bar and you're like, oh I'm gonna play house music, it's not like a shock to their system. Like most of the time, like ten years ago, they just want you to play like open format like bar music, you know, for sure. That's why everything was on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and like these random off nights during the week. Like uh what's that fucking collective? Um what's that collective? Taco Tuesdays or whatever it's called? They would always do stuff at uh what's that place? The circle in orange.

SPEAKER_02 29:13

Not orange. I I only remember like burgers and beets. Yeah, that was like one of my friends' crews like in OC. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 29:21

That was cool. Cause back then I feel like more it was easier to get people to go to stuff like that, but I'd I'm not going out on a Tuesday. I'm sorry.

SPEAKER_02 29:30

Dude, we were young at one point. How old are you? Uh I'll be 32 this year. Okay. So like at one point I was young and I would go out every night. Like, I would go out, I would be out everywhere, you know, like um, didn't matter. Like be home in the morning, go going out at night, you know.

SPEAKER_04 29:48

Like I guess college too is a little bit different because you don't have any fucking responsibilities.

SPEAKER_02 29:52

I didn't even go to college, I was already like playing parties and stuff, you know. I was just like, no, this is I've been doing it for too long, you know.

SPEAKER_04 30:00

Like, yeah, and the hangovers aren't as bad, so it's a little easier.

SPEAKER_02 30:04

Oh, I I did not experience a hangover till I was like 29. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 30:09

Now it's just like, dude, I regret everything.

SPEAKER_02 30:12

Oh my gosh. I regret my entire 20s. Like to every promoter who booked me, I'm very sorry for the way I way I acted and the way I behaved. That's funny, dude.

SPEAKER_04 30:25

Um, do you we were talking about this earlier, but are you uh I guess not actively trying to get gigs, but are you playing out that often?

SPEAKER_02 30:38

I mean, yes and no, like I'm still like DJing pretty regularly. Like people hit me up to like play often, like I'll get private parties a couple times a month, and then uh play like a local, yeah, a local monthly or whatever.

SPEAKER_00 30:55

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 30:56

And then I have some after parties that hit me up, like after midnight hits me up occasionally, like, but no, I'm not like I don't go out enough to like have like relationships with people who are booking the parties. Like I really just make music and like yeah, I love to DJ and like pretty good at it, really good at it. Um but yeah, like it's hard to like play the social game because I've I already did it when I was younger and like it burnt me out and like uh I didn't do it right. So like I'm like I guess you're like you're like the class above us. Like and I'm and I'm not actually part of the class above you because like I wasn't welcomed in, you know, like or I guess that's I burned my like my chance, you know. Like there were some parties that we threw that I just like dropped the ball, got too fucked up, like couldn't play, you know. It's just like no, like like there were some crazy things, you know, like the the ride was uh insane for part of it. Like not even all of us made it, you know. Yeah, I feel like that doesn't really happen anymore. I mean we're I was I've personally was living a crazy rock star life.

SPEAKER_04 32:12

Yeah, like people don't really like I don't know, you never really see people like getting out of hand anymore. I feel like it should make a comeback.

SPEAKER_02 32:22

I mean, it was fun. Like I I mean I don't I I guess I won't recommend it like if you can't handle it, you know. Like there's there's some people who are built different, but like it's not for everybody.

SPEAKER_04 32:34

Yeah, I th I also think it's the phone thing.

SPEAKER_02 32:36

Yeah, because you weren't being recording.

SPEAKER_04 32:38

Like now, if you're acting a fool, you're done.

SPEAKER_02 32:41

Yeah, no, no, like you can't like it's all jokes, like everything is fun in games, and it's all in like the confidence of friendship, you know, like that's where it should be. But like really, like everybody films everything now, and you're like, okay, cool, I don't want that on social media, guys. Come on, like I'm literally like cracking bad jokes and like not trying to be my best, you know. Like, so like can we keep some stuff private, you know? Like, and I think like that's definitely like always been like the parties that I've thrown. It's like, all right, cool, like hey guys, this is for us, you know. Like, we're we're not we're not here to impress anybody, like I got your back, like it's especially if you're invited, like I want you here, you know, like you're supposed to be here, like this is a safe space, like for everybody. Um but throwing parties is so hard, dude. It's a nightmare. Yeah, it's like at some point I was just like, I'm a liability, you know, I'm just not good at this.

SPEAKER_04 33:36

Like, yeah, and it just takes a lot of money and time. Like you really I was at this after party, like after hours thing the other night, and it's like a full blown I guess it's just like a full blown illegal club. They had this shit fully, it was a huge warehouse, fully built-out sound system, two floors, a stage on each floor, full bar, like it was just like a straight up illegal club. And I'm like, how how is this how one how are they getting away with this? You know? Yeah, like they gotta be like paying off the cops or something.

SPEAKER_02 34:16

I that's definitely like I think a level to it, because we threw a couple like warehouse parties that were we didn't have the right security and they didn't pay the right people and we got rolled, you know? It's like that's definitely part of it.

SPEAKER_04 34:29

You just have to know the right people who are like gonna patrol because some of these bigger after hours, like I just these people know people, you know, like they're like that that that actually is the industry.

SPEAKER_02 34:43

Like getting like far into the or not I'm not even that far in the music industry. I'm like I'm in it, but like it's because of who I know, yeah. Like it literally is, and it's all that like you hear it time and time again, but it's real, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 34:57

But I also think it's kind of a good thing because it kind of just weeds out a lot of people that are I mean, uh sure, they are making money, like they're charging fucking twenty dollars for a drink at some of these places, so they are making money, but well that that's the reason why club culture is dead, you know.

SPEAKER_02 35:17

It's like, well, you're not being you're not welcoming in the new generation of kids who are broke, yeah and like letting them pay five bucks for a beer or two beers and like have a really good night. Well, now they'll now because of their five bucks, they're gonna buy eight drinks and get fucked up, but have a memorable memorable night and come back, you know.

SPEAKER_04 35:40

Yeah, yeah, but I think for them they have so much like money on the line, you know.

SPEAKER_02 35:48

Like they that's the only way it's like worth it for them to do it. For sure, I get it. And it's just like, well, then it's not worth it for some of these kids to go out, you know, like but they still do, like in and mad respect, you know, because it's not cheap out there. Yeah, it's not. I don't go out, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 36:03

And there's also not really like clubs, like there's not really there's like the insomniac clubs, there's sound, and then it's kind of it. Like, what else is there in LA? I don't know.

SPEAKER_02 36:22

Yeah, I don't Yeah, I guess those are like the nightclubs for sure.

SPEAKER_04 36:26

Yeah, that's why I think the the underground the underground stuff is insane. Like when I before I started going to these after hour stuff, like I didn't realize like how much of this shit was going on. Like you go to this to an area, there's like ten parties going on at the same time.

SPEAKER_02 36:47

It's hard. That's what's like you want to throw a party in that landscape, it has to be A1. Yeah, like you know, because you are competing with ten other parties that night that are gonna be sick. Yeah, so they're gonna be sicker than your party. Like everybody that knows how to throw a good party, like mad respect, you know. Like I love whenever I do get a chance to go out, I'm so impressed, you know, like because everybody's doing such a good job, like with everything, you know, and it's it's uh I know how much it takes to put into it.

SPEAKER_04 37:17

It's a lot of effort. Yeah, it takes a long time to get it to like a point where people are like you just post a flyer and people show up.

SPEAKER_02 37:28

That's insane. Yeah, that's hard to do. Like, yeah, I don't know. Social media, like where where do you even post a flyer anymore? You know, like social media, like that's great. Like, I don't know.

SPEAKER_04 37:39

That's just you have to be doing them all the time, and you have to book big artists, because that's the only way you sell tickets. That's what I've been told.

SPEAKER_02 37:48

And I'm just like, I'll just book my homies.

SPEAKER_04 37:51

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 37:52

Like I'm always just gonna book the homies.

SPEAKER_04 37:55

I think if you do it that way, you have to like make it very small and just like do it for a really long time, and then you kind of get that like built-in crowd of people that fuck with you.

SPEAKER_02 38:11

I don't know, man. I I I love music so much. The politics of uh of it are really draining, you know? Like, yeah, because it really takes away from the art form and it's just like okay, cool. I do have to treat this like a business and like um operate certain ways, but man, sometimes it's just annoying, you know. Like, yeah, I'm like, alright, cool, like can I just open up Ableton, you know?

SPEAKER_04 38:39

Like not have to post a fucking reel. Yeah, yeah. The social media side is a whole nother beast.

SPEAKER_02 38:46

It's draining, especially like running the label, like because then it's like what if what if I don't want to do it? You know, like what if I what if I'm not actually in the mood? Like, what about that? I guess the choice have you ever thought about that? Like, I just really don't want to, yeah, like and I'm really probably not gonna do it, you know. Like, I don't care. Like, like, yeah, even though I'm on Instagram seven hours a day watching reels, like in between like opening up and closing a drum rack, like yeah, I'm still like I'm not posting, like I like I have nothing to say, like I have nothing to add here. I'm like not taking a selfie, you know. Like I'm chilling, brev.

