1 00:00:04,120 --> 00:00:07,320 Speaker 1: Welcome, Welcome, Welcome to the Bob Left Sets podcast. My 2 00:00:07,440 --> 00:00:12,520 Speaker 1: guest this week is DJ Cascade. Great to have you here. Yeah, 3 00:00:12,560 --> 00:00:15,200 Speaker 1: thanks for having me. This is awesome. Now, of course 4 00:00:15,240 --> 00:00:17,680 Speaker 1: it's all over the interday. Your name is Ryan Radden. 5 00:00:17,880 --> 00:00:20,320 Speaker 1: Is it okay to call you Ryan, call me whatever 6 00:00:20,400 --> 00:00:25,079 Speaker 1: you whatever your preference is, okay, So Ryan, some of 7 00:00:25,079 --> 00:00:28,080 Speaker 1: the audience will people will be very familiar with your 8 00:00:28,200 --> 00:00:31,880 Speaker 1: music and with the scene. Do you like the moniker 9 00:00:32,000 --> 00:00:38,400 Speaker 1: E d M or not? I think today I don't. 10 00:00:38,840 --> 00:00:40,600 Speaker 1: I used to not bother me at all, and I 11 00:00:40,600 --> 00:00:43,160 Speaker 1: mean really and truly it doesn't bother me that much. Um, 12 00:00:43,159 --> 00:00:45,200 Speaker 1: But I think E d M has kind of become 13 00:00:45,240 --> 00:00:48,000 Speaker 1: a bad word in the last couple of years. I 14 00:00:48,040 --> 00:00:52,080 Speaker 1: think now almost represents a genre of electronic music that 15 00:00:52,200 --> 00:00:55,160 Speaker 1: I'm not necessarily that closely affiliated with. It's more of 16 00:00:55,240 --> 00:01:00,560 Speaker 1: this big room kind of mayhem, uh, very loud, noxious 17 00:01:00,640 --> 00:01:03,680 Speaker 1: music within electronic music. It's kind of become its own, 18 00:01:03,720 --> 00:01:06,080 Speaker 1: little like sub genre. But for me, I'm just glad 19 00:01:06,080 --> 00:01:08,600 Speaker 1: anyone's calling this music anything. Look, I thought from the 20 00:01:08,680 --> 00:01:11,240 Speaker 1: day when it was you know, we were unnoticed. Okay, 21 00:01:11,240 --> 00:01:14,880 Speaker 1: but let's stay there for the uninitiated. They read all 22 00:01:14,880 --> 00:01:18,880 Speaker 1: the different genres of dance music, house music, chill, etcetera. 23 00:01:19,080 --> 00:01:21,800 Speaker 1: Can you go through and explain those to the audience 24 00:01:21,840 --> 00:01:25,840 Speaker 1: and maybe unfamiliar with them. Uh, I'll do as good 25 00:01:25,880 --> 00:01:28,080 Speaker 1: a job as I can in a in a short, 26 00:01:28,240 --> 00:01:33,800 Speaker 1: little concise way. Um, house music is just I think 27 00:01:33,840 --> 00:01:36,760 Speaker 1: for me, that's kind of just the very general broad term. 28 00:01:36,840 --> 00:01:40,200 Speaker 1: That's just post disco. Just think of disco, right, It's 29 00:01:40,240 --> 00:01:43,440 Speaker 1: kind of what made it through the seventies. It's kind 30 00:01:43,440 --> 00:01:46,920 Speaker 1: of the the eighties version of disco music, and that's 31 00:01:46,959 --> 00:01:49,120 Speaker 1: kind of survived this entire time. That's kind of the 32 00:01:49,120 --> 00:01:52,240 Speaker 1: backbound Disco is the backbone of electronic music, is the 33 00:01:52,280 --> 00:01:55,520 Speaker 1: way I see it, Kid from Chicago. That's my perspective, 34 00:01:55,640 --> 00:01:58,800 Speaker 1: very much so. Um. But then chills just like what 35 00:01:58,840 --> 00:02:02,120 Speaker 1: you would think it is. It's relaxed down tempo um. 36 00:02:02,640 --> 00:02:05,680 Speaker 1: Trap is kind of a version of hip hop music. 37 00:02:05,800 --> 00:02:08,919 Speaker 1: That's uh, you know, modern version of hip hop music. 38 00:02:09,000 --> 00:02:11,720 Speaker 1: That's the way I see It's very aggressive um. And 39 00:02:11,760 --> 00:02:15,880 Speaker 1: I mean within each one of these big genres, there's 40 00:02:16,280 --> 00:02:19,959 Speaker 1: fifty subgenres, you know. I mean with trap there's bro 41 00:02:20,160 --> 00:02:22,959 Speaker 1: staff and hard staff, and and then you have drumming bass, 42 00:02:23,040 --> 00:02:26,600 Speaker 1: which A lot of this stuff is differentiated by tempo. 43 00:02:26,800 --> 00:02:32,080 Speaker 1: Drum basis, you know, sixty per minute, beats per minute yep, 44 00:02:32,160 --> 00:02:36,000 Speaker 1: and then houses you know around one tw kind of 45 00:02:36,000 --> 00:02:39,160 Speaker 1: like a disco groove. UM. You know, trance is very 46 00:02:39,240 --> 00:02:48,480 Speaker 1: fast like one forty, very synthetic sounding, UM, very synth driven. UM. Yeah, 47 00:02:48,840 --> 00:02:51,240 Speaker 1: I don't know. There's so many genres out there, it's 48 00:02:51,240 --> 00:02:56,160 Speaker 1: hard to even I think trance house electro is uh 49 00:02:56,360 --> 00:03:01,800 Speaker 1: similar to house but um but much more aggressive sounding. 50 00:03:01,960 --> 00:03:04,840 Speaker 1: And that was made popular with kind of E d 51 00:03:05,080 --> 00:03:08,120 Speaker 1: M and Steve Aoki in that wave of artists bloody 52 00:03:08,120 --> 00:03:10,880 Speaker 1: beat roots and that kind of thing that was happening 53 00:03:11,280 --> 00:03:13,680 Speaker 1: a few years ago. So what would you consider your 54 00:03:13,800 --> 00:03:18,720 Speaker 1: music to be? Um. I mean, I like to say 55 00:03:18,760 --> 00:03:21,600 Speaker 1: house because I think that's a very broad general term. 56 00:03:21,639 --> 00:03:24,840 Speaker 1: But within that, yes, I make chill music. I make 57 00:03:25,040 --> 00:03:28,640 Speaker 1: ambient music that doesn't have it's a tempo, real tempo. 58 00:03:28,680 --> 00:03:33,840 Speaker 1: It's just kind of chill stuff, you know. That's that's 59 00:03:33,840 --> 00:03:35,600 Speaker 1: me I mainly make and then I and then I 60 00:03:35,680 --> 00:03:39,040 Speaker 1: have those kind of bigger more I call them big 61 00:03:39,160 --> 00:03:42,960 Speaker 1: room sounds. You know, that's another kind of subgenre of 62 00:03:42,960 --> 00:03:45,560 Speaker 1: house music that's more popular on the main stage, and 63 00:03:45,560 --> 00:03:49,040 Speaker 1: that's basically what I played at the sun Soap Festival. 64 00:03:49,080 --> 00:03:51,120 Speaker 1: I had those more chill moments, but you know, I 65 00:03:51,200 --> 00:03:55,520 Speaker 1: kind of go take it up and down. Um yeah, okay. 66 00:03:55,640 --> 00:04:00,400 Speaker 1: So you're from Chicago, yes, and uh were born in 67 00:04:00,480 --> 00:04:06,240 Speaker 1: Chicago nineventy one. And what did your father do for 68 00:04:06,280 --> 00:04:09,600 Speaker 1: a living? H? Finance? This is why we're in Chicago. 69 00:04:09,720 --> 00:04:11,640 Speaker 1: This is kind of a hub of a financial center. 70 00:04:12,280 --> 00:04:15,840 Speaker 1: Um helps out savings and loans, has his own business, 71 00:04:15,960 --> 00:04:18,360 Speaker 1: goes out there and is helping small banks and savings 72 00:04:18,400 --> 00:04:21,960 Speaker 1: and loans kind of. Um. He developed programs to kind 73 00:04:21,960 --> 00:04:26,200 Speaker 1: of help them the way. So nothing music related at all. Okay, 74 00:04:26,240 --> 00:04:29,240 Speaker 1: did your mother worked outside the house? Uh? She did. 75 00:04:29,279 --> 00:04:31,159 Speaker 1: She helped my dad a lot, and then she was 76 00:04:31,160 --> 00:04:33,640 Speaker 1: always doing stuff she was what was she doing? Her 77 00:04:33,640 --> 00:04:37,160 Speaker 1: best job was working at the the ski shop there 78 00:04:37,279 --> 00:04:39,679 Speaker 1: that was pretty close to my house. We gotta stop 79 00:04:39,720 --> 00:04:42,760 Speaker 1: here for a second. So you're a snowboarder, Yes i am. 80 00:04:42,800 --> 00:04:45,800 Speaker 1: How often do you get to snowboard? Uh? I usually 81 00:04:45,800 --> 00:04:49,640 Speaker 1: go up about one week a year. Okay, yeah, I'm 82 00:04:49,720 --> 00:04:52,279 Speaker 1: of all those kinds of sports. I love to surf 83 00:04:52,440 --> 00:04:54,840 Speaker 1: and run and do all this stuff that snowboarding. I'm 84 00:04:54,880 --> 00:04:57,159 Speaker 1: the best at out of all those. Okay, did you 85 00:04:57,240 --> 00:05:00,359 Speaker 1: snowboard when you lived in Chicago? I did? Okay, what 86 00:05:00,400 --> 00:05:04,280 Speaker 1: do you know, I forget the little will you know? 87 00:05:04,480 --> 00:05:09,000 Speaker 1: That's just get in there. Woman. Woman is a terrible hill. 88 00:05:09,360 --> 00:05:12,039 Speaker 1: But I had a lot of fun. My mom on 89 00:05:12,080 --> 00:05:14,040 Speaker 1: Saturday morning would drop me off at the y m 90 00:05:14,120 --> 00:05:16,520 Speaker 1: c A. And for like, I don't know what it was, 91 00:05:16,680 --> 00:05:20,280 Speaker 1: twenty or thirty bucks. They would bust the kids up there. 92 00:05:20,320 --> 00:05:23,159 Speaker 1: You know, we'd ski for the day and then come back, 93 00:05:23,320 --> 00:05:25,560 Speaker 1: you know, come back down. Were you ever skier first? 94 00:05:25,560 --> 00:05:27,839 Speaker 1: Were you always snowboarder? Now? I grew up skiing. I 95 00:05:27,880 --> 00:05:29,920 Speaker 1: mean I'm old enough that you know when I first 96 00:05:29,920 --> 00:05:32,680 Speaker 1: started out, snowboarding didn't even really exist. I was there 97 00:05:32,720 --> 00:05:35,320 Speaker 1: for that first wave when Burton Snowboards were putting out 98 00:05:35,320 --> 00:05:37,640 Speaker 1: these wood snowboards that you would strap in. You know, 99 00:05:37,680 --> 00:05:40,000 Speaker 1: you were you wearing Surrell boots that didn't right right 100 00:05:40,080 --> 00:05:42,320 Speaker 1: right right right? You know, I'm going to the sled 101 00:05:42,440 --> 00:05:45,000 Speaker 1: hill and strapping in and going down and testing this out. 102 00:05:45,080 --> 00:05:47,560 Speaker 1: Because I was skateboarding from a really young age. So 103 00:05:47,600 --> 00:05:49,880 Speaker 1: when snowboarding came along to me for me, I was like, 104 00:05:49,880 --> 00:05:52,159 Speaker 1: oh man, that's what I want to do. And then 105 00:05:52,320 --> 00:05:55,200 Speaker 1: you said your mother worked in the ski shop. She did. Yeah, 106 00:05:55,760 --> 00:05:59,080 Speaker 1: she's That's exactly why she worked in the ski shop, 107 00:05:59,279 --> 00:06:01,760 Speaker 1: trying to outfit to older brothers, to your sisters, trying 108 00:06:01,800 --> 00:06:05,920 Speaker 1: to outfit five kids kids in ski gears, you know, expensive. 109 00:06:05,920 --> 00:06:08,000 Speaker 1: So I think she worked there so she can make 110 00:06:08,040 --> 00:06:11,280 Speaker 1: that happen. Okay, so you're in the middle. I'm the 111 00:06:11,320 --> 00:06:14,320 Speaker 1: middle child, so you know, I'm a middle child tooth 112 00:06:14,960 --> 00:06:17,680 Speaker 1: theoretically overlooked. You know, the hopes and dreams were in 113 00:06:17,720 --> 00:06:21,160 Speaker 1: the older ones. The younger ones you're babied and you're 114 00:06:21,240 --> 00:06:23,839 Speaker 1: kind of ignored and go your own way. I'm pretty 115 00:06:23,839 --> 00:06:26,080 Speaker 1: convinced my parents didn't know my name until, like I 116 00:06:26,120 --> 00:06:30,520 Speaker 1: graduated high Well, how much older your older brothers and 117 00:06:30,560 --> 00:06:34,880 Speaker 1: younger sisters. So, and that's another interesting thing. They waited 118 00:06:34,920 --> 00:06:36,560 Speaker 1: a while for my sister. So I was never in 119 00:06:36,640 --> 00:06:38,280 Speaker 1: high school with them. I was in his school with them. 120 00:06:38,320 --> 00:06:42,360 Speaker 1: I was like on my own completely my older brothers. Also, 121 00:06:42,880 --> 00:06:45,240 Speaker 1: the brother'spread above me is four and a half years 122 00:06:45,279 --> 00:06:49,119 Speaker 1: older than me. So by the time he left high school, 123 00:06:49,160 --> 00:06:51,359 Speaker 1: I was going in when I was a freshman, he 124 00:06:51,400 --> 00:06:54,680 Speaker 1: was already a freshman in college. So Uh, yeah, I 125 00:06:54,680 --> 00:06:56,520 Speaker 1: was kind of on my own. And then how much 126 00:06:56,520 --> 00:06:59,760 Speaker 1: older your oldest brother, Um, he's only a year older 127 00:06:59,800 --> 00:07:03,000 Speaker 1: than one above me. So, and then what's the age 128 00:07:03,040 --> 00:07:08,520 Speaker 1: of your sisters. Um, let's see they're my sister is 129 00:07:08,680 --> 00:07:12,480 Speaker 1: five years younger than me, and then the youngest is 130 00:07:12,800 --> 00:07:15,520 Speaker 1: seven years younger than On some level, when you you know, 131 00:07:16,160 --> 00:07:18,440 Speaker 1: the older ones were so old, you know, you you 132 00:07:18,520 --> 00:07:22,200 Speaker 1: never really coexisted, you know, everybody was like so much 133 00:07:22,200 --> 00:07:24,520 Speaker 1: older or younger. Yeah, in the house, we did, we 134 00:07:24,600 --> 00:07:28,440 Speaker 1: definitely co existed. But outside of it, no, we're all 135 00:07:28,520 --> 00:07:31,120 Speaker 1: kind of doing our own things. And you know, in 136 00:07:31,120 --> 00:07:33,320 Speaker 1: the eighties is a different time. We're running around riding 137 00:07:33,320 --> 00:07:36,880 Speaker 1: our bikes. Everybody's just like having fun. There was no Okay, 138 00:07:37,160 --> 00:07:40,840 Speaker 1: now you're from north Brook, Illinois. Yes. The only thing 139 00:07:40,880 --> 00:07:44,240 Speaker 1: I know about north Brook, Illinois supposedly the speed skating 140 00:07:44,280 --> 00:07:47,880 Speaker 1: capital of the world. That's wow. You have done your research. Yes, 141 00:07:48,400 --> 00:07:50,000 Speaker 1: I watched a lot of TV. I don't know how 142 00:07:50,040 --> 00:07:53,280 Speaker 1: to do. Wow. Yeah, that's right. They practice over there, 143 00:07:53,360 --> 00:07:57,600 Speaker 1: right at the sled hill. Um. Uh and uh yeah, 144 00:07:57,640 --> 00:07:59,640 Speaker 1: there's a pool over there that I was a lifeguard 145 00:07:59,600 --> 00:08:02,160 Speaker 1: at from many years. Um. But they that's where they 146 00:08:02,160 --> 00:08:04,840 Speaker 1: practiced right by the sled hill. But in the community, 147 00:08:05,040 --> 00:08:07,200 Speaker 1: is it like, is it something where they're trying to 148 00:08:07,280 --> 00:08:09,400 Speaker 1: drag people into the sport or which just happens to 149 00:08:09,400 --> 00:08:11,600 Speaker 1: be there, just happens to be there. And I think, 150 00:08:11,920 --> 00:08:14,360 Speaker 1: you know, they had some success early on, and then 151 00:08:14,360 --> 00:08:16,880 Speaker 1: those guys kept going back to north Brook and it cultivated, 152 00:08:17,200 --> 00:08:19,520 Speaker 1: you know, this small group of people and it's it's 153 00:08:19,560 --> 00:08:22,320 Speaker 1: still around. I mean I talked to one of my 154 00:08:22,360 --> 00:08:24,760 Speaker 1: friends the other day and I forget the gold medalists 155 00:08:24,800 --> 00:08:27,880 Speaker 1: that still lives there and you know, trains people there. 