Ricky Vaughn makes some incredible music.  Every style of electronic music is at his finger tips, and if he sounds familiar, there's a few reasons why.  You might remember him as Mr. Vega, a big part of Sazon Booya, and you might have heard some of his remixes of Justin Timberlake's '20/20 Experience'.  We had the opportunity to talk with the Wild Thing himself about the change in name, the music he's been working on, and how he keeps focused in the studio and performing.
 

Fingers on Blast: Recently you've undergone a name change, from Mr. Vega to Ricky Vaughn.  Is that a reference to the 'Wild Thing' Charlie Sheen character in the Major League movies?

Ricky Vaughn: Yes its definitely a reference to the Charlie Sheen character. The Ricky Vaughn name is an alias I’ve had for about 4 years and now I have the time to dedicate to the brand.

F.O.B.: We've heard a number of rumours about Sazon Booya, mostly regarding a disagreement in Miami this spring.  Did that lead to the name change?

R.V.: That situation was part of the motivation to move forward with the project and name.

F.O.B.: Can you tell us a bit about the state of Sazon Booya these days?  Is it something that you're still involved in?

R.V.: As far as I know Sazon Booya has come to an end. I have no involvement with the project (unless someone starts a cover band) since the end of march 2013.

F.O.B.: Almost as soon as we saw the name Ricky Vaughn appear, there was some amazing music coming with it.  What inspired the remixes from Justin Timberlake's 20/20 experience?

R.V.: Thanks! The inspiration behind the Justin Timberlake remixes was definitely the album itself and Timbaland’s involvement. I've always been a fan of both artists and i feel the project was so well done that i wanted to give it my interpretation as a fan and producer while still keeping the integrity of the original songs.

F.O.B.: Can we expect more of them on the way?

R.V.: I've remixed the entire album so I will be releasing one remix per week until I’ve released them all. Heres the latest one - https://soundcloud.com/rickyvaughnofc/tunnel-vision-ricky-vaughn.

F.O.B.: You're an extremely prolific dj and producer.  How do you keep things moving so quickly?  How many tracks do you usually have on the go at once?

R.V.: Thanks man! I like to challenge myself by producing music I’ve never done before and trying new sounds, Vsts, Software etc to see how much I can do. I love to learn new techinques so I’m always studying and learning. I have a long list of music to make, finish, remix so I’m producing music 5-6 days a week at the moment.

F.O.B.: Do you have any sort of routine or ritual that you go through before hitting the studio or the stage?

R.V.: Before hitting the studio I usually do my social networking rounds (facebook, twitter, instagram, etc) and then I turn my phone on silent and lock myself in the room until I have a decent amount of work done then take a break. Before hitting the stage I like to sit in the green away from everyone to clear my head before I hit the stage, it’s like the calm before the storm in a sense.

F.O.B.: We're curious, as an artist what do you do at the times when you're lacking in inspiration or working on something so tough it becomes frustrating?

R.V.: I never like to force myself to do anything so if I’m lacking inspiration or stuck on something I just completely step away and do something else. I do most of my art, some of my videos now and I produce hip hop music for Otis Clapp, so I’ll turn to one of these things to clear my head and get refocused.

F.O.B.: What are you listening to these days?  Any new artists or classics taking over?

R.V.: I've been listening to the new Tyler album alot, I think he’s turned into a great songwriter and his attitude is something I admire in the sense that he doesn't give a fuck what anyone thinks and just makes his music the way he wants. Also I've been listening the Johnny Rain he's an R&B artist from California that has a Drake style approach to his music. New guys i'd say watch out for $yrup, Big Makk, O.M.F, and Jesse Slayter. All incredible inspiring music coming from those guys.

F.O.B.: What has the reaction been to the transformation into Ricky Vaughn?

R.V.: The reactions have been great, I honestly cant complain about them at all. I thank everyone for supporting the music.

F.O.B.: What's next for Ricky Vaughn?  New releases you want to mention?  Tours this summer?

R.V.: For Ricky Vaughn I'm taking it slow, I will have lots of free music every week until my new EP coming in a month. Then another HUGE EP release in the summer with some MAJOR vocalists who are killing the mainstream right now. Touring will definitely happen over the summer. I'm going to give the people time to get familiar with me and my music.

 Mr Vega online: 

Maria Jose Govea doesn’t know this yet but we’ve always had a bit of a crush on her. Even way before the talented photographer agreed to meet up for an interview with Fingers on Blast. Even way before we knew she had a Venezuelan accent, was previously a DJ and that her taste in music was eerily similar (if not exactly the same) as ours. Between Maria’s rad style and natural ability to capture the wildest moments at shows like Major Lazer, Die Antwoord and Toronto’s Mad Decent Block Party, who wouldn’t have a crush on this photogrockstar? It’s no wonder she’s so aptly known as THESUPERMANIAK.

Recently back from shooting Miami’s Ultra Music Festival and trying to get over a cold, Maria sat in front of me as I resisted overwhelming her with too many questions about her recent experiences. Donning a flat-brimmed cap that read “NICE” and a gold-chained necklace with the dangling black letters “AARRGHHHH,” I knew the interview was going to get interesting.

“Oh my god. [Ultra] was insane,” Maria responds, when I asked how it was. “One of those things where I was working really hard but at the same time I was having a lot of fun so it was just an ideal situation. You don’t always get to do that, you know?”

“A lot of fun” is an understatement. Having been asked to follow L.A. DJ/producer 12th Planet around Miami to document his shows, a typical day for Maria would be cruising in a yacht taking shots at the Skrillex and Friends Yacht Party, then getting picked up in a massive tour bus with Baauer and 12th Planet DJing inside only to reach the SMOG vs. Basshead party in downtown Miami – not to mention hitting a few after-parties like the one hosted at a strip club with DJ sets by A-Trak and Brodinski somewhere in between.