SPEAKER_04 39:27

Yeah, I mean it depends on what your goal is, too. I guess my goal is pretty much to just keep chilling and making you don't give a fuck about social media, so it doesn't really matter.

SPEAKER_02 39:39

Nah, I mean, like I guess like people can grow their careers, but it's like yeah, do it. That's cool. Like, I just want to make music. Like, I think I think people should make music, you know. Like, yeah, but I I do like when people like show the process. Yeah, that's cool. Like, I I watch tutorials all the time.

SPEAKER_04 40:01

Yeah, that thing the only problem with that is like you don't want to become the tutorial guy.

SPEAKER_02 40:07

Well, I watch tutorials for hardware. I guess I'm I'm uh oh yeah, yeah. Yeah, I don't want to make tutorials, like that's what I mean. Like artists that do that. Yeah, because then I'm not making music either. I'm still editing. Um I mean editing is part of the job too. Yeah. It's whatever.

SPEAKER_04 40:23

Like it's cool if you see like a big artist do like a track breakdown of something, you know. But you don't want to be known as the track breakdown guy for to get like fans of your music, you know? For sure. Yeah. Cause I've seen there was this guy, Marshall something, on Instagram, and he does like he works for kick and kick and bass now as like an instructor, which is cool, I guess.

SPEAKER_02 40:50

Like I've never even heard of kick and bass. What is that?

SPEAKER_04 40:54

Do you know who West End is? Yeah. It's his like uh music production like school basically. Yeah, and he just hires people to like make videos. Yeah. But yeah, I think the artist's side, there's like a weird like balance you have to have now between like being a social media person and then like being an actual artist. Cause like the more stuff you put on social, I feel like it kind of like it's not as mysterious, you know. I like the motherfuckers that just like post once a month, you know. It's pretty crazy.

SPEAKER_02 41:32

Like the mysterious guys. I will like occasionally go on, and then like some crazy older artist that I follow will like post. I'll be like, what the fuck? I mean, that's when you engage. And then I'm like looking, I'm like, oh Ty. Yeah, Ty. They're they're doing some shit right over here. It's just a photo of a uh like a uh modular synth. I'm like, oh, they're here.

SPEAKER_04 41:57

Yeah, that's what I mean. I feel like we're desensitized to shit that people post. It's like I don't give a fuck. This guy's making another tutorial video. Yeah. You just post one photo and you're just hyped. I'm like, oh no. Yeah, yeah, there needs to be more like more mysterious stuff going on.

SPEAKER_02 42:14

I think I think so. Well, it's also like, man, like if you're really gonna put in effort to like produce content, like quote unquote quant content, like why not shoot for something a little bigger, like make a show, you know, like or do something for a channel, like I don't know. I w I would do skits skits like sketch comedy, I can see you know, like for sure, but that's also like it has to be um almost like either tasteful or absolutely no taste, you know. It's like you have to go one way or the other. I don't think you can be in the middle on like comedic things anywhere. It's like no, I like go either like lame and lean into like the cringe or go like absurd fully, yeah. I don't know, or you can do a little bit of both and just contradict yourself all the time. That's funny too.

SPEAKER_04 43:07

Yeah, yeah, that's why I did this, because it's like one, it's it is a lot of work, but I try to make it like as simple as possible. And it's like I'm not sitting here like trying to come up with like how to promote my song, you know. Yeah, like I can just kind of like post clips of this, like I can like reuse a lot of this content, especially for artists, like they can reuse all the clips, use it for whatever, and it's not like I don't know.

SPEAKER_02 43:40

I think it's good, bro. Like this is good for like the community because you're like you're actually showcasing the people who are working and doing stuff like behind the scenes, like like Ian, bro, like he is literally coming up so hard. Yeah, or Justin, Justin is has been working so long and he's so good. Yeah. Um It's just real, you know. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 44:01

I was actually talking to Justin today.

SPEAKER_02 44:03

He's he's my favorite, bro.

SPEAKER_04 44:05

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 44:06

I'm gonna get him on here at some point. No, I'm talking about uh Sko. Justin's oh yeah but yeah, justin just in time. Yeah. What a kid. He's sick too.

SPEAKER_04 44:15

Yeah. Yeah, Sko is, bro. He's so funny. Bro. Literally. A one. A1, dude. And he hit me up and I was like, oh I'm uh I like scheduled a podcast with him and I was telling Ian, they're like, dude, that motherfucker's a wild boy. So funny. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 44:34

He he don't care. He don't give a fuck. Yeah. He's he's the real one.

SPEAKER_04 44:38

Yeah, he just does it for the love of the game. You know, that's so tight to me.

SPEAKER_02 44:42

He's good at it too.

SPEAKER_04 44:43

He's good at it.

SPEAKER_02 44:44

Like, he'll he's gonna uh if people don't know, they're gonna know, you know, for sure.

SPEAKER_04 44:50

Yeah, the real ones know.

SPEAKER_02 44:52

Yeah, yeah. Um shout out Harjuku Boys.

SPEAKER_04 44:58

Is there any uh I guess like artists that have been signed to cool contests that you're like kind of fucking with and like these guys are sick, you know, like pushing. Not pushing, but like artists you found.

SPEAKER_02 45:15

I mean, Eric Leonardis, uh, we met at like a house party in Long Beach through uh a friend, and he's a genius. Yeah, like he's absolutely brilliant at producing, he's a phenomenal DJ, and uh I think he's gonna be around for a long time. Yeah, yeah. Straight up Eric is one of the best. Um everybody's good, man. Like uh it really that's not for me to even say because it really is on everybody to take it like where they want, you know. If like if they want is like something way more, then they have to really go for it, you know.

SPEAKER_04 45:56

Yeah, I guess that's true.

SPEAKER_02 45:59

Um pushing like I'm pushing everybody, you know. Like I I want y'all to be better, I want y'all to uh keep creating and push yourself and do more, you know. Like um, whatever I can do. Like if you got something you want to put out, like you keep shopping around that nobody else is listening to. That's literally what we're here for. That's actually what I'm here for.

SPEAKER_04 46:22

Yeah, yeah, that's tight though.

SPEAKER_02 46:25

I mean, I listen to everything, every demo that gets sent, I listen to. Um it's fun. Yeah, like I love music, I love to listen to music, and uh sometimes like things just aren't for the label, you know, like we are. We do have a sound now. It's like we're not too tech house, we're not uh we're not really commercial house. If it's like I'm not opposed to vocals, but um I don't want um I don't want like the stereotypical, I want something cool, you know.

SPEAKER_04 46:57

Like it's got like that 90s kind of just like very raw sound, sure.

SPEAKER_02 47:01

Yeah, we definitely absolutely have like our foundation and our core love for like classic house music, um, but we're not afraid of new sounds either, you know, like um even like progressive. Like I I love all forms of house music, and like a lot of people are like, what genre house are you? And I'm like, I'm really like a purist of like all the subgenres, you know. Like I I'll play one gospel house track next to one like classic tech house track, like you know, like next to uh Jack In and next to a minimal, you know. Like I let I really like them all and I think they're super valid. I guess what I try to make deep house or I naturally make deep house. I love disco. I can't do it for the life of me. I used to not even be able to make like yeah, you know, when you like actually try to make a subgenre and you're like I'm missing the mark. Like I would always try to make tech house, and it would never be tech house, you know. I was just like, what am I missing here? Like, and it's a lot of time just like energy, you know, like yeah, I'm just like chilling in my room, like not just like no, I'm I'm not being fun, you know, like my vibe is not there, yeah. Like, you know, like you're just like I'm literally I don't go out enough to make tech house, like you know, it's like oh I guess I'm just gonna make deep house or lo-fi, you know, like yeah, because like I'm not experiencing all the big room synths, so I'm like, I'm not gonna put that in here, you know, like yeah, and I forget, like, oh, like when I do go out, I'm like I for like I need that shit, you know, to like get the energy up. Like you need those big sawtooth synths and like the energy and the huge reverbs and the growls, and you're just like, all right, cool, like I know what I'm missing. You and then reinspired, go back, come back here and try to cook.

SPEAKER_04 48:54

Yeah, I think it is important to go out and like experience music in a club setting because then you're like, Alright, I can see why this is working.

SPEAKER_02 49:04

Crucial, absolutely crucial. Like, I'm I was a club rat for a couple years, you know, and just like learning, focusing, and just like listening and trying to pay attention and then judging and then being an asshole and being a snob, you know, and just hating and not enjoying it, and then having to like check myself or getting checked by like my friends who are like, dude, shut the fuck up. Like you're like, Oh, I'm sorry, I'm gonna get demon. We're demonetized. No, you can cuss on here. I don't give a fuck.

SPEAKER_04 49:31

All right, cool. Um as long as it's not like the first 30 seconds. Okay, cool. You know, yeah, I'm not making money off of this anyway. Right. Um for the love of the game. Yeah, I don't even know what I was saying. Uh see if your friends were getting pissed off at you because you were a house snob.