156 00:08:27,920 --> 00:08:30,080 Speaker 1: I mean they you know, they've got a small facility 157 00:08:30,160 --> 00:08:32,480 Speaker 1: and I don't know, just became one of these things 158 00:08:32,480 --> 00:08:35,240 Speaker 1: that happened in north Brook, Illinois. Okay, so you're in 159 00:08:35,280 --> 00:08:37,320 Speaker 1: north What are your sisters and brothers do for a 160 00:08:37,320 --> 00:08:39,920 Speaker 1: living now or what are their lives about. Um My 161 00:08:40,000 --> 00:08:44,840 Speaker 1: oldest brother, Russ is um Um. He sells satellite dishes 162 00:08:44,880 --> 00:08:47,920 Speaker 1: to trucking companies so truckers can have TV on the road. 163 00:08:48,520 --> 00:08:50,560 Speaker 1: That's pretty good. It's an interesting thing. That's his own 164 00:08:50,600 --> 00:08:53,240 Speaker 1: business that he started with a buddy of his. Um 165 00:08:53,559 --> 00:08:59,240 Speaker 1: Rich is uh here in um he was into movie producing. 166 00:08:59,240 --> 00:09:01,680 Speaker 1: He lives in the Palace Stads as well. Um, but 167 00:09:02,000 --> 00:09:07,240 Speaker 1: he stopped that and went into the internet side of things. 168 00:09:07,280 --> 00:09:10,080 Speaker 1: He does Zephyr, which their office is actually very close 169 00:09:10,120 --> 00:09:11,960 Speaker 1: to where we're sitting here. Zephyr is a kind of 170 00:09:11,960 --> 00:09:17,480 Speaker 1: a um YouTube analytics company and they, you know, work 171 00:09:17,480 --> 00:09:22,080 Speaker 1: with YouTube channels. Okay, and your two sisters, two sisters, Um, 172 00:09:22,240 --> 00:09:26,160 Speaker 1: let's see, my youngest takes care of her her two kids. 173 00:09:27,400 --> 00:09:30,800 Speaker 1: She's in the Bay Area, San Francisco. Um. And then 174 00:09:30,880 --> 00:09:33,520 Speaker 1: my other sister lives close to my mom in Salt Lake. 175 00:09:33,600 --> 00:09:36,840 Speaker 1: My mom after my dad, Mom and dad retired, they 176 00:09:37,000 --> 00:09:38,839 Speaker 1: made their way out west. They were in Las Vegas 177 00:09:38,880 --> 00:09:40,439 Speaker 1: for a few years, and then they made their way 178 00:09:40,440 --> 00:09:42,360 Speaker 1: to Salt Lake because a few of my brothers and 179 00:09:42,440 --> 00:09:46,240 Speaker 1: sisters are there. And now everybody's still alive. My dad's 180 00:09:46,280 --> 00:09:49,960 Speaker 1: passed away, but my mom still here and all the 181 00:09:50,000 --> 00:09:51,920 Speaker 1: kids are still here. Okay, So what does everybody think 182 00:09:51,920 --> 00:09:59,240 Speaker 1: of your success? Disbelief? Disbelief because of the genre where 183 00:09:59,240 --> 00:10:03,040 Speaker 1: they never believed in you. No, they always believed in me. Becau, 184 00:10:03,080 --> 00:10:05,520 Speaker 1: It's like, how Ryan will be fine whatever this guy 185 00:10:05,600 --> 00:10:09,160 Speaker 1: wants to do. My mom's like my youngest sister told 186 00:10:09,160 --> 00:10:14,200 Speaker 1: that story recently. Mom said, you're the golden child. Okay, 187 00:10:14,600 --> 00:10:18,760 Speaker 1: I don't remember hearing that, but that's awesome. Um yeah, 188 00:10:18,800 --> 00:10:22,439 Speaker 1: I think you know, I was a hard worker coming up, 189 00:10:22,480 --> 00:10:24,280 Speaker 1: so I think they thought I would have success no 190 00:10:24,280 --> 00:10:26,640 Speaker 1: matter what I You know, all my brothers and sisters 191 00:10:26,640 --> 00:10:30,000 Speaker 1: are successful, you know what I mean. Yeah, but we 192 00:10:30,080 --> 00:10:34,520 Speaker 1: all know if you're successful in dance music, it's incredibly lucrative. 193 00:10:34,840 --> 00:10:36,520 Speaker 1: You know. It's not like you go on the rail. 194 00:10:36,800 --> 00:10:39,960 Speaker 1: It's like being a comedian. You take your microphone and 195 00:10:40,040 --> 00:10:42,920 Speaker 1: maybe a road manager. There's a little bit more. Maybe 196 00:10:42,960 --> 00:10:46,600 Speaker 1: take your laptop or USB stick or your turntables. But 197 00:10:47,200 --> 00:10:49,920 Speaker 1: there are these high fees which are paraded everywhere in 198 00:10:49,920 --> 00:10:52,880 Speaker 1: the news now, and you have to pay an agent, 199 00:10:53,000 --> 00:10:57,640 Speaker 1: maybe you have to pay a manager. But it's very lucrative. Yeah, 200 00:10:57,720 --> 00:10:59,400 Speaker 1: and they like to rib me about that. I mean, 201 00:10:59,559 --> 00:11:02,920 Speaker 1: you know, typically my family gets together once a year, 202 00:11:03,040 --> 00:11:05,440 Speaker 1: at least once a year, and it's usually around July four. 203 00:11:05,600 --> 00:11:09,000 Speaker 1: My mom's got a cabin in Idaho over by Jackson Whole, Wyoming, 204 00:11:09,040 --> 00:11:12,720 Speaker 1: beautiful part of the country anyway, But typically because of 205 00:11:12,760 --> 00:11:15,880 Speaker 1: my schedule, me and my family, we fly private and 206 00:11:17,040 --> 00:11:20,680 Speaker 1: this causes a lot of you know, hey, what's going 207 00:11:20,720 --> 00:11:24,920 Speaker 1: on here? Guys? Fancy plane coming? So my siblings love 208 00:11:25,000 --> 00:11:28,640 Speaker 1: to you know, where's the airport there? I usually find 209 00:11:28,679 --> 00:11:32,520 Speaker 1: Idaho Falls, but sometimes I've flown into Jackson. Just depends, 210 00:11:32,679 --> 00:11:35,480 Speaker 1: you know. Okay. Then another question. You've made all this money. 211 00:11:35,760 --> 00:11:43,880 Speaker 1: Your relatives asked for money? Not too much? No? Um, 212 00:11:43,960 --> 00:11:48,120 Speaker 1: I don't know. Are they scared? This might be listening. 213 00:11:48,679 --> 00:11:50,199 Speaker 1: I don't say anything you don't want to say. No, 214 00:11:50,400 --> 00:11:53,960 Speaker 1: I listen. On my side of family, I mean people 215 00:11:54,040 --> 00:11:56,840 Speaker 1: have done okay. I don't think anyone is you know, 216 00:11:56,960 --> 00:11:59,480 Speaker 1: and whatever. I've been there a few times to help 217 00:11:59,480 --> 00:12:03,800 Speaker 1: out when now needed. But okay, and then you know, 218 00:12:03,840 --> 00:12:06,960 Speaker 1: a lot of times rock stars or famous musicians like 219 00:12:07,040 --> 00:12:09,240 Speaker 1: by their parents a house or a car or something. 220 00:12:09,320 --> 00:12:12,280 Speaker 1: Did you go through any of that? I haven't. I 221 00:12:12,280 --> 00:12:16,200 Speaker 1: haven't needed to. My dad was he did well? And 222 00:12:16,600 --> 00:12:18,920 Speaker 1: he set it up so that my mom, you know, 223 00:12:19,280 --> 00:12:21,120 Speaker 1: it's fine and everyone. Okay. Well let's stay with the 224 00:12:21,160 --> 00:12:23,160 Speaker 1: money because around this topic, what do you do with 225 00:12:23,200 --> 00:12:29,080 Speaker 1: the money? Um, I have a couple of houses. Uh, 226 00:12:29,080 --> 00:12:30,880 Speaker 1: but there's a lot more money than a couple of houses. 227 00:12:30,960 --> 00:12:33,439 Speaker 1: Yes there is. I mean you have it in stocks? 228 00:12:33,480 --> 00:12:35,440 Speaker 1: Do you have it in companies. What do you do 229 00:12:35,480 --> 00:12:38,280 Speaker 1: with that? I've invested a lot of it. Um, I've 230 00:12:38,320 --> 00:12:41,280 Speaker 1: been very conservative. This is this is where I wish 231 00:12:41,360 --> 00:12:43,679 Speaker 1: my dad was alive. You know, he would help us 232 00:12:43,720 --> 00:12:47,640 Speaker 1: the way as things really started to go crazy. Um, 233 00:12:47,800 --> 00:12:49,839 Speaker 1: And yeah, you've been able to help me out. But 234 00:12:50,480 --> 00:12:52,920 Speaker 1: you know I've done well. I've I've been very conservative. Okay, 235 00:12:52,920 --> 00:12:57,600 Speaker 1: conservative means were like index funds or you're buying blue chips. Okay, 236 00:12:57,679 --> 00:12:59,679 Speaker 1: all of that. And are you aware of where all 237 00:12:59,720 --> 00:13:01,880 Speaker 1: your needs? Yes? I am, okay, because you know the 238 00:13:01,960 --> 00:13:05,520 Speaker 1: legendary stories of people not so much recently being ripped 239 00:13:05,559 --> 00:13:09,400 Speaker 1: off by their financial advisors. My wife forwards me every 240 00:13:09,400 --> 00:13:12,800 Speaker 1: single one of those articles. She was my business manager 241 00:13:12,880 --> 00:13:15,439 Speaker 1: for ten years. She's been very involved in my business. 242 00:13:15,480 --> 00:13:16,959 Speaker 1: And she was my business manager for ten years and 243 00:13:16,960 --> 00:13:19,360 Speaker 1: that was a hard one to pass over. And you know, 244 00:13:19,440 --> 00:13:23,160 Speaker 1: she's always so scared, like where is everything? So yeah, 245 00:13:23,160 --> 00:13:26,000 Speaker 1: we keep a close eye on it, and I'm fairly 246 00:13:26,040 --> 00:13:30,720 Speaker 1: involved with where everything is and I get updated. But yeah, 247 00:13:30,760 --> 00:13:32,600 Speaker 1: I don't know the biggest thing. You know, I bought 248 00:13:32,600 --> 00:13:34,559 Speaker 1: a really nice car recently, but well I was just 249 00:13:34,640 --> 00:13:37,560 Speaker 1: sort into what car did your body my I should 250 00:13:37,600 --> 00:13:40,040 Speaker 1: say my wife bought a really nice car, Naomi. My 251 00:13:40,080 --> 00:13:42,760 Speaker 1: wife loves to drive. She loves to drive. And now 252 00:13:42,800 --> 00:13:45,160 Speaker 1: she's getting her pilot's license, which we probably get it. 253 00:13:45,160 --> 00:13:47,720 Speaker 1: She's getting a helicopter pilot's license, and so we'll probably 254 00:13:47,720 --> 00:13:51,280 Speaker 1: be buying a helicopter here fairly soon. Okay, once time, 255 00:13:51,320 --> 00:13:53,599 Speaker 1: once subject, one time. What car did you get? A 256 00:13:53,720 --> 00:13:59,560 Speaker 1: Porsche Targa. Okay, But the only thing about helicopters is 257 00:14:01,160 --> 00:14:03,560 Speaker 1: when there's a problem, they go right down. Oh yeah, 258 00:14:04,520 --> 00:14:06,240 Speaker 1: I mean, you know, I remember I've told her about this, 259 00:14:06,280 --> 00:14:08,880 Speaker 1: and I remember flying in videos on YouTube. I remember 260 00:14:08,920 --> 00:14:11,080 Speaker 1: flying in the helicopter to E d C. Okay, in 261 00:14:11,080 --> 00:14:13,560 Speaker 1: the way over there. You know, it's a it's a 262 00:14:13,559 --> 00:14:15,480 Speaker 1: helicopter full of people or they were all talking and 263 00:14:15,520 --> 00:14:18,160 Speaker 1: whatever on the way back the four thirty in the morning, 264 00:14:18,679 --> 00:14:20,960 Speaker 1: and it's just me who's awake, and the thing is 265 00:14:21,000 --> 00:14:23,120 Speaker 1: bouncing up and down. It's not like being in a 266 00:14:23,120 --> 00:14:25,480 Speaker 1: commercial airplane. We said, well, this thing will never crash. 267 00:14:25,760 --> 00:14:29,280 Speaker 1: Well it good crash. I think it's still a fairly 268 00:14:29,800 --> 00:14:33,200 Speaker 1: safe way to travel. Okay, just since we're on the 269 00:14:33,240 --> 00:14:37,520 Speaker 1: plane thing, let's go the point. So when you fly private, 270 00:14:37,960 --> 00:14:40,520 Speaker 1: do you have a net jet account or an equivalent, 271 00:14:40,600 --> 00:14:43,520 Speaker 1: or do you just book every time you go? Typically 272 00:14:43,560 --> 00:14:45,400 Speaker 1: a book every time I go. That's what I'm doing. 273 00:14:45,480 --> 00:14:48,280 Speaker 1: Nine nine percent of the time I joined one of 274 00:14:48,320 --> 00:14:50,120 Speaker 1: these things and I haven't even been able to use it. 275 00:14:50,280 --> 00:14:52,640 Speaker 1: So why haven't you been able to? Just it doesn't 276 00:14:52,640 --> 00:14:54,320 Speaker 1: work for me. It's one of these like kind of 277 00:14:54,640 --> 00:14:56,760 Speaker 1: you know, jets on demand kind of thing, and you 278 00:14:56,800 --> 00:14:58,600 Speaker 1: get on there and you pay a fee, and every 279 00:14:58,600 --> 00:14:59,880 Speaker 1: time I go on there to use it, it's like 280 00:15:00,080 --> 00:15:02,280 Speaker 1: never working for me. But I don't want to put 281 00:15:02,280 --> 00:15:04,600 Speaker 1: this image out that I'm flying around plat private all 282 00:15:04,640 --> 00:15:06,960 Speaker 1: the time. Well no, Well, with the point being that 283 00:15:07,040 --> 00:15:12,400 Speaker 1: people don't understand that it's not about luxury, it's about convenience. 284 00:15:13,040 --> 00:15:17,040 Speaker 1: It's like, okay, uh, you know this is why you know, 285 00:15:17,040 --> 00:15:19,200 Speaker 1: I don't want to sound go between the halves and 286 00:15:19,240 --> 00:15:23,480 Speaker 1: have nuts. But if you talk about corporations, etcetera, they 287 00:15:23,520 --> 00:15:27,160 Speaker 1: feel the value of time of the CEO. They don't 288 00:15:27,160 --> 00:15:28,840 Speaker 1: want them sitting on the ground waiting to get on 289 00:15:28,840 --> 00:15:31,080 Speaker 1: the plane. For those of us who have flown private, 290 00:15:31,080 --> 00:15:33,640 Speaker 1: the greatest things you show up and you leave, so 291 00:15:33,680 --> 00:15:36,440 Speaker 1: you're not burning two hours, you know, right there, So 292 00:15:37,320 --> 00:15:39,680 Speaker 1: you and I'm sure you've had this because all successful 293 00:15:40,080 --> 00:15:42,800 Speaker 1: DJs have where you're playing multiple gigs in a day 294 00:15:42,960 --> 00:15:45,200 Speaker 1: or night. Yes, and the only way to do it 295 00:15:45,280 --> 00:15:50,040 Speaker 1: is to fly private, and it economically makes sense. So uh, 296 00:15:50,080 --> 00:15:54,480 Speaker 1: you know, I completely understand that, even though people might 297 00:15:54,520 --> 00:15:58,680 Speaker 1: want to judge you on that. But going back to Chicago, 298 00:15:58,720 --> 00:16:00,920 Speaker 1: so you grew up into Chicago, when are you interested 299 00:16:00,960 --> 00:16:05,000 Speaker 1: in music right away? Right away? And your parents playing 300 00:16:05,040 --> 00:16:08,480 Speaker 1: music in the house, Yes, they do, mommy and everything 301 00:16:08,480 --> 00:16:11,800 Speaker 1: from Mormon Tamanac acquired to the b G East, you know, 302 00:16:12,120 --> 00:16:17,200 Speaker 1: and everything above is like we're getting everything in the house. Um, 303 00:16:17,320 --> 00:16:19,640 Speaker 1: and my mom's got a piano in the front room 304 00:16:19,680 --> 00:16:22,400 Speaker 1: and everyone's required to take lessons. So you did take 305 00:16:22,440 --> 00:16:25,000 Speaker 1: piano lessons. I did too for how many years now? 306 00:16:25,200 --> 00:16:28,640 Speaker 1: I quit very quickly, which is the funniest thing. I mean, 307 00:16:28,680 --> 00:16:31,760 Speaker 1: my youngest sister is actually a really great player. I mean, 308 00:16:31,840 --> 00:16:34,000 Speaker 1: she lasted the longest, I don't know, the baby of 309 00:16:34,080 --> 00:16:37,640 Speaker 1: the family. I don't know. Maybe she was very diligent, 310 00:16:37,720 --> 00:16:40,760 Speaker 1: I should say, Um, but I was the guy who 311 00:16:40,840 --> 00:16:42,440 Speaker 1: quit the quick I mean I lasted like a few 312 00:16:42,480 --> 00:16:44,440 Speaker 1: months and I just threw a tant from my mom. 313 00:16:44,480 --> 00:16:47,160 Speaker 1: I think by the third kid, she's like, good, fine, whatever, 314 00:16:47,400 --> 00:16:50,400 Speaker 1: you know, she's worn out. So now, did you have 315 00:16:50,520 --> 00:16:54,880 Speaker 1: a record player or stereo system in your room? I did? 316 00:16:55,480 --> 00:16:58,120 Speaker 1: And then in high school I got a bigger system 317 00:16:58,120 --> 00:17:00,880 Speaker 1: in my room. And okay, so when you're in high school, 318 00:17:00,880 --> 00:17:03,800 Speaker 1: you say you're an entrepreneurial, did you have jobs? I 319 00:17:03,840 --> 00:17:06,600 Speaker 1: did what you do? I did everything in bad groceries, 320 00:17:06,600 --> 00:17:10,960 Speaker 1: at lasco h Valet, parked cars. I mean, and you 321 00:17:11,000 --> 00:17:13,240 Speaker 1: did that because you wanted the money or your parents 322 00:17:13,280 --> 00:17:17,679 Speaker 1: said you have to work. Both. We worked in the summer. 