Preview: Hard Haunted Mansion

Photo Courtesy of FlikrGet ready to break out that psychedelic costume and be sure to drink plenty of water because Hard Haunted Mansion is back for its fourth year running. Taking place at The Shrine Expo Hall just outside the USC campus, Hard Haunted Mansion is the definitive massive for all those looking to celebrate All Hallow’s Eve with a night of spine rattling audio splendor.

“I’ve always loved Halloween,” says Gary Richards, Hard’s founder and current producer, “Halloween is a great holiday because everyone gets to dress up and act crazy.” He claims that ‘the Hard crowd’ already possesses an affinity for dressing up and acting crazy, which is exactly why this event seems so exciting. Just as it has been in prior years, those in attendance can expect an intense musical and sensory departure from the constructs of sanity and polite society.

This year’s Hard Haunted Mansion features performances from Rusko, Fatboy Slim, Laidback Luke, 2ManyDJ’s among others, and that’s just the lineup on Friday night. On Saturday, Gary Richards fits in his set as Destructo amongst a busy lineup that includes Soulwax, Skrillex, Major Lazer, Caspa and 12^th Planet. Considering the overwhelming Dubstep influence present in this year’s lineup, Hardfest is set be a chest rattling, ear shattering, mish-mosh of big beats and filthy bass lines. Substantial hearing loss included at no extra charge.

To add excitement to everyone’s natural case of pre festival jitters, Richards has hinted at a few surprises lined up for the weekend. “We’re adding more to the production [this year],” he says careful to not give too much away. “We have something new on the inside stage and a lot of new performers. We also have a few collaborations lined up to really freak people out.”

With plenty of experience organizing shows of this type and scale, Richards is confident that this weekend’s festival will run as smoothly as ever. “I have had everything thrown at me that you can imagine over the last four years,” he admits while casually reminiscing about chaotic moments afforded by shows in prior years. “This is the fourth Haunted Mansion. They keep getting better because every year you figure out something new.”

Although Richards can assert that this year’s show will run smoother than the rest, he still looks back toward the first Haunted Mansion as a seminal point in his career, as well as a defining moment in the world of electro-music. “The first year [of Haunted Mansion] was amazing due to the fact that we had Deadmau5, Justice, and DJ AM, who at the time were not that big yet.”

Although Richards can confidently say that the shows just keep getting better, he admits there was something special about that first year. Between the thrill of watching rising talent and an emerging scene, that first Hard Haunted Mansion was the culmination of a project he had first began roughly fifteen years before.

“I used to do these events back in the day in ‘90, ‘91, and ’92. I threw underground warehouse parties in my 20s,” said Richards. From these early warehouse parties came the monikers ‘Haunted Mansion’ and ‘Electric Daisy Carnival,’ two events that Richards, at the time, didn’t believe have any staying power. However, after a short delve into the record business, Richards began to re think his logic. “In 2007,” he said, “I realized that people weren’t buying records so I went back to my roots and started producing Hard.” Since then the franchise has taken off and with several events to plan for all around the year, Richards has been busier than ever preparing techno friendly venues for the masses to bang their heads.

With all his focus on producing the most enormous event possible, he admits that it is easy to lose track of the fact that he is also playing a set at this years Hard Haunted Mansion. He recalls from prior years that the task of throwing in a set on the same night you are producing a festival is indeed a taxing experience. “Last year I was supposed to go on in ten minutes and police were waiting outside. There were some issues with the crowd backing in the street so I helped solve the problem, ran back and threw on my costume and hit the stage.”

Preparations and anxieties aside, the pieces are in place for this year’s Hard Haunted Mansion and those with tickets are no doubt getting goose bumps for the sonically charged fun fest that is headed their way. For anyone still on the fence about whether or not Haunted Mansion may be worth the commitment, Richards reminds you that, “If you want to come see the best electronic music from around the world assembled in one room for Halloween. Come out to Hard. We’re not just bringing artists that might be ok. We are literally bringing the best DJs in the world.”

