This weekend marks the 10 year anniversary of what has grown to be one of my favorite events in the country, I LOVE LA. In an area that is riddled with stiff competition, exclusivity and rivalry among the locals, I Love LA breaks the mold by supporting locals of all styles, and pushes local talent of all styles and sounds. In preparation for Sundays big show, I sat down with one of the founders of I Love LA APX1, got some insight into the history of the event, some of his opinions on the scene, and a slamming guest mix for the podcast. Enjoy!
I LOVE LA OFFICIAL EVENT PAGE: https://www.facebook.com/events/1427518137267215/
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APX1 Interview
1. Introduce yourself and tell our readers a bit of the history behind I LOVE LA.
Hi Im Dj Apx1 and have been djing for about 25 years now. Ive played so many different styles of music growing up. The genre’s that have definitely stuck with me throughout the years have always been Hip Hop & Drum n Bass. Living in Southern California Ive always enjoyed Backyard Parties & BBQ’s. There was a different vibe when it came to Day Parties or a Family Get Together. Regardless of what style of music was being played it was always about the Bond of sharing a drink with some friends, sharing some laughs, catching up, or sharing some smoke for a friendly pow wow. There were always up n coming dj’s who never got a chance to play at Huge Events or make a name for themselves but had the time of their lives while on the decks surrounded by nothing but good vibes. Which are the same reasons why Dj Curious & Myself started The I Love LA Events. We wanted to create a Foundation for Friends, Family, Local Artists & Bass Loving Individuals to have a place to get together for the Love of Music Including a Nice Amount of Stress Relief during the Process. 😉
2. What was the first I Love LA like, and how do you hope that Sunday’s event compares?
Our very 1st I Love LA was thrown at The Classic Larchmont Location on Melrose which is where Respect Thursdays was held for a long period of time. We had Drum n Bass in the Main Area & Reggae, Hip Hop, Old School Techno & House in the Upstairs Second Area. Free Nachos & Free Hot Dogs were provided that day which went over well with our “Medicated Patients in Attendance”. lol There werent too many DnB Parties that were giving away free food at the time. The vibe was intense & the local support was tremendous. We knew that we were on to something & just wanted to continue to have somewhere to be able to chill with our friends n enjoy the music we all know & Love!
3. What is your favorite memory from a previous I LOVE LA event.
The last I Love LA event that we had was Our Annual Halloween Masquerade which was packed with everybody in costumes who were ready to party & dance to the vibrations of endless bass lines. One funny memory that i have from that event that i wont forget is when i was wearing my Big Bad Wolf Costume with a Crazy Mask that made it hard to see out of. Had to close One Eye while standing on top of speakers & handing out cookies to the crowd. lol Lets just say that The Mission was Accomplished!
4. Who have been some of the most critical parts of helping I LOVE LA have such a lasting momentum over the past decade.
Some of the Key Individuals who have been a critical part with Keeping Up the Momentum of I Love LA after all of these years without a doubt have to be First n Foremost my partners George Dj Curious & Joey Dj Jahwy who have been on this roller coaster ride with me throughout thick n thin during the past 10 Years. They have helped me lay down a foundation that has made a name for itself in Los Angeles for the past decade now when it comes to Bass Music. Also wouldnt had been able to do it without The Airliner Nightclub which has played a major role & has been our Home Base since the very beginning. If youve been to an I Love LA Event in the past decade then you’ve definitely been to The Airliner. Cant thank them enough for working with us & our patrons throughout all of these years.
5. On the topic of local artists, What do you feel the toughest thing about being an artist in one of the largest markets in the USA is?
One of the toughest things about being a local artist in the USA is how to set yourself apart from everybody else. These days dj’s & producers are a dime a dozen with how easy it is to accomplish both of these feats. If you have the will then there is definitely a way. All of the new technology has allowed up n coming artists to advance & showcase in a way thats never been done before. Whether or not its due to cdjs, controllers or programs like Ableton. It has created a wave of independent artists who want to get on stage in front of a raging crowd and perform at the best of their ability which in my own opinion is a Beautiful Thing!!
6. Tell us a little bit about this new location we are preparing to experience this weekend.
The Brand New Venue we are Using for I Love LA this Weekend is going to take our crowd back to the Good Ole Days in Los Angeles when all you needed was a Dark Warehouse, some Friends n Family & a Bass Booming System with the Type of Music we All Know n Love. An Underground Party Right Smack Dab in the Heart of the City we call LA!!