323 00:17:17,760 --> 00:17:19,840 Speaker 1: In my house, we always did that, you know. My 324 00:17:19,920 --> 00:17:22,119 Speaker 1: dad made me mow the lawn and mold bonds. I 325 00:17:22,200 --> 00:17:25,680 Speaker 1: was a lifeguard for many years. Um, but I enjoyed 326 00:17:25,720 --> 00:17:27,520 Speaker 1: having money. I enjoyed having my own money. I mean, 327 00:17:27,520 --> 00:17:29,600 Speaker 1: with five kids, there wasn't a lot of extra and 328 00:17:30,359 --> 00:17:33,800 Speaker 1: if there was, it wasn't trickling down to me. Right, Okay, 329 00:17:33,800 --> 00:17:35,840 Speaker 1: So you brought the stereo with your own money? Yep? 330 00:17:36,160 --> 00:17:39,040 Speaker 1: And do you remember what it was? I don't. But 331 00:17:39,160 --> 00:17:42,280 Speaker 1: the big amp that I had was my buddy Chad Calibix. 332 00:17:42,320 --> 00:17:45,200 Speaker 1: It was his amp that he would the very first 333 00:17:45,280 --> 00:17:47,560 Speaker 1: keyboard a profit. No, no, no, no, no, no, okay. 334 00:17:47,720 --> 00:17:51,159 Speaker 1: First off, talking about listening systems, did you have with 335 00:17:51,280 --> 00:17:53,760 Speaker 1: your money that you made, did you buy a stereos 336 00:17:53,800 --> 00:17:56,399 Speaker 1: you could play room music and not make music, but 337 00:17:56,480 --> 00:17:59,919 Speaker 1: listen to music. Yes, okay, remember what that was? Okay, 338 00:18:00,119 --> 00:18:04,639 Speaker 1: nothing flashy, okay. But you were then buying cassette, c ds, 339 00:18:04,720 --> 00:18:08,919 Speaker 1: vinyl what uh vinyl? There was a dog Ear Records 340 00:18:09,040 --> 00:18:11,080 Speaker 1: very close to my house, which was a thing in 341 00:18:11,119 --> 00:18:13,359 Speaker 1: the Midwest, I believe, and they had an arcade and 342 00:18:13,400 --> 00:18:16,919 Speaker 1: a vinyl section, and I liked vinyl and vinyl was cheaper. 343 00:18:17,000 --> 00:18:19,919 Speaker 1: I just liked the format. And so what the kind 344 00:18:19,920 --> 00:18:22,800 Speaker 1: of music? Were you buying a lot of classic rock? 345 00:18:22,840 --> 00:18:25,720 Speaker 1: Because I had told her brothers, you know, led Zeppelin, 346 00:18:25,840 --> 00:18:30,040 Speaker 1: the Who, um, you know, the Police. I'm buying all 347 00:18:30,040 --> 00:18:32,720 Speaker 1: this classic rock stuff. This is all coming through. And 348 00:18:32,760 --> 00:18:35,400 Speaker 1: then when my brothers went to college, when the first 349 00:18:35,400 --> 00:18:37,440 Speaker 1: one he came back, and it was like the Cure, 350 00:18:37,640 --> 00:18:39,960 Speaker 1: the Smith's And this is when I'm in middle school 351 00:18:40,160 --> 00:18:44,800 Speaker 1: and I started getting into this new wave stuff. Um yeah, 352 00:18:44,920 --> 00:18:47,600 Speaker 1: I just man that stuff. Then it was you know, 353 00:18:47,760 --> 00:18:51,480 Speaker 1: craft work and more into the electro and technopop and 354 00:18:51,560 --> 00:18:54,160 Speaker 1: like the early electro stuff, and it was a bit 355 00:18:54,160 --> 00:18:59,040 Speaker 1: of everything really Okay. Now, famously Chicago is the home 356 00:18:59,119 --> 00:19:02,280 Speaker 1: of house music, that's where it started. Were you aware 357 00:19:02,320 --> 00:19:06,920 Speaker 1: of that to a degree? And I think this play 358 00:19:06,960 --> 00:19:09,280 Speaker 1: is a big part in my story. Well then lay 359 00:19:09,320 --> 00:19:13,359 Speaker 1: it on us. Yeah, I think. Look, I'm growing up 360 00:19:13,359 --> 00:19:17,520 Speaker 1: in Chicago. My that summer before, I was a freshman, 361 00:19:17,560 --> 00:19:21,480 Speaker 1: so I've graduated eighth grade, amount of middle school. Um, 362 00:19:21,560 --> 00:19:24,600 Speaker 1: my brother that's right above me, Rich is going into 363 00:19:24,800 --> 00:19:27,280 Speaker 1: nightclubs in the city. He's going to college. And they 364 00:19:27,280 --> 00:19:29,560 Speaker 1: had a lot of like all age clubs were a 365 00:19:29,600 --> 00:19:32,879 Speaker 1: thing back their team clubs, juice bars, you know whatever, 366 00:19:32,960 --> 00:19:35,520 Speaker 1: juice bars. Kids are going, they're doing drugs, they're doing whatever, 367 00:19:35,560 --> 00:19:39,440 Speaker 1: but they're staying out. Um, you could go to these things. 368 00:19:39,480 --> 00:19:41,960 Speaker 1: There wasn't really an age requirement. I mean, I just 369 00:19:41,960 --> 00:19:44,040 Speaker 1: think it was a much more care free time. I 370 00:19:44,040 --> 00:19:47,680 Speaker 1: don't even think that stuff exists now. Um. Anyway, that 371 00:19:47,880 --> 00:19:51,320 Speaker 1: summer I went to my first night club and it 372 00:19:51,440 --> 00:19:54,960 Speaker 1: was a lot of Wax tracks, which was like an 373 00:19:54,960 --> 00:19:59,399 Speaker 1: early industrial ministry and you know, early depeche Mode and 374 00:19:59,480 --> 00:20:04,800 Speaker 1: kind of like heavy sounding stuff but mixed with early 375 00:20:04,960 --> 00:20:08,399 Speaker 1: house records because they're similar tempo. Right, So these things 376 00:20:08,440 --> 00:20:10,280 Speaker 1: that kind of on craft work and all this is 377 00:20:10,320 --> 00:20:14,080 Speaker 1: kind of happening, and that first experience, I was like, 378 00:20:15,760 --> 00:20:18,119 Speaker 1: this is it. I mean, I was in I went 379 00:20:18,200 --> 00:20:22,520 Speaker 1: to Medusa's was the name of the club, um, whatever. 380 00:20:22,560 --> 00:20:24,840 Speaker 1: I'd liked getting on the train, you know, going into 381 00:20:24,840 --> 00:20:26,960 Speaker 1: the city with my brother, We're going out, We're staying 382 00:20:26,960 --> 00:20:29,120 Speaker 1: out til midnight. You know, this was a big deal. 383 00:20:29,200 --> 00:20:32,800 Speaker 1: And I just everything about it, the culture, the people, 384 00:20:33,280 --> 00:20:39,159 Speaker 1: everything around this scene amazed me, and I just was like, 385 00:20:39,200 --> 00:20:41,359 Speaker 1: I want to be a part of this. Of course, 386 00:20:41,600 --> 00:20:43,359 Speaker 1: I was up at the booth watching what the DJ 387 00:20:43,600 --> 00:20:46,520 Speaker 1: was doing, and the DJ at that point didn't play 388 00:20:46,760 --> 00:20:49,720 Speaker 1: as an important noble role as it does today, but 389 00:20:49,800 --> 00:20:51,479 Speaker 1: it was still kind of an art and a craft 390 00:20:51,520 --> 00:20:55,240 Speaker 1: and I understood that, and I was just very interested. 391 00:20:55,320 --> 00:20:57,880 Speaker 1: You know, technically, what is this guy doing. See two 392 00:20:57,880 --> 00:20:59,960 Speaker 1: record players, see this mixer? What is this guy doing? 393 00:21:00,080 --> 00:21:02,200 Speaker 1: You know, he's doing these blends, and you know he's 394 00:21:02,240 --> 00:21:04,480 Speaker 1: playing four in five hours and has this big arc 395 00:21:04,520 --> 00:21:07,120 Speaker 1: through the night and controls the crowd. The whole thing 396 00:21:07,160 --> 00:21:10,680 Speaker 1: was very interesting to me. And the music was very 397 00:21:11,480 --> 00:21:16,280 Speaker 1: simple at the time, so me, you know, I had 398 00:21:16,520 --> 00:21:20,080 Speaker 1: musical ideas. I was like, I could do this you know, 399 00:21:20,119 --> 00:21:22,080 Speaker 1: I was looking at the DJ. I'm like, I think 400 00:21:22,119 --> 00:21:25,240 Speaker 1: I understand what he's doing. I could do this anyway. 401 00:21:25,359 --> 00:21:27,159 Speaker 1: Fast forward a few years, I kept going to this 402 00:21:27,240 --> 00:21:30,280 Speaker 1: nightclub and going more often, and you know, midweek parties 403 00:21:30,320 --> 00:21:33,919 Speaker 1: started having Okay, but what are your parents saying? My 404 00:21:34,000 --> 00:21:36,479 Speaker 1: parents were cool. They were just kind of like, what 405 00:21:36,520 --> 00:21:38,119 Speaker 1: are you doing in the city. What's going on? I'm like, 406 00:21:38,320 --> 00:21:40,320 Speaker 1: I'm dancing, you know, and they're like, how do you dancing? 407 00:21:40,320 --> 00:21:41,800 Speaker 1: What do you My dad thought that was funny, you know, 408 00:21:42,320 --> 00:21:44,280 Speaker 1: show us how you dance. What are you doing. I'm like, 409 00:21:44,480 --> 00:21:47,199 Speaker 1: we're dancing like this and it's awesome and it's you know, 410 00:21:47,600 --> 00:21:50,320 Speaker 1: hundreds of people there and it's a fun time. And 411 00:21:50,480 --> 00:21:53,720 Speaker 1: I think my parents were just happy that I was 412 00:21:53,920 --> 00:21:56,919 Speaker 1: out doing something. Not they didn't care that you were 413 00:21:56,960 --> 00:22:00,680 Speaker 1: out till midnight. As long as I was home on time. 414 00:22:01,280 --> 00:22:03,480 Speaker 1: They were cool with it. Because my parents, I was 415 00:22:03,520 --> 00:22:05,080 Speaker 1: a middle child. I mean, they really cracked down on 416 00:22:05,080 --> 00:22:07,240 Speaker 1: my older sister, but they just trusted me I could 417 00:22:07,280 --> 00:22:08,840 Speaker 1: do whatever I want to come out. Oh yeah, my 418 00:22:08,880 --> 00:22:11,040 Speaker 1: brother's got the beat down, especially the oldest one. And 419 00:22:11,040 --> 00:22:12,719 Speaker 1: that's the way it is. Even my oldest child. Now, 420 00:22:12,920 --> 00:22:15,359 Speaker 1: if she for sure gets the worst. You know, by 421 00:22:15,400 --> 00:22:16,720 Speaker 1: the time you get to the second one, you're like 422 00:22:16,760 --> 00:22:20,240 Speaker 1: loosening up. The third one you're like whatever. So in 423 00:22:20,320 --> 00:22:22,560 Speaker 1: any event, you go to the club say hey, I 424 00:22:22,600 --> 00:22:27,200 Speaker 1: think I can do this. What's the next up really 425 00:22:27,240 --> 00:22:29,919 Speaker 1: for me? Then I just started buying all these records 426 00:22:29,920 --> 00:22:32,360 Speaker 1: that I'm here because it's not stuff you can really 427 00:22:32,400 --> 00:22:34,040 Speaker 1: get on the radio. And I think this is where 428 00:22:34,119 --> 00:22:38,440 Speaker 1: Chicago comes into play, right, because it's accessible. Right, I'm 429 00:22:38,480 --> 00:22:40,919 Speaker 1: part of this scene and this click of people that 430 00:22:40,960 --> 00:22:43,400 Speaker 1: are listening to these records and these DJs are playing. 431 00:22:43,480 --> 00:22:46,679 Speaker 1: I mean, there's parties going on. Gramophone Records is not 432 00:22:46,760 --> 00:22:49,000 Speaker 1: too far from the nightclub that I'm frequenting, you know, 433 00:22:49,040 --> 00:22:51,520 Speaker 1: it's like three blocks away, so it's in the same neighborhood. 434 00:22:51,640 --> 00:22:53,919 Speaker 1: So I could go to Gramophone, which is arguably the 435 00:22:54,040 --> 00:22:57,920 Speaker 1: first specialty like house music record store in the world. Um, 436 00:22:58,320 --> 00:23:00,919 Speaker 1: and I'm flipping through there and I'm it can listen 437 00:23:01,440 --> 00:23:03,399 Speaker 1: all my money at that points going into records and 438 00:23:03,400 --> 00:23:06,159 Speaker 1: I'm like flipping through this stuff. I think my first 439 00:23:06,240 --> 00:23:09,320 Speaker 1: time with a set of turntables because this stuff is 440 00:23:09,320 --> 00:23:11,840 Speaker 1: too expensive, equipments too expensive for Ford, you know, I 441 00:23:11,880 --> 00:23:14,199 Speaker 1: can get a record here and there and whatnot, but 442 00:23:14,400 --> 00:23:16,680 Speaker 1: to get a set of twelve and a mixture that's 443 00:23:16,920 --> 00:23:21,120 Speaker 1: way beyond my reach. Um, A kidd ripped some off 444 00:23:21,160 --> 00:23:23,040 Speaker 1: and we're at his house, one of these houses. He 445 00:23:23,200 --> 00:23:26,359 Speaker 1: ripped off some turntables from where, you know, he's like, 446 00:23:26,400 --> 00:23:29,160 Speaker 1: I saw him in a car, but I could care less. 447 00:23:29,200 --> 00:23:31,560 Speaker 1: I just was like, I want to try this. And 448 00:23:31,720 --> 00:23:33,639 Speaker 1: you know, that night, instead of going to the club, 449 00:23:33,680 --> 00:23:36,639 Speaker 1: we're up, you know, for hours, just trying to figure 450 00:23:36,680 --> 00:23:39,720 Speaker 1: out what they're doing and understanding the beat matching and that. 451 00:23:40,280 --> 00:23:42,040 Speaker 1: I mean, it wasn't until years later that I got 452 00:23:42,119 --> 00:23:44,240 Speaker 1: my own set up. And then I was like, okay, cool, 453 00:23:44,520 --> 00:23:47,200 Speaker 1: you know, Okay, so you're in a high school. How 454 00:23:47,200 --> 00:23:52,440 Speaker 1: old are you when this friend, uh lifts these turntables? Okay, 455 00:23:52,480 --> 00:23:56,040 Speaker 1: So at this point you're just collecting records, collecting records, okay, 456 00:23:56,160 --> 00:24:00,560 Speaker 1: and you do this at the friends house. What do 457 00:24:00,640 --> 00:24:03,320 Speaker 1: you say, Oh, this is just a fun night, or no, 458 00:24:03,480 --> 00:24:07,160 Speaker 1: this is a career path. No, man, just a fun night. 459 00:24:07,720 --> 00:24:12,119 Speaker 1: I never thought career path until very recently. In the 460 00:24:12,240 --> 00:24:14,399 Speaker 1: in the big picture of this story, it was a 461 00:24:14,400 --> 00:24:17,800 Speaker 1: recent thing. Okay. So when you graduate from high school, 462 00:24:17,840 --> 00:24:21,640 Speaker 1: you still don't own any turntables okay. And how many 463 00:24:21,680 --> 00:24:28,359 Speaker 1: records do you think you own? You're an avid collector. Okay. 464 00:24:28,600 --> 00:24:32,560 Speaker 1: So now it comes time to go to college, you 465 00:24:32,640 --> 00:24:36,199 Speaker 1: go to b y U. Okay. Having lived in Utah 466 00:24:36,240 --> 00:24:39,000 Speaker 1: for a couple of years. Although back in the seventies, 467 00:24:39,440 --> 00:24:42,320 Speaker 1: you know, b y U is the epicenter of LDS 468 00:24:43,160 --> 00:24:48,160 Speaker 1: and although religious and you are LDS, you are more men. Uh. 469 00:24:48,200 --> 00:24:50,200 Speaker 1: And that would be a place, but it's known as 470 00:24:50,200 --> 00:24:56,280 Speaker 1: being a relatively conservative place. Okay, So how does that 471 00:24:56,359 --> 00:25:02,080 Speaker 1: work for you? Uh? Is eye opening? Look a kid 472 00:25:02,080 --> 00:25:05,399 Speaker 1: growing up in Chicago. My my brothers both went to 473 00:25:05,440 --> 00:25:07,440 Speaker 1: be by you and they're like, hey, it's great, it's fun, 474 00:25:07,480 --> 00:25:09,760 Speaker 1: it's cool. And I think that for me, I wanted 475 00:25:09,760 --> 00:25:11,800 Speaker 1: to go there because I wanted to be around other Mormons. 