Preview: The Rum Diary - Opens Oct. 28

Following several years of whispered rumors and steady anticipation, the on screen adaptation of the early Hunter S. Thompson novel, ‘The Rum Diary’ is slated to hit theaters this October. Set in the sweltering heat of Puerto Rico in the late 1950s, ‘The Rum Diary’ is the story of journalist Paul Kemp, an up and coming writer transplanted from New York to write for San Juan’s failing paper, The Star. Written at around age twenty, ‘The Rum Diary’ is one of Thompson’s first books and is often regarded as a seminal work for the author.

Although the book was written around 1960, it was not published until 1998, an accomplishment that co-producer Johnny Depp is partly responsible for. “Hunter and I were sitting in what he called his War Room, back in about 1997… I happened upon a cardboard box that unearthed ‘The Rum Diary,’” Depp said in a pre-release press conference last week. Depp explained that he encouraged Thompson to publish the book, and then went on to quote the writer’s reaction saying, “Yes I will [publish the book]. However. I think we should produce this, man.” Despite the initial excitement he held for the idea of this cinematic project, Thompson would not live to see the day the ‘The Rum Diary’ was released.

In many ways the film does not quite do justice to the book. With minor plot alterations and the morphing of certain characters, viewers that have read the book were left with a sense that they were missing something. Director Bruce Robinson elaborates this issue claiming, “The way I approached the adaptation of ‘The Rum Diary’ was to absorb what the book was, and then rewrite it. There are only three lines that Hunter wrote in the whole script. I wasn’t trying to copy him.”

Depp explains that the film’s alterations from the book were something that the author actually wanted in the first place, “Bruce definitely went off the page in terms of the book,” he said. “But Hunter wanted to, he always wanted to.” Depp went on to recall that Thompson had noticed several imperfections with the book. It was after all his first crack at writing a novel. As such, Depp and Robinson were allowed full permission to streamline the story to make it suitable for cinema.

Johnny Depp takes on the lead role of Paul Kemp, playing upon his first hand knowledge of Hunter S. Thompson to create a multi-layered protagonist. A far cry from the freak power, gonzo, legend that we knew from “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas,” the character of Paul Kemp is refined, handsome and socially adept. It is a younger version of the acclaimed writer, whom Depp describes as, “this kid who was teetering on the verge of finding his voice.” Just as Thompson was struggling to find his voice through this first manuscript, Paul Kemp struggles to find his voice within the context of the film. Packed with behavioral tidbits taken from Thompson himself, Depp’s performance walks a fine line of fact and fiction as he looks to pay tribute to the late journalist and his old friend.

A booze soaked journey of greed and contempt veiled with drunken mishaps and tinges of psychedelic inspiration, ‘The Rum Diary’ is a dark adventure through the warm auspices of a Caribbean paradise. Much anticipated by fans of ‘Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas,’ many will find that film is very much its own thing. Paul Kemp is a very different beast from Raoul Duke, and the ways in which these characters compliment each other is fascinating to observe.

Depp is complimented by Michael Rispoli as Sala and Giovanni Risbi as Moberg. Together, these two instigators serve to spin the momentum of movie as well as demonstrate elements of Thompson that were not communicated through the character of Kemp. Risbi’s adaptation of Moberg stands out as particularly noticeable as he offers a character that is both deeply intelligent and delightfully repulsive. As a strong antagonist, Aaron Eckhart plays the role of Sanderson using all the command of a seasoned veteran to create a personality that is both powerful and detestable.

Were it not for the rich back-story afforded by the life of Hunter S. Thompson and the curiosity of Johnny Depp, ‘The Rum Diary,’ as a movie alone, might seem a bit underwhelming. A winding plot line with a fairly weak climax, the film leaves viewers a bit unsatisfied, as if it fell short of its cathartic potential. However, as a tribute to the life of the world’s first gonzo journalist, this adaptation serves to do justice to the writer as Depp and Robinson recall the memories of their old friend. “Hunter was with us everyday [on set],” Depp recalled as he spoke of producing this movie. “If [Hunter] has seen the finished film, he’d be whooping.”