7. What do you feel about the general direction of drum and bass right now?
The General Direction of Drum & Bass at this time is Moving Forward at a Rapid Pace. It has always had its ups n downs during the past 20+ years but right now we are experiencing a major boom when it comes to production with music, events, dj’s and merchandise. The amount of people who attend events & who have found an interest in this style of music has doubled in the past few years. It feels good to see something that I’ve held a flag with for the past 20 years has reached the level of where its at and continues pushing the boundaries of Music!
8. Side note: Tell us a little bit about the famous cookies and other goodies people can expect a the event this weekend.
Thats one thing that I wont dwell on or get into too much detail about. lol Our World Famous I Love LA Cookies. They are famous for a really good reason and If Ya Dont Know Ya Betta Ask Somebody. They definitely have played a major role in Our 420 Celebrations in the past & are a key factor when it comes to helping you Enjoy the Full I Love LA Experience!!
9. Any last words for the viewers in regards to the event?
After Pushing Drum n Bass & Every other type of Bass Music in Los Angeles for the Past Decade with I Love LA I can honestly say that I dont see us going anywhere in the near future. There will always be an up n coming local who want to showcase in front of their peers & there will always be someone on the dance floor who wants to feel the vibes from the music & atmosphere. We are seriously blessed when it comes to Living in Los Angeles during this time and age. Lets make the best of it & support our locals who continue to create this underworld of music that we all know and love!!
Tracklists and more info!
Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes: http://bit.ly/bestdnb
Bad Syntax Tracklist
1. KS ft MC Stern – Violence [Abducted LTD]
2. Memetrix – Atrophy [Sotto Voce]
3. Mob Tactics – Get Dirty VIP [Viper]
4. Teddy Killerz – Teddys Song [RAM]
5. State of Mind & Mindscape & Jade – Grape Juice [Eatbrain]
6. Maztek – M Theory (Audio RMX) [Renegade Hardware]
7. Tobax – Person [Abducted LTD]
8. Dub Elements – Machine Language [Red Light]
9. Kolt ft Coppa – Bloodsport [Blackout]
10. RedPill – Trouble [NeurofunkGrid]
11. The Clamps – Pretend to Be [Trendkill]
12. Zaiaku – Shrine [Abducted LTD]
13. Synergy – Overdose [Blackout]
14. L 33 – Clublife (Prolix VIP) [Eatbrain]
15. Volatile Cycle & Kritix – Checkpoint [Renegade HArdware]
16. State of Mind and Maztek – Back From the Edge [Eatbrain]
17. Velos – Circe [Abducted LTD]
18. LYNX ft Zero One – Steel Works [Detail]
19. Current Value, Optiv & CZA – Ghost Nation [C4C]
20. Bizarro – Your False Law Will Fall [Warfare]
21. Command Strange – Shiva [V Recordings]
22. MVRK – Blizzard Bluff [Proximity]
23. Disprove & Insom – All You Desire [Abducted LTD]
24. Kursa – Watch Me [Slugwife]
25. MVRK – Start From The BAsics [Proximity]
26. Enei – Wolfpack [Critical]
27. Agressor Bunx – Let It War [Renegade HArdware]
28. NickBee – Space Tunnel [Ignescent]
29. Tobax – Many Digital Faces [Abducted LTD]
30. Current Value – Major Fracture [31 Records]
31. Liveon – So Sudden [Titan]
32. Cruk – Full Tilt [Blackout]
33. Maniatics – Delusion [Titan]
34. RedPill – The Pulse [NeurofunkGrid]
35. Ordure – Strike [Blackout]
36. Velos – Aeaeae [Abducted LTD]
APX1 Tracklist
- Really Matter – Trill Sammy & Dice Soho
- Everyone VIP – L Plus
- Searchin – Rawtee
- Assassins – Aesthetics
- Think We Done – Furniss
- Danger – Limited
- Night Error – Critical Matter
- Visions of Cyrus – Skin Lazy
- Mortal Laugh – Divided
- I Remember – Traumatize
- Nuff Sound Cant Play (remix) – Annix
- Bass Bad – Ailman
- Pull Up (Dangerous Remix) – Dangerous / Manga
- Overproof – Firefox
- The Interaction – Sequend
- Fabrik of Break – Creative Sound
- Thug Killer – Drumsound & Bassline Smith
- Bear Fight – Coppa & Agressor Bunx
- Helion – OZ
- Stem Cell – Remote Viewer
- The Invaders – Turno
- Typical Murderers – Captain Bass
- Put it Down (Remix DnB Version) – Stevens Kbosh meets Joseph Cotton
- Battle Cry feat Navigator – Serum
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