Spring 2019 CRSSD Fest Schedule

I mentioned that I'd update the listings when CRSSD Festival gave the Saturday and Sunday performer breakdowns, and sure enough, I posted listings at 6am and a couple hours later, CRSSD posted to Instagram. Ask and you shall receive. And it's good to know some of you are still reading this site so thanks for bringing the posts to my attention. CRSSD Festival happens twice a year at Waterfront park and sells out super fast every time, so sign up for their newsletter (scroll to the bottom of the page) because it is almost certain that as soon as this one passes, they'll be posting dates and on sales for the next one, which I suspect will be September 28-29th.

Photos: Gorgon City at Observatory, November 2, 2018

This month has been insane. That week of Halloween was so busy and I feel like I've been out every night for weeks (although realistically, that's not exactly accurate). Still. When I was asked to shoot Gorgon City, I worked it into my schedule, though I never really know what to do for electronic producers. Hidden behind their synths and keyboards and drum machines and other trigger rigs, there's not a lot of action on stage, so then there's crazy lighting and hazers to compensate and the fans eat it up, but no doubt, I struggle with the limited gear I have. It's super hard for me to shoot, but I did the best I could.

Gorgon City played to a sold out Friday night crowd at the Observatory. The energy was exuberant. The crowd was super hyped. They had a couple guest singers come out right off the bat, and the crowd ate that right up, too. They have a massive San Diego following with all their appearances over the years at various LED and FNGRS CRSSD events, Float pool parties and the like, and there's always this kind of awkward mix of people who stand and watch like a concert mixed with the people who just want to dance, but they are all in either way. More photos after the jump.

SD@140bpm recommends........

Tonight Ocean Beats is moving away from their normal Ocean Beach Winston's location to bring the Bass to The Ruby Room in Hillcrest. Ocean Beats really packed the bill tonight, Girl Unit and SALVA alone are enough talent to draw a headlining crowd, the fact that they are playing together with great local support including URBN:LGND is going to make tonight a night to remember.

Girl Unit from the UK has a knack for making amazing sound spheres by combining vocal hooks with elements of R&B, Hip-Hop and electronic music.  Girl Unit's single Wut is known in the electronic community to be one of the best singles of 2010-2011 and he has shown he has a lot more in him with his great new Club Rez EP.

Salva is a San Francisco native now living in LA coming to San Diego fresh from the festival turned water park Lollapalooza and one of the most talked about DJ's at this years Lightning in a Bottle festival.

Make sure to get to the Ruby Room early as URBN:LGND is first on, even though she is listed as third on in the poster she is actually first on.  She gets on at 9:00 and if you RSVP on facebook it is only $10 to get in before 10:30.

The Set Times are:
9:00-10:30 URBN:LGND
10:30-11:30 Austin Speen and CRMNL
11:30-12:40  Girl Unit
12:40-1:40 Salva

Ultra Music Festival: MDNA endorses MDMA?

Just as the craziness of South By Southwest was coming to an end, a whole other music phenomenon kicked off in Florida. Ultra Music Festival, one of the world's largest electronic music festivals took place at the end of Miami Music Week. Apparently the headlines for the weekend were mostly hijacked by a squabble between deadmau6 and Madonna. Click the jump for more.

RE:GENERATION Mixes Things Up

It is no secret that I tend to steer clear of electronic music. When I get email that says "remix" anywhere in the subject, they go largely unread and certainly not listened to. Chase has recently started writing about some of these things...dub and DnB and such because- I know I'm gonna sound just like my mom- but to me it all sounds the same and I don't like it. But sometimes I try. I went to IDentity Festival last year, have seen Crystal Method a grip of times, and while watching the GRAMMYS, tried to embrace that Skrillex, after performing at Petco Park last year, is probably someone to pay attention to (even if the 130bpm set rejects him as their representative.) I get that it is a cultural phenomenon and by many predictions, the future of music. Though to the initiated, that's probably like when people say "with the advent of the internet" after we've all been online for 20 years. In large parts it can be argued that is the present of music. I still believe in a voice & a guitar, but I find the culture shift fascinating nonetheless, even if I shake my head and mutter, "kids these days"...