476 00:25:15,680 --> 00:25:17,760 Speaker 1: We'll take a quick break and come back with more 477 00:25:17,800 --> 00:25:20,919 Speaker 1: of my conversation with Cascade. Recorded at the tune In 478 00:25:21,000 --> 00:25:28,720 Speaker 1: Studios in Venice, California. This podcast is brought to you 479 00:25:28,760 --> 00:25:32,760 Speaker 1: by tune In, which brings together all the live, sports, music, 480 00:25:32,880 --> 00:25:37,320 Speaker 1: news and podcasts you love, original live and on demand audio, 481 00:25:37,480 --> 00:25:40,520 Speaker 1: all in one place. Go to tune in dot com 482 00:25:40,560 --> 00:25:44,800 Speaker 1: slash left sets to download and listen. Okay, let's get 483 00:25:44,840 --> 00:25:49,960 Speaker 1: back to my conversation with Cascade. Okay, so you've gotta 484 00:25:50,000 --> 00:25:54,000 Speaker 1: be yu and your expectations. Recording to your brother is 485 00:25:54,040 --> 00:25:57,960 Speaker 1: gonna be great, but what's your experience. I loved it, 486 00:25:58,359 --> 00:26:00,840 Speaker 1: and I think once again, this kind of plays back 487 00:26:00,920 --> 00:26:04,960 Speaker 1: to me launching my career. So I've got creates of 488 00:26:05,040 --> 00:26:08,240 Speaker 1: records and my brothers. I'm in one of these uh 489 00:26:08,600 --> 00:26:10,880 Speaker 1: you know, for lack of a better term, fraternity, it's 490 00:26:10,880 --> 00:26:13,120 Speaker 1: more like a social club. They didn't call fraternities there. 491 00:26:13,359 --> 00:26:16,040 Speaker 1: They get suspended or whatever, but it's essentially a social 492 00:26:16,040 --> 00:26:18,240 Speaker 1: club of fraternity. And they're like, we need to throw 493 00:26:18,280 --> 00:26:19,639 Speaker 1: a party and raise some money. And I'm like, I 494 00:26:19,680 --> 00:26:22,919 Speaker 1: got create some records. I know how to spend these things, 495 00:26:23,040 --> 00:26:26,879 Speaker 1: I think. So we hire some mobile DJ guy and 496 00:26:26,920 --> 00:26:30,080 Speaker 1: I'm like, yo, I'll play the music that night. I 497 00:26:30,119 --> 00:26:32,479 Speaker 1: just need your equipment. So that was my first like 498 00:26:32,600 --> 00:26:39,160 Speaker 1: real gig. This is nine okay, and how many nights 499 00:26:39,160 --> 00:26:42,480 Speaker 1: had you spend on the turntables? Very few? I mean 500 00:26:42,560 --> 00:26:45,240 Speaker 1: this is like, you know a bunch of kids from 501 00:26:45,440 --> 00:26:48,120 Speaker 1: southern you know, these are all like transplants that are 502 00:26:48,280 --> 00:26:51,480 Speaker 1: living in Provo, Utah. I'm like they're not going to know. 503 00:26:51,520 --> 00:26:54,880 Speaker 1: The difference I'll try is that your attitude in life 504 00:26:54,880 --> 00:26:57,920 Speaker 1: in general, you fake it till you make it. No, 505 00:26:58,000 --> 00:27:00,960 Speaker 1: not really, but I just knew I listen. I was 506 00:27:01,000 --> 00:27:04,919 Speaker 1: confident that I could do it. Okay, So but once again, 507 00:27:05,560 --> 00:27:07,439 Speaker 1: to what degree do you fit in? Kid from in 508 00:27:07,520 --> 00:27:13,200 Speaker 1: Chicago and going to nightclubs every night now in conservative Provo, Utah. Um. 509 00:27:13,240 --> 00:27:15,600 Speaker 1: I made lifelong friends there that first year because I 510 00:27:15,640 --> 00:27:17,879 Speaker 1: was meeting kids. I met a kid from San Francisco 511 00:27:17,960 --> 00:27:20,840 Speaker 1: became a really good friend, another kid from Cocoa Beach, Florida. 512 00:27:21,040 --> 00:27:23,080 Speaker 1: You know, I was meeting people from all over the place. 513 00:27:23,119 --> 00:27:25,040 Speaker 1: Some kid from Venezuela. So I was meeting all these 514 00:27:25,080 --> 00:27:28,560 Speaker 1: different kids and hearing about their experiences growing up Mormon whatever. 515 00:27:28,640 --> 00:27:31,959 Speaker 1: For me it was it was cool. I not everyone 516 00:27:32,040 --> 00:27:34,240 Speaker 1: has a good experience there, but for me it was great. 517 00:27:34,280 --> 00:27:36,080 Speaker 1: I was the only reason I asked because you didn't 518 00:27:36,080 --> 00:27:38,639 Speaker 1: go back there, you ultimately talking through the University of Utah. 519 00:27:38,760 --> 00:27:42,919 Speaker 1: That was because my lack of studying that first year. 520 00:27:42,960 --> 00:27:44,720 Speaker 1: I had a lot of fun that first year. I 521 00:27:44,760 --> 00:27:46,760 Speaker 1: was really tan when I went home. It was a 522 00:27:46,840 --> 00:27:49,200 Speaker 1: very warm spring. So when I showed back home, and 523 00:27:49,359 --> 00:27:51,159 Speaker 1: when I showed it back home in Chicago, I was 524 00:27:51,240 --> 00:27:54,840 Speaker 1: like tan from playing frisbee out at the park and 525 00:27:55,200 --> 00:27:57,719 Speaker 1: you know, but let's speak English here. Were you not 526 00:27:57,920 --> 00:28:01,080 Speaker 1: asked back to be while you So I went on 527 00:28:01,119 --> 00:28:03,359 Speaker 1: a mission after my first year, okay? Just so I 528 00:28:03,440 --> 00:28:07,920 Speaker 1: know for traditionally is that when people go, Yes, now 529 00:28:08,040 --> 00:28:10,879 Speaker 1: a lot of kids go before they start school. That 530 00:28:10,920 --> 00:28:12,840 Speaker 1: kind of seems like a better time. Now people are 531 00:28:12,880 --> 00:28:16,840 Speaker 1: just you know, go to high school, go on the mission, 532 00:28:17,040 --> 00:28:19,080 Speaker 1: then come back and start college. I went to my 533 00:28:19,200 --> 00:28:22,960 Speaker 1: first year, my freshman year, okay, and then you go 534 00:28:23,000 --> 00:28:26,239 Speaker 1: on the mission to Japan, Japan. But so that's for 535 00:28:26,320 --> 00:28:30,080 Speaker 1: two years. Two years. In those two years, do you 536 00:28:30,160 --> 00:28:32,840 Speaker 1: come back to the States at all? No? And you 537 00:28:32,920 --> 00:28:37,720 Speaker 1: go to Japan with how many other people as a 538 00:28:37,720 --> 00:28:40,200 Speaker 1: group of eight of us, but there's already like a 539 00:28:40,240 --> 00:28:44,000 Speaker 1: hundred and sixty missionaries living in might I say Tokyo. 540 00:28:44,080 --> 00:28:47,200 Speaker 1: It's like northern Tokyo and the northern suburbs of Tokyo. 541 00:28:47,240 --> 00:28:50,040 Speaker 1: It's a large area that that covers. So like in 542 00:28:50,080 --> 00:28:53,040 Speaker 1: your town, say Santa Monica, there would be two missionaries, 543 00:28:53,080 --> 00:28:54,520 Speaker 1: you know, a station there, and then you go to 544 00:28:54,600 --> 00:28:57,920 Speaker 1: like Culver City, there would be another two missionaries, you know. Okay, 545 00:28:57,920 --> 00:29:00,280 Speaker 1: so you're living with another guy in some sub of 546 00:29:00,320 --> 00:29:03,600 Speaker 1: Tokyo and then you have your own apartment with his job. Yes, 547 00:29:03,760 --> 00:29:08,920 Speaker 1: and what's the what are you supposed to do every day? Uh? Proselyte, teach, 548 00:29:09,520 --> 00:29:11,560 Speaker 1: but you talk to people about Yeah, but you don't 549 00:29:11,600 --> 00:29:14,160 Speaker 1: speak Japanese right now? I mean I took a crash 550 00:29:14,240 --> 00:29:18,880 Speaker 1: course for two months before you go out, um, which 551 00:29:18,960 --> 00:29:22,640 Speaker 1: is you know, crash course. And how how are you 552 00:29:22,680 --> 00:29:25,120 Speaker 1: going to talk to these people one language wise? And 553 00:29:25,200 --> 00:29:27,000 Speaker 1: what are you going to talk to them about? What's 554 00:29:27,200 --> 00:29:29,520 Speaker 1: what's the right way to approach this? In my life 555 00:29:29,600 --> 00:29:32,280 Speaker 1: up to this point, you know, my conversations about being 556 00:29:32,320 --> 00:29:34,760 Speaker 1: Mormon were like just with my friends from high school 557 00:29:34,760 --> 00:29:36,560 Speaker 1: and whatever, and like oh, hey, this is what I 558 00:29:36,600 --> 00:29:38,840 Speaker 1: believe or what do you believe? And so kind of 559 00:29:38,880 --> 00:29:43,840 Speaker 1: refining that process. And then then really it takes me. 560 00:29:44,000 --> 00:29:50,200 Speaker 1: You know, luckily learning Japanese wasn't it wasn't that hard. 561 00:29:50,240 --> 00:29:54,040 Speaker 1: I would say, it wasn't that hard for you? People 562 00:29:54,080 --> 00:29:57,440 Speaker 1: are good with languages. I was that was it? It was? 563 00:29:57,680 --> 00:29:59,440 Speaker 1: Which is weird because I failed out of Spanish in 564 00:29:59,480 --> 00:30:01,800 Speaker 1: high school. It's like one of those things I wanted 565 00:30:01,840 --> 00:30:03,680 Speaker 1: to do. I wanted to learn Janace and I was 566 00:30:03,720 --> 00:30:06,960 Speaker 1: there and early on the second place that I lived, 567 00:30:06,960 --> 00:30:09,160 Speaker 1: I was actually living with the Japanese guy. So I'm like, man, 568 00:30:09,560 --> 00:30:11,880 Speaker 1: I better start really hitting the books. And I studied hard. 569 00:30:11,960 --> 00:30:13,880 Speaker 1: I mean every day I would up, you know, at 570 00:30:13,880 --> 00:30:15,600 Speaker 1: the crack of dawn, studying for an hour or two 571 00:30:15,680 --> 00:30:18,360 Speaker 1: before we went out. And you know, we're meeting people. 572 00:30:18,440 --> 00:30:21,480 Speaker 1: So I was studying and carrying around vocabulary words. But 573 00:30:21,520 --> 00:30:24,120 Speaker 1: I'd say a year into it, I felt like confident 574 00:30:24,160 --> 00:30:27,520 Speaker 1: I could have a discussion. So you how does it 575 00:30:27,520 --> 00:30:31,680 Speaker 1: actually work you knock on someone's door, and Japan that's 576 00:30:31,760 --> 00:30:35,520 Speaker 1: kind of culturally a little not so nice. Um So, 577 00:30:35,720 --> 00:30:38,719 Speaker 1: we spent a lot of time because I was in 578 00:30:39,080 --> 00:30:42,800 Speaker 1: or really close to Tokyo the majority of my mission. 579 00:30:43,240 --> 00:30:45,200 Speaker 1: Um So I would hang around the train station a 580 00:30:45,200 --> 00:30:49,080 Speaker 1: lot of times, or and just like walk up to 581 00:30:49,200 --> 00:30:51,360 Speaker 1: random people, Hey, you know, what do you know about 582 00:30:51,440 --> 00:30:53,720 Speaker 1: Jesus Christ, and like have a conversation if they want 583 00:30:53,760 --> 00:30:56,680 Speaker 1: to or not. You know, there's a lot of ceto 584 00:30:56,840 --> 00:31:01,480 Speaker 1: desks like I'm okay, I'm okay, okay, cool um But 585 00:31:01,680 --> 00:31:06,080 Speaker 1: and then other times people just referrals they hear about 586 00:31:06,760 --> 00:31:08,680 Speaker 1: somebody who's Mormon and their friends Mormon and they want 587 00:31:08,680 --> 00:31:11,880 Speaker 1: to learn about it or you know, so there's that. Okay, 588 00:31:11,880 --> 00:31:14,640 Speaker 1: So sometimes you're educating people who have already been converted 589 00:31:14,640 --> 00:31:17,360 Speaker 1: to a degree as opposed to trying to find Now 590 00:31:17,440 --> 00:31:20,200 Speaker 1: it's sort of like being a salesman. I would think 591 00:31:20,200 --> 00:31:22,959 Speaker 1: you get a lot of rejection, Yes, a lot, And 592 00:31:23,040 --> 00:31:26,520 Speaker 1: how does that feel? How do you handle? That? Didn't 593 00:31:26,520 --> 00:31:30,320 Speaker 1: bother me really, I mean I grew up in Chicago, 594 00:31:30,400 --> 00:31:33,040 Speaker 1: so I was like, okay, not everyone interested in religion 595 00:31:33,200 --> 00:31:35,720 Speaker 1: like I am. You know, I grew up in a 596 00:31:35,800 --> 00:31:38,240 Speaker 1: Jewish neighborhood. I knew that. You know, this is part 597 00:31:38,240 --> 00:31:40,240 Speaker 1: of the deal. You know, people have different thoughts and 598 00:31:40,320 --> 00:31:44,440 Speaker 1: ideas and and whatever. I think. Missionaries are there and 599 00:31:44,520 --> 00:31:47,120 Speaker 1: my primary job was to speak to people that are 600 00:31:47,160 --> 00:31:50,040 Speaker 1: looking for something and that want help. You know. So okay, cool. 601 00:31:50,440 --> 00:31:53,560 Speaker 1: The key is to find those people, right, to come 602 00:31:53,560 --> 00:31:56,000 Speaker 1: in contact with those people. Okay. So two years go 603 00:31:56,160 --> 00:31:59,520 Speaker 1: by and then you go back to Utah. Yeah, why 604 00:31:59,560 --> 00:32:02,680 Speaker 1: do you not go back to b y Uh? Actually 605 00:32:02,680 --> 00:32:05,240 Speaker 1: I went to New York and worked for a Japanese company. 