Inside the party bus and yacht in Miami. “[12th Planet] is a very fun guy to work with. There’ s never a dull moment, there’ s always something happening with him, so you need to be on your toes. ‘Cus when you least expect it, he’ s gonna do something crazy, like he’s gonna jump [and land] on his head.”

“It’s just really good to have so many talented people around you and have so much good music. So much good music. And so many parties,” she adds.

If you haven’t seen this superchick in Toronto running around the stage with a camera shooting over/under/between crowds/DJs/security, you’ve been going to the wrong shows. When you look at the kind of photos Maria takes – crisp shots of often hyperactive, hard-to-capture DJs fused with vibrant colours and ecstatic faces of the crowd during intense EDM sets – it seems as though she has been doing this forever. But photography was never something she always wanted to do.

Ten years ago, Maria moved from Venezuela to Toronto to study film at the International Academy of Design and Technology, now known as the Toronto Film School. “When I finished, I didn’t know what I wanted to do, if I wanted to direct, write, produce, act – I had no idea,” she explains. “And if I wanted to stay in the country, I had to study something else because my visa was expiring.”

At that point, Maria was DJing, playing sets under the name Maniak. She started to do her own press shots for MySpace using an older Sony Cybershot digital camera – a far cry from the hardcore lenses and Canon DSLRs she swears by today. “One of my friends was like, ‘You’re really good at doing your self-portraits, why don’t you just study photography?’ And I was like yeah… Something clicked.”

“Seeing my Skrillex photos on his vinyl booklet released with Atlantic Records was one of the most exciting moments I've experienced so far. It's so rewarding to see your work turned into something as hype as that!”

Maria went back to school for photography for about six months. It was enough for her to learn the basics and realize she wanted to use the rest of the money for school to buy photo gear instead. “At that point, I had gone to university in Venezuela, I had studied film – I didn’t want to study anymore. I dropped out of school and bought some equipment.” As DJ Maniak, Maria also started throwing a lot of parties, where she began shooting her friends and other DJs as well. That’s when she knew she actually had a knack for something awesome – but it wasn’t without a bit of trial and error.

“[Concert photography] is tough, definitely. If you see my first pictures they’re really, really, really bad,” she laughs. “It’s insane how bad they are… I look back at my pictures and I’m like wow, I really thought this was cool?”

Soon after, Maria started shooting bigger and bigger parties for fun, including a few shows put on by mega-tastemakers Embrace. When the Bassmentality nights exploded into the scene about three years ago, Maria was there to capture it. Embrace picked her up and she began shooting for them ever since.

“Yolandi broke my nose. I was full on bleeding. I was in the pit and I guess I got too close and she probably didn’t measure how close she was. She kicked the lens and the lens hit my face... [but] I am the biggest fan of Die Antwoord.”

Being a professional events photographer, you truly need to take everything into account – the lighting conditions are never the same, the different venue layouts takes some getting used to, there are always drunk and/or stoned people everywhere and you never know what the DJs are about to do. On top of that, you have to lug around over five kilos of gear while relentless security guys give you a hard time. Maria recalls shooting the sold-out Major Lazer show at Sound Academy back in February. The confetti, the dancers changing, flags waving, girls trying to get onstage, excessive fog machines, rammed mosh pits: “Honestly, that show? I never worked as hard... I was overwhelmed.”

Her secret: “To put up with the madness, you have to join the madness.”

Above all, the most difficult part of being a concert photographer, Maria says, is fusing work with her passion for music.

As a long-time EDM lover, Maria says when she’s not working and simply there to enjoy the show, she yearns for her camera; when she is working a show, some moments she wishes she could just throw the camera and go completely nuts dancing. “I can’t win,” she laughs.

“Let’s say tonight – it’s Flosstradamus. I fucking love Flosstradamus, are you kidding me? But I’m gonna be there working. And even though I’m extremely excited about the show, I need to be super sharp to be able to get images that I want to get. I need to be focused. And it’s hard to be focused when you’re so passionate about the music. It’s really tough, I want to sometimes dance but no – I need to keep still and take the shot.”

Maria adds that the best part of the set is usually that organ-rattling “drop” but that’s also when the best opportunities for shots happen. “It’s a very keen moment where I need to compromise my own excitement and enjoyment to get the shots I need,” she says. Imagine the will power it would take for an EDM lover to resist reacting to the bass drop. Maria’s photos show that will power. You could literally feel yourself being in that crowd, chills and all, at that moment the photo was taken – or at least feel yourself getting jealous at not being there.

I told her when people look at her shots or the Embrace albums on Facebook, it’s enough to make each of them a happier person. “That’s the best thing you can say to me, seriously,” she says.

How is she able to capture genuine moments like those at the perfect time?

“I think it comes from a very honest place. I’ve been a raver, I’ve been a DJ, I’ve been a promoter so I’m very in sync with what’s happening at a party, you know? I really, really feel it. And I think if you can feel it, it’s easier for you to capture it. So when I’m at a party, I’m really there. I’m looking at the kids who are having fun, I’m just searching automatically for what’s real and for what’s going off. So I guess that’s why my work has a certain energy that really comes from me.”

Maria adds that you could tell a lot about a photographer by looking at that person’s work. In Maria’s case, THESUPERMANIAK, her passion for music oozes through the photos and you can tell she’s having so much fun. Like envious fun.

“Also when I edit the photos, I add my own style to it. Some people like to shoot exactly what was there and sometimes I like to add a bit more in post. It depends on the night – some nights I don’t even touch the picture and sometimes I go crazy... I mess with the colours. I get really artsy with it but it depends.”

“[Photography] has to come from an honest place. You really have to do what you want to do. Even though that’ s not gonna pay the bills, even if it’ s not what photography is currently looking like these days. You really have to do whatever you want to do.”