SPEAKER_02 49:50

Just no, not even a house snob, just like everything, just critical over any piece of music. When I first started out, I wasn't even making house, I was making drum and bass and like um hip-hop beats. Like um, and then I just thought I was a note at some point. You like get confident, you know, and that sometimes, like, especially when you're drinking, that can translate to like arrogance, you know, and like um, or you're like you're just your jokes aren't hitting, you know, like you're talking shit to have fun, and it's like people are tired of it. They just want to hear the music and have a good time. Like, and I'm like, yeah, I don't want to hear this again. Like, I don't want to hear XYZ, XYZ, XYZ, the everything that's on the radio while I'm not listening to the radio. Yeah, it's like that's the curse of open format, you know?

SPEAKER_04 50:34

Yeah, yeah. I was kind of feeling that the other day. I was like, not I was not being a hater, but I was just like, sometimes you just go out and you're just not even enjoying yourself. And you're like, dude, why am I even out here? Why am I acting like this? I had to check myself. You just like you can't even go out and like enjoy regular people things.

SPEAKER_02 50:55

It's it's really hard because you have to like turn off that part of your brain, the critical, analytical, music part of your brain, when you're out being social. You know, I've had to like reteach myself to be social because like I can only talk about music and like I'm only having conversations with people who do music because like it's all I actually care about and it's all I actually like put my time into. So when I'm talking to like my girlfriend's friends who don't do music, yeah, like a bar. I don't I'm like, what up? What do you guys been up to? Oh yeah, just I go to the studio, so I'm at the been at the studio and they're like, Oh, what does that mean? Oh yeah, I everybody knows I make music, but it's like I don't have anything else to talk about.

SPEAKER_04 51:40

Yeah, you can really like translate that to normal people.

SPEAKER_02 51:43

Yeah, it's like I didn't they're like, Did you go to work? And I'm like, I went to the I played at the bar the other night, you know? Like and I hardly even drink when I go out, or like I guess I'm drinking a lot more now, which is cool because I never drank. Like um, I was like not into alcohol until I was like 27, and then I started getting wasted, and then I just like stopped drinking again. Yeah, and now I'm like an aspiring alcoholic. Nice, I'm like, yeah, let's let's start drinking again. It's so fun when you're when you know how to handle your shit.

SPEAKER_04 52:17

Like, yeah, because then you could just like have beers on a Sunday, you know, drinking's so cool, like especially during the day, dude. Every everybody should just drink. Clip that yeah, we're just promoting alcoholism. No, it is like if you can just like be a regular person and not just like take it too far every time. Yeah, exactly. Exactly.

SPEAKER_02 52:43

If you can have two drinks, like, dude, like you're gonna have a good time. Like, you don't need to get wasted, you know. Like, and you don't need to do it all the time. Like, I go out all the time when I'm just not drinking. I'm like, cool, like, yeah, I'm having water tonight because because why? I just like I'm not really I don't know why. I just I don't care. I don't care to drink, you know. I'm good.

SPEAKER_04 53:03

It depends what it is. Like, where are you at drinking water?

SPEAKER_02 53:08

Uh like outside parties, you know, like out like uh outdoor events, you know. If I'm or like a private party, I'm like uh like no, I'm I'm drinking water, you know, like um especially if like I set up the event, you know, like I'm good. Yeah, at the cool, like we have an hour left. Sure, I'll take all if you have a glass of wine or something, but like at I also have to drive, so I'm like most of the time no. Yeah. You have to be a responsible dull at some point in your life. Well, especially if you want longevity as like a musician or a DJ, like or even a producer, like you have to have good habits because like they matter, you know, especially to people who are gonna give you chances and opportunities. Like you you look bad around them, like they're not gonna want to work with you. Yeah, simple as that. You know, you won't have a second chance.

SPEAKER_04 53:56

Yeah, and it's just impossible to maintain like if you're going to all these after parties all the time, unless you don't have a day job, you can make it work, but it's just impossible like to have enough time to work on music and be out that late, you know? It's really hard. Because then you wake up and you're like, fuck, I don't want to work on music, I'm hungover.

SPEAKER_02 54:20

The the all right, the hack to that is just to make like chill out music. Like I I just make lo-fi. Just make like start at like a hundred and just like alright, cool. I'm not working on kick drums, like I'm literally gonna just pads, I'm gonna try to work out my hangover, you know. It's like especially like I learned that with my like live rig. I was like, uh sure, I don't want to make music, but it's part of my job, it's part of the job, you know. Like I got here for a reason, so turn it on, and then I was just like, oh yeah, like I work really good at this tempo, you know. I'm like, I feel fine, like my head's not pounding. I'm gonna take some Tylenol and drink some water, you know.

SPEAKER_04 55:00

Yeah, I try to get my stuff done like before I go out. If I'm going out on a Saturday night, I just try and get everything done on that side.

SPEAKER_02 55:10

There's always more to do.

SPEAKER_04 55:11

Like as like endless.

SPEAKER_02 55:13

Especially like as an independent creative, like there's always more to do. Like there's always another another invoice, another email, another demo, another another uh unfinished project, another bounce. You know, there's always something like so that part, you know, just like keeping yourself busy, like holding yourself accountable, because I don't have a boss, you know. Like uh I mean I think on now I do. I have two bosses now. Um I randomly like got jobs, like so that's new, you know, like but I don't know. Like it's it's really important to just make sure you're locked in and you can keep working, you know.

SPEAKER_04 56:00

Yeah, and you also get w will get to that point where you kind of have to look yourself in the mirror like, alright, is this really s sustainable to live my life like this, you know? Yes. Like what can I cut back on? And then you can kind of see. For sure.

SPEAKER_02 56:20

See the truth. Acknowledge your behavior and your patterns, you know. Yeah. Just be like, oh, alright. Well, here I'm gonna put some energy or some new some new behaviors or new habits or try to shift some things around.

SPEAKER_04 56:33

Yeah, and just change, I guess, who you're hanging out with.

SPEAKER_02 56:36

Yeah, that part. But I don't do that. I just like I keep going, keep spiraling the drain, keep spiraling the drain. I'm I'm committed, I'm committed. Till till death.

SPEAKER_04 56:46

Yeah, he's a good friend.

SPEAKER_02 56:49

Till death to us part, till death to us party. His new track. Let's go.

SPEAKER_04 56:55

Out now. Out everywhere where records where music is sold. It's not, it's not out. We'll get there at some point. Yeah, I think so. Yeah. Hopefully by the end of the year, I'll have some stuff out. Do you listen to podcasts? Um this is gonna c probably sound kind of weird. I guess not weird, but I used to listen like Joe Rogan and just kind of random podcasts, but I grew up racing motocross. So I follow like that super heavily.

SPEAKER_01 57:29

That's cool.

SPEAKER_04 57:29

Yeah, that's cool. So like everything that's going on in the sport of motocross, like I know about it. That's awesome. Yeah. That's really cool. Yeah, so I listen to those. Um I used to listen to like music podcasts sometimes. But recently I just don't wanna I don't even want to listen to electronic music. I don't even want to hear about electronic music. I get it. 'Cause sometimes it it just one, it kind of taints my ear a little bit when I'm going to make something. And I think I just put too much pressure on myself, so I don't like hearing about it all the time.

SPEAKER_01 58:10

Yeah, for sure.

SPEAKER_04 58:11

You know? Like I don't like I don't want to hear people talk about music and like just the industry and how shitty it is. Like I don't need those. I don't need those negative thoughts in my head.

SPEAKER_02 58:22

No, yeah. This is a non- We're everything that I'm saying here is strictly constructive and towards the positive benefit of everybody, you know, like except this podcast.

SPEAKER_03 58:32

We don't talk about negative haters over here. We're all positive.

SPEAKER_02 58:37

Yeah, the haters are such a good thing, you know. Like I I truly love everybody who doesn't like me because uh shout them out. Uh shout out uh blank beep beep. I don't know. Can we add some also need some some dial tone or something?

SPEAKER_04 58:54

Yeah, the bleep sounds, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 58:56

There we go.

SPEAKER_04 58:58

That would be funny. There we go. I don't do I'd never do any editing, but I could edit some stuff in here.

SPEAKER_01 59:03

I love sound effects. Like sound effects are like okay.

SPEAKER_02 59:12

I'm like, uh, let's we need some prop comedy, bro. Okay, I meant to ask you this earlier. Do you listen to music while you drive? Uh yeah, I do. Sometimes I don't. Like, or a lot just in silence. Often I I would say like 80% of the time I'm driving with no music. Just because I'm like I'm burnt out. I'm like coming back from a gig. Yeah. Or I'm driving to the studio, or I'm taking a break, and the times that I'm listening to music, sometimes it's just like half of the time it's demos, you know, or uh just the car test.

SPEAKER_04 59:44

Yeah, I totally feel that. Coming the no music coming back from the gig is the most amazing thing ever. Bro, just you're just sitting in the car in the air conditioning, like ears ringing, just like oh my god.

SPEAKER_02 59:56

Especially if it was a good gig, you're just buzzing so much energy.

SPEAKER_04 1:00:02

Peace right there. Yeah. Just on the freeway, no one, so you know the lights on the freeway. Yeah, but I mean, if you don't if you weren't in the music industry and you just drove in silence, straight like psychopath and mad respect mad respect.