It kinda sounds...Shifty: Shadowfunk interviews the Shifty Rhythms Crew

It all began in the filthy throes of a college sophomore’s dorm room. Roommates and aspiring DJs Kyle DePinna and Danny Parra would spend tireless nights sharing tracks, tips and the occasional bottle of cheap whiskey. Their mutual enthusiasm for electronic music turned into a prolific obsession that the two couldn’t keep to themselves. Inspired by the mutual determination to have their sound be heard, Parra and DePinna founded ShiftyRhytms.com, a common outlet for their shared passion. At the time, Shifty Rhythms was no more than your basic music blog, spouting hip tracks from all over the World Wide Web, presented in an impressively professional fashion. It’s taken a few years of perfection, but the site has since sprung a life of its own evolving into a palpable force presented through a recognizable scene.

“It’s not so much a musical movement as much as it is a community of friends” says Kyle, “Shifty Rhythms is by no means genre specific. It’s about what makes us tick.” The sounds and scene that make them ‘tick’ are marked by big beats, bright colors and the overwhelming propensity to get down. Parra puts it in simpler terms emulating the signature horn sample found in many of his favorite tracks, “it’s like… Beyyeew Beeyyww Beeyyeww!” The site itself offers daily tracks from a variety of genres from electro to hip hop; even free form jazz if the song is groovy enough. Shifty Rhythms gained popularity in its first few years of publication, but its momentum did not truly pick up steam until Danny and Kyle broke through the cyberspace fourth wall to throw their first live event as a two-man production company.

It was called “The Shift” and hype for the two man DJ fun fest spread like wildfire amongst the LA college scene; the result of an aggressive and shameless marketing campaign headed up by Danny and Kyle themselves. With a barrage of stickers bearing their newfound slogan, “Get Shifty,” people took notice and Shifty Rhythms had enough momentum before their live premier to pack Main on Main, which at the time was the group’s preferred live venue. Shifty Rhythm’s community of listeners arrived in a mass of color and energy expecting nothing but big beats and a good time. “That’s the most exciting part about throwing that event, for me, is just being at the there and thinking ‘f**k, all my friends are here, this is sick!”

Rather than succumb to the inevitable hangover caused by assembling such a detailed project, DePinna and Parra kept up their energy and followed up with a monthly residency at Main on Main. It didn’t take long however, before the novelty of their Santa Monica bar scene soon became stagnant. The extra work however also meant that Parra and DePinna had to expand their two-man crew. In the fall of 2010, Shifty Rhythms inducted its newest and youngest member, aspiring DJ and LMU freshman, Sean Dwyer.

Looking into the possibilities of expanding their audience in 2011, Shifty rhythms has established a full season of performances aimed at capitalizing on pseudo-holidays throughout the year such as St. Patrick’s Day and Mardi Gras. The hectic schedule of small venue performances is helping to bolster the public presence of Shifty Rhythm’s DJ team, leading to opportunities for both the label and the artists themselves.

Danny Parra, by means of the scene created by Shifty Rhythms, has recently taken on a hip-hop project named Random Citizens. The group went on to open for international headliner Diplo last February. Likewise Kyle DePinna has been employed by Diplo's musically distinct record label, Mad Decent. The gig is an opportunity to develop partnerships with the Mad Decent community in the aspirations of exposing Shifty Rhythms to a wider demographic.

But opportunity and ambition aside, this team admits that the success of their startup label does not solely depend on the amount or enormity of events they produce. “Whatever comes next, is gonna have to be done through the music itself,” said Parra in a recent interview. His eyes filled with a glimmer of excitement as he quickly contemplated the possibilities that might entail. But he knows better than anyone that regardless of how much attention they attract, what holds this whole project together is the music itself. Without that, the attraction would be completely lost.