So what’s next for THESUPERMANIAK? Maria responds as if going through a catalogue of dream gigs stored in her brain. “My dream job is to work for Mad Decent. I want to go to every Mad Decent Block Party, I want to go to Jamaica with them…” she lists off. She mentions heading west to L.A. where all the EDM action is or maybe exploring the scene in New York. She talks about hoping to one day go on tour with a DJ (“I like jokers”) or continue making more music videos. She’s also been working on a little behind the scenes video with some footage she’s been collecting for a bit. “I have so many things I want to do, you have no idea.”

But for now, Maria is really taking in Toronto before she becomes a super maniac elsewhere in the world. A decade after moving from South America to Canada, she’s never been happier. “I love Toronto! I love the people. I love the city. I love my neighbourhood. I really, really like my life here, so I can’t complain.”

http://www.facebook.com/thesupermaniakphotography

Last week the legendary DJ Nu-Mark took to the CMW/CMF stage at Wrongbar.  He was performing as part of a vinyl only 45 night alongside fellow legends like Diamond D and Mat the Alien.  It was yet another example of why Nu-Mark is a consistent innovator in the world of djing and production.  He's made an impact on hip hop that is unforgettable, with Jurassic 5, his own album 'Broken Sunlight', and his dj shows. Nu-Mark took a few minutes to talk with us about the beginnings of Jurassic 5, what inspired the brilliant songs on 'Broken Sunlight' and so much more. 

Fingers on Blast: Going back to the early Jurassic 5 days, did you ever get the sense that the music would get as big as it did?

DJ Nu-Mark: There was one memorable moment on Cut's front porch where we were reviewing just the beats with the mc's for the EP (96).  At that moment we all kind of locked into the vibe of where the group was heading.  We knew that the sky was the limit as long as we stayed focuced.  

Fingers on Blast: With 2 dj's in the group, how did you perform?  How did that work together with you and Cut Chemist?

DJ Nu-Mark: It's actually pretty efficient.  We take turns playing instrumentals as well as adding cuts and samples to spice up the live show.  It really helps when we execute the DJ solos as well.  Brainstorming with Cut truly helps me create something meaningful on stage.

Fingers on Blast: What inspired the Broken Sunlight project, and how did it take shape? 

DJ Nu-Mark: I wanted to create a project that featured artist that inspired me in sort of a dark time.  Many parts of my life were broken, J5 split up, the economy was and is a shattered mess, the record industry couldn't be more fragmented, so I decided to be the sunlight in the equation and forge ahead during tough times.  I decided to further the theme by breaking up the album into six 10" color vinyl releases throughout 2012 and 2013.  At the end of the singles I created the album which includes a DVD which includes the making of the album as well as my life on the road.

Fingers on Blast: You have dj'd with so much varied gear over the years, and your in town for a no laptops, 45s only night.  We're curious if you ever utilize a digital system like Serato or Traktor?

DJ Nu-Mark: Yeah, last night was a fun break from what I normally display on stage.  Lately I've been playing the all children's musical toy sets.  I love Serato, it's made me a very creative DJ without limitations but here's my Toy Set: 

Fingers on Blast: Where did the nickname uncle nu come from?

DJ Nu-Mark: Not sure exactly...My old room mate Sarah said it to me and I remember the Beat Junkies saying it all the time early on and it just caught on I guess.

Fingers on Blast: Do you remember your introduction to vinyl?  What was your first record? 45?

DJ Nu-Mark: My mom bought me a Monster Mash record as a kid and I really enjoyed Halloween and the mystery tied into that record.  Later on I bought U.T.F.O.'s debut album and was hooked and couldn't stop buying vinyl.

Fingers on Blast: Do you have a favourite place to dig?  Do you have a favourite shop in Toronto?

DJ Nu-Mark: I enjoy digging at Cosmos and Kops.  Diggin in Japan and the U.K. is always enjoyable because they have so much of our Funk.  While the states was listening to New Wave and Hip Hop in the 80's, the UK and Japan was buying all of our forgotten about 60's and 70's Funk for 10 cents a copy.

Fingers on Blast: What part does the element of discovery play in your day to day work as a producer?  I remember finally finding the J5 EP in a record store in Michigan and it was like finding treasure, I couldn't believe it.

DJ Nu-Mark: That was hard to find??  Well, yeah as a producer that digs I put a lot of time into looking for new dusty goodies to chop up.  I also like to keep up with current music.  It's always important to know what's going on today.

Fingers on Blast: How did 'Jayou' end up on the lyricist lounge compilation?  That was the stand out track for a lot of people back then.

DJ Nu-Mark: I think they just heard it off of our EP and wanted that track to be represented on their comp.  It got us into the East Coast scene which up until that point heard of us but hadn't really heard our music in an East Coast setting.

Fingers on Blast: When did the love of toys and kids records make it's way into the music you were making?  What inspired the decision to tour with all that gear?

DJ Nu-Mark: It started with a toy called Music Blocks.  That toy was so well thought out and executed that I decided to fill the entire stage up with toys and see how far I could push the concept.  Wasn't really sure if it would work but just wanted to have fun with it.

Fingers on Blast: You've mentioned in interviews that you don't measure musical progress in big milestones, but that all the little things add up.  Does that mindset keep you focused?  It seems like that perspective would keep you humble and motivated..

DJ Nu-Mark: Definitely, if you try to bite off more then you can chew there tends to be a lot of important parts that slip through the cracks.  I like to take things one step at a time and enjoy each step.  Making big power moves happen usually after a bunch of successful smaller moves have transpired first....that's how it's happened for me anyway.  No shortcuts in this biz.

Fingers on Blast: What inpspires you on a daily basis?  Are there any other art forms that you experience that make you think 'I need to make new music'?

DJ Nu-Mark: Listening to both old and new records inspire me.  Hearing new producers trick out technology gets me motivated to create dope music.  I appreciate Latin music very much these days.  Lately thay genre has been pushing me in new directions.