SPEAKER_02 1:00:19

Uh I think it's really cool. Yeah, I think people who uh don't like music are so interesting. Like, yeah, I remember I was like a child promoting like one of the first beats that ever made on like MySpace, and like some dude who was like, he was like, I sent it to him and he's like, I don't like music.

SPEAKER_04 1:00:37

He's like, I don't listen to music, and I was like, Well, I have come across people like that that they don't so they don't like music, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:00:45

Like, dog, what I didn't know people like that did like existed, like it blew my mind because like music has always been so sacred and pure to me. You know, since I was a child, I was like, it's magic.

SPEAKER_04 1:00:56

Yeah, what do you like if you don't like music, you know? Truly. I think they they usually would hit you with the I like movies, you know. I'm a movie person.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:08

Yeah, that's I guess that's the only valid response.

SPEAKER_04 1:01:11

But that's not really a valid response because music isn't like movies are just like kind of a one-dimensional thing that you experience like in the moment. Like music is everywhere, it's like soundtrack to your life, you know.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:25

Yeah, but some people's narratives are just different, you know? Like, I don't know.

SPEAKER_04 1:01:30

Like, I because if you lived on like a farm, you might not listen to music.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:37

Or you would listen to only like Young Thug, you know, like in the tractor, yeah, just literally just like the same 14 Young Thug songs, you know, on like one playlist.

SPEAKER_04 1:01:52

Yeah, just on iTunes, like never updated the computer.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:56

You know it by you know every word, every like melodic phrase by heart, you know.

SPEAKER_04 1:02:02

That would be sick though, in the tractor with like probably the most blown-out speakers on earth.

SPEAKER_02 1:02:08

You and it's a sub. You know, you got a sub, but you for sure got a sub.

SPEAKER_04 1:02:17

That's hilarious. It's pretty good. What the fuck were we talking about before this? I don't know.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:24

Something good for sure.

SPEAKER_04 1:02:25

Oh, you asked about if about like not listening to music. Oh, yeah. Um no, we talked about that in the podcast. Okay, cool.

SPEAKER_02 1:02:37

Yeah, um uh I don't know. Let me ask you some questions. Yeah, yeah. Feel free to ask me whatever you want. Yeah, so um what got you into music? Has someone asked that before? Have you already answered that?

SPEAKER_04 1:02:50

Um not not so sp specifically.

SPEAKER_02 1:02:54

Okay, then cool.

SPEAKER_04 1:02:54

What got you into music? Um my sister.

SPEAKER_02 1:02:59

Older or younger? She's older. Obviously, yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 1:03:03

Uh my sister's a my sister's a chola. What's up, fool? Yeah. Yeah. And uh shout out, fool. Yeah, basically a white chola. Tight. Yeah, she won't listen to this, so I can put her on blast. But no, she uh the first two CDs that I ever got was a Blink 182 CD, the blue one, I forget. What is it? Enema of the State. Enema the State, and I got 50 Cent Ri uh get Richard Dye Trying.

SPEAKER_02 1:03:36

Fire with the broken glass gunshot, yeah, bullet.

SPEAKER_04 1:03:41

So those two albums shaped my music journey. Cause I always listen to, especially in high school, I always listen to a lot of rap before I even got into house music. You know, like a lot of rap songs they use like those 808s that like rattle the trunk, of course. And it just sounds super muffled. I was like, this shit's whack. You know, I liked 50 Cent because his beats were just straight, like so clean and just like knocking. And I think that's what has kind of like shaped my kind of like sound design, I guess. Now that's cool. Was 50 Cent. Wow.

SPEAKER_02 1:04:22

Um your sound is really clean.

SPEAKER_04 1:04:24

Yeah, it's like it's pretty polished, yeah. Like knocky and just like in the pocket.

SPEAKER_02 1:04:29

Yeah, no, it's really good. Like you're you sound tight, like for sure.

SPEAKER_04 1:04:33

Yeah, so I liked I've always listened to rap. Um, I didn't get into house music till like I was out of high school. Yeah, I didn't get into house music till late either. Because I used to be a big hip-hop head. Me too. Like I don't even think I've ever talked about this on the podcast, but I used to, I had a friend of mine, he uh would always have like music. I'm like, where what fucking song is this? And he would always have just like the most random music, and he would go on these like hip hop websites and just like download mixtapes. And which is kind of like unreleased music, I guess, to the general public. So I would go on like Hot New Hip Hop and I would like go through every mixtape that would come out on a daily basis. And then there was this other website called a Trilli, and you could get like albums before they dropped. So I was getting like all these like r like big rap albums like a week before they would come out on this website. Yeah, like I would get I got like a bunch of Mac Miller albums, um just like random shit. So I would always be finding like music this is before streaming, so I would just like download a bunch of shit for sure onto my iPod. And I don't even know if those websites are still even around, but yeah, I was just pirating as much music as possible.

SPEAKER_02 1:05:59

Dude, I Same, same. I was on I was a lime wire kid and I would like make mixtapes for me and all the homies, you know, and like that's that was like probably my first intro to like knowing what like I wanted to do music. I started curating playlists and making those for the homies. I was like, oh, I want to make beats. I want to make beats like this. Cause I was downloading like obscure Jay Dilla beats and like um just like instrument Dr. Dre instrumentals, you know, NWA instrumentals, whatever I could find, like instrumental-wise, I was like just trying to like really hear it clearly, you know, and like figure out what was going on. And uh yeah, that yeah, that's the origins, you know, like for sure. Hip hop is and iPods and you know, download illegally downloading tracks.

SPEAKER_04 1:06:48

Like, did you ever download on uh Limewire like the comedy specials?

SPEAKER_02 1:06:53

Bro, I was so I would I I listened to so much Eddie Murphy, like in high school, like I downloaded so much like Eddie Murphy comedy and Bill Cosby. Like I was like Oh yeah, so this is yeah, I was like I was super into comedy, like I would go to sleep like with uh like Chappelle's show on DVD every night, you know.

SPEAKER_04 1:07:18

Like my dad got that for me, and I was just like Chappelle's show was the shit, dude. I would I was I think I was in middle school at the time, and I just fucking downloaded all the Dave Chappelle comedy specials. I'm like a little ass kid, you know. I shouldn't be listening to this for sure. I would just like me and my brother would just we would drive out to like these races, like the motocross races, and we would just listen to Dave Chappelle with like one earphone. The best, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:07:47

There's nothing like that.

SPEAKER_04 1:07:49

I forgot about this whole like section of my life, dude. Awesome. We're bringing it back. Yeah, that was good times. That was a before streaming ruined everything. Bro, I like they thought downloading music illegally was gonna ruin the music industry.

SPEAKER_02 1:08:08

I actually went and re-bought a lot of the music that I downloaded illegally back in the day, like everything that I wanted to keep and everything that really inspired me and everything that I want to play. Yeah, I pretty much almost bought everything. Like, and then everything that I don't have, I don't play. Or I like, you know, it's just like it's just not like I've really like turned a leaf and like I buy music now. Like I before every single gig I'm like spending at least like 50-60 bucks. Like yeah, it's what it is, you know. I'm like want to keep keep the ecosystem going.

SPEAKER_04 1:08:43

Like, you know, I think in the beginning, when you're first trying to figure out if this is what you want to do, like download music illegally every time. Get it however you gotta get it. Like I however.

SPEAKER_02 1:08:57

That's why like I put out hella music for free. I'm like just like, dude, like I took so much, you know. Like um, I was I didn't know any better. I thought music should be free. Like, that's why, like, even the first couple parties that I threw, like for like years were all free. You know, it's just like it should be free. Like, music is free, it's a free thing. Like the way you experience it, it's a very freeing thing if you give yourself to it too, you know.

SPEAKER_04 1:09:24

Like, yeah, and I like being able to it's like almost like it sounds kind of fucked up, but it's like you feel good donating to a charity, right? And I feel like if I'm buying somebody's music, like I'm just like go you, like you know, for sure. Oh, I support you, I support what you're doing for sure.

SPEAKER_02 1:09:46

It's support you're not a charity, but you're like no, but it but like you know what I mean. I I definitely 100% get you. You're like, no, I'm like supporting something that is maybe irrelevant, but it's like doing good it's gonna do good for somebody. It's gonna make this guy be like, cool, I got 76 cents from Bandcamp. Yeah, heck yeah. It's a good feeling. Every 76 cents counts.

SPEAKER_04 1:10:11

Yeah. Yeah, but you gotta do what you gotta do in the beginning. You gotta grind for the rap. Yep.

SPEAKER_02 1:10:19

I say get it how you can, you know, like like that's bro. I feel so bad for the people who aren't from here. You know, because who aren't from like LA or Long Beach and come here and try to make it, like, because it's it is hard, bro. Yeah, it is hard, and like I've had opportunities because I've been around, you know, and like I've watched other people leave and then the opportunities that would have gone to them come to me, you know, it's just like it's proximity at some point, you know, and like who you can like people in a small town like that only gets you can only get so far you hit a ceiling, like um like you can be a big fish in the biggest ocean here, you know, like and keep eating.