606 00:32:05,280 --> 00:32:07,040 Speaker 1: I went to New York for a year, which Okay, 607 00:32:07,080 --> 00:32:10,600 Speaker 1: so it's important. So okay, so you gotta b y 608 00:32:10,680 --> 00:32:12,760 Speaker 1: U for a year, you go to Japan for two years, 609 00:32:13,000 --> 00:32:14,400 Speaker 1: then you go to New York to work for a 610 00:32:14,480 --> 00:32:18,640 Speaker 1: Japanese company. How does that come together? Uh? I just 611 00:32:18,720 --> 00:32:21,080 Speaker 1: interviewed with the company. I was like, I'm going back. 612 00:32:21,400 --> 00:32:23,320 Speaker 1: I didn't have any money, you know. I was like, 613 00:32:23,760 --> 00:32:25,040 Speaker 1: you know, I got to go back to school. I 614 00:32:25,080 --> 00:32:28,640 Speaker 1: could use the job. So I interviewed with this Japanese 615 00:32:28,640 --> 00:32:30,680 Speaker 1: company that was hiring like a lot of Mormon kids 616 00:32:30,720 --> 00:32:34,520 Speaker 1: because oh cool, these kids can speech Japanese. So we're 617 00:32:34,520 --> 00:32:37,520 Speaker 1: tour guides around the city of New York. Um, which 618 00:32:37,560 --> 00:32:39,120 Speaker 1: is funny. I've been to New York a few times, 619 00:32:39,120 --> 00:32:41,000 Speaker 1: but I didn't know the city that well. So, you know, 620 00:32:41,320 --> 00:32:43,240 Speaker 1: like telling these people about New York City And I 621 00:32:43,240 --> 00:32:46,200 Speaker 1: actually didn't know that much, but I learned. How long 622 00:32:46,240 --> 00:32:48,960 Speaker 1: were you a tour guide? For about a year? And 623 00:32:50,080 --> 00:32:53,000 Speaker 1: you know, wouldn't most people go back to college instead 624 00:32:53,000 --> 00:32:57,520 Speaker 1: of having a tour guide job? Yeah? Probably? Did your 625 00:32:57,520 --> 00:32:59,680 Speaker 1: parents where your parents concerned that you might not go 626 00:32:59,720 --> 00:33:02,920 Speaker 1: back to college? No? Not at this point, I think 627 00:33:02,960 --> 00:33:06,560 Speaker 1: there's still like what's he doing? I mean they were 628 00:33:06,600 --> 00:33:10,080 Speaker 1: like that a lot around me. What's Ryan doing? Okay? 629 00:33:10,240 --> 00:33:12,000 Speaker 1: So if you're living in New York, do you need 630 00:33:12,040 --> 00:33:13,680 Speaker 1: any of their money or you can make enough money 631 00:33:13,760 --> 00:33:16,160 Speaker 1: to make it. I was making money, okay, So New 632 00:33:16,240 --> 00:33:19,720 Speaker 1: York epicenter of dance music are you involved in? I'm 633 00:33:19,760 --> 00:33:22,040 Speaker 1: going out. I'm going out every night that I can. 634 00:33:22,560 --> 00:33:25,120 Speaker 1: I mean, I'm working like a dog. The place worked 635 00:33:25,120 --> 00:33:28,080 Speaker 1: me like crazy. I mean I kept my time sheets 636 00:33:28,120 --> 00:33:29,640 Speaker 1: for a long time because I was like, man, we 637 00:33:29,640 --> 00:33:34,160 Speaker 1: could sue these guys, right, we need over time, you know. Um. 638 00:33:34,240 --> 00:33:37,360 Speaker 1: But yeah, I'm going out. A lot of stuff is 639 00:33:37,400 --> 00:33:40,520 Speaker 1: happening because it's two thousand three, two thousand four, I mean, 640 00:33:40,600 --> 00:33:44,720 Speaker 1: dance music is in New York and full swing can't 641 00:33:44,720 --> 00:33:49,440 Speaker 1: be They kept gonna be like, yes, sorry, you very 642 00:33:49,520 --> 00:33:52,120 Speaker 1: much have lost the techade. Okay. I trying to make 643 00:33:52,160 --> 00:33:55,480 Speaker 1: sure here, Okay, okay, so yeah, so but not the 644 00:33:55,560 --> 00:33:58,360 Speaker 1: dance music isn't happening. But if we're working on the timeline, 645 00:33:58,560 --> 00:34:00,840 Speaker 1: so there's a lot of stuff happening up going out 646 00:34:00,960 --> 00:34:03,200 Speaker 1: club USA. It was in full swing. That was right 647 00:34:03,200 --> 00:34:05,760 Speaker 1: there in Times Square, right off of Time to Square. 648 00:34:06,240 --> 00:34:09,719 Speaker 1: Um lion light was happening, um, which there was a 649 00:34:09,760 --> 00:34:11,640 Speaker 1: line Light in Chicago as well that I went to 650 00:34:11,920 --> 00:34:14,640 Speaker 1: in high school. So you know, it was just cool 651 00:34:14,880 --> 00:34:18,400 Speaker 1: dance music had matured a bit more. I'd become more musical. 652 00:34:18,800 --> 00:34:24,440 Speaker 1: It was less just drums and bass, less industrial um. 653 00:34:24,480 --> 00:34:28,239 Speaker 1: But that's really at that point. I saved up enough money, 654 00:34:28,360 --> 00:34:30,560 Speaker 1: bought my own setup, went back to Utah. I went 655 00:34:30,600 --> 00:34:32,160 Speaker 1: back to you and bought my own set up. Okay, 656 00:34:32,200 --> 00:34:35,600 Speaker 1: I've got some records, I've got some equipment. I'm playing 657 00:34:35,640 --> 00:34:38,560 Speaker 1: some stuff here and there. I go back to Utah. 658 00:34:39,000 --> 00:34:41,279 Speaker 1: Let's just be clear. You buy the turntables in New 659 00:34:41,320 --> 00:34:45,280 Speaker 1: York or in Utah. In Utah, E mail ordered this stuff. Okay, Okay, 660 00:34:45,360 --> 00:34:47,759 Speaker 1: So if this when you leave New York you're just 661 00:34:47,800 --> 00:34:50,160 Speaker 1: interested in the scene, you go back to Utah, and 662 00:34:50,239 --> 00:34:54,360 Speaker 1: what's your plan get through college? Okay? Why do you 663 00:34:54,400 --> 00:34:56,120 Speaker 1: go to the U as they say and salt like 664 00:34:56,560 --> 00:35:02,719 Speaker 1: the University of Utah as opposed to by you? Uh? 665 00:35:02,760 --> 00:35:05,200 Speaker 1: Because I knew I wasn't getting back in to by U. 666 00:35:05,360 --> 00:35:08,759 Speaker 1: My first year was terrible. So if you wanted to 667 00:35:08,800 --> 00:35:11,120 Speaker 1: go back to b y U, that would they that 668 00:35:11,120 --> 00:35:13,120 Speaker 1: would have been a problem. It would have I didn't 669 00:35:13,160 --> 00:35:15,560 Speaker 1: even reapply because after you've taken a break, and I've 670 00:35:15,600 --> 00:35:18,239 Speaker 1: been off too and have three years now, and like, okay, 671 00:35:18,719 --> 00:35:20,680 Speaker 1: either reapply and get rejected. I can go to the 672 00:35:20,760 --> 00:35:23,239 Speaker 1: U and the University Utah is a great school, and 673 00:35:23,400 --> 00:35:26,719 Speaker 1: salt Lake is happening place. Thing is when I lived 674 00:35:26,719 --> 00:35:29,200 Speaker 1: in Salt Lake, I lived in the Avenues and we 675 00:35:29,200 --> 00:35:32,600 Speaker 1: were all ski bumps, and uh, I'd already graduated from college. 676 00:35:32,600 --> 00:35:34,560 Speaker 1: With my two roommates. They would go to the U 677 00:35:34,640 --> 00:35:36,400 Speaker 1: and they would sign up for the winter some you know, 678 00:35:36,400 --> 00:35:38,560 Speaker 1: for the spring semester. It would snow when they drop out. 679 00:35:38,719 --> 00:35:42,799 Speaker 1: They eventually graduated, but right up there, I took a 680 00:35:42,800 --> 00:35:46,040 Speaker 1: few winners semesters. Basically off, I'd take one or two classes, 681 00:35:46,440 --> 00:35:50,000 Speaker 1: right and you and you'd go snowboarding. Where would you go? 682 00:35:50,680 --> 00:35:53,520 Speaker 1: Brighton had a season passed the Brighton for four years? Okay, 683 00:35:53,600 --> 00:35:56,640 Speaker 1: big cotton Wood can Okay. So now you go back 684 00:35:56,680 --> 00:35:59,600 Speaker 1: to Utah and you do buy the turntables, and you 685 00:35:59,680 --> 00:36:03,120 Speaker 1: buy the Wolf hundreds. Second, and you buy a mixture, 686 00:36:03,160 --> 00:36:04,839 Speaker 1: you say, you buy a mail order. You remember who 687 00:36:04,880 --> 00:36:07,920 Speaker 1: you ordered it from? Prose, sound and stage. Okay, this 688 00:36:07,960 --> 00:36:10,200 Speaker 1: is where everybody's buying the stuff from. They saying these 689 00:36:10,239 --> 00:36:12,560 Speaker 1: catalogs and this is kind of like they were the 690 00:36:12,680 --> 00:36:16,080 Speaker 1: DJ place, you know, but this is back before the internet. 691 00:36:16,120 --> 00:36:19,120 Speaker 1: You know, you'd get these catalogs and right yeah, so okay, 692 00:36:19,120 --> 00:36:20,920 Speaker 1: so you have an apartment where you're living in Utah, 693 00:36:21,960 --> 00:36:27,359 Speaker 1: uh just right downtown third East. Um. Yeah, and then 694 00:36:27,400 --> 00:36:29,120 Speaker 1: I moved to the avenue is I had an ane. 695 00:36:29,160 --> 00:36:31,080 Speaker 1: I had a house on eleventh Avenue in between D 696 00:36:31,200 --> 00:36:32,880 Speaker 1: and E. Okay, so I mean I was in that 697 00:36:32,960 --> 00:36:37,000 Speaker 1: little area. Okay, So you have your turntables, you're going 698 00:36:37,040 --> 00:36:40,319 Speaker 1: to school. How much you work in the turntables and 699 00:36:40,360 --> 00:36:45,120 Speaker 1: practicing a lot at that point a lot because I 700 00:36:45,120 --> 00:36:47,000 Speaker 1: had time on my hands. I thought I was busy, 701 00:36:47,040 --> 00:36:52,400 Speaker 1: but being a Japanese guid in New York, you weren't busy. 702 00:36:52,640 --> 00:36:55,359 Speaker 1: And at this point you're just having fun and you say, 703 00:36:55,400 --> 00:36:58,040 Speaker 1: I'm gonna get good, I'm gonna work. I'm having fun. 704 00:36:58,080 --> 00:37:00,520 Speaker 1: I'm having a lot of fun. I'm snowboarding a and 705 00:37:00,560 --> 00:37:05,839 Speaker 1: I'm spinning records a lot record at this point, at 706 00:37:05,840 --> 00:37:07,960 Speaker 1: this point of a much better student because I had 707 00:37:08,360 --> 00:37:10,880 Speaker 1: put my mind that I can get through school. I 708 00:37:10,880 --> 00:37:13,040 Speaker 1: had learned a lot of good study habits while I 709 00:37:13,080 --> 00:37:16,000 Speaker 1: was in Japan. I'll say that I've learned some discipline 710 00:37:16,040 --> 00:37:17,919 Speaker 1: while I was in Tokyo, so that was a good thing. 711 00:37:18,000 --> 00:37:20,640 Speaker 1: Came out of it much better student. But I'm spending basically, 712 00:37:20,680 --> 00:37:23,360 Speaker 1: I'm spending my days and nights going to school, spinning 713 00:37:23,360 --> 00:37:25,840 Speaker 1: records and snowboarding. That was it. Okay, when you're spinning 714 00:37:25,840 --> 00:37:28,640 Speaker 1: records just for yourself, you're playing gigs a lot in 715 00:37:28,640 --> 00:37:32,480 Speaker 1: my bedroom, just hanging out playing records. And in nine five, 716 00:37:32,880 --> 00:37:35,160 Speaker 1: this is kind of when at all changed for me. 717 00:37:35,200 --> 00:37:36,480 Speaker 1: It was the first time like, oh, you can make 718 00:37:36,520 --> 00:37:39,120 Speaker 1: money doing this. We all of a sudde a part 719 00:37:39,160 --> 00:37:42,440 Speaker 1: time job selling jeans at the Chalk Garden. Do you 720 00:37:42,480 --> 00:37:45,840 Speaker 1: remember Trollie Square of course seventies. I worked at this 721 00:37:45,880 --> 00:37:47,879 Speaker 1: place called the Chock Garden Tarlie Square, and I lost 722 00:37:47,920 --> 00:37:50,799 Speaker 1: my job and I still my parents were helping me 723 00:37:50,800 --> 00:37:52,560 Speaker 1: out at this point. But you were losing You lost 724 00:37:52,560 --> 00:37:58,799 Speaker 1: your job. War Oh, I don't know, they're cutting back. 725 00:37:58,840 --> 00:38:00,800 Speaker 1: I don't know. And deeans weren't selling like okay, but 726 00:38:00,840 --> 00:38:04,640 Speaker 1: it was this wasn't wasn't your behavior? No, no, no, okay. 727 00:38:04,640 --> 00:38:06,360 Speaker 1: So your parents were still helping you out a little 728 00:38:06,640 --> 00:38:09,080 Speaker 1: selp me out a little bit, but um, not enough 729 00:38:09,080 --> 00:38:11,160 Speaker 1: that I could just like live on what they're sending me. 730 00:38:11,200 --> 00:38:14,080 Speaker 1: You know, there was a small monthly stipend, and like 731 00:38:14,160 --> 00:38:16,080 Speaker 1: I needed a job to supplement that if I wanted 732 00:38:16,120 --> 00:38:19,200 Speaker 1: to eat um and put gas in the car in 733 00:38:19,239 --> 00:38:25,040 Speaker 1: my Honda Accord. So anyway, that's I approached this club 734 00:38:25,080 --> 00:38:29,239 Speaker 1: called Club Manhattan. Was a small club. The capacity was 735 00:38:29,239 --> 00:38:32,160 Speaker 1: two people. That was not making that up the sign 736 00:38:32,160 --> 00:38:35,640 Speaker 1: on the door people and I said, what's your worst 737 00:38:35,719 --> 00:38:38,400 Speaker 1: night of the week, Because I've got crates of records 738 00:38:38,440 --> 00:38:40,920 Speaker 1: that nobody has heard. And by this time, I mean, 739 00:38:41,280 --> 00:38:43,480 Speaker 1: I'd put a lot of time into the craft, you know, 740 00:38:43,800 --> 00:38:47,560 Speaker 1: to three years, I'd honed the craft a bit um 741 00:38:47,640 --> 00:38:49,680 Speaker 1: and he's like, Monday night, I can't get anybody in here. 742 00:38:50,239 --> 00:38:52,520 Speaker 1: Let's start from the beginning. Now, you're living in Utah, 743 00:38:52,600 --> 00:38:55,640 Speaker 1: where you're buying your records. A lot of mail orders 744 00:38:55,640 --> 00:38:58,040 Speaker 1: still from Grammophone, so you could call guys up and 745 00:38:58,080 --> 00:39:00,560 Speaker 1: be like, all right, I've got seventy five box, you 746 00:39:00,600 --> 00:39:03,080 Speaker 1: know what's hot this week, and they'd send you stuff. 747 00:39:03,560 --> 00:39:06,360 Speaker 1: But San Francisco has got a great tweak. In was 748 00:39:06,400 --> 00:39:09,200 Speaker 1: another record store in San Francisco, Lower Hate. They were 749 00:39:09,200 --> 00:39:12,040 Speaker 1: mail ordering stuff here in l A beating non stop. 750 00:39:12,480 --> 00:39:14,960 Speaker 1: Um was a massive record store in melrose Um. So 751 00:39:15,000 --> 00:39:16,520 Speaker 1: there's a lot of guys you could call up and 752 00:39:16,560 --> 00:39:19,120 Speaker 1: they were shipping you stuff. So I'm getting records sent 753 00:39:19,200 --> 00:39:23,520 Speaker 1: to me and is there anybody doing this in Utah? 754 00:39:23,640 --> 00:39:26,160 Speaker 1: Prior to you? Is there anybody there is? So there 755 00:39:26,239 --> 00:39:28,840 Speaker 1: is one record store in Utah. But in terms of 756 00:39:29,000 --> 00:39:32,480 Speaker 1: in terms of DJs, there was some guys doing it. 757 00:39:32,520 --> 00:39:35,560 Speaker 1: There was a dude from San Francisco, Nick Cameron, another 758 00:39:35,600 --> 00:39:38,120 Speaker 1: guy from l a Um. You know, there were guys 759 00:39:38,160 --> 00:39:40,360 Speaker 1: doing it. Okay. So you got to this club and 760 00:39:40,400 --> 00:39:43,719 Speaker 1: you say, and he says Monday nights by weeknight. You say, 761 00:39:44,760 --> 00:39:46,640 Speaker 1: I'm like give it to me. And he's like, all right, 762 00:39:46,680 --> 00:39:50,799 Speaker 1: cool um, and he's like, we'll just split the door. 763 00:39:51,080 --> 00:39:52,480 Speaker 1: I'm like, all right, cool, We've got to charge a 764 00:39:52,480 --> 00:39:54,040 Speaker 1: couple of bucks at the door. You know, it was 765 00:39:54,080 --> 00:39:56,560 Speaker 1: mainly students. I was gonna, you know, just hit up 766 00:39:56,560 --> 00:40:01,080 Speaker 1: my friends, you know, call him up. Anyway, Monday night 767 00:40:01,160 --> 00:40:03,000 Speaker 1: was a smash. The first night we did, like foreignered 768 00:40:03,000 --> 00:40:05,200 Speaker 1: people showed up. Okay. That must have been because you 769 00:40:05,280 --> 00:40:07,960 Speaker 1: worked your phone so to speak, you told all your 770 00:40:08,000 --> 00:40:09,960 Speaker 1: friends to come. You know what it was. It was 771 00:40:10,000 --> 00:40:14,200 Speaker 1: snowboarding because me and my roommates, it's a very social thing. 772 00:40:14,280 --> 00:40:16,040 Speaker 1: Just like you said, you had all these skier buddies. 773 00:40:16,520 --> 00:40:18,640 Speaker 1: There's like this community of people, I mean people that 774 00:40:18,640 --> 00:40:21,320 Speaker 1: are coming from like Amsterdam, that lived there for the season. 775 00:40:21,640 --> 00:40:23,239 Speaker 1: So we knew all these people because it was not 776 00:40:23,280 --> 00:40:26,520 Speaker 1: only I'm not the only guy snowboard every day, me 777 00:40:26,560 --> 00:40:29,200 Speaker 1: and all my buddies that we're all living together, and 778 00:40:29,360 --> 00:40:32,799 Speaker 1: do we just put the word out? Sure enough foreignered people. Later, 779 00:40:33,040 --> 00:40:35,520 Speaker 1: I'm like, this is a smash. The club owners freaking out. 780 00:40:35,719 --> 00:40:37,680 Speaker 1: You know, I'm walking home with like three hundred bucks 781 00:40:37,680 --> 00:40:40,640 Speaker 1: in my pocket. I'm like, I am king of the world. 