Fingers on Blast: How did your work on Saturday Night Live with the Lonely Island take shape?

DJ Nu-Mark: They are mutual friends with an old friend of mine.  They wanted beats and it just worked out.  They're the funniest guys and really professional.  I have 2 new beats on their upcoming album too!!

Fingers on Blast: Was there a moment early on where you thought this might work out?  That music could be a lifestyle for you? Do you feel like you made the transition from dream to reality, or is the balance between the two?

DJ Nu-Mark: Yeah, I always knew that my purpose on earth revolved around creating music...I just didn't know if I could make a living at it.  I dropped out of X-Ray school about 4 months before graduation and that's when J5 took off.  I haven't stop touring since.  Once I put all my eggs in one basket and focused my energy on my gifts, things started to develop career wise for me.  I'm extremely thankful for the opportunity to create for a living!

Fingers on Blast: The necessary digging question; what's the best find from the craziest spot?

DJ Nu-Mark: None of your fucking business.  Just playin, I can't say I've found it yet.  That's the thing about digging, you always want more and think there's something better out there.    I found a Don Karrington Trio in Toronto, that made me pretty happy.

Fingers on Blast: Broken Sunlight has some brilliant guest artists, J-Live, Aloe Blacc, Charles Bradley, who's next on your list of collaborators?  Any dream collabs you want to let us in on?  You never know who might hear about this...

DJ Nu-Mark: Ahh, I haven't thought that far yet.  I plan on doing a multi-track project next.  I collect multi-track recording from the 60-80's.  I'd like to release a project where I re-edit those original multi tracks with some producer friends of mine.

Fingers on Blast: Who are your favourite dj's to listen to/see live?

DJ Nu-Mark: J-Rocc, Scratch, Four Color Zach, Q-Bert, Diamond D.....ahhh the list goes on and on.  

Fingers on Blast: If you could impart one piece of advice to dj's starting out now, what would it be?

DJ Nu-Mark: Make sure you love it and not just love the image of DJing.  Never give up if you know it's your calling.

Fingers on Blast: Do you feel like your devotion to vinyl and collecting makes you a musical historian of sorts?

DJ Nu-Mark: No, I dig for records to build my musical vocabulary.  This allows me to grow as a musician and try things I couldn't dream of creating on my own.  I don't enjoy collecting for the historical value of the records or the rarity of the records.  I dig for dope records that can enhance my production so I can produce something enjoyable to myself and my listeners.

Fingers on Blast: Thank you for taking the time to talk with us.

For more DJ Nu-Mark on the web:

DJ Yoda is nothing short of a Jedi master. A London, UK born mixmaster and turntablist with one of the more impressive lists of credentials out there today.  A master of multimedia and manipulating music and video, he is definitely a groundbreaking creator, and he's still just getting started.  We had a chance to chat with the man himself, enjoy, and make sure you check out the great music of none of other than DJ Yoda.

-growing up in london, you were probably exposed to a ton of music and culture, do you remember when you knew it was something you had to be a part of? who or what first inspired you to get involved?

My parents both worked in the music industry, and my dad kept his record collection in my bedroom, so I was literally surrounded by records as a kid. The first music I was into was 80s pop, but at that period in time there was a big hip-hop influence on the pop I was hearing. So you would get sampling and scratching in all these pop records, and that really opened me up to hip-hop and DJing. 

-how do you stay inspired?  can you tell us a little about your creative process?

All these years of sampling have just put me into this permanent state of readiness to sample - so if whether I'm watching TV, listening to the radio or watching a movie, things just jump out at me, and that normally kick-starts the creative process. I try and keep recording as turntable-based as possible, because I think getting too "computer"y bogs me down. 

-when you started out djing in the 90's did you think It could take you all over the world? what do you love most about your job?

I never thought that I'd be DJing for a job, and the fact that I get to travel around the world is my favourite thing about it. I feel constantly blessed that I can make a living out of something that's already my passion, and I love being somewhere different every week. 

-we read in an interview that you said your fingers are all "fucked up and misshappen" from scratching since you were 15, which makes us think you may be the definiton of Fingers on Blast.  would you be inclined to agree?

Haha - that might have been a slight exaggeration, but I sure do have muscly fingers from years of scratching! 

-You've been a judge at the DMC's, can you tell us a bit about that experience?

I don't really have much of a competitive streak, or a desire to prove that I'm better than anyone else, but in the 90s I was into the whole turntablism scene, where it was kind of standard to enter competitions. So rather than compete, I judged, which was a cool experience. That whole thing seems to have died a death now, I think mainly because the competitions didn't keep up with the pace of the change in technology. Although the Red Bull 3Style comp is pretty cool. 

-What inspired you to start bridging the gap between djing and movies?

I would always drop audio samples from movies into my mixes - anything that I thought was cool, from Star Wars to Scarface or whatever. Then the technology changed to allow me to scratch and mix the movies themselves, so it just made perfect sense for me. 

-Can you let us in on any upcoming film projects you've got in the works?

I tour my AV show constantly, as well as regular DJ sets, and the show is always changing as I add to it, so that takes up a lot of time. But I'm also always uploading cool little video bits to my YouTube, and I have a much larger movie documentary project that I've been working on slowly too. 

-we have to give respect for the twin peaks/cool kids mix.  we recently just watched the whole series and were blown away. how do these incredible ideas come to you, and how do you stay so prolific?

I just try and stay really honest to my tastes. So rather than jumping on a bandwagon and trying to copy what anyone else is doing, I take a step back and think about what I love. Twin Peaks is my favourite TV show of all time, and the soundtrack is also my favourite too. At the time I made that particular blend I was really into Cool Kids. Done!

-you've worked with artists like People Under the Stairs, Danger Mouse and Jemini and M.O.P., have you got any new collaborations in the works? Any artists you'd really like to link up with one day?