SPEAKER_04 1:11:02

Yeah. So 'cause here it's where everybody tries to go. Yeah, it is it's way more it's very competitive. Like you're saying, just like even just sending tracks to labels or whatever, like out of the ten thousand demos that they get, how how are they gonna like pick like your music has to be miles ahead of everyone else? But a lot of the times how these label signings happen is just you know the person personally, you know?

SPEAKER_02 1:11:34

Yeah, for sure.

SPEAKER_04 1:11:36

I think that's it. You gotta get out in the streets, put in the work.

SPEAKER_02 1:11:41

What's uh did you ever watch Wonder Shozen? No, oh my gosh. Uh were you like a big MTV kid?

SPEAKER_04 1:11:50

Um I watched all you remember like Scarred? Oh yeah, Scarred, Robin Big, Fantasy Factory, that was like my era.

SPEAKER_02 1:11:59

Okay, yeah, that's good stuff. Like uh Wonder Shozen, I think, was like MTV too. It was like a obscure puppet show esque.

SPEAKER_04 1:12:09

Oh, I think I do remember that.

SPEAKER_02 1:12:10

Like terrible skits with children, you know, like and they're just like asking people like uh off the wall questions.

SPEAKER_04 1:12:17

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:12:18

I don't know.

SPEAKER_04 1:12:19

I don't know why I thought of that, but do you remember Happy Tree Friends?

SPEAKER_02 1:12:22

Yeah, for sure.

SPEAKER_04 1:12:23

Dude, that was that era of just like meme culture was like so insane.

SPEAKER_02 1:12:31

Dude, I think my little cousin who I was talking about earlier blew up on TikTok on a happy tree friends video, like like posting clips of them? Posting clips of them like five years ago. He got like 16 million on like a couple and like didn't get any like didn't get any deals, tried to promote his music after to like the all his new followers and didn't work. Yeah, that never works. It never works, it never works. Happy Tree Friends, dude. Dude, he's a he the kid knows how to go viral.

SPEAKER_04 1:13:04

The kid knows I'm surprised he knew what happy tree friends was.

SPEAKER_02 1:13:08

He's a wild one, yeah. I don't know. What's your do you listen to a lot of comedy now? Or do you like you have a couple comedians you like?

SPEAKER_04 1:13:17

Um just DJs. I do listen to not like a ton of comedy. Um who have I been listening to? I like Sam Marrill.

SPEAKER_02 1:13:29

He's good, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 1:13:30

New York guy.

SPEAKER_02 1:13:30

Yeah, yeah, for sure. I know. Yeah, he's I know I don't know him personally, but yeah, he's that guy. He's like oh no, no, that's that's uh that's his co-host, Norman. Mark Norman.

SPEAKER_04 1:13:41

Yeah. He's he's not really my flavor of comedy, but he's like a funny guy. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You know? For sure. Hey, yeah, yeah, yeah. He's got like that not slapstick, but it's kind of like a funny shtick. Yep. Shane Gillis is funny. For sure. I think he gets like if you say you like Shane Gillis, you're like a Chad. But he is he is funny.

SPEAKER_02 1:14:05

I seen him live. Uh he's funny. He's legitimately funny. Like he's just naturally funny. Yeah, he's a funny guy.

SPEAKER_04 1:14:11

Bobby Lee brought him out, and I was like, have you been to the have you ever been to like well, you said you saw Shane Gillis, but you've been to like the comedy store?

SPEAKER_02 1:14:21

Yeah, I seen Eric Andre there. Like, dude.

SPEAKER_01 1:14:24

Fuck Eric Andre. So funny. He's a wild guy.

SPEAKER_02 1:14:27

I've seen him a couple times. Like I seen him once in San Diego too, and he like we oh dude, oh that's like a funny story. Like, me and my girlfriend got to the comedy show late, like they were about to close the doors, and they're like, All right, come in. And then there was like two empty seats in the very front, and they placed us in the very front, and then he was like, He at some point, he like like my girlfriend like has all these tattoos, and she like he looked and he was like, Oh, nice swastika. Or he's like, Oh, he's like, You have a bunch of tattoos and like nice swastika, and we're just like, Oh no, and then people got on stage and like dumped ranch all over themselves, and it was just like we're right here, like, oh no, it was we're cooked, it was bad.

SPEAKER_04 1:15:13

That's funny, so funny. Yeah, he's got a dude. Some of his skits, you watch them and you're like, dude, how is he doing this?

SPEAKER_02 1:15:22

It's one of my favorite shows of all time. I think it's one of the greatest shows I ever made.

SPEAKER_04 1:15:26

Yeah, like the clip of uh what's his name when he's like singing the Walk of Laka song. Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:15:34

Hannibal.

SPEAKER_04 1:15:35

I meant Hannibal. Hannibal. Yeah, that's what it was.

SPEAKER_02 1:15:38

Hannibal is so funny, dude. Yeah, I even like um tried to spin off uh the Eric Andre show with a friend one time. Like, we made like a sketch comedy show. Yeah, you remember Bird Up? No, all there's all right. Well, I'm not gonna since you don't know, I'm not going into it. And I think that that's it, right? What? You're looking at the thing like we're done, but no, I just wanted to see what time we're at. Yeah, um, so yeah, we made like a little sketch comedy show, like a bunch of skits, and they were funny, hella funny. Like all the homies like participated. It was actually at like one of our old studios that we were at in North Hollywood, and uh filmed everything there, filmed like three episodes that were like three minutes each, and then randomly got to pitch them to Adult Swim, and they were like, Yeah, we're down to make this.

SPEAKER_00 1:16:30

What?

SPEAKER_02 1:16:31

Yeah, and then it like I think it was right before COVID happened, and then like and and not like nothing was even happening for like they were like, Yeah, we're down to give you guys money to make a legit pilot, yeah, and then they never responded to any emails or anything, and then it was just like all fell through. Like imagine, bro, I can imagine, yeah. Like, I know how to make funny stuff, like that's never been an issue. Like, I'll put my body on the line for it, you know. Like, I I comedy's super funny, it's super fun to do. Music is easier on the body, uh, takes a lot more criticism, you know. Like, yeah, when you're joking around, like nothing nothing affects you, but like when you're putting your heart and and soul into like music, you're like, I gotta make it slap. I gotta make it represent, you know?

SPEAKER_04 1:17:28

Yeah, yeah, you gotta be proud of what you put out.

SPEAKER_02 1:17:31

For sure. I can be like comedy, I can be like, yeah, that was Yeah, that didn't that didn't work out. That's not really me. That's me like being uh an like exaggerated version of like a former version of myself, you know, like or a version of somebody I've met, or like a character of like what this type of person could be. Yeah, yeah. I don't know.

SPEAKER_04 1:17:58

It's in kind of like the same lane. I think so. It's kind of it takes kind of the same rain. Yeah, comedy's not a lot, not very many DJs are funny though.

SPEAKER_02 1:18:12

It's a very serious profession.

SPEAKER_04 1:18:14

Yeah, some of these guys take it way too seriously, bro.

SPEAKER_02 1:18:18

Like, what? We're DJs, bro. Like, yeah, how how how can you not take me serious? Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 1:18:30

I mean, you have to look like you're uh like a pop star.

SPEAKER_02 1:18:35

You gotta mean business, you know, like we're in we're in this for fame, money, women cars, you know. I mean it works. I mean, like some of us are are in it for the fame, the money, the women, the car, and other people are in it for the money, the money, the money, you know, like there's no money though, bro. Where is all the money? It's it's it's in the most obscure place. It truly is. It's where you're not looking for it.

SPEAKER_04 1:19:10

Yeah, you know, like yeah, you have to have like five jobs in order to survive on music.

SPEAKER_02 1:19:18

No, for sure. Like you really have to diversify your bonds, you know, like yeah, yeah, you gotta be a comedian, entertainer, mixed master, performer, engineer, cosplayer, you know, like uh dancer, you know, backup singer. You have to be uh willing to do it all, you know. Yeah, take out the trash. Like it's part of it, you know.

SPEAKER_04 1:19:44

If I was just starting out, I'd probably try to uh yeah, what would you do if you had to start from zero today?

SPEAKER_02 1:19:53

Dude, uh I would probably try to work at a bar.

SPEAKER_04 1:19:56

Like not necessarily with your like music's like prowess, but just like no one with layer, yeah. Like, alright, I'm gonna try and be a DJ, but I have all this music. Actually, you don't have any of your catalog, you just have to like start from zero. Like you have to make a track today and then become a DJ.

SPEAKER_02 1:20:20

Well, uh, I mean that's impossible because I'm so good. I'm so good now. Like, so like you know, it's like I w I it's no problem for me to start from zero and make a track. That's very true. That's not very accurate. I'm so good at it, you know. It's like it literally, like, it's second nature now for me to like make something that I love, you know. It's like absolutely so easy. Yeah. Um, but like if I were really, if I were younger and starting out as a DJ and I wanted to like get some experience, I'd probably try to start working at a bar and then like uh try to like throw some nights there, like get a good relationship, go to a bar. It's just hard to like go out every night when you're not like working because you're then you're spending money for a long time, you know. So it's like maybe try to just go in there and bug the manager, work at a bar for a little while, try to start some nights, you know. Uh, and then you'll have friends too, like a lot of like staff goes out, you know.

