[The Audiofiles] Silent Frisco Set to Takeover the Nighttime Airwaves at Lightning in a Bottle

April 16, 2014April 16, 2014Leave a comment

From the US inception of the Silent Disco in 2007 at the Bonnaroo Music Festival, there was no doubt in anyone’s mind that this novel idea would become a bonafide hit at festivals and parties nationwide. This goes doubly so for Robbie ‘Motion Potion’ Kowel, founder of San Francisco’s famed Silent Frisco and Co-Founder of SunsetSF – not to mention the premiere Silent Disco DJ in the United States. Until 2011, Kowel spun the Silent Disco alongside DJs LOGIC, QUICKIE MART, and MEDI4 using one channel headphones manufactured by KOSS; now in 2014, you’ll find the Silent Frisco footprint at over 100 different events year round.

In the last two years alone, they’ve hosted monthly residencies in Los Angeles and San Francisco, had their hands on events from clients like Dos Equis, MacWorld, Yahoo and the L.A. County Museum of Art – not to mention the eye-opening experiences at music festivals nationwide like Electric Forest, Treasure Island Music Fest, Gathering of the Vibes, Camp Bisco, Ghost Ship Halloween, High Sierra Music Festival, Hornings Hideout, Sonic Bloom, Another Planet Entertainment, Insomniac Events, Madison House Presents, NoisePop and so much more.

Now, they’re pairing up with longtime friends and fun makers The Do Lab to bring their amazing energy, positive vibes and Silent Frisco-ing down to the hills of Monterey County for this year’s Lightning in a Bottle festival, held over Memorial Day Weekend. The Silent Frisco will broadcast for four nights over two channels with an exceptional roster of talent from all over the nation for four nights. On Thursday night, you’ll hear the tunes of Talking Heads vs LCD Soundsystem and the next night it’ll be Radiohead vs Daft Punk. This hefty portion of eclectic music has been meticulously schemed to ensure a sublime morning for all.

“After years of welcoming The Do Lab to produce stages at our greatest annual creation, Sea of Dreams, it’s only fitting that we should do the same for them at their incredible festival,” said Silent Frisco/SunsetSF director Robbie Kowal. “The Do Lab are among the finest of event producers and giving us “the keys to their sunrise” is an honor we do not take lightly.”

Silent Frisco will broadcast in our upgraded and expanded HushZone late night on Thursday, Friday, Saturday (that’s Friday, Saturday and Sunday mornings) from 12:30am until 7am. The eclectic lineup will feature nufunk legends FORT KNOX 5 and drum & bass innovator Thunderball, (both from D.C.) as well as LA/NYC Moombahton trailblazer Sabo. SoCal will be well represented with electro-swing producers THE GENTLEMEN CALLERS of Los Angeles, eclectic electronic stalwarts ROMY ACONA and PATRICIO, and two sets from AARON CASTLE, including his patented LCD Soundsystem set. NorCal will represent as well with remix aficionado Zack Darling, mid-tempo hero Malarkey, and downtempo producer INI. Silent Frisco’s residents will keep the trains on the tracks with sets by including resident DJs MANCUB, MATT HAZE and SHOUTS and Motion Potion’s patented Radiohead and Talking Heads sets.

Adds Kowal, “Silent Frisco creates a direct connection between the listener and the artist, which enables more creative, explorational sets. We pride ourselves on curating experiences that allow DJ’s to truly stretch and take the listeners on a journey.”

For additional Silent Frisco events in the San Francisco and Los Angeles area, head over to their website, Facebook or Twitter pages.

Keep up to date with all things Lightning in a Bottle and Do Lab with their socials –

Lightning in a Bottle: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Tumblr

For festival coverage, keep your eyes on The DJ List

[Happy Caturday]

April 12, 2014Leave a comment

[The Audiofiles] Above and Beyond Bring #ABGT100 to NYC

April 11, 2014April 11, 2014Leave a comment

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In partnership with Time Warner Cable, Above & Beyond – America’s favorite Trance trifecta – are bringing their signature radio show ABGT to New York City to celebrate the 100 episode mark! After last year’s epic show for ABGT50 at London’s Alexandra Palace, the bar will definitely be raised for the group – but that’s nothing they can’t overcome. And, for their century episode they’re doing it big – broadcasting live from Madison Square Garden, the world’s most famous arena, and it’ll be their largest show in America to date.

–Sign Up here for Pre-Registration–

Pre-sale registration is open now until 4/28 at Midnight. If your ‘Sticky Fingers’ are itching to say ‘Hello’ to A&B in NYC, you’ll want to register ASAP. Pre-sale for registered members begins at Noon EDT on 4/30 and could easily sell out, sale to the general public begins on 5/1 at Noon EDT.

[Make Your Own] Curtains and Drapes

April 8, 2014April 8, 2014Leave a comment

One of the many perks to moving is – if you’re willing – you cancompletely revamp your surroundings in a unique way with just a dash of DIY. At my old apartment, my plastic faux-shade curtains were deemed more of a nuisance than a necessity, so one morning as I meandered through the living room I decided to rip them off, one by one. Which caused a very obvious issue for those out there that enjoy sleeping in; because, let’s face it, you couldn’t. Because I was so close to moving out, we didn’t want to invest too much in anything for my windows so as a quick fix we took some tacks and a few flowing tapestries and voila – instashade. After I moved a few weeks ago, we decided to go “one deeper” and really get into crafting some curtains and I have to say, the end result is absolutely awesome. Now, I’ve got to admit that I can’t take complete credit for the idea; back when I first moved to LA, my stepmom crafted a small divider to separate my living room from the bedroom…and I’ve loved it so damn much that found a place for it at each apartment since then.

It’s worked exceptionally well as a room divider, but I’ve also had it over my closet and in a walkway through my apartment; each and every way I tried it, I fell back in love with the idea. So, when it came time to get down to brass tax about our new room curtains, I was all too game. Ever since I ventured to Hawaii on my 18th birthday, I’ve had an affinity for sarongs and other light, flowing materials – so I’ve kept a small collection that I can now proudly display with a delightful glimmer of sunlight behind them.

You can make this as simple or as complicated as you want; for more options than you needed – just hop over to your local JoAnne’s Fabrics and they’ll have literally any and every pattern you could think of. Last time I checked, they also had drape clips, but if not head over to the home section of a WalMart or Target and you’ll find them; most likely right next to the curtain rods.

Soundtrack

At lunch today, I found myself completely lost and dancing by myself to the new mix from Aeroplane; it just sounds like Summer is enveloping your ears – so good!

Window Rods and Drape Clips, so necessary!

Supplies

– 4+ x Festive and Flowing Fabric; and enough fabric per piece to cover the length of the window

– Tension Rod or Window Rod (measure your space!)

– 2-3 packs of Drape Clip Rings (7 a pack), or roughly 20 clips

I’d give out instructions for this one, but let’s face it – totally straight forward once the thought’s in your head, isn’t it? Here’s the end results from my new room – I’m absolutely in love!

Regardless of your current projects, I totally encourage you to get up, get out and get your DIY on – it’s a beautiful day for creativity.

[Artist Spotlight] Late Night Radio

April 7, 2014April 7, 2014Leave a comment

For the last few weeks while I’ve been moving, I’ve been making a point of slowly but surely migrating from the bottom right of the Lightning in a Bottle flyer up to the top left just so I could really understand the entire breadth of the line-up. I made it about three lines up until I had to stop myself because my ears were swimming with a new sound; something that found it’s identity somewhere between the groovy rhythms of MoTown Soul, the raw emotions of Hip Hop and our new age electronic influences. Originally from Houston but now residing in Denver, Late Night Radio – known to friends as Alex Medellin – puts a fresh take on old favorites; transforming classics into revamped masterpieces in incredible Vinyl Restoration series as well as his EP’s – Far Into The Night and Concrete Collage. They’re so funky and retro, but with a unique flare of Electro Soul that keeps you dancing minute after minute.

Each time I’ve gone back to the lineup, I find myself going right on back to LNR – and each time I listen to his mixes, I find a new moment to covet or song to obsess over. I’ve even converted my boyfriend and our housemate into fans – and as it stands, we’re more excited about LNR at LIB than almost everyone else on the lineup. His collaborations with Robotic Pirate Monkey are obscenely amazing but I’d have to say, my current favorites are ‘For Dreamers’ – and his latest mix in the VR series.

I can picture it now: a lazy Saturday afternoon in the beautiful, Monterey sunshine – hundreds of smiling faces, of every age and every type of music lover – grinnin’ and groovin’ to some of these LNR sounds…

Keep up with Late Night Radio across their socials –

Website | The DJ List | Facebook | Soundcloud

[Shifting Seasons and New Adventures]

April 2, 2014April 3, 2014Leave a comment

Sometimes I feel that life is passing me by, not slowly either, but with ropes of steam and spark-spattered wheels and a hoarse roar of power or terror. It’s passing, yet I’m the one who’s doing all the moving.

[Martin Amis]

Bye, bye Mid-Wilshire!

For almost four years now – it’s just been my and my fur babies, Sake and Stella; we’ve been living near The Grove, enjoying leisurely walks and the menagerie of urban art the area has to offer. Living alone was exhilarating, liberating, freeing …. and lonely. As a social creature, I thrive when I’m surrounded by a supportive community – and doubly so when that community is comprised of close and dear friends. And don’t get me wrong, because I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my independence; but, life has a funny way of letting you know that you deserve so, so much more. I’ve never lived with a significant other – or even an insignificant one; so when my boyfriend and I started whimsically discussing moving in together – my heart skipped a beat, and then another…and then I found myself in a strange inexorable state somewhere between pure elation and an anxiety attack. But without a question, was going to be the easiest decision I’d ever made; yes, yes and a thousand more times yes! Though we’ve only been together for a little over a year, we’ve been friends for four years and have the most amazing connection and to boot, he’s the easiest person to be around – and my best friend. So, for the past few weeks, I’ve been sorting, packing, unpacking, resorting, throwing away and donating almost 60% of my belongings (and, ignoring my blog…); granted, lots of it was either from college and severely run down, or from my first year of Los Angeles and incredibly inexpensive – but regardless, it’s all gone! And what’s more, is that I’m 99.5% moved into the new place already – and I’ve never, ever been this happy.

That new ish!

Don’t think we have enough pilllows… #cohabitationproblems

The last graffiti at my old apartment

The kitties all getting along =)

That said, it’s been a strange hiatus from writing but now that I’m settled in, expect to see much more from this Bouncy Kitty; including knocking out more Bucket List items – I just canceled cable (so thank goodness for HBO Go and my addiction to Game of Thrones!) and I’ll be able to develop more time to reading, yoga and exploring the East Side of LA. So stay tuned and stay weird my friends =)