I love working by collaborating with different artists, as everyone bring something different to the table. That's why each of my albums has a different vocalist on every track. My latest live collaboration has been with these girls called The Tootsie Rollers - they're kind of a retro acapella group, but I have them covering all new hip-hop stuff!

-Q magazine called you 'one of the ten djs to see before you die', who are some of your favorite djs?

I'm inspired by every DJ I get the chance to hear - even if they're terrible (because it inspires me to not be that bad!). But the DJs I look up to are mainly old school hip-hop DJs like Ron G, Kid Capri, Doo Wop, Spinbad and Q-Bert. 

-your newest release "Chop Suey" is filled with great tunes and an all star lineup of guests, can you tell us a bit about it?

I wanted to work with different vocalists on every track, and have the range of guests be representative of my music tastes. So I had some people heavily associated with the 80s to show the music I grew up on (Boy George, Michael Winslow from Police Academy), some "golden era" 90s rappers (M.O.P., Greg Nice) and then some artists that I thought represented the future of my music tastes (Action Bronson, Man Like Me). I'm really happy with the end result, and there is a video for every track on the album. 

-when your not working on music and djing how do you spend your spare time?

Watching a lot of movies, cooking a lot of food. I'm in Australia right now, so spending a lot of time at the beach too!

-what advice would you give to young creatives and musicians when they inevitably hit that wall of resistance that sometimes makes people want to quit and get a 'real' job? how did you get past it yourself?

I never really thought of it like that, and I think it's a bit dangerous to "try" and make creativity your profession - I think it has to come naturally. If you are really passionate and original then it should be easy. 

-thanks so much for chatting with us, is there anything new we should know about, or anyone you'd like to shout out?

No! Big shout out to you guys and peace from London/Sydney!

http://www.djyoda.co.uk
http://twitter.com/djyodauk
http://www.facebook.com/DJYodaUK
http://www.youtube.com/djyodauk

Chop Suey on iTunes - http://bit.ly/RIxMIE
Chop Suey on CD or Vinyl from Amazon -http://amzn.to/Nptcrn 

We were fortunate enough to have a chance to talk with Star Eyes recently.  Star Eyes is a big part of the legendary Trouble and Bass family.  She's performed all over the world, released numerous EPs with Trouble and Bass, and even lends her vocals to tracks of her own and other talented producers.  The latest releases are the 'Lost Girls' EP on Trouble and Bass, and the collaboration with Jubilee including the tracks 'Locked' and 'Merkwood Estates'.  

We chat about how she got into music and djing, what's next from her, and Trouble and Bass, and more! Read on! 

-Was there a point in your life where you realized that music was the only thing for you?

-Was it linked to the sort of music you make and play now?

-What's your first memory of a song reaching out of the speakers and grabbing your attention?

-We have to ask, who coined the term 'haunted house' as your genre? How did that come about?

-You're part of the legendary Trouble and Bass family, there have been some changes over the last year.  Can you give us the inside scoop?  We were a bit nervous when that tombstone logo first appeared online...

-What do you have planned next with Trouble and Bass?

-What music are you really enjoying that doesn't make your dj sets?

-What dj's and producers inspire you to keep at it and keep innovating?

-How does that list compare to when you started out?

-You've done vocals on a few really cool tracks. Is that a part of your live performance?

-Tell us about white gloves? Is that who we think it is?

-If you could work with any artist on any project.. What do you choose?

-What is your favourite city to perform in?

-What's the most memorable live event of 2012? Was it one of your shows? A band you saw perform?

-What was your first band/dj name?

-Can you tell us a bit about the recording process for the Lost Girls EP?

-If you could recommend one album to everyone who will read this, what would it be?

-Can you tell us a bit about Unknown to the Unknown?

-Any releases on the horizon you can let us know about?

  Star Eyes & Jubilee "Merkwood Estates" by Star Eyes

Star Eyes - Lost Girls EP by Trouble & Bass

For more on Star Eyes online check out:

It was a cold, dark night in October. The rain came raging down as the strong winds rattled the open stage. People huddled in umbrellas, slightly jigging in attempts to enjoy the sounds blaring from the monitors while keeping warm. No, this isn’t a scene from the latest erotic romance novel. This was the site of the first annual London Ontario Live Arts festival six years ago, when Cuff the Duke was just stepping into the forefront of the Canadian indie music scene.

“Oh yeah!” lead vocalist Wayne Petti recalls. “Oh my god, I feel old. It didn’t feel that long ago but it was, wasn’t it? It was raining and cold if I remember.”

Originally from Oshawa, Cuff the Duke has come a long way from its “indie darling” roots over the past ten years. Petti remembers how he and bass player Paul Lowman were writing songs in his parents’ basement and recording their first album Life Stories for Minimum Wage on those ADAT tapes that were once big in the 90s. Now they’re working with big producers like Greg Keelor of Blue Rodeo, creating solid albums and truly establishing themselves as one of Canada’s biggest alt-country bands.

Where Cuff the Duke has really progressed, Petti mentions, is in their performance. “Well, it’s interesting. I was thinking about that recently, just the sort of evolution, especially with our live shows.” Petti says that in the beginning the band would always try to stand on the speakers and “do crazy shit.” Now they’ve toned it down just a tad. “Our focus of the live show became still energetic, but it became more about trying to perform well and challenge ourselves as musicians in a live setting and not just in a studio,” he adds.

Petti is no stranger to the studio. Six full-length albums later, every record has been different from its predecessor and Petti wouldn’t want it any other way. Cuff the Duke’s latest release, Union, is a dreamy collection of polished harmonies and super romantic lyrics, far removed from the broke as hell, old Western aesthetic songs of their past albums (although Petti reassures me that they still play the hasty Cuff the Duke classic “Take My Money and Run” almost every night). Considered the second part of a two-part album, the first being Morning Comes, Union is more electric-based as rather than layered acoustics. And with songs like “Stay” and “Side By Side,” which features yet another Canadian indie songbird Basia Bulat, you could tell it’s been almost exactly one year since the songwriter got married.