SPEAKER_04 1:21:16

So yeah, I think bartending I've said this before, like if I was to go back in college, I would have just become a bartender.

SPEAKER_02 1:21:24

It's the move, it's the best move, like because you have the social interaction, um you have the people who are going out, uh, and you like have the working relationship with the venue. Yeah, you know, like yeah, so that's definitely probably the move, you know.

SPEAKER_04 1:21:43

Yeah, and then if you're like I know some bartenders that will work like after party stuff, so then you kind of like it's just a it you talk to the owner or the promoter because you're running the bar or whatever. So you kind of work the back end.

SPEAKER_02 1:22:00

Yeah, I don't know. I mean it's hard too, because like I I don't know because also I didn't hold a job like through my twenties, like because I was putting all my time into trying to actually get good at like the thing that I was doing, you know? So it's like I avoided um stuff that wasn't actually like adding to that purpose to like put in the time and get good and get welcomed into rooms like this and like be able to hang with people who have platinum records and have Grammys and like be able to add to the conversation versus just being like a fly on the wall. You know, it's like no, you have to really take the chance and like dive in. Like I I was broke for years, you know, like like a starving artist, and like all my money went to not me, you know, like um so it was just brutal, but like that really separated me from the people who didn't want it, you know, or like didn't need it. Like I needed it, you know, like uh I I was gonna get it whatever way, you know. So like yeah, it takes determination, you know, especially like when you're not like when you don't have the connections. My family's not in music, you know. They're like, what are you gonna do here? Like, we can't do anything for you there. So you just have to like be the best version of yourself when you can, you know, and like find the find your people.

SPEAKER_04 1:23:29

I think also working for free. A lot of people just don't want to do anything unless they're getting paid, you know? Like go like work for free, sweep the floor at a studio or something.

SPEAKER_02 1:23:39

That's literally what I did, literally what I did, and then when everyone would leave, I would work and I would work till the sunrise, and I would work till 8 a.m. when the next person came in, and then I would go find an empty couch and crash for four hours and then wake up, go shower at the YMCA and come back and do it again. You know, like literally I would skate down the street, clean up, I because going on the train back to Long Beach was four hours like round trip. Like I'm like, no, I'm just gonna I live at this studio right now, you know, for this is this is it, you know, putting in the time. Like did that for like six months and just like bro, grew so much. Yeah, you know, those are probably the funnest times though. Insane. Insane. That was like the time that I made the the the show, you know, too. It was just like on our free time where we're all hanging out, like we're burnt out on music or the the rooms booked, like we're hanging out in the hallways, and like, all right, let's let's do something, you know. Yeah, it builds character for sure. Builds something, kills brain cells for sure. Yeah, you can do a lot with that time. You can build, you can destroy, you can create, you can um avoid whatever, whatever you feel.

SPEAKER_04 1:24:55

Yeah, yeah, it's a tough world out there nowadays. Everyone's trying to be somebody. But be the only person you can be is you, just be yourself, man.

SPEAKER_02 1:25:07

It is true though. Yeah, I mean, and if you don't like yourself, then change, you know, straight up. Yeah, like just change that that's it.

SPEAKER_04 1:25:16

It's as simple as to a certain point, I guess. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:25:19

Well, I mean, like what? Like you can't like you can't keep spiraling in the same uh I guess like your actions, but like not your actual person. No, you could change your person too. Like like be whoever you want to be. Yeah, I guess it's you know, it's like it'll it'll take a take a while, but and but people get used to it, you know?

SPEAKER_04 1:25:37

You can move to another city.

SPEAKER_02 1:25:39

You can move to another city, you can change your entire friend group, you know?

SPEAKER_04 1:25:42

I've thought about that.

SPEAKER_02 1:25:43

Dye your hair, bro. Like uh pretend like you don't know anybody.

SPEAKER_04 1:25:48

Like you could move to just like I don't know, some random city in Texas and just like be a cowboy. It's true, it's it's really true. You could just make up some whole backstory and just like live a completely different life.

SPEAKER_02 1:26:03

I think that was so much easier to do, like before iPhone. You just couldn't make an Instagram, yeah. Well, you'd have to, bro.

SPEAKER_01 1:26:16

You'd be like new cowboy, new cowboy area code, you know?

SPEAKER_02 1:26:24

Yeah, so tight. Where would you live if you could live anywhere? Um anywhere in the whole entire galaxy.

SPEAKER_04 1:26:36

I don't know, because I haven't really traveled that many places. I like the UK, every a lot of people are getting stabbed, but I I would like to live in the UK for a while. Cause I just like the I like the UK vibes.

SPEAKER_02 1:26:51

Yes, Brav.

SPEAKER_04 1:26:52

Like London, you don't have to drive anywhere. Everything's around. I like foreign women also. There there it is. There's the answer.

SPEAKER_02 1:27:03

There's the answer. That's where we were trying to get, folks. Yeah. We're trying to get to the bottom of things, and uh, we really got there. I'm gonna speak directly into the camera for a second, guys. This one, this one right here is for you. You for you for your foreign women. He got it. Ian's right here. He got it out of me. Ian loves you. Yeah, we love you.

SPEAKER_04 1:27:25

No, I'm I don't love nobody. I would love I love the music. I would love to live in like another country besides the US.

SPEAKER_02 1:27:34

It's it's attainable, you know? Especially like doing this, man. Like you can kind of live for I mean if you if you have if you can get some remote work, you know, yeah, go wherever, bro.

SPEAKER_04 1:27:46

I think if you want to be like a DJ, you kind of have to be in America. 'Cause like the money for the travel if you live somewhere else, the ratio is decent, you know, like the I mean the

SPEAKER_02 1:28:00

The way people pay here in LA when you get decent paying jobs, it's good. You know, like um and you don't really, you're not that's not guaranteed anywhere else, you know. Like if you look if you take out the crazy cost of living here in LA, we all kind of make decent money. Yeah, you know, like it's just like we don't see any of it because we're spending so much on gas or rent or everything else that's marked up, you know? Like, but it's beautiful.

SPEAKER_04 1:28:26

Yeah, we get sunshine, that's about it. Hey, hey, we can't take it. I can't complain though. I don't I don't want to be those. I'm not a like I really love. I love it here. Oh I'm not an LA hater. I love it. I love the traffic. You know what? This it probably sounds kind of weird. I used to drive a lot for work, and that's when I would like dig for music. Yeah. So I'd always be finding stuff. And now I work like 15 minutes from my house. I don't have that time to just like sit and just like enjoy music like I used to.

SPEAKER_02 1:29:03

It's a thing, for sure. I find myself sometimes with like less time to sit and enjoy music, and it's just like so now when I sit in traffic, I'm like, this is dope. I love it. But sometimes I'm just like not, yeah. I'm still not listening to anything. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 1:29:21

In silence, silence in traffic, in traffic in silence.

SPEAKER_02 1:29:26

Yeah, no, I swear. Like, and it's just like that's how you know you're just fucking cooked. So cooked, really. Like, dude. Well, because I'm either I'm literally always either on my way to make music or coming back from making music. And so some sometimes I'm literally like I don't want to hear anything. Like, I need my ears need to rest, you know. Yeah, I almost like I fucked up my hearing a couple times. Have you ever had any issues?

SPEAKER_04 1:29:56

Um I for sure my ears ring, but not like bad enough. I don't have like tinnitus.

SPEAKER_02 1:30:04

I had like one party I played last summer where the booth monitor on like my right side was so loud that like the next morning I woke up with like my eardrum like popping and it didn't go away for weeks. It was like crackling. I was like anytime I yawned, it was like I'm like, no.

SPEAKER_04 1:30:22

Yeah. I blew out my eardrum when I was like in high school. But that was from surfing. That's crazy. You like slammed? No, the fucking board hit me in the ear, so it like pushed the water in and just blew my eardrum out. I've never heard of anything like that. Yeah, it was weird because like it happened, like hit me in the head, and then you just when your eardrum blows out, your balance and like coordination gets all fucked up. Yeah. And I had to like I don't even remember what they did to fix it, but I can hear fine now, I guess. I don't really I don't really know. Maybe I have selective hearing now. What was that? There we go. See see that folks? See, I can hear. Alright, he's like, Yeah, how much longer do you want to go?

SPEAKER_02 1:31:22

Uh whatever, man. Like, uh, I got I got more to say. Yeah. I got more to say. This is a safe space. You can you're here. You know what, guys? I'm gonna speak, I'm gonna speak directly to the camera again. Speak your truth. Um forgot what I was gonna say. Um yeah, yeah, man. Um what's new for you? What's a what's what's your days what's your day to day?

SPEAKER_04 1:31:48

Day to day. Um I have a nine to five, which fucking blows. It's cool. Yeah, it's not my favorite job. I'm trying to find something else just because it's it's a lot of negativity. My boss is just an old grouch. Yeah, it's the worst. Yeah, it's like not the energy I want to be around. No. Like it's I'm not annoyed about the I wish I was making more money, obviously. But if it it's just a very negative environment. But uh no, I basically just work nine to five and then I get off and work on music or do this. Edit clips. It's the most annoying part. I tried to at some point I'm gonna hire somebody to just run the podcast. Yeah. Cause it's just I don't want to have to edit clips. I'm sure you could get a sponsor. You can get a sponsor for this for sure. A sponsor at some point. That's kind of the This episode is brought to you by Blue Chew. Yeah. Fucking what's the one? Uh the like razors that everyone uses?

