 If
there is anything I love to do it's DANCE. I like to feel music
just as much as I like to listen to it. Going to the club, feelin'
the beat, gettin' down....BUT, if you don't have a good DJ, you'll find
me leaving quite soon.
I first heard No
Luck Club at an Asian Americans in Music gig in New York at the
Knitting Factory. There, I discovered there's a whole other
scene going down. When I think of an Asian performer, I think
of the music I hear when I go to an Asian restaurant. That's
pretty awful of me to think since I am part Asian myself! I
saw some really talented individuals who were skilled at their
instruments and who commanded the crowd's attention like that of any
pop star you'd see on MTV today. I listened intently on the
artists presented, but When No Luck Club came on, the whole
room was moving, including me getting up to see who these guys were.
NLC is comprised
of the Chan Brothers, Trevor - 33 and Matt Chan - 32 and recently
added member, paul Belen - 27. They hail from Vancouver,
Canada and are an instrumental hip hop project spawned from DJ
culture and electronic music. The Chan brothers, Matt & Trevor
founded NLC and have been compared to the likes of Kid Koala, DJ
Shadow and Coldcut. What this means people is that when you
hear their mixes you'll be out of your seat and on the dance floor
in a hurry.
NLC was nice
enough to answer some of our questions about who they are and what
they do.
So what are the laptops for?
T: I use a program called
Live (made by Ableton) on each of my laptops which its creators
describe as a sequencing instrument. Basically the program acts
as a sampler and sequencer. I use it to control and manipulate
the grooves in our live performances. To use the band analogy,
I'm the rhythm section of the group while Matt and Paul are the
lead players.
Are you down with the new DJ technology
and how would you describe your mixes?
M: Sure I'm down with new DJ
technology. Who wouldn't be? Just as long as the technology is
stable.
P: Personally, I am never
close minded on new or old technology. The gadget that caught my
attention, is the Pioneer DVDJ. It allows you to
manipulate videos, which enhances the live performances. My
mixes can be plain like white bread and can be as flavorful as a
pack of Skittles. It really depends on the crowd I play for or
in the mood that I am in.
T: I don't have the
technical skills to be a DJ so that's why I use software &
technology to compensate for my shortcomings! Anyway, I like to
think of our mixes as hip hop; we combine diverse genres of
music and filter all the sounds through a hip hop perspective.
Hope that makes sense!
Are you using CDJ's and turntables?
M: Nope. Just turntables.
However I do use CDJ's for certain things when I'm working on
projects.
P: Currently I am only
working with turntables. Once again it's not that I hate on
CDJ's but turntables is were I'm comfortable at.
Are you using Serato or Final Scratch?
M: Nope.
P: I'm not using either at
the moment. But I am leaning towards the Serato Scratch Live.
Everywhere I go, it seems that most DJs are using it. If Jazzy
Jeff is using it, then Rane must be doing something right, to
make DJs switch over.
What do you like about the program
you are using?
Ableton Live is really intuitive,
it's cross platform (works with OSX and Windows) and is
brilliantly designed. Until this application came along we had
no clue how to translate our studio ideas into a live context. I
highly recommend it to everyone!
How do you feel implementing the old
school techniques with the new school technology?
P: That's funny, because I
still implement the so called "old school techniques" on semi
old school technology. I find it that there used to be so much
technical skills and that the technology was falling behind. Now
there are endless options, of gear to use and have little time
to play with them.
Rane Mixers or Vestax Mixers and why?
M:
I prefer Rane mixers because they sound better and are more durable.
However I hear that Vestax is coming o ut
with an 08 model to compete with the Rane TTM-56. It should be interesting.
P: I use both at home, but I
tour with the Rane TTM-56. You can't go wrong with the Rane's
features. It provides to all my needs and wants to do in a show.
Who are some other DJ's or recording
artists you guys enjoy?
P: I've been feeling
D-styles, and the Ned Hoddings for a minute. Lately, I've been
listening to Mike Relm, The Gorillaz, Mike Boo, and Fela Kuti.
T: Matt and I have been
hosting a weekly music show on college radio since 1992 so we've
always been exposed to lots of great music. Some current stuff
that I like include new albums by Boards Of Canada, Sigur Ros,
Broadcast, Ladytron, Danger Doom, Dwight Trible and some new
Four Tet projects (a Juana Molina remix and a collaboration with
Sa Ra). However, the music that's been getting the most
spins on my Ipod lately are a variety of funky compilations
released on Soul Jazz Records and Juana Molina's two albums - I
saw her perform a few months ago in Vancouver and it was one of
my favorite shows this year!
How do you get inspired to do your
mixes?
P: It really depends on my
mood. If I just watched a movie, for example Hitchcock's "The
Birds", my scratches may sound a little bit sharper than the
usual.
T: Most of our work is
sample-based so if we have good source material, then that will
usually get the ideas flowing. However, I'm the primary arranger
in the group so I spend a lot of time studying song structure
and trying to find lo-fi ways to emulate the masters!
Because I'm using software, there's also a visual component to
our mixes and arrangements. As a result, graphic design, film
and architecture are also sources of inspiration.
Where would be your dream place to
DJ?
P: Anywhere, it's already a
dream to be able to share my thoughts and emotions to the world.
T: Carnegie Hall and/or
Lincoln Center in New York and the Montreaux Jazz Festival in
Switzerland. I'm hoping we get good enough to play some classy
joints to which we can bring our folks
|