“It’s funny, you know, as a musician, most working Canadian musicians would tell you that I could write a ‘Take My Money and Run,’ like a song about being broke, on almost every record,” Petti laughs. “But at the time it felt perfect to do it… With Union I felt like it was time to be that personal and that sincere. I never had been before.”

Producing a record with a musician from a revered Canadian band like Blue Rodeo is a dream in itself. But producing in a farm through analog, remote from the digital noise and traffic, with a beautiful collection of old gear and tape is like studio nirvana. You have reached Enlightenment. While opening for Blue Rodeo in 2008, Petti and co. met Keelor and he invited them out to his place to record. “He just sort of said come hang out and record and see how you like it ’cus I think he became smitten with the band,” he laughs. At the time, Keelor’s farm studio was pure analog; you had to record with tape using old mics. One thing led to another and everything they recorded over those couple of days ended up on Cuff the Duke’s fourth LP Way Down Here in 2009. They decided to finish the record with Keelor.

“Personally I just really like working with him a lot,” Petti says about Keelor. “He gets where we’re coming from, he gets where I’m coming from. He’s a good producer because he understands being a songwriter and having a vision but he also understands the role of a producer.” In many respects, Keelor was and still is like a mentor to this Wilco-in-the-making band.

When asked whether Petti preferred recording analog or digital, he couldn’t decide. “I love them both. They both have advantages. I love the vibe of analog. It really helps you get the song down to its core. But digital, you have endless possibilities. Not only can you record as much as you want but you could also edit it and do all kinds of things… But that was kind of the beauty of making Way Down Here. We had eight tracks. It was literally like recording a band in 1966,” Petti adds.

It’s like choosing between Instagram versus DSLR; both methods produce stunning photos but provoke different images and moods depending on its final product. That very analogy can translate into sound, if you want to simplify analog versus digital recording. “It’s a nice way of creating a totally different vibe on the album, just by changing how it is that you recorded, how you record the songs or what not.”

But it doesn’t end there. After playing a slew of shows last month in Europe for the first time, Cuff the Duke is going back in June but not before they head to the East Coast for a few more show dates. Expect another covers EP coming out later this month as well as more experiments with sound and effects on guitars and vocals. “I would love the next record to be much more like psych-folk, a lot more psychedelic… The last couple records have been pretty straight up and I think it’d be nice to get a little more raw and a little weirder, get a little more creative in the studio.”

~Desiree Gamotin

More on Cuff The Duke here!

It was tricky getting in touch with the hottest producer these days. But despite the fact that he’s collaborated with big namers like Diplo and Azealia Banks, was featured on Pitchfork, SPIN and The New York Times’ Best Of lists and made crowds go bonkers at massive music fests, Lunice was still more than happy to chat with Fingers on Blast.

Last Friday, the 24-year-old Montreal-based DJ played his first solo set in Toronto, sans his fellow TNGHT compadre Hudson Mohawke, and took over the often too-cool-for-school Hoxton crowd with his infectious energy. It was a grimey, guttural trap-heavy set — the kind where the bass really gets deep down in there to rattle your intestines.

After a series of texts and miscommunication pre- and post-show (“Hey! I’m on in 20 mins, I totally let the wrong person in haha thought it was you”), I finally got the chance to speak to Lunice the following day via phone in his Ottawa hotel room. He sounded like a young Kanye, ahead of the game and ready to take on the world, but more articulate, more inspiring and not a hint of douchebag in his veins. Clear the way for this new guy in town. 

How was the Ottawa show?

Oh, it was crazy, pretty crazy.

The Toronto show was insane.

[laughs] Yeah, I went overtime on that one.

I saw your show at the Opera House this past November for TNGHT. What was that like for you guys?

I mean, shit, it was crazy. The venue was packed. It was great to see when we come together, we bring two different crowds. It brings more people in because it’s a bigger project.

This year has been huge for you, especially the past six months since you released the TNGHT EP. Did you ever think in your wildest dreams your music would explode the way it has?

No, never. For years and years, you see in the media people always be successful in music or whatever. They make it look like that all the time, they make it look like it’s easy to do this and that... And when I was young it’s not that I saw through it, it was just, I guess I would thank my mom. She was the one who kept me focused to continue school and focus on work. In the meantime I was just break-dancing and doing graffiti and scratching. Eventually I started beat-making but it was still like anything else, like fishing, it was a straight hobby. For it to blow up the way it did made me understand how good it feels to just do it… It’s easy to express ideas and just be excited about coming up with things. It built from there and just continued. It’s interesting to see.

I remember hearing in one interview you did, you said you were 15 or 16-years-old and you wanted to “try to make music just to see.”

Yeah, exactly. Like breakdancing or anything else. I saw b-boys dancing and I was like, ‘Hey, let me try that out, that looks really fun.’ It always comes purely from something I never really tried but might be able to do.

Let’s talk about the trap genre: we’re seeing this resurgence in Southern rap but this new genre infuses electronic music elements into it. What’s it like being one of the catalysts for this genre? Do you feel any pressure to one-up other artists or continually come up with something original?

There’s not any feel in trying to one-up anybody. I always try to set the record straight — we never really changed anything. We’re basically open-minded hip hop heads. You know, you have your traditional enthusiasts and then you have people like us who are just as much of a hip hop nerd as them but just wanting to know more, curious about more sounds. It’s always been like that. I mean when the hip hop culture started it was weird stuff, people were wearing studs, chains, spikes, they looked almost punk rock-like. And it was all because they were thinking forward, they wanted something different, they wanted to go against the grain. Everybody’s dressing all conservative, let me dress loud and start rapping. That’s what I love about hip hop and rap, it’s because all those artists were always thinking forward... So when the whole trap thing came through I never associated myself to [that genre], I never saw it as a thing where I was like ‘Okay this is my shit, this is gonna be big.’ Never ever thought that. I saw it as fans having fun. Fans just wanting to label things as I would as a fan... To answer the question I could speak for all the dudes in my scene — we’re all hip hop heads and we literally just have the same mindset of wanting to move rap forward chronically.