SPEAKER_02 1:32:57

Fucking Manscaped. Manscaped. There you go. Sponsored by Manscaped. We're gonna beep those so we don't guys don't get free ads right now.

SPEAKER_04 1:33:05

Yeah. At some point it would be nice. Um just to let you know, it's if I get sponsors, I'm gonna sell out. Bro, please do, please do. But no, a sponsor, a sponsors would be cool. Yeah, as like another stream of income so I can survive off.

SPEAKER_02 1:33:23

Absolutely, man. I think that's like kind of the game is you have to have multiple streams so you can keep doing it, you know? Yeah. Because it's not always gonna pay on time. You know, that's the crazy thing about the music business. It might it might pay. Some people are shady, yeah, but it always takes a long time. Yeah, always takes a long time to get paid.

SPEAKER_04 1:33:41

Yeah. And I like doing uh I get really bored if I'm doing the same thing. So I like kind of like having other things to do.

SPEAKER_02 1:33:49

Have to. I have to. So it's just like um I'm just not going to. Yeah. You know, like uh I need other places to go, I need other things to do.

SPEAKER_04 1:34:00

Yeah. I'm probably gonna start uh this is this is my my my year plan. Right. I rented out my sound system the other day for like eight hundred bucks. Tight. I was like, I didn't have to do anything. I just dropped this shit off and I made eight hundred dollars. That's as much as I make in a week, you know. So I think I'm gonna start just like renting sound equipment for like corporate events, weddings, and stuff like that. Cause you don't have to have some crazy sound system like a QSC. No. You could get a bunch of just QSC tops and rent those out and just like drop them off. Yep. So I'm hoping that will turn into another stream of income. Yeah, you just really gotta try to build up clientele. Yeah, like that's all it is. Yeah. Cause I'm doing like sales kind of stuff right now, and it's like I have I have some leads for stuff like that. So but it's all on your your network.

SPEAKER_02 1:35:06

Your network is your net worth type type ting. Your vibe attracts your tribe. Oh, that's a good one. Yeah. Um, yeah. So have you ever uh had anybody that you don't like on the podcast? Uh someone that you like didn't vibe with. You don't have to tell me who they are, but like I'll tell you who they are.

SPEAKER_04 1:35:31

No, not not really. Because like most of the people I have on here, like I think I think Justin was the only person that like hit me up first. Oh, cool. Yeah, most of the people I reach out to. That's cool. So it's like I try to have people on here that I actually want to talk to. Yeah. You know? Yeah. Because if I'm just talking to somebody I don't care to talk to, it's like I'm not getting paid for this. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:36:00

Hopefully, hopefully one day you do though. Because this is a valuable, valuable service that you're providing to I don't know, the the people who value like our contribution to thought reform, you know, like and I think our gen, well, I'll I'll consider us one generation, you know. Like, I think we are doing something cool, yeah, for sure. And we're trying, like, and we're watching the people who've done it better before better than us before us. I'm like, we're trying to show love, you know. It's like people sometimes don't want to acknowledge that what we're doing, but hey, I don't think you're going anywhere. I don't think I'm going anywhere.

SPEAKER_04 1:36:40

No, yeah, and it's just I don't know. This is like a fun, it's a fun thing for me to do. Yeah. And it just breaks it up because sometimes I just get burnt out sitting in front of my computer. So it's nice to just kind of get out and it's a way to network and I like promoting other artists.

SPEAKER_02 1:36:58

Yeah, I I especially love pushing people's music, you know. It's like especially like new stuff that nobody's ever heard, like, that's all I want. You know, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 1:37:06

Cause I like one pushing people that their music is good, but I like helping people that are cool.

SPEAKER_02 1:37:12

Yeah. Yeah. I well, I think that's why like why these things work and why like you keep working. It's like people like are like, oh, you're still doing it? Oh, I got something for you. You know, like yeah, cool. Yeah. Like, I just I'm here doing it. Like, you know what I'm about, you know. Like, come through anytime. Like, yeah, you got something, you got an idea, shoot it my way. You want to work on something, come through, you know? Like, let's link. Like, always it's like almost open, almost an open door policy. Yeah. Except for like to a certain point. To it to a certain point, but like it's like really intention. You know, it's like there's been some people who I've never met in my life who are like about it and they're trying, and I'm like, all right, cool, I'll give you a chance, you know, like whatever. Other times I'm like, I'm good. Yeah, that energy's not what I need right now. You know, like I've I've been that dude before, you know, like for sure. Too much where I'm like, get this guy out of here, bro.

SPEAKER_04 1:38:12

Yeah, yeah, but there's always kind of people I don't know, like you know Lando? Lando Polo? I don't he you guys would get along. Tight, you guys have not the same energy, but just like the way you look at the world is kind of similar.

SPEAKER_02 1:38:31

Insane. Yeah, that's insane.

SPEAKER_04 1:38:33

He's got like a very like he's funny, but he's like just kind of just like unintentionally funny.

SPEAKER_03 1:38:39

Tight.

SPEAKER_04 1:38:40

Yeah, he's a cool dude. And he may he I met just randomly. Like we just got connected because he did he played like a um the quad V thing. Quad V's cool. Yeah, those guys are cool. You should have you played? No, I haven't. Yeah, you should play. Yeah, you should do something.

SPEAKER_02 1:39:00

Those guys are I would be down. Those guys are tight. Yeah, they are what they're doing is cool. Yeah, I think what you're doing is cool, what they're doing is cool. It's like that's what that's what Long Beach was missing, is like some documentation of what's going on right now. Yeah, and um, because there's been a lot of shit going on for the last decade, like really actively. Um and people just I don't think people are fully aware of like how much, you know. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 1:39:28

Yeah. I just don't think there was anybody. I don't know. Once I moved back to Long Beach, it seemed like more like the scene just like kind of like expanded. Absolutely, like the Ian's just like took over. Wow. Wow.

unknown 1:39:48

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 1:39:49

No, but it was really kind of like that. Like when I moved back to Long Beach, that was right to move back. This was like two or three years ago. That was like right when Ian started like yeah, throwing his parties and stuff. For sure.

SPEAKER_02 1:40:01

Yeah, it was cool. Like those were um like El Barrio was popping off too at that time for a secret service, and those parties were insane. Like there were some really, really, really good ones like uh during that period, like where I was like, oh my gosh, like the scene is so healthy right now. We're like this is it, you know. Yeah, and then it just it keeps going, you know. Yeah, and it's cool to always gonna be a newer generation, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 1:40:29

That's why I think it's cool like the quad V guys, because they're so young. So sick. I'm like, dude, you guys got the right mindset. They're down and they're putting in the work, yeah. Yeah, because there's no there's like New York, they have those little like filmed live sets, but there's not really anything on the West Coast that I know of.

SPEAKER_02 1:40:54

The here's the thing, bro. Like, we don't know a lot of the things that are going on, you know. Like I guess it's true. There's it's so it's it's big, it's a small community, but it is big enough where like people who are doing something at our level similar to us, we can completely miss. Yeah, you know, like gotta be like always try to have your ear to the street, you know, because like for sure that we're missing something. For sure, you know, like I don't know, I don't know what it is, but maybe they are the only people doing it, and if they are that's insane, you know, like yeah, because it I just feel like we would have seen something similar, you know.

SPEAKER_04 1:41:36

Yeah, maybe it's just their like production quality is so high, yeah. Their production quality is really high, dude. It's because the camera that they use is fucking crazy, dude. Cause he's going, I don't know if he's still in film school or going to film school. So he's yeah, they have a crazy setup over there.

SPEAKER_02 1:41:54

It was it was insane. That was a really cool experience. Like pulling up to that uh the warehouse warehouse and just like seeing the action. I was like, it's a huge warehouse, first of all. Yeah, absolutely huge, and then like you walk through like the labyrinth to like where they have it set up, and you're like, oh shit. I got like nervous, and I was like, damn, like, all right, cool. I gotta I'm gonna come correct right now. Like it felt like I was about to play a real show, and like that's a hard feeling to emulate when like you're just recording a set, you know? Yeah, that was that was cool. Yeah, you're like, I'm gonna kill it for these guys right now. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 1:42:31

I went with uh I don't know if you know Brando.

SPEAKER_02 1:42:35

Yeah, yeah, I know Brando. Um I met him at Footwork.

SPEAKER_04 1:42:38

Yeah, yeah, he he's at footwork all the time.

SPEAKER_02 1:42:41

Yeah, he's I met him at the at a secret service party too.

SPEAKER_04 1:42:43

He's cool. He's really sick behind the decks too. Um he played for them, and I went when he he went to play, and it was cool to see their whole little setup. Yeah, it's good to see the younger I feel like I'm big unk now.