782 00:40:42,120 --> 00:40:45,400 Speaker 1: I'm not gonna sell jeans again ever, you know. So 783 00:40:45,480 --> 00:40:48,239 Speaker 1: I that was a lot of money at the time 784 00:40:48,280 --> 00:40:50,960 Speaker 1: for me. Okay, So now it's the following Monday night, 785 00:40:51,480 --> 00:40:53,640 Speaker 1: so it just keeps going. I was there at that 786 00:40:53,680 --> 00:40:56,000 Speaker 1: club for five years doing Monday nights and I only 787 00:40:56,040 --> 00:40:59,000 Speaker 1: missed a couple of them the entire time. So after 788 00:40:59,080 --> 00:41:03,279 Speaker 1: you tap the snowboard crew, does word get out in town? Yeah, 789 00:41:03,280 --> 00:41:05,000 Speaker 1: because it's a small town. I mean you're talking like 790 00:41:05,040 --> 00:41:06,759 Speaker 1: what a million people or something like this, So that 791 00:41:06,840 --> 00:41:11,239 Speaker 1: whole valley and dude, there's no other competition on Monday night. Like, 792 00:41:11,440 --> 00:41:13,759 Speaker 1: so that was the place if you went out Monday night, 793 00:41:13,840 --> 00:41:15,799 Speaker 1: that was the place to go. So then, you know, 794 00:41:15,840 --> 00:41:18,520 Speaker 1: we raised the door price to five bucks. The entire 795 00:41:18,600 --> 00:41:20,840 Speaker 1: cities showing up at this place, it becomes a problem. 796 00:41:20,880 --> 00:41:22,600 Speaker 1: The city is trying to shut me down. They wrote 797 00:41:22,640 --> 00:41:26,360 Speaker 1: me a few citations to the club, you know, over overcrowding, 798 00:41:26,400 --> 00:41:28,759 Speaker 1: all this stuff, you know, serving a mind, you know. 799 00:41:28,840 --> 00:41:32,160 Speaker 1: So it was a hit, and then I started doing 800 00:41:32,200 --> 00:41:34,239 Speaker 1: other I did a Thursday night for them, and then 801 00:41:34,280 --> 00:41:38,080 Speaker 1: people around town started hiring me. Um. But all of 802 00:41:38,120 --> 00:41:40,920 Speaker 1: this is happening, and it's the first time I had 803 00:41:40,920 --> 00:41:43,200 Speaker 1: a little bit of cash. So I started buying studio 804 00:41:43,280 --> 00:41:46,399 Speaker 1: equipment about my first day to eight drum machine, rolling 805 00:41:46,480 --> 00:41:48,239 Speaker 1: nine O nine and other drum machine and s H 806 00:41:48,320 --> 00:41:53,040 Speaker 1: one O one small keyboards. I started like amassing equipment 807 00:41:53,480 --> 00:41:55,879 Speaker 1: and that's how it's spending my days, so that by 808 00:41:55,920 --> 00:41:59,880 Speaker 1: this time I'm out of school. I'm like, okay, I 809 00:42:00,040 --> 00:42:05,319 Speaker 1: I love this Madonna record, Vogue whatever, but I don't 810 00:42:05,400 --> 00:42:09,160 Speaker 1: like the arrangement. So I start getting in digital audio workstation. 811 00:42:09,400 --> 00:42:14,640 Speaker 1: I had a you know, a Mac you know, pretty 812 00:42:14,680 --> 00:42:19,080 Speaker 1: basic Mac but I had a four track pro tools 813 00:42:19,080 --> 00:42:21,760 Speaker 1: set up on there on my first copy of Logic, 814 00:42:21,800 --> 00:42:24,200 Speaker 1: and that's really where I just started getting into it. 815 00:42:24,560 --> 00:42:27,960 Speaker 1: And then it's just like all in. Once that happened 816 00:42:27,960 --> 00:42:29,760 Speaker 1: and I had a small setup, I was like, okay, 817 00:42:29,800 --> 00:42:32,200 Speaker 1: this is what I was doing every day. UM. And 818 00:42:32,280 --> 00:42:36,720 Speaker 1: I put together put together my first kind of record 819 00:42:37,080 --> 00:42:42,160 Speaker 1: that I sold commercially. Um, and it's a bad record. 820 00:42:42,920 --> 00:42:45,800 Speaker 1: How did you do that? Though? You recorded it, and 821 00:42:46,280 --> 00:42:49,600 Speaker 1: how did you get it in terms of press distributed, etcetera. 822 00:42:49,760 --> 00:42:52,799 Speaker 1: So press the Rainbow Records, Rainbow Records, Yeah, it used 823 00:42:52,800 --> 00:42:57,120 Speaker 1: to be. Okay, I've been marrigelist, right, So I called 824 00:42:57,120 --> 00:42:59,120 Speaker 1: those guys up. And that's what people on the West coast, 825 00:42:59,120 --> 00:43:01,000 Speaker 1: that's where who they were, right, We're kind of like 826 00:43:01,040 --> 00:43:06,480 Speaker 1: the premier guys. Um. And uh. During all this the 827 00:43:06,600 --> 00:43:10,239 Speaker 1: records store UM that was local in town, which I 828 00:43:10,280 --> 00:43:14,560 Speaker 1: basically was hanging out a lot. You know, it's very 829 00:43:15,120 --> 00:43:18,520 Speaker 1: John Cusack, you know, like hanging out just like arguing 830 00:43:18,520 --> 00:43:20,759 Speaker 1: over what records are better. And you know, this is 831 00:43:20,760 --> 00:43:22,680 Speaker 1: where you know, practice tej. It's just like where all 832 00:43:22,680 --> 00:43:25,319 Speaker 1: the DJs were hanging out. Um. But one of the 833 00:43:25,360 --> 00:43:30,120 Speaker 1: owners left, uh to to go work in Korea for 834 00:43:30,160 --> 00:43:32,400 Speaker 1: the Olympics, so I bought her half out. So I 835 00:43:32,440 --> 00:43:34,120 Speaker 1: was part owner in this record store. But I had 836 00:43:34,120 --> 00:43:36,960 Speaker 1: a relationship with the record distributors. So I was like, listen, 837 00:43:36,960 --> 00:43:39,439 Speaker 1: I buy thousands of dollars records from you guys every week. 838 00:43:39,520 --> 00:43:41,160 Speaker 1: I've got a record I'm gonna sell to you, and 839 00:43:41,160 --> 00:43:42,520 Speaker 1: you guys are gonna buy it. I don't care if 840 00:43:42,560 --> 00:43:45,040 Speaker 1: you think it's crap. And they did. They bought it. Okay, 841 00:43:45,040 --> 00:43:49,040 Speaker 1: but did anybody vided retail? Uh yeah, I mean listen, 842 00:43:49,080 --> 00:43:51,520 Speaker 1: we're talking back then. A couple of thousand copies was 843 00:43:51,600 --> 00:43:54,520 Speaker 1: the success, right, You're making like a thousand bucks, Oh 844 00:43:54,560 --> 00:43:56,719 Speaker 1: my gosh. Yeah. But you know, so the people in 845 00:43:56,880 --> 00:43:59,520 Speaker 1: Utah bought it. They knew who you were. Yeah. But 846 00:44:00,239 --> 00:44:01,839 Speaker 1: and it was a drum and bass record, so it's 847 00:44:01,880 --> 00:44:04,280 Speaker 1: a very niche thing. It was a very like London 848 00:44:04,440 --> 00:44:09,680 Speaker 1: sounding record. Um. You know, it's hard to even track 849 00:44:09,719 --> 00:44:12,719 Speaker 1: at that point because you're just selling it. But the 850 00:44:12,719 --> 00:44:15,320 Speaker 1: point is you make a deal, you ship the records. 851 00:44:15,760 --> 00:44:19,160 Speaker 1: If they don't tell, they usually come back. Yeah, they 852 00:44:19,160 --> 00:44:23,319 Speaker 1: didn't come back, so so you assume they sold such 853 00:44:23,360 --> 00:44:27,080 Speaker 1: a small quantity. Okay, but even so a thousand records, 854 00:44:27,080 --> 00:44:30,600 Speaker 1: somebody had to buy it. Okay, so you make that record, 855 00:44:30,680 --> 00:44:36,080 Speaker 1: what's the next step? Um, well, this is kind of 856 00:44:37,320 --> 00:44:40,880 Speaker 1: you know, late nineties, so things are starting to happen 857 00:44:40,880 --> 00:44:44,000 Speaker 1: again for dance music because the late nineties early two 858 00:44:44,040 --> 00:44:46,760 Speaker 1: thousand's that was kind of that first wave of moby 859 00:44:47,040 --> 00:44:50,759 Speaker 1: and you know what do they called it? Electronica? And 860 00:44:50,800 --> 00:44:52,960 Speaker 1: you know, everybody was bracing for this thing that was 861 00:44:53,040 --> 00:44:58,640 Speaker 1: coming that never came. But um, you know, so I 862 00:44:58,719 --> 00:45:01,640 Speaker 1: was getting gigs and I was starting to do stuff, 863 00:45:01,760 --> 00:45:07,080 Speaker 1: and um, my wife at this point, uh, well married 864 00:45:07,080 --> 00:45:10,440 Speaker 1: in ninety six, so a little a little bit slower. 865 00:45:10,520 --> 00:45:15,279 Speaker 1: How do you meet your wife snowboarding? Really? And did 866 00:45:15,320 --> 00:45:18,239 Speaker 1: she what was she doing in Salt Lake that She's 867 00:45:18,280 --> 00:45:20,560 Speaker 1: from northern California. She was one of these girls who 868 00:45:20,600 --> 00:45:25,799 Speaker 1: would come to Salt Lake. I met her, Um, she 869 00:45:25,920 --> 00:45:30,120 Speaker 1: came back and I met her again, because it would 870 00:45:30,120 --> 00:45:31,440 Speaker 1: just come up for the season, right, this is where 871 00:45:31,480 --> 00:45:36,160 Speaker 1: these people do these guys, Yeah, they exactly, yeah, and 872 00:45:36,200 --> 00:45:37,880 Speaker 1: you know, and they'd ride and you'd see them and 873 00:45:37,920 --> 00:45:39,400 Speaker 1: you'd be friends with them, and then they'd leave and 874 00:45:39,440 --> 00:45:42,600 Speaker 1: I'd stay there. Did she go to college? She she 875 00:45:42,640 --> 00:45:47,560 Speaker 1: graduated from you. So then so you know her for 876 00:45:47,560 --> 00:45:50,520 Speaker 1: a couple of years before becomes of romance. No, I 877 00:45:50,640 --> 00:45:54,200 Speaker 1: knew her. I met her, she came back, and right 878 00:45:54,200 --> 00:45:55,759 Speaker 1: away I was interested in. I was like, oh, yeah, 879 00:45:55,760 --> 00:45:58,120 Speaker 1: I remember her from last year. She's awesome, you know, 880 00:45:58,760 --> 00:46:05,319 Speaker 1: and she responds, yeah, it's good. Okay, Okay, So how 881 00:46:05,440 --> 00:46:08,880 Speaker 1: long after you meet or do you get married? Eight months? 882 00:46:09,360 --> 00:46:13,640 Speaker 1: Eight months? Well, it's last day, so it's good. I mean, listen, 883 00:46:13,640 --> 00:46:20,319 Speaker 1: in Mormon world, that's like that's that's ten years. So yeah, 884 00:46:20,320 --> 00:46:22,719 Speaker 1: I was quick because okay, so you get married, how 885 00:46:22,719 --> 00:46:26,640 Speaker 1: big a ceremony is it? Um? Hundred friends and family 886 00:46:26,719 --> 00:46:34,520 Speaker 1: in San Francisco? Um, what's the entertainment? Okay? No, DJ okay. 887 00:46:34,520 --> 00:46:36,520 Speaker 1: So anyway, you're living in Utah, you're married, You're on 888 00:46:36,640 --> 00:46:39,760 Speaker 1: the half of this record store. So what happens next? 889 00:46:39,840 --> 00:46:41,799 Speaker 1: You put out a record, put out a record, you 890 00:46:41,840 --> 00:46:45,640 Speaker 1: know whatever, a little bit of success. Um, well, I 891 00:46:45,719 --> 00:46:48,800 Speaker 1: just kind of start noticing the industry. I'm like, who's 892 00:46:48,840 --> 00:46:52,120 Speaker 1: successful in this industry and what's working? And I'm kind 893 00:46:52,120 --> 00:46:53,920 Speaker 1: of just trying to pay attention because I'm like, can 894 00:46:53,920 --> 00:46:56,280 Speaker 1: I make a living doing this? Like? How does it work? 895 00:46:56,960 --> 00:47:00,440 Speaker 1: You know? Um? Because here I am the kid of 896 00:47:00,520 --> 00:47:04,000 Speaker 1: a conservative family, and my dad was just conservative across 897 00:47:04,040 --> 00:47:06,960 Speaker 1: the board, meaning financially. He was very like, you know, 898 00:47:07,120 --> 00:47:10,480 Speaker 1: go to college, get a degree, get a job, you know, 899 00:47:10,800 --> 00:47:14,000 Speaker 1: just follow the path, you know, stay on course, you know. 900 00:47:14,480 --> 00:47:16,280 Speaker 1: And here I am like, I want to do music 901 00:47:17,080 --> 00:47:20,120 Speaker 1: like and I wasn't even necessarily saying that because I 902 00:47:20,160 --> 00:47:22,200 Speaker 1: was scared to say that out loud because I didn't 903 00:47:22,200 --> 00:47:24,799 Speaker 1: want to. I wanted to be successful. So I was like, 904 00:47:24,840 --> 00:47:27,400 Speaker 1: I don't know, music is fun and right, right, right, right, 905 00:47:27,440 --> 00:47:29,400 Speaker 1: but I'm trying to do all this other stuff. I 906 00:47:29,480 --> 00:47:32,200 Speaker 1: was working in an ad agency for a brief period 907 00:47:32,200 --> 00:47:35,279 Speaker 1: of time, you know, doing graphic design for them, and um, 908 00:47:35,360 --> 00:47:37,120 Speaker 1: you know, I felt really comfortable on a computer. So 909 00:47:37,120 --> 00:47:40,879 Speaker 1: I was doing various jobs here and there. Um, but 910 00:47:41,000 --> 00:47:45,600 Speaker 1: really I just started to understand how the business of 911 00:47:45,760 --> 00:47:49,760 Speaker 1: independent music was working. And I should say, independent dance music, Okay, 912 00:47:49,800 --> 00:47:51,760 Speaker 1: you can press the record, you can sell it, Okay, 913 00:47:51,800 --> 00:47:54,719 Speaker 1: you can get these gigs. And I slowly started getting 914 00:47:54,760 --> 00:47:59,200 Speaker 1: gigs outside of Utah, very slowly. Where the very first 915 00:47:59,239 --> 00:48:02,760 Speaker 1: gig I went to outside of Utah was in Soul, Korea. 916 00:48:02,960 --> 00:48:06,040 Speaker 1: This guy is like he's passing through salt Lake gets 917 00:48:06,080 --> 00:48:08,120 Speaker 1: one of my mix tapes. He's like, this is brilliant. 918 00:48:08,480 --> 00:48:10,719 Speaker 1: I'll fly out here for a ticket and you play 919 00:48:10,800 --> 00:48:13,000 Speaker 1: for nothing, but you can stay on my couch. And 920 00:48:13,000 --> 00:48:16,200 Speaker 1: I'm like, all right, cool. Late nineties. I go to Korea, 921 00:48:16,400 --> 00:48:17,880 Speaker 1: I get a you know, I get a gig in 922 00:48:17,880 --> 00:48:21,160 Speaker 1: Orange County. Like little things are happening, very small things, 923 00:48:21,200 --> 00:48:23,400 Speaker 1: but I think it was enough to be like, Okay, 924 00:48:23,440 --> 00:48:26,160 Speaker 1: potentially this could work. You're just gonna keep doing it. 925 00:48:26,640 --> 00:48:29,239 Speaker 1: Not only that, the club is still happening at this time, 926 00:48:29,239 --> 00:48:32,400 Speaker 1: so I'm still making money doing it, um, you know, 927 00:48:32,480 --> 00:48:35,200 Speaker 1: and I'm just buying I mean, dude, I'm buying so 928 00:48:35,280 --> 00:48:37,640 Speaker 1: much music because I'm just a junkie at this point. 