I think that’s what I love about music or new genres, that transformative property...

Yeah! Sometimes people come up to my face being like, ‘Yo! Trap rave is the next shit! Trap rave is the next shit and it’s gonna be so huge!’... At first when the whole thing was starting you naturally step back because it gets a little out of hand but I always take the time to really look at everything, analyze everything, understand why people are reacting this way, why it came to be and now how I see it is literally just because people want to enjoy their music. I’m just gonna keep pushing how I’ve always seen it. I believe in what and how I see music, how I want to present it, how I want to produce it. I leave it to them to just talk about it however they want. I’m not here to be like, ‘You should think about it this way’...

How did you and Hudson Mohawke meet? Did you see eye to eye when it came to creating the TNGHT EP together?

We’ve known each other for years. He’s from Scotland originally. We played one show in Montreal at one of our parties called Turbo Crunk. That was the first time we met and afterwards we just kept playing at global shows together. One day he just did a remix, a very straightforward rap beat, it was pretty simple. I hit him up straight away and he was down. I was like, ‘Yeah actually let’s make some really straightforward rap music.’ It was a time where we were all making instrumentals but it was just so busy, it wasn’t enough for a vocalist to be a part of it. Not to rap on top of it just to ‘be part of it’ ’cus it really needs to feel like the artist should be a part of the song. So we came to a point where we were just like let’s strip down everything and make it out there.

Take us into the mind of Lunice during the process of making music. Do the beats just come to you? Is it a grueling creative process? Is it heavily mapped out or is it done at the spot?

It literally is pretty much what you said. It is all of that — that’s the process basically. Here’s the thing, anybody who comes up being like, ‘This is the whole process I do, I do this and that and this and that’ is bullshit to me. It’s like saying to somebody that this wine tastes like that because of that is bullshit because everybody has different tastebuds, you know? So that’s what I mean, it’s exactly what you said, it’s really spontaneous, it’s really on the spot, it’s really by whatever you see, feel, hear, taste. It might remind you of something and then it’ll get you excited about something which turns into inspiration and then you bring into whatever you feel, you’d be able to express it better. Sometimes I’ll be inspired by something but I might not put it through music, I might put it through something else completely. It’s an experience just to know how to channel it all.

Has being from Montreal shaped your tastes or your philosophy behind making music?

Montreal definitely shaped my philosophy in terms of being open-minded, that’s for sure. There’s no doubt about that because we don’t have a sound, we don’t have a crowd that’s necessarily dedicated to traditional hip hop. In Toronto, you have a crowd that’s very specific to that and it’s a huge crowd that can definitely come through and sell a concert. Whereas in Montreal you still have that crowd but they’re still naturally open-minded just because of where they live, it’s their surroundings, it’s just friends constantly showing different types of music. So that’s definitely the vibe I got from being there, it’s just being open-minded, always wanting to mix music. ’Cus we know we’re from Montreal, we know we’re French-Canadian in this world, so we’re not gonna come up with no sound no matter what [laughs]. So we might as well be this global sound. And that’s what’s great about being from Montreal.

So right now you’re the hottest producer in the scene...

I doesn’t feel like it [laughs]. I just feel like I need to work more, I always feel like that [laughs].

That’s always a good thing. So years from now when you look back, how do you want to be known for, what’s sort of your ultimate goal in this project?

I want it to be a little more different, I want it to be more media-centric. It’s 2013 right now, you know, we’ve got so much information so I want to be part of that Golden Age of information. I want to do something with it, I want to present it that way. I don’t know what it is yet, I mean in five years time I can only imagine the technology we’re gonna have — what we have now is already crazy. I just want to present myself as that guy that not only does music, but I’ve always been interested in other things that involve creativity. That’s why when people ask me what I do, I never ever say I’m a producer or I make music. I always say I’m a creative. Not in no pretentious shit, it’s literally because it’s the freaking future man, we can do a lot of stuff at the same time. Back then you couldn’t really, it was one thing and one thing only because the equipment would cost way too much. Nowadays you can get so many free programs that you could literally take advantage of the resources and do a lot of things together so it’s really that age where people multi-task. I just want to represent myself in that way, the right light, to make people aware that they can take advantage of their resources and come up with great things. What I do and what I push is not only for me but hopefully to inspire people around me to do the same because that’s how I saw it. I saw people from the past doing the same and that inspired me to push it more.

So what are your future projects this year?

At the moment I’m just working on stuff with Mad Decent, like doing shows, and eventually come out with something on Mad Decent.

When can we expect your full-length album?

I’m trying to do it as soon as possible. It’s just hard sometimes when you work on new stuff and you get an email from a rapper who wants a fresh beat from that bunch and it’s like, ‘Aw great’ [laughs]. But it’s sort of good, it’s great, it’s amazing actually but it’s like ‘Oh, gotta work on new music.’

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Super huge thanks to Lunice and @desgamotin for this!  

Ledoom is an exceptionally dope DJ and producer orignally from San Antonio, Texas.  In celebration of the release of the incredible Moombahton Forever LP we were blessed with the opportunity to ask him a few questions, and here's what he had to say:

-We first caught on to your music with the tunes 'Boink' and
'Tempora'.  How much did we miss prior to that? When did you start
out, and what was your first tune?

Well, I had quite a few tunes that I had made prior to "Tempora &
Boink!" with Bro Safari, but I think those two tracks maybe got a
little more light on them because of the production was different in
terms of what i would say was "normal moombahton" at the time?
I would say the first "tune" was probably an edit i did of Doctor P
"Big Boss" as soon as I heard "Firepower" from Munchi.  I think that
track really changed the course of moombahton and opened it up to the
obviously heavier side of things.