That said, I was given the opportunity to screen a documentary called RE:GENERATION. The film is largely supported by the GRAMMYS foundation, so it is worth bearing in mind, but I found the film to be completely intriguing. The premise is this: take five producers, give them a genre to explore, have them assemble musicians within the genre and create something brand new out of something old. Mark Ronson was assigned Jazz, Pretty Lights got Country, Crystal Method got R&B/Motown, Skrillex got Rock, and my personal favorite, DJ Premier was given Classical.

The film documents the learning and exploration by each producer as they delve into their genre, scouring record stores, meeting people with expertise in the genre. While Skrillex worked with The Doors and Mark Ronson worked with Erykah Badu, Trombone Shorty, and the Dap Kings, they didn't seem to require such a stretch of imagination that it took for DJ Premier to work as an actual conductor with the Berklee School of Music or Pretty Lights trying to get Dr. Ralph Stanley to deliver a song the way he wanted. ("I'd rather just do it my way.")

The film follows the entire recording process, and in the end, the tracks are revealed, edited with studio footage and festival footage of the "live" debut, including some scenes of Skrillex at Petco Park from last fall and The Crystal Method at last summer's IDentity Festival at Cricket Wireless Amphitheater.

The film is screening in select cities, including San Diego, this Thursday, February 16 and if you're a fan of music of ANY genre, I promise this is a documentary that will open your eyes and ears.

Get ticket & showtime information here. 

Poway Creekside Plaza 10
13475 Poway Road
Poway, CA 92064

Mission Valley Cinemas
7510 Hazard Center Drive
San Diego, CA 92108

Mission Marketplace 13
431 College Boulevard
Oceanside, CA 92057

San Clemente Cinema 6
641 B Camino de los Mares
San Clemente, CA 92673



More information and videos from all of the final songs after the jump.

Produced in association with The Grammys, the film looks at the history, songwriting and studio process of different musical genres through the eyes of five of the most influential electronic producers/DJs in music today, who write and record a brand new track with a grouping of influential collaborators in that genre. The tag line for the film is “5 DJ’s Turn the Table of the History of Music.” The stories of these five DJs are documented in RE:GENERATION.

In the film, current five-time GRAMMY®-nominated artist Skrillex heads into a Los Angeles studio with members of the iconic rock band The Doors to collaborate on a new song, “Breakn’ A Sweat.” Meanwhile, The Crystal Method touched down in Detroit to work with Martha Reeves of The Vandellas and The Funk Brothers on the R&B number “I’m Not Leaving.” Mark Ronson created a southern brew of New Orleans jazz in “A La Modeliste” that boasts a veritable all-star cast of Erykah Badu, Trombone Shorty, Mos Def, Zigaboo Modeliste and Members of The Dap Kings. DJ Premier tapped NAS and Boston's very own Berklee Symphony Orchestra for his “Regeneration,” and the documentary culminates in Nashville on the dusty, intergalactic twang of Pretty Lights' "Wayfaring Stranger" featuring vocals from LeAnn Rimes and Dr. Ralph Stanley.

DJ Premier — Classical — “Regeneration” (with NAS and the Berklee Symphony Orchestra)



Pretty Lights — Country — “Wayfaring Stranger” (with Dr. Ralph Stanley and LeAnn Rimes)



Mark Ronson — Jazz — “A La Modeliste” (with Erykah Badu, Mos Def, Trombone Shorty, members of the Dap Kings and Zigaboo Modeliste)



Skrillex — Rock — “Breakn’ A Sweat” (with members of The Doors)



The Crystal Method — R&B — “I’m Not Leaving” (with Martha Reeves of the Vandellas and the Funk Brothers)