929 00:48:37,719 --> 00:48:40,680 Speaker 1: I'm just buying music, buying studio gear, and you know, 930 00:48:40,800 --> 00:48:42,799 Speaker 1: putting nothing into like where I live. You know, I'm 931 00:48:42,800 --> 00:48:45,120 Speaker 1: still living like a college student, needing like five dollar 932 00:48:45,160 --> 00:48:48,000 Speaker 1: pizza every night. You know. So it's all going into 933 00:48:48,080 --> 00:48:51,520 Speaker 1: music and studio equipment. Um. And really, when my wife 934 00:48:51,520 --> 00:48:57,400 Speaker 1: graduated in two thousand, uh, she's like cool, she's not 935 00:48:57,440 --> 00:48:59,719 Speaker 1: from salt Lake. She didn't feel any attachment to that 936 00:48:59,760 --> 00:49:01,720 Speaker 1: play ace. And you know, I've been there for seven 937 00:49:01,960 --> 00:49:06,040 Speaker 1: years or eight years whatever, adding all this time up 938 00:49:06,080 --> 00:49:08,120 Speaker 1: of me going in and out of that place. I 939 00:49:08,160 --> 00:49:11,880 Speaker 1: didn't really either. And I was like, okay, cool, you know, 940 00:49:12,880 --> 00:49:14,480 Speaker 1: I'd spent some time in New York, and so let's 941 00:49:14,480 --> 00:49:17,520 Speaker 1: go to New York. She's like, no, let's go to 942 00:49:17,560 --> 00:49:21,840 Speaker 1: San Francisco where she's from. She's from Reading, which is 943 00:49:21,880 --> 00:49:24,520 Speaker 1: way north. Oh yeah, that's not San Francisco. No, it's 944 00:49:24,520 --> 00:49:28,680 Speaker 1: not not at all. Um, that's a stretch. But her 945 00:49:28,800 --> 00:49:31,719 Speaker 1: grandma lived in San Francisco, and she felt like that's 946 00:49:31,760 --> 00:49:33,839 Speaker 1: a place, and that's happening. And I think a lot 947 00:49:33,880 --> 00:49:35,840 Speaker 1: of Reading people kind of end up in San Francisco 948 00:49:35,920 --> 00:49:37,880 Speaker 1: at her you know, or Santa Cruz or you know, 949 00:49:37,920 --> 00:49:40,600 Speaker 1: in that area. We just were like, okay, whoever can 950 00:49:40,640 --> 00:49:43,920 Speaker 1: get a job first, that's where we'll go. So at 951 00:49:43,960 --> 00:49:46,920 Speaker 1: the time, you know, I'm emailing my attaching my resume 952 00:49:46,960 --> 00:49:49,120 Speaker 1: and sending it out to these job places in New York, 953 00:49:49,320 --> 00:49:51,239 Speaker 1: which was a very tech thing at the time. I 954 00:49:51,280 --> 00:49:53,960 Speaker 1: was very proud of me to be able to do that. Um, 955 00:49:54,040 --> 00:49:56,720 Speaker 1: and she just got in the car. I mean maybe 956 00:49:56,719 --> 00:49:59,000 Speaker 1: like not even a week after we graduate, she packed 957 00:49:59,080 --> 00:50:01,279 Speaker 1: up the car and drove San Francisco calls me up 958 00:50:01,280 --> 00:50:04,239 Speaker 1: like three days later. It's like, I got a job. Okay, wait, 959 00:50:04,520 --> 00:50:07,399 Speaker 1: just stop you a little bit. You're married, you living 960 00:50:07,400 --> 00:50:09,759 Speaker 1: in a couple. She's leaves, she packs up the car 961 00:50:09,800 --> 00:50:11,400 Speaker 1: and goes to York and says it goes San Francisco 962 00:50:11,400 --> 00:50:14,319 Speaker 1: and says, what I've got it because we had this 963 00:50:14,400 --> 00:50:17,000 Speaker 1: kind of thing going. Whoever gets a jibo. But when 964 00:50:17,080 --> 00:50:19,200 Speaker 1: you say when she left Salt like she didn't have 965 00:50:19,239 --> 00:50:21,279 Speaker 1: the job. No, She's like, I'm gonna go there and 966 00:50:21,280 --> 00:50:23,080 Speaker 1: get a job. Which, if I'm sure, if I would 967 00:50:23,080 --> 00:50:24,480 Speaker 1: have flown to New York, I probably have been a 968 00:50:24,480 --> 00:50:27,400 Speaker 1: lot more successful, you know, Okay, should be there in 969 00:50:27,440 --> 00:50:30,040 Speaker 1: people's faces. And she understood that. Okay. So she goes 970 00:50:30,120 --> 00:50:32,720 Speaker 1: San Francisco, gets what kind of job? I'm just working 971 00:50:32,719 --> 00:50:35,200 Speaker 1: for like one of these dot com you know things 972 00:50:35,239 --> 00:50:37,759 Speaker 1: that's happening. Okay. So she calls you and says, this 973 00:50:37,840 --> 00:50:39,640 Speaker 1: is our deal. You gotta move out. She's like, I 974 00:50:39,640 --> 00:50:42,920 Speaker 1: got a job. It's a great job, pays okay, you know, 975 00:50:44,880 --> 00:50:48,000 Speaker 1: loaded up, And I'm like, oh man, she did it. 976 00:50:50,000 --> 00:50:52,560 Speaker 1: So I loaded up, we moved to San Francisco. UM, 977 00:50:53,960 --> 00:50:57,239 Speaker 1: definitely take a step back in lifestyle move into a 978 00:50:57,239 --> 00:51:01,360 Speaker 1: crumby apartment that was terrible. I couldn't fit my studio 979 00:51:01,440 --> 00:51:04,400 Speaker 1: into you know, my gear, my racks of gear. I'm like, 980 00:51:04,480 --> 00:51:06,759 Speaker 1: I can't fit into this. This is but it's all 981 00:51:06,800 --> 00:51:09,160 Speaker 1: we could afford at the time, So don't What do 982 00:51:09,160 --> 00:51:10,640 Speaker 1: you do with the stuff? I put this stuff in 983 00:51:10,680 --> 00:51:16,160 Speaker 1: storage momentarily, um and until I figured out something. You know, 984 00:51:16,200 --> 00:51:17,919 Speaker 1: it took me a while to figure some stuff out, 985 00:51:18,280 --> 00:51:20,600 Speaker 1: a few variations of living. You know, we're bouncing around 986 00:51:20,600 --> 00:51:23,080 Speaker 1: in different apartments. When we first got there, we just 987 00:51:23,120 --> 00:51:24,879 Speaker 1: lived with a friend you know, crash on his floor 988 00:51:25,360 --> 00:51:28,080 Speaker 1: apartment and it was tough. I mean, but saying the 989 00:51:28,160 --> 00:51:33,480 Speaker 1: cool thing, and this is crucial to my story, I think, Um, 990 00:51:33,520 --> 00:51:36,880 Speaker 1: I kind of saw this wave again of excitement. I mean, 991 00:51:36,880 --> 00:51:39,640 Speaker 1: San Francisco in the early two thousand's was just crazy. 992 00:51:40,000 --> 00:51:42,680 Speaker 1: There's piles of money being loaded into the city. The 993 00:51:42,760 --> 00:51:45,040 Speaker 1: dot com thing is going crazy. Rents are going through 994 00:51:45,080 --> 00:51:48,120 Speaker 1: the roof, but everyone's out partying every night. So the 995 00:51:48,200 --> 00:51:52,160 Speaker 1: club scene and just deejaying is just it's going crazy. 996 00:51:52,200 --> 00:51:55,120 Speaker 1: The whole thing is going crazy. So I recognized that 997 00:51:55,320 --> 00:51:58,200 Speaker 1: because I had experienced that first wave in Chicago when 998 00:51:58,200 --> 00:52:01,400 Speaker 1: I saw house music break, which it took me moving 999 00:52:01,440 --> 00:52:05,160 Speaker 1: to Salt Lake to be like, oh man, not everywhere 1000 00:52:05,239 --> 00:52:09,720 Speaker 1: is experiencing this. That was That was Chicago, New York, London. Wow. 1001 00:52:10,040 --> 00:52:12,600 Speaker 1: You know. I had to get that separation, that distance 1002 00:52:12,680 --> 00:52:14,240 Speaker 1: to be able to look at it and be like, wow, 1003 00:52:14,400 --> 00:52:16,359 Speaker 1: I was in the middle of something that was a 1004 00:52:16,360 --> 00:52:19,279 Speaker 1: cultural phenomenon and I had no idea. But I was 1005 00:52:19,400 --> 00:52:24,040 Speaker 1: more of kind of onlooker, you know. I wasn't like 1006 00:52:24,160 --> 00:52:26,640 Speaker 1: actively participating. I mean, I was going out and dancing, 1007 00:52:26,719 --> 00:52:29,279 Speaker 1: but I wasn't like making waves. I wasn't one of 1008 00:52:29,320 --> 00:52:31,919 Speaker 1: these guys setting the trends. I was just following them. 1009 00:52:32,560 --> 00:52:34,960 Speaker 1: But in San Francisco, I kind of realized that a 1010 00:52:35,080 --> 00:52:37,759 Speaker 1: second wave was happening, and it was going on there 1011 00:52:37,760 --> 00:52:39,680 Speaker 1: in the city. And part of that, I think was 1012 00:52:39,760 --> 00:52:42,799 Speaker 1: because the arts were flourishing, because there was so much 1013 00:52:42,840 --> 00:52:45,520 Speaker 1: money around, so all these artists and studios and just 1014 00:52:45,760 --> 00:52:48,759 Speaker 1: so much was going on in the city. Um, and 1015 00:52:48,800 --> 00:52:52,279 Speaker 1: this is when Naked Records and Home Records and all 1016 00:52:52,320 --> 00:52:55,200 Speaker 1: these little like boutique small labels that I was paying 1017 00:52:55,200 --> 00:52:59,799 Speaker 1: attention to really started to thrive. Um. And I got 1018 00:52:59,880 --> 00:53:02,480 Speaker 1: a record at I got a job at Own Records. 1019 00:53:02,520 --> 00:53:05,239 Speaker 1: Just to be clear, you moved to San Francisco, your 1020 00:53:05,239 --> 00:53:07,200 Speaker 1: wife has his job before you get the job at 1021 00:53:07,200 --> 00:53:10,560 Speaker 1: Own Records, or do you have a different job. I 1022 00:53:10,600 --> 00:53:13,759 Speaker 1: went to the distributor that I was buying records from 1023 00:53:13,800 --> 00:53:17,160 Speaker 1: in San Francisco, TRC Distribution, and worked for them for 1024 00:53:17,200 --> 00:53:20,319 Speaker 1: a few months until I got my job with the label. Okay, 1025 00:53:20,320 --> 00:53:23,200 Speaker 1: how many people worked at home when you work there? Um, 1026 00:53:23,239 --> 00:53:25,600 Speaker 1: it's about ten full employees. How hard was it to 1027 00:53:25,640 --> 00:53:29,840 Speaker 1: get that job? My timing was good, the owner needed 1028 00:53:29,840 --> 00:53:33,000 Speaker 1: an assistant, and I had been pitching the music. I 1029 00:53:33,040 --> 00:53:35,480 Speaker 1: had been sending them some of my demos and had 1030 00:53:35,520 --> 00:53:38,719 Speaker 1: bought one of them under a different Moniker. Skylight was 1031 00:53:39,000 --> 00:53:42,080 Speaker 1: this other thing. So I had a relationship with the owner. 1032 00:53:42,120 --> 00:53:44,120 Speaker 1: I showed up. I didn't, you know, have anything going on. 1033 00:53:44,200 --> 00:53:46,520 Speaker 1: I'm working at this distributor. It's like basically just at 1034 00:53:46,520 --> 00:53:50,000 Speaker 1: an art you know, a warehouse fulfilling record store orders, 1035 00:53:50,080 --> 00:53:53,480 Speaker 1: you know, and talking to record stores on the phone. Um, 1036 00:53:53,560 --> 00:53:57,680 Speaker 1: And he's like, yeah, the guy who has your job 1037 00:53:57,800 --> 00:54:00,600 Speaker 1: is just left. He left to do this digital thing. 1038 00:54:00,719 --> 00:54:03,719 Speaker 1: iTunes are going to start this thing over Apple. I 1039 00:54:03,719 --> 00:54:06,200 Speaker 1: don't know if this is gonna work. You know who 1040 00:54:06,200 --> 00:54:09,360 Speaker 1: knows Bruno you Bara had just recently left. That was 1041 00:54:09,440 --> 00:54:11,320 Speaker 1: his old assistant, and he was there at the ground 1042 00:54:11,360 --> 00:54:16,360 Speaker 1: floor when they started iTunes um And you know, funny 1043 00:54:16,360 --> 00:54:20,320 Speaker 1: to think back on that. Um, but yes, I stepped 1044 00:54:20,360 --> 00:54:22,440 Speaker 1: into his spot and they needed somebody and it was 1045 00:54:22,480 --> 00:54:25,719 Speaker 1: cool because I could I could listen to all the 1046 00:54:25,760 --> 00:54:28,520 Speaker 1: demos and filter stuff through to the boss. And and 1047 00:54:29,200 --> 00:54:30,879 Speaker 1: but I was also a DJ, and I was also 1048 00:54:30,920 --> 00:54:33,120 Speaker 1: pitching him demos, and I could run their studio. They 1049 00:54:33,160 --> 00:54:35,120 Speaker 1: had a small studio, so I was running sessions at 1050 00:54:35,120 --> 00:54:38,120 Speaker 1: that studio. By this time, I've got some time under 1051 00:54:38,160 --> 00:54:40,759 Speaker 1: my belt and I feel, you know, fairly comfortable at 1052 00:54:40,840 --> 00:54:42,960 Speaker 1: a at a mixing desk, and like, I know what 1053 00:54:43,000 --> 00:54:45,759 Speaker 1: I'm doing. Um. And it was a help that I 1054 00:54:45,800 --> 00:54:48,879 Speaker 1: had graphic design stuff too, so you know, I mean, 1055 00:54:48,880 --> 00:54:51,480 Speaker 1: at these small labels, everybody does everything right. We're all 1056 00:54:51,480 --> 00:54:54,000 Speaker 1: pitching him to make this thing move on, and it 1057 00:54:54,080 --> 00:54:55,560 Speaker 1: was working and it was a good time for them. 1058 00:54:55,600 --> 00:54:58,640 Speaker 1: They had a compilation series, the you know early two 1059 00:54:58,640 --> 00:55:02,720 Speaker 1: thousand compilations were doing really well. Um. That a compilation series, 1060 00:55:02,760 --> 00:55:05,760 Speaker 1: the Home Lounge that was doing awesome. And Mark Farina 1061 00:55:05,880 --> 00:55:08,920 Speaker 1: with Mushroom jazz. He's one of their premier artists on 1062 00:55:08,960 --> 00:55:12,480 Speaker 1: that label, and it was a fun time and I 1063 00:55:12,520 --> 00:55:18,360 Speaker 1: was there for a couple of years until well, I 1064 00:55:18,440 --> 00:55:22,000 Speaker 1: launched the name Cascade really soon after I got there 1065 00:55:22,000 --> 00:55:24,520 Speaker 1: and got more demos in the mix and my my, 1066 00:55:24,719 --> 00:55:27,720 Speaker 1: I was making music then that I felt like, Okay, 1067 00:55:27,760 --> 00:55:31,239 Speaker 1: this is commercially viable. And I was influenced by the 1068 00:55:31,280 --> 00:55:33,239 Speaker 1: scene and what was happening. It was kind of this 1069 00:55:33,360 --> 00:55:37,200 Speaker 1: hybrid of Chicago meets San Francisco because San Francisco house 1070 00:55:37,280 --> 00:55:40,600 Speaker 1: music was very melodic compared to Chicago. Chicago stuff was 1071 00:55:40,680 --> 00:55:46,440 Speaker 1: very gritty, very you know, eight bits sounding very low fi, 1072 00:55:46,480 --> 00:55:49,960 Speaker 1: and San Francisco was more smooth and beautiful and melodic. 1073 00:55:50,080 --> 00:55:51,919 Speaker 1: So I was like, I can marry these two worlds 1074 00:55:51,960 --> 00:55:55,080 Speaker 1: and I make my own sound. Um. But that was 1075 00:55:55,120 --> 00:55:57,600 Speaker 1: another thing. I think that was the first time I 1076 00:55:57,680 --> 00:56:01,240 Speaker 1: experienced then this is kind of like remember sneaker pimps 1077 00:56:02,040 --> 00:56:05,000 Speaker 1: and stuff. That wave of kind of down Tomple electronic 1078 00:56:05,080 --> 00:56:08,440 Speaker 1: music was happening, and it was clear to me that 1079 00:56:08,560 --> 00:56:13,239 Speaker 1: songwriting was an important part of what electronic music was 1080 00:56:13,280 --> 00:56:18,200 Speaker 1: going because back dude, even to this day of electronic music, 1081 00:56:18,440 --> 00:56:21,960 Speaker 1: instrumental you know, uh, and I sat in on these 1082 00:56:22,000 --> 00:56:24,200 Speaker 1: sessions and I was getting hired for remixes and the 1083 00:56:24,239 --> 00:56:29,000 Speaker 1: remixes were doing well, and I was like, man, production 1084 00:56:29,040 --> 00:56:31,160 Speaker 1: styles here and are there? I mean, I have my 1085 00:56:31,200 --> 00:56:33,960 Speaker 1: own preferences of how I like things to sound, but 1086 00:56:34,120 --> 00:56:37,000 Speaker 1: songwriting is really the key. I mean, if you write 1087 00:56:37,040 --> 00:56:39,560 Speaker 1: a good song, it stays, you can produce it this 1088 00:56:39,600 --> 00:56:41,759 Speaker 1: way or that, when it doesn't matter, people are gonna 1089 00:56:41,800 --> 00:56:44,560 Speaker 1: love it. So that's what with that idea is where 1090 00:56:44,600 --> 00:56:47,000 Speaker 1: I launched Cascade. I'm like, this is going to be 1091 00:56:47,200 --> 00:56:50,760 Speaker 1: melodic based. Because up in the until Ryan Radden tracks 1092 00:56:50,760 --> 00:56:52,640 Speaker 1: and raid On tracks and all these other little names 1093 00:56:52,640 --> 00:56:56,880 Speaker 1: that I was testing out, we're just me experimenting. But 1094 00:56:56,960 --> 00:56:58,840 Speaker 1: with Cascade, I was like, it's going to be more melodic, 1095 00:56:58,880 --> 00:57:02,080 Speaker 1: it's gonna be song based, and I'm gonna try my 1096 00:57:02,120 --> 00:57:04,359 Speaker 1: handed songwriting. Because I had a friend who was like, man, 1097 00:57:04,400 --> 00:57:06,719 Speaker 1: your dude, it's all about songwriting, and you're a pretty 1098 00:57:06,760 --> 00:57:09,600 Speaker 1: good writer. You should you know. You need to try 1099 00:57:09,600 --> 00:57:12,279 Speaker 1: and put your ideas into a song and that's really 1100 00:57:12,320 --> 00:57:14,839 Speaker 1: what's gonna set you apart. And I agreed. So then 1101 00:57:14,880 --> 00:57:17,720 Speaker 1: I was like, Okay, cool, that's my that's my lane. 1102 00:57:17,880 --> 00:57:20,840 Speaker 1: Because I could see that the guys that were doing successful, 1103 00:57:20,960 --> 00:57:23,880 Speaker 1: they all kind of had their thing. You know. Mcgallen 1104 00:57:23,960 --> 00:57:25,760 Speaker 1: Niggs was huge in the city at the time, and 1105 00:57:25,800 --> 00:57:28,840 Speaker 1: he was like, you know, he had his thing. He 1106 00:57:28,880 --> 00:57:31,160 Speaker 1: had a whole vibe and his music had this style. 