-As a genre defying artist, how often do you find people trying to put
you into a single category?

It's hard to tell sometimes. I think a lot of people either have heard
my stuff and have labeled me as a "Moombahton" artist or some of the
more recent people that have associated with my tracks have probably
classified as more of a "Trap" artist. The one thing I like to try and
do and make songs in what ever genre I am working on at the moment and
just let whatever comes out naturally for the track. Like say for
instance "Tempora" came out and it has considered more of a
"Moombahcore" track but then... just like that... I heard James Blake
"CMYK" and I really liked it and thought it could be a really cool
track if done into a Moombahsoul track with a sort of Uk Funky/ Future
Garage sort of spin on it. That was the hardest thing at first for me
was trying to make this one sound and force it to always be one thing
and then one day I realized what a poor idea that would be as an
artist and that I should let things flow naturally out. So then we go
from "Tempora" to "CMYK" and then move further down the line and then
do something like the remix of "Mercy" which is a dubstep remix and
then "Colors" which was a Moombahton track and then come out with the
remix I did of Frank Ocean's "Pyramids" which is very laid back and
relaxed and atmospheric and sensual I guess in a way. I mean I want to
be able to maintain freedom to make what i am feeling because I think
that is the way anyones best music will ever come out as...
themselves.

-We know your mind blowing moombahton tracks, and you have some
heavyweight trap too, can we expect any more genres to be included in
your upcoming releases?

Actually I am very excited to talk about this!! This new EP "D A R K N
E S S O V E R E V E R Y T H I N G" I've been working hard on for the
past 4 months or so has so many diff sounds in it. I think it finally
sounds like a collective, cohesive body of work. It has some electro,
some dub step and just a taste of drum & bass. I know this may sound
weird because of the all the past releases but this is something I am
very proud of and wanted it to be a representation of growth and just
a culmination of everything I've done so far. It's def a little darker
but I think has some fun, feel good vibes to it as well.

-You've made some huge remixes, of artists like Frank Ocean and Kanye
West.  How do you select which songs to flip?

Thank you man!! I mean sometimes with songs like those I hear it once
and then immediately hear what I'd like to do with it and then go from
there. Sometimes the process takes a little longer than I would like
to execute but then other times it just flows out so naturally and
thats always a nice feeling when working on music.

-if you were still playing vinyl, what is one record that would never
leave your bag?

Most likely a lot of Noisia haha

-what inspires you to get down to work? where do your ideas come from?

Actually just a lot of day to day stuff man. Things that happen
throughout a day, or being on the road or talking with friends. I try
to take inspiration from everywhere I can. If something isn't there I
wont force it, I will close the project for the day or sometimes a few
days and then work on something else. If an idea pops up I work until
the idea isn't flowing as naturally and then put it away until the
inspiration is back. Sometimes though, it all happens at once and a
track can get done really fast, other times it may much longer.

-what's a day in the life of ledoom?

Usually, that starts with me waking up and heading to the corner store
and getting a sugar free redbull. I'm pretty much addicted to those
damn things to the point where the hardly even work anymore haha.
Usually through out the day I'm responding to emails and messages and
working on music most of the time. I do like to take the time though
and read books on mastering, audio engineering, reading manuals for
synthesizers and plug ins to try and learn them as best as I can. I
aslo spend a lot of time at the grocery store and cooking!!! That is
one thing i abosloutely love to do is cook. Ask anyone that knows
me!!!

-coming up in san antonio, what were you into growing up? who inspired
you to get into music, who helped you out?

Honestly I grew up playing in bands and really into guitar and metal.
I would sit at home for hours playing guitar learning techniques and
trying to become a "shredder". So much to the point where I would be
at a party, get bored, then go home and play guitar to practice and
get better. That's kind of where I am again but with production. I
feel like such a nerd sometimes haha

I would say someone that inspired me to get into Dj'ing is a friend of
mine "Sonora" he lives in San Antnio also. The first time I met him he
was Dj'ing at a bar I used to bartend and manage a few years ago. The
first night they came and played I was blown away because at the time
he was playing electro and party tunes which I had never heard live
like that before and I was hooked from then.

There has been a lot of people that have helped me out over the past
year or two and I don't want to say to many names or accidentally
forget someone but, someone who has been a really good dude and has
helped out with a lot would be Bro Safari. I've learned some really
great stuff from him and he's just a good dude.

-what are some of your longer term goals with this music? people you'd
like to work with? places or events you'd like to play?

Long term, hmm? I mean there is a lot of things i would like to work
on for the long term. I really would like to get more involved with
the engineering side of things as far as audio and music goes, thats
something I really love doing. There is a lot of music I still want to
experiment with and put out. I would love to be able to go live in
another country for a few months and just live in a studio and work on
a full length album sometime. I think that would be a really awesome
experience.

I love working with different artists and collabing is one of my
favorite things about producing because sometimes i get the feeling of
being in a band again, it's nice to work with other people on music
and share ideas and come up with some unique. There are so many
different I would love to work with. Probably way too many to name
hahah but If I had to pick a few, Far Too Loud, Noisia, Feed Me would
probably be the ones.

Something like EDC would be amazing to play or Cream Fields would be
equally awesome.

-any news we should know about? anyone you'd like to shout out?

The ep will be out shortly and more info will be coming about that so
keep an eye out on Facebook and Twitter. The most recent and biggest
news is a I just joined Envy Us Talent which is a booking/mgmt company
out in Phoenix AZ ! Super stoked to be on that roster, there is some
really talented artists on there and really happy to be on a team with
Luminoxx, Trap A Holics, Dj Slink (Hug Life) as well as the rest of
the crew involved!!!

• El Cuco Recordings
• Facebook
• MySpace
• YouTube
• Hype Machine
• dj.beatport.com/ledoom