Don't Sleep SD - The Rapture (w/Poolside) at the Belly Up 10/4

It's October, it's a Tuesday, and it's raining. I can't think of a better setting to go see The Rapture. The first time I saw them live was at Coachella, many, many moons ago. At the time they were one of the first bands to sign for James Murphy's new DFA Records. They had this dark, moody, mysterious sound that was drenched in dance/disco/punk sensibilities, and this was way before you even used those words together when referring to the sound of a band. I mean, let's be honest, The Rapture (with the help of one little iconic James Murphy) pretty much paved the way for the dance/punk/disco genre. Anyhow, I digress...so, I'm at Coachella, the sun has just set, I'm in a bit of an altered mind state, and all of a sudden I hear these sounds, these spooky guitar riffs and dark, heavy drums as I approach the Outdoor Stage. Nothing but darkness and white lights. I start running, fast, because I realize it's The Rapture, and I don't want to miss it (haha, take that as you will). I always describe the next 45 minutes as the first time I went to a really scary haunted house when I was a kid. It was dark, I was scared, but excited. I didn't know what to expect, I wanted to close my eyes, but I couldn't stop staring. The cowbell, the saxaphone, the haunting bass, the screeching guitar riffs...it was f#*king awesome. By the time it was done I couldn't even remember what happened, but I knew I wanted it to happen again. Sister Savior, House of Jealous Lovers, I Need Your Love...I'm getting chills just thinking about it. For the rest of the weekend I was constantly humming one of these songs to myself and The Rapture had solidified themselves as my favorite band...for that month or two. So, what have we learned from this nostalgic little ramble of mine? Go see The Rapture tonight. You won't be disappointed. If you're a long time Rapture fan, then you know exactly what I'm talking about, and if you have not seen them before, you are in store for one hell of a show. A lot has changed since their first record. They ended their partnership with DFA, they went to a major label, they put out another album with more pop sensibilities (co-produced by Danger Mouse, this album is also great), they broke up, they got back together, they started working with DFA again (sans old bassist Mattie Safer) and in many ways, they have come full circle. Back to where they started. Back to where they sound the best in my opinion. In The Grace of Your Love is the comeback album you could only dream of for a favorite band gone array. It's eclectic, familiar and new in all the best ways possible. Don't miss The Rapture tonight. You will be sorry you did.

Don't Sleep SD - Neon Indian (w/Com Truise) at the Belly Up 9/27

How lucky are we tomorrow night?! We are getting a show that is usually reserved for the likes of LA, SF, CHI and NYC. Alan Palomo (quite possibly one of the best Mexican producers of our modern dance music era) is bringing his electro/dream rock outfit Neon Indian to north county to serenade us with straight up booty shaking music from the future! Get ready for a dizzying array of synths, lazers and video game samples as Neon Indian will give you plenty of reasons to dance like it's your 1986 senior prom. Check out the new video for Polish Girl here.

Now if Neon Indian wasn't enough to get you out on a Tuesday night, new Ghostly Records signing COM TRUISE will be opening up! Yes, that's right, the man that sounds like he's producing music from inside a TRON arcade game will be gracing us with his warm, synthy beats. I have been waiting to see him for a long time and I'm really excited about this one. If you are a fan of Boards of Canada than this will be one of your new favorite artists. Check out the video for his track Sun Dripped, one of my favorites here.

Conclusion: Come to Belly Up tomorrow, see two incredible electronic artists, have mind blown, drink, be merry. See you there.

San Diego Music & Technology Conference Is Coming!

There are a lot of people involved in the San Diego music community that have attempted to put this city on the map as a center of activity. With tons of new venues cropping up, events like the North Park Music Thing, bands, promoters and more, I'm all for anything that shines a light on music in San Diego. By no means am I well-versed in the world of DJs and electronic artists, but I'm thrilled that there's an event where I can learn and broaden my palette. The San Diego Music & Technology Conference is my opportunity to do just that. This promises to be a great event with panels, showcases and parties that will bring out professionals, media, bloggers, photographers and music enthusiasts alike. You can read the full press release after the jump, check out the official site or see the official party guide by The Mixster. They've also been kind enough to extend a discount to readers of San Diego:Dialed In. Just enter 'sddialedin' at checkout and get 20% off your registration. Now where are my glowsticks?