1107 00:57:31,720 --> 00:57:35,000 Speaker 1: So anyway, that's that's kind of we're up to that point. Okay. 1108 00:57:35,000 --> 00:57:38,400 Speaker 1: Two questions. How long after you moved to San Francisco 1109 00:57:38,440 --> 00:57:40,520 Speaker 1: do you move to a place where your equipment can 1110 00:57:40,520 --> 00:57:45,960 Speaker 1: be in the apartment? Yourn a couple of years, okay, 1111 00:57:46,040 --> 00:57:48,520 Speaker 1: so you really can only work when you're at home. 1112 00:57:48,640 --> 00:57:49,920 Speaker 1: Actually it was a year and a half now that 1113 00:57:49,960 --> 00:57:51,840 Speaker 1: I think about it. I was on Polk Street. Yeah, 1114 00:57:51,840 --> 00:57:53,800 Speaker 1: I was working at home, So was a bunch of 1115 00:57:53,840 --> 00:57:56,840 Speaker 1: my equipment into home, now that I think about that, Okay, 1116 00:57:57,000 --> 00:57:59,120 Speaker 1: And although one can look it up on the internet, 1117 00:57:59,120 --> 00:58:01,080 Speaker 1: people are certainly going be fascinated. How do you come 1118 00:58:01,160 --> 00:58:05,560 Speaker 1: up with the name Casscade? I had sold some music 1119 00:58:05,560 --> 00:58:09,400 Speaker 1: to a Chicago label and it was the first kind 1120 00:58:09,400 --> 00:58:14,360 Speaker 1: of jaunt in this more song based stuff. And it's 1121 00:58:14,400 --> 00:58:17,160 Speaker 1: funny the A and R over there Lady D who's 1122 00:58:17,200 --> 00:58:20,560 Speaker 1: an accomplished DJ in her own right and producer and whatnot. 1123 00:58:21,720 --> 00:58:23,200 Speaker 1: I was like, I don't want to name it Ryan 1124 00:58:23,280 --> 00:58:25,560 Speaker 1: Rad and she's like, well, you got two weeks to 1125 00:58:25,560 --> 00:58:28,080 Speaker 1: come give me a name, you know, because this thing 1126 00:58:28,200 --> 00:58:29,760 Speaker 1: is gonna go to press and we've gotta do art work. 1127 00:58:29,800 --> 00:58:31,760 Speaker 1: So take the two weeks and you know, whenever two 1128 00:58:31,800 --> 00:58:34,280 Speaker 1: weeks goes by, and like, literally the night before I'm 1129 00:58:34,280 --> 00:58:35,920 Speaker 1: just like flipping through a nature book and there's a 1130 00:58:35,960 --> 00:58:37,840 Speaker 1: picture of a waterfall and I'm like cascade. And I 1131 00:58:37,880 --> 00:58:39,480 Speaker 1: go to my wife, Hey, what do you think a cascade? 1132 00:58:40,000 --> 00:58:41,840 Speaker 1: And then you know, the next day at launch, you know, 1133 00:58:41,840 --> 00:58:43,040 Speaker 1: we're all sitting there in the office and what do 1134 00:58:43,080 --> 00:58:45,960 Speaker 1: you guys think a cascade? And they're like, yeah, it's cool, 1135 00:58:45,960 --> 00:58:49,520 Speaker 1: it's memorable. Cascade is super memorable. And I just liked 1136 00:58:49,600 --> 00:58:52,760 Speaker 1: the idea because I wanted it. I wanted the sound 1137 00:58:52,840 --> 00:58:55,120 Speaker 1: of this project to be more organic. I wanted it 1138 00:58:55,160 --> 00:58:57,200 Speaker 1: to feel and I always liked nature and I thought 1139 00:58:57,360 --> 00:58:59,040 Speaker 1: cascade is cool. And then my wife is like, oh, 1140 00:58:59,080 --> 00:59:01,280 Speaker 1: but there's you got to change the spelling. I'm like, 1141 00:59:01,320 --> 00:59:04,320 Speaker 1: I'll just use kids instead of seas and no, I 1142 00:59:04,320 --> 00:59:06,160 Speaker 1: don't know because she's like, oh, there's a dish detergent. 1143 00:59:06,240 --> 00:59:08,360 Speaker 1: That's that. And I'm like, okay, we'll change the spelling. 1144 00:59:08,680 --> 00:59:10,200 Speaker 1: And that was it. And it's funny when I called 1145 00:59:10,520 --> 00:59:12,200 Speaker 1: the and are like, all right, I've got the name, 1146 00:59:12,280 --> 00:59:13,880 Speaker 1: She's like, it took you two weeks to come up 1147 00:59:13,880 --> 00:59:21,880 Speaker 1: with that? Are you serious? Oh man? To like, she 1148 00:59:22,000 --> 00:59:29,160 Speaker 1: just brought me right back down to earth. You're listening 1149 00:59:29,200 --> 00:59:32,480 Speaker 1: to my conversation with Cascade, recorded at the tune In 1150 00:59:32,560 --> 00:59:39,720 Speaker 1: Studios in Venice, California. I hope you're enjoying this episode 1151 00:59:39,720 --> 00:59:42,280 Speaker 1: of the Bomb Left Sets podcast. If you want to 1152 00:59:42,320 --> 00:59:46,040 Speaker 1: see videos, photos, and sound bites from Cascade and our 1153 00:59:46,120 --> 00:59:50,080 Speaker 1: other guests, visit apt tune in on Twitter, Facebook, and 1154 00:59:50,160 --> 00:59:54,040 Speaker 1: Instagram to see them with me in the studio. Now 1155 00:59:54,200 --> 00:59:57,080 Speaker 1: more of my chat with Cascade on the Bob Left 1156 00:59:57,080 --> 01:00:04,600 Speaker 1: Sets Podcast. Okay, so at this point we're in what year, um, 1157 01:00:04,720 --> 01:00:08,160 Speaker 1: two thousand three, two thousand three. What's your wife doing? 1158 01:00:09,480 --> 01:00:12,320 Speaker 1: She got a job? The dot com thing fizzled out, whatever, 1159 01:00:12,440 --> 01:00:15,440 Speaker 1: she got a job working for Levi Strauss. Their headquarters 1160 01:00:15,520 --> 01:00:17,960 Speaker 1: is there in San Francisco, is working at their office? 1161 01:00:18,040 --> 01:00:20,960 Speaker 1: And what about that? What about issues of kids? No 1162 01:00:21,120 --> 01:00:25,840 Speaker 1: kids yet? Okay, we're still just loving life. Okay. Okay, 1163 01:00:25,840 --> 01:00:28,760 Speaker 1: so you suddenly your a cascade and they press up 1164 01:00:28,800 --> 01:00:33,560 Speaker 1: this record, cascade. What's the next step? Um grinding it 1165 01:00:34,600 --> 01:00:37,120 Speaker 1: really from two thousand and three to the first like 1166 01:00:37,200 --> 01:00:40,640 Speaker 1: seven eight nine years. Really things started change in two thousand, 1167 01:00:40,720 --> 01:00:42,640 Speaker 1: eight thousand, nine thousand and ten. I think two thousand 1168 01:00:42,720 --> 01:00:45,240 Speaker 1: ten was kind of like a two thousand, nine thousand ten. 1169 01:00:45,320 --> 01:00:50,080 Speaker 1: That's when things changed. But up until then, just grinding. 1170 01:00:50,360 --> 01:00:53,520 Speaker 1: I was working the job, you know, fifty hours a week, 1171 01:00:53,560 --> 01:00:55,880 Speaker 1: and then I'm just in the studio every waking moment. 1172 01:00:55,880 --> 01:00:57,880 Speaker 1: It's good that we didn't have kids, because I'm sure 1173 01:00:57,920 --> 01:01:00,760 Speaker 1: our relationship would have been destroyed. I was already hanging 1174 01:01:00,800 --> 01:01:02,680 Speaker 1: on by a threat because it's like, I'm in the studio, 1175 01:01:02,800 --> 01:01:04,560 Speaker 1: I'm at work. I'm in the studio, at work. But 1176 01:01:04,640 --> 01:01:07,680 Speaker 1: it was fun because you know, we're young, and we're 1177 01:01:07,760 --> 01:01:10,360 Speaker 1: enjoying the city and having a great time. And she's 1178 01:01:10,360 --> 01:01:12,520 Speaker 1: got a lot of friends in the Bay Area. So 1179 01:01:13,400 --> 01:01:16,040 Speaker 1: it worked. But I was putting out more records, putting 1180 01:01:16,040 --> 01:01:18,120 Speaker 1: out more records, seeing a little success, and I started 1181 01:01:18,120 --> 01:01:24,000 Speaker 1: touring a lot. Okay, how did you start touring? Um 1182 01:01:24,120 --> 01:01:26,720 Speaker 1: after Home? Put me out on a couple of compilations 1183 01:01:26,760 --> 01:01:28,479 Speaker 1: and put out a couple of singles, That's when people 1184 01:01:28,520 --> 01:01:32,600 Speaker 1: started taking note because that record kind of had had 1185 01:01:32,640 --> 01:01:36,960 Speaker 1: cloud within this little scene, right and uh so when 1186 01:01:36,960 --> 01:01:38,520 Speaker 1: they kind of were like, hey, this guy's cool and 1187 01:01:38,560 --> 01:01:41,800 Speaker 1: he's making cool music, that changed things. So people started 1188 01:01:41,800 --> 01:01:43,800 Speaker 1: phoning me up, and I got a booking agent and 1189 01:01:43,800 --> 01:01:45,880 Speaker 1: it was very She was in house at Owned Records 1190 01:01:45,880 --> 01:01:47,720 Speaker 1: for all the little small time artists that are big 1191 01:01:47,800 --> 01:01:49,880 Speaker 1: enough to have a real booking agent. They would call 1192 01:01:49,960 --> 01:01:51,640 Speaker 1: through her and all the requests would come through her, 1193 01:01:51,680 --> 01:01:55,760 Speaker 1: and um I started digging, and then um I did 1194 01:01:55,800 --> 01:01:59,640 Speaker 1: my first like, uh, Australia to where I did, Like, well, well, 1195 01:01:59,680 --> 01:02:01,880 Speaker 1: before you get to Westralia, you're digging in the United 1196 01:02:01,920 --> 01:02:06,960 Speaker 1: States all over the place, how often almost every weekend, 1197 01:02:07,040 --> 01:02:10,760 Speaker 1: almost every weekend, and you're driving yourself there. You're flying flying. 1198 01:02:11,080 --> 01:02:13,440 Speaker 1: I'm solo, no tour manage or nothing like that, just 1199 01:02:13,440 --> 01:02:15,960 Speaker 1: flying to these places. I mean, these gigs are playing 1200 01:02:16,120 --> 01:02:20,120 Speaker 1: like five, so you need a couple of those a week, 1201 01:02:20,320 --> 01:02:23,480 Speaker 1: you know, seven, eight, nine thousand bucks. O man, Okay, cool, 1202 01:02:24,000 --> 01:02:25,840 Speaker 1: I can make a living. You know, I'm doing anywhere 1203 01:02:25,840 --> 01:02:28,600 Speaker 1: from like five gigs a month to ten gigs a month, 1204 01:02:28,640 --> 01:02:30,919 Speaker 1: and you're still working, a still getting paid, a still 1205 01:02:30,920 --> 01:02:34,200 Speaker 1: getting paid at on that came to a crash landing. 1206 01:02:34,200 --> 01:02:35,960 Speaker 1: I kind of screwed up one of the projects while 1207 01:02:36,000 --> 01:02:39,200 Speaker 1: I was away. Um, the artwork files weren't right. And 1208 01:02:39,200 --> 01:02:42,000 Speaker 1: I came back and he's like, look, it's cool, You're 1209 01:02:42,000 --> 01:02:43,600 Speaker 1: things starting to take off. You're not gonna be able 1210 01:02:43,600 --> 01:02:45,280 Speaker 1: to do both of these, but I wasn't at a 1211 01:02:45,320 --> 01:02:48,200 Speaker 1: point where we could survive. I needed both incomes really 1212 01:02:48,680 --> 01:02:52,400 Speaker 1: um to be living in San Francisco. So uh, he 1213 01:02:52,560 --> 01:02:56,400 Speaker 1: cut me away, which was very nice of him. Um. 1214 01:02:56,480 --> 01:02:58,880 Speaker 1: Chris Smith, the guy ran, I was really nice of him. 1215 01:02:58,880 --> 01:03:01,720 Speaker 1: Where was he today? He's still running own records, still 1216 01:03:01,720 --> 01:03:07,120 Speaker 1: in San Francisco, um um. And I took my wife 1217 01:03:07,160 --> 01:03:09,880 Speaker 1: out to a very nice dinner that I couldn't afford 1218 01:03:10,600 --> 01:03:15,240 Speaker 1: and said, hey, I've lost my job, but we're gonna 1219 01:03:15,240 --> 01:03:17,280 Speaker 1: be all right. And I felt that way. I was like, 1220 01:03:17,400 --> 01:03:19,160 Speaker 1: we'll be all right. I think this is gonna work. 1221 01:03:19,240 --> 01:03:21,480 Speaker 1: You know. I started feeling more and more confident when 1222 01:03:21,480 --> 01:03:23,320 Speaker 1: I was out there. I just needed some more time 1223 01:03:23,360 --> 01:03:28,080 Speaker 1: to kind of like gain get some steam going. Um. 1224 01:03:28,280 --> 01:03:30,800 Speaker 1: And I don't know, I think back then it was 1225 01:03:30,840 --> 01:03:33,240 Speaker 1: just such a hustle because there was so little money. 1226 01:03:33,360 --> 01:03:36,640 Speaker 1: I think back then people were seeing me as successful. 1227 01:03:36,720 --> 01:03:39,800 Speaker 1: But you know whatever, I'm making sixties seventy thousand dollars 1228 01:03:39,800 --> 01:03:43,400 Speaker 1: a year living in San Francisco. We're dying. We're going 1229 01:03:43,560 --> 01:03:48,160 Speaker 1: under each month, just a little bit farther um. But 1230 01:03:48,240 --> 01:03:51,320 Speaker 1: I just kept that at you know, I don't know why, 1231 01:03:51,600 --> 01:03:55,040 Speaker 1: just because what I knew how to do it. By 1232 01:03:55,040 --> 01:03:58,160 Speaker 1: this time, I've got a decade or more of history. 1233 01:03:58,200 --> 01:04:00,440 Speaker 1: I understood the industry. It's like, I don't know what 1234 01:04:00,480 --> 01:04:03,040 Speaker 1: else ide do at this point, you know, and you're 1235 01:04:03,040 --> 01:04:05,760 Speaker 1: talking about going to Australia. So ine to Australia. Yeah, 1236 01:04:05,760 --> 01:04:09,600 Speaker 1: that's when the Debaco happened. I came back and he's like, 1237 01:04:09,640 --> 01:04:11,720 Speaker 1: you're screwed up. Okay, So now you're continually living in 1238 01:04:11,760 --> 01:04:15,720 Speaker 1: San Francisco and it's not working economically. The same woman 1239 01:04:15,800 --> 01:04:19,240 Speaker 1: at Olms still booking you. Yep, okay, So what's the 1240 01:04:19,240 --> 01:04:22,480 Speaker 1: next step? And then I get a manager, uh, Stephanie Lefera. 1241 01:04:22,880 --> 01:04:25,720 Speaker 1: I forget what year that was. It was about let's see, 1242 01:04:27,160 --> 01:04:31,400 Speaker 1: I knows it was just two thousand four, two five, Yeah, 1243 01:04:31,520 --> 01:04:33,360 Speaker 1: right around there, two thousand five, two thousand and six, 1244 01:04:33,400 --> 01:04:35,600 Speaker 1: something like this. She hears my music, she's based in 1245 01:04:35,640 --> 01:04:38,920 Speaker 1: New York. She's working at the office that books mobi 1246 01:04:39,280 --> 01:04:42,120 Speaker 1: and manage them. And she's a young intern kind of 1247 01:04:42,440 --> 01:04:45,640 Speaker 1: assistant coming up, finds my music, loves it. Hey, can 1248 01:04:45,680 --> 01:04:48,480 Speaker 1: I help you out? I'm like, sure, how much does 1249 01:04:48,480 --> 01:04:52,520 Speaker 1: that cost you? How do you do this? You know? Um? 1250 01:04:52,680