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What's been the best thing that's come out of being part of Honey Soundsystem? The best thing to come out of any good or bad project: new ideas, new influences, new goals, and most of all, new friends. Personally, Honey has given me the gift of meeting heroes, countless strangers who I can now not live without, and even a couple of enemies who push me to work harder every day (I'm talking to you Ambrosia!)
Name of a track you can't get out of your head: *OLD: "Promised Land" by Joe Smooth [D.J. International] * (reason why)
*NEW: Fire Eyes by Canyons [DFA]* (reason why)
Name of an artist you're currently championing in your DJ sets: Championing? Really? ok... Discodromo (Internajonal)... But since I am championing them, you can't get their good shit yet, so you're gonna have to wait til it all gets a real release.
Musical mantra: REPOST, REPOST, REPOST and BASS! (sorry, inside joke about laptop djs)
Favorite DJ experience: 5 years ago, before I met any of my Honey co-horts, before I could mix for shit, I had a friend who set me up (literally set me up, like in the criminal way) for the DJ gig of a lifetime. We were deep in the back lots of Northern California where he was a ranch hand for a VIP San Francisco gay. The ranch had a two story mansion built to look exactly like an old Spanish style mission, complete with quadrangle layout, imported Mexican brick and tile, and even a church featuring pews, an altar, and a 15 foot high antique carved pulpit.
After two days of preparing the property for what would be the highest (no pun intended) grade freak show I have seen this side of Burning Man, I was given my placement. The DJ booth, set up on top of the 15 foot pulpit, would be my home for the next 8 hours. Dressed in a head to toe sailor outfit, pumping my fist to the air, I bared witness to all walks of life dancing the night away in the presence of disco Jesus. Rumors of P-Funk and String Cheese Incident having arrived and taken rooms for their own antics were spreading as the sunrise started to wash out the blacklight.
When I was finally relieved of my post I walked out into the courtyard. What was once a picture perfect Nor Cal real estate advertisement was now the aftermath of an overnight battle against reality. Half naked people spinning fire on the tennis court, LED monsters dipping their feet poolside, and the P-Funk back up girls passing doobies under the gazebo. I love California.
Worst request: My worst and BEST request was last week at Lazy Bear Weekend... "Can you play anything by Lady Gaga" by a guy old enough to be my grandfather with his shirt off.
Worst club faux pas you've committed: When I was 7 years old, my dad had me playing basketball in a club league. I never got passed the ball from my teammates for obvious reasons. One day while on the court I got passed the ball. Taking this as my moment to show everyone my skills, I took an easy shot. There was a gasp in the crowd of show moms and dads. This odd cry clued me in to the humiliation that i was shooting at the wrong basket. Thank god I missed.
Most treasured vinyl score:
I got this weird record the other day in a basement in North Beach. It's supposedly a "live" recording of an artist called Scratch on a label I have never heard of before called Serato. I can't find anything about it on discogs and it sounds almost identical to John Cage's 4'33''
If anyone knows anything about this band email me please! Total banger.
What other music-related projects are you currently working on? There are some disco donuts in the oven right now. Some Honey related nuggets, some personal. 2010 will be an exciting year as all the Honey boys will have their own sounds hitting wax.
Josh Cheon is already pushing the first release on his brand new off-kilter dark disco label Dark Entries.
We have also been working with the Berlin label MACRO on the release of the never before heard Patrick Cowley material we have been hot talking about all year. The single will be out in September with remixes by Morgan Geist and Kinky. The album comes out on October 18th, Patrick's birthday. More information on that here.
What's something happening in the local music scene that should be getting more attention? The fact that the city government of San Francisco continues to quash all forms of live entertainment with its antiquated approach to legislating age restrictions in venues, sound ordinances, afterhours laws, street fairs, and non-venue related events.
Honey's actual Sound System is still in jail since its seizure by the SF party police back in May. After our case was dismissed from the criminal courts, we are now waiting for a letter to tell us when our next court date will be. What is the point of a worldwide renaissance in the advancement of technology when you still have to wait 3 weeks for a piece of mail from the SF Courts to find out whether you are going to jail or not.
The city hides behind its questionable concern for the public's safety when in actuality it's fining artists, entrepreneurs, and enthusiasts like we didn't put enough money in our parking meter.
The 90s rave scene sparked just as many tourist dollars as the North Beach Jazz festival people. Get your shit together. Oh, and fuck the ABC (Alcohol Beverage Control) too, BIGTIME.
What elements would your fantasy club night entail?
These questions! These questions!
1.) Classic lighting: Stage lights, lazers, spotlights operated by hot guys and dykes, and neon. NO LEDs, ew gross.
2.) Long, high ceiling'd warehouse divided by moveable walls. Industrial catwalk overlooking entire space. Raw walls--preferably a mix of exposed brick and concrete. Ceiling opens for daytime open air events or to see the stars.
3.) Richard Long soundsystem or Purple Turbo soundsystem.
4.) Disco Balls, Slide projectors, 16mm Film Loops and 60s oil projections
5.) Absolutely nothing white, all other colors ok.
6.) Dancefloor with a difficulty rating: baby powder, bubbles, randomly placed seating, 360 degree step pyramid go go platform, hydraulic catwalk for battles, and a skateboard rampy thing like that club in Hackers the movie or the one in the Ninja Turtles movie.
7.) Resident DJs, impeccable Factory (UK) promotional design, live acts that only do one song, resident drag queen and tranny hostesses, but NO circus shit.
8.) Boys offering laughing gas like they do in the clubs in Ibiza. "Rockstar" bartenders like Veronica (Burning Man), Marina (Honey Sundays), Lalo (currently a free agent), Joe (Aunt Charlie's), Freddy (The Cinch). Cocktail waitresses: Vicky Marlane, Miss Alexis, Jupiter, and of course Marky Mark circa Calvin Clein ads with the pinchable cheeks.
9.) Management is as follows...
Owner: Undisclosed sultan of some faggy Middle Eastern country
General Manager: Nicole Whitten (Teatro ZinZanni)
Security Head: Billy Mays (R.I.P.), him in all black with a walkie WOOF!
Creative Direction: Gregg Taylor circa Product
Promotions/Identitly: Walter Gropius (google him)
Accounting: Michelle Obama
Bar Manager: That dyke from Coyote Ugly
Managerial: House of Salad
Question we didn't ask you but you often ask yourself: Is Goldilocks and the Three Bears a parable of my life?
Next time we can see you spin: The next time you can see me spin is this weekend at the Homo A Go Go festival Friday/Saturday/Sunday (Honey Sundays after party). It's the first time the festival hits San Francisco and it is a very exciting opportunity for the often separated SF queer community to converge in one place. Homo A Go Go is one of the few queer American festivals that can potentially break the little bubbles our local community has formed by neighborhoods, identity, and class. All I gotta say is that I hope there is a BIG coatcheck for shade and that someone lends me their iPhone so I can be logged into Grindr the whole time.
More gig info at Honeysoundsystem.com