The San Diego Music & Technology Conference (SDMTC) is the first event of its kind to celebrate the convergence between music producers, enthusiasts and technology innovators. This essential breeding ground for the advancement of electronic music on the left coast will attract electronic music artists, industry professionals, technology innovators and music enthusiasts to the Hard Rock Hotel in San Diego on Thursday and Friday, September 16 and 17, 2010. “SDMTC is an open innovation platform for the advancement of electronic music by bringing the music industry and leading technology companies together,” explains SDMTC co-founder, Roland Ligtenberg. “We wanted to bridge the gap between music and technology experts, between successful and amateur artists, in a setting that will inspire conversation and advance the industry as a whole.” SDMTC will consist of panels, workshops and showcases of the latest trends in music and technology from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day. Simultaneously, poolside music events will be taking place from noon to 6 p.m. at Float, just outside the conference rooms at the Hard Rock Hotel. The evening will be comprised of networking events from 7 p.m. to 2 a.m.

Following is an overview of subjects that will be discussed on panels over the course of two days:
• Advancement in Audio Technology
• Aesthetics, Visual Stage Pros, and Light Shows
• Alternative Revenue Streams & Funding Music
• Evolution of Devices & Software Applications
• Evolution of Media Sharing Systems
• Experimental Electronic Music & Instruments
• Future of Mobile Utilization & Music
• Future of Music: Generation Y
• Leveraging Social Media & Online Brand Identity
• Mobile Applications & Music
• Music Blogging & Exclusive Coverage Hunting
• Pirate Radio, Podcasts, Live Broadcasting
• Remixes, Producing & the Law
• Taste Makers & Culture Forming
• Technology in Web Apps & Software & APIs

The conference will be brimming with taste makers and experts from various sides of the industries, including two keynote speakers: Jay Warinske, CEO and co-founder of INDIEPOWER.com who has worked with such names as U2, Paul Oakenfold, Black Eyed Peas, Jes, Tiesto, BT and Daft Punk, and Naut Humon, former Director of International Operations for RML, Asphodel Records and AV curator for select portions of the annual ARS Electronica Festival in Austria where he also helped coordinate their Digital Music’s category for ten years. SDMTC will also feature this partial list of confirmed panelists:
• Peter Otto - Director of Music & Technology @ University of California San Diego
• Matt Moldover - Controllerist at Moldover Inc.
• Eric Weiner - Founder/Blogger; The Wild Honey Pie Music Blog
• Blas Yaselli - Founder/CEO; TheMusicNinja.com
• Tasso Okinawa - VJ Producer at Coachella Festival
• Vello Virkhaus - Founder; VSquaredLabs
• Sid Zuber - CEO; Creative Marketing Agency
• Lee Martin - Lead Developer; Sound Cloud
• Iason Chronis - DJ Mason - Artist/Producer
• San Proper - DJ San Proper - Artist/Producer
• Peter Ellegaard - Nokia; Slacker Radio
• Manoman - Concept Producer
• Taylor Doms - Founder/CEO; TheMixster.com
• Kevin Greene - Attorney; Thomas Jefferson Law School
• Michael Hoisington - Attorney; Higgs; Fletcher & Mac LLP
SDMTC will feature two evening networking events, the first of which will be held from 7 p.m. – 2 a.m. on Thursday, September 16 at LoungeSD. This private networking event will be open only to VIP conference pass holders, conference panelists and participants, confirmed press and individuals who buy tickets to the event in advance. This event will feature a hosted bar and an intimate performance by world-renowned DJ, MASON, who's track Exceeder continues to be one of the most progressive and widely-recognized tracks in electronic music, as well as DJ San Proper, DJ Manoman and the winner of the Sonicbids DJ competition. The second after-party event will be held on Friday, September 17 and details will be announced closer to the event. SDMTC was co-founded and is being organized by Dr. Vakas Sial, co-founder of Vegas Music Conference, and Roland Ligtenberg, founder of the San Diego Electronic Music Initiative. SDMTC is being presented by such sponsors as: QUALCOMM, Sonicbids, SoundCloud, 8tracks, Consuul, Hard Rock Hotel San Diego, SDEMI.org, TheMixster.com, UCSD, Home Ec Design, UBroadcast, Mashable, Eventvibe, iZigg, LightMountainPartners and Mintphonic. For more information, visit www.SDMTC.com.