SPEAKER_02 1:43:02

Oh bro, I'm I'm unk. Like, okay, I played the last like even one of the one of the last parties I played in Long Beach. I think like uh someone complimented complimented me, and they were like, dude, you're like an old head. And I was like, God damn it. I was like, damn it. I was like, they're like, no, no, no, I meant like you play like an old head. I'm like, well, I guess thank you. Like, damn, cooked, chopped.

SPEAKER_04 1:43:29

Yeah, what does that mean? Yeah. You play like an old head.

SPEAKER_02 1:43:36

Am I really good or do I am I chopped? Yeah. Did I school you or did I fool you? Yeah. I don't know. Did I rule or did I drool? Was I cool or was I off of the spool? I don't know. I'll stop.

SPEAKER_04 1:44:00

You can keep going.

SPEAKER_02 1:44:01

Alright. Am I a tool or uh did I uh Am I cool? Uh I said cool. Oh, you said cool. Um let's start on a new rhyme. Let's you like word association.

SPEAKER_04 1:44:16

Word association?

SPEAKER_02 1:44:17

Yeah. That's like so I say a word and you say the first word that comes to your mind. You gotta go fast. Alright. Bathtub. Soap. Water.

SPEAKER_04 1:44:29

Fire.

SPEAKER_02 1:44:31

Species.

SPEAKER_04 1:44:33

Dinosaur.

SPEAKER_02 1:44:35

Bulbasaur. And see, I lost because that's not even a real thing.

SPEAKER_04 1:44:42

A bulbasaur?

SPEAKER_02 1:44:43

Bulbasaur is not a real a real it's a it's a made-up thing. I mean, but I guess it is in the in the lexicon.

SPEAKER_04 1:44:50

It's a real thing, I would say.

SPEAKER_02 1:44:52

Bulbasaur is real, imagine.

SPEAKER_04 1:44:54

Yeah, I mean in a parallel universe, maybe.

SPEAKER_01 1:44:59

Wow. Alright.

SPEAKER_02 1:45:08

You'd like. Oh man, I can't see it. You just like you grow weed on your bulbs. On the back?

SPEAKER_04 1:45:16

That would be tight. I mean, like. It's like a what is the thing on its back? It looks like a like a turnip or something.

SPEAKER_02 1:45:23

Oh maybe. Maybe it's some so if you can eat what if you can eat that? Like that make you a carnivore or uh herbivore?

SPEAKER_04 1:45:37

I think it would have to it would have to be some sort sort of plant. It's like a plant hybrid. Hmm.

SPEAKER_02 1:45:48

So absolutely cooked on that one.

SPEAKER_04 1:45:54

I don't know. So I don't know. I don't think the Pokemon universe follows the regular laws of physics. You're probably right. You know? Yeah. I kind of think Pikachu is He's not politically correct. No.

SPEAKER_02 1:46:13

When he says Pikachu actually means something else.

SPEAKER_04 1:46:17

I feel like I've seen something about this.

SPEAKER_02 1:46:20

Okay. See, we're getting somewhere. What about 9-11?

unknown 1:46:26

Fuck.

SPEAKER_04 1:46:28

What about it specifically? Isn't that crazy? What about it is crazy.

SPEAKER_02 1:46:34

All of it, dude. It's so crazy that it happened. Like as a millennial, you know, like watching. Do you remember uh oh bro, yeah. I remember watching it like getting ready for school. I was like in like sixth or seventh grade. It was just like on the news, like as I'm about to like leave my house. Like it's like the cartoon, the cartoons that I was watching got like interrupted with a special broadcast, you know. I'm like, I'm like, what the I'm like, I don't want to see this. Like it didn't dawn on me that it was like real and it was happening, and I was just like, this shit is whack. Like I'm trying to watch Pokemon.

SPEAKER_04 1:47:16

Yeah, I guess as a little kid, that's what you're thinking. But imagine your parents, dude. Oh, so this your parents seeing this all live, you know.

SPEAKER_02 1:47:23

My dad got so mad at me because like he's like, What do you think of this? I was like, I don't care. I was like, I would just want to see Pokemon. Like what does he what do you expect a little kid to say?

SPEAKER_01 1:47:34

He was like, he's like, there's he's like, people are dying.

SPEAKER_02 1:47:39

I was like, I was like, that's not even in LA. I was like, what does that have to do with me? Just like such a narcissist, you know, and he he was like, I don't remember, but I was just like, all right, yeah, I guess I guess maybe I should look at it different.

SPEAKER_04 1:47:57

Yeah. I mean, if you're in high school, maybe, but I was literally trying to watch Pokemon. Yeah, bulbasaur. You were trying to check out his bulbasaur.

SPEAKER_02 1:48:05

I was trying, I was trying to see if I eat bulbasaur, does that make me a carnivore or herbivore?

SPEAKER_04 1:48:12

Uh what's that's like the what's that diet called? Fucking carnivore. Uh keto? The one where you just eat like meat and vegetables.

SPEAKER_02 1:48:28

Uh yeah, I think that's keto. Is it? No, keto is no carbs. Oh. I thought that was Atkins. I honestly don't know. Um what about like warrior diet? What about like samurai diet? What about the shamu diet where you just eat whales? Did you ever watch that movie The Cove about the the dolphin slaughter?

SPEAKER_04 1:48:56

Wow. Oh, that's my country. Oh. Oh. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:49:01

Okay. Hey, we'll change the subject real quick, my brethren.

SPEAKER_04 1:49:07

Because I I don't want no conflicts, dog. No, that's that's Denmark. No, I thought it was Japan. No, Denmark kills dolphins. Oh, cool. Yeah, it's like a cultural thing. Oh, cool. Do you have you done it? I I No, okay I'm not like I'm Danish, but like two generations ago spoke Danish, so we don't we're just Americans. Alright, cool. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:49:33

I mean, yeah, I mean if culturally, if it's acceptable, like you gotta run it, you know? Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 1:49:39

Like the bull, the what is that? The running of the bulls. Not the running of the bulls, but the what are those ladors? Oh, yeah. I don't I don't I'm just saying words. Where they kill the bull.

SPEAKER_02 1:49:52

Oh, whoa. They really do do that. I forgot about that.

SPEAKER_04 1:49:55

Yeah. They were s they were trying to stop it for a while.

SPEAKER_02 1:49:58

Yeah, I remember that.

SPEAKER_04 1:49:59

Yeah. And then it they're like, nah. Fuck that. Like, we're gonna do what we want, dude. Alright, what time are we at? Oh fuck. I can't believe that went on for that long. Dude, this is like a Joe Rogan app. We're out here. I think this is the longest episode, but I the last time I looked at it, it was one, it was like 109 or 115. And then I just I just looked at it again as 150. You got any other instruments in here you want to fuck with? Yeah. Umbourine or whatever that's called right now. Oh, that's you probably can't even hear. I guess you would be able to hear this.

SPEAKER_03 1:50:54

That's fine.

SPEAKER_02 1:51:01

I'm like, yeah. Let's get this room to check. Let's check it out, brethren.

SPEAKER_04 1:51:09

I'm curious to see how loud this comes out on the microphones. Could be tight. This is like so on brand for your episode too.

SPEAKER_02 1:51:22

There we go, guys. You guys ready for some noise? That's all we got, guys. That's all we got.

SPEAKER_04 1:51:29

Uh anyways.

SPEAKER_02 1:51:33

Tight. Very tight.

SPEAKER_04 1:51:35

Uh plug yourself on here.

SPEAKER_02 1:51:38

My name is uh DJ Cowbell. I come from uh I come from a land far away.

SPEAKER_04 1:51:44

It sounds like the that George Lopez intro. Hey guys.

SPEAKER_02 1:51:52

My name is George Lopez. DJ George Lopez. You are in the mix with uh with me, DJ George Lopez. If uh if you're new to the club, I'll I'll tell you what. I am so happy to be here. Shout out to our DJ, DJ uh George Lopez. Oh, wait, that's me. I forgot who I was for a second. Uh anyways, guys, make sure to tip your bartenders. We are uh we got two for one drink specials tonight at the ladies or ladies' night. Welcome, welcome to ladies night. We are at uh Anthony Fantano's uh disco disco nightclub. Thank you for coming. My name is uh DJ George Lopez. You can find me at DJ GeorgeLopez.com. No, it's uh check out Cool Contest Records for uh some new music. I mean, if you're listening to this, you probably already know what this is. Cool contest is cool. I'm uh I got some stuff in the works. You can buy my new album if you want to give me eleven dollars. And uh you know, like it's gonna cost more than that, but I get eleven.

SPEAKER_04 1:53:08

Um 50 retail.

SPEAKER_02 1:53:10

Yeah, unfortunately. Unfortunately, you gotta pay the t pay the toll. Do you guys like uh always funny?

SPEAKER_04 1:53:18

I've watched a handful of episodes.

SPEAKER_02 1:53:20

Alright, well everybody should watch always sunny and then follow me on Instagram at DJXboyfriend.wave. There is no E in my name, guys. There is no E in X. It is X like triple X, like Vin Diesel from the movie. I'm DJ Triple X Boyfriend, and uh and uh Professor X. I'm also DJ George Lopez. You can find me at uh DJ George Lopez.com. Thank you for following bio link in bio. Maybe look out for me, maybe don't. Uh I love you guys. Keep making music. Peace.