Although their tracks may only reach a small demographic (mainly Shifty’s existing audience) the music possesses a distinct level of integrity. All three DJs come from backgrounds of technique and discipline: self-taught and always mixing manually. “When I started DJing I had two turntables, a shitty mixer and a DVD player,” said Parra, laughing at memories of his meager beginnings. “If I didn’t have a song on vynil I’d have to play it on a CD with a remote through the DVD player.”

Since then he has been honing his skills, developing techniques like scratching, beat juggling and drumming; aspects of the art that are commonly overlooked by today’s artists. As Danny puts it, “I want to remember that DJing can be more of a craft than someone playing sick songs at a party.”

Dedication to the craft takes a toll on one’s mental health, and Shifty Rhythms’ DJs have been sinking their efforts into their music for (two) exhausting years now. Danny admits to sleeping no more than three hours a night for weeklong studio sessions where time is tight and money is short. For Kyle DePinna, “the hardest part is knowing when I’m done. I want to make sure I have a complete product before I let anyone hear it… the problem is, I don’t think I’m ever done with one particular track.”

For all three DJ’s, the approach to Shifty Rhythms is very much similar. The project is a result of the concerted efforts of a few talented DJ’s with a passion for having their music heard. Nowadays, they just want to see how far they can take it. With youth, technology, and the current trends of modern music all on their side, there’s not much slowing Shifty Rhythms down. However, Depinna humbly admits that his primary principle is to, “keep making music that’s music for you.” Danny Parra smiled and nodded his head in agreement as Kyle went on, “I DJ because it makes me happy inside… that’s where my heart is.

Shadow Talk Feat. Kevin Mcleod

On this newest edition of Shadow Talk, Kevin McLeod stops by to talk about Bonobo and Ghostly International. Just click on the 'Podcasts' tab to the right and you're there!

Limewire put offline while Music Industry regroups

It has been a good run, but after ten years of successfully supporting small time music and video pirates, the P2P multimedia file sharing company Limewire, is finally under federal investigation. Unlike the demise of its predecessor Napster, the federal government itself is taking down Limewire, rather than the music industry. The investigation began when sensitive documents pertaining to President Obama’s private helicopter were found bouncing around Limewire’s file sharing networks.

It is no secret that the sharing of copyrighted and sensitive documents will never cease, but I am surprised at the general sense of apathy the music industry has developed over the course of the last few years. Investigations into online music theft are no longer considered valuable endeavors and record producers are surrendering to technology. To make matters worse, iTunes, who holds the current monopoly over record sales, is gouging both the artist and the label with a minimum cut of 44 cents per song.

With no future in recorded music, major labels seem to have given up, leaving veritable ghost towns where media giants once bred superstars. In fact the EMI music group is suffering from enough loss that they were forced to sell their famed Capitol Records building. The company still operates there, but they are now paying rent.

Yet music will forever remain an essential commodity for the human spirit and there must be a market for it. Since records have lost their ability to generate capital, the focus of the music industry is now shifting towards live performance. Independent artists now look to gain credibility on a local scale before joining national acts. Meanwhile, mainstream artists look forward to a busy schedule of tours and summer festivals that provide an annual salary.

The companies that are making a killing off this shift in distribution Ticketmaster, Live Nation, and House of Blues who have all recently merged, setting a precedent the future of big business in the music industry. We can look forward to our concerts becoming hotspots for advertising, as new ways of generating profits from live shows are constantly invented.

For those considering prospects in the exciting field of recorded music, you might want to think again. Some people like to think that the music industry is dead, but this is not the case either, what is going on is merely a shift in sales that has been painful for producers and enlightening for consumers. There is still much money to be made on the faces and songs that make the Bilboard Top 40, but the game is significantly different now. It is up to the current generation of media moguls to figure out how the industry will operate. The music industry will never lose its ability to generate a massive amount of profit, the question you must ask yourself now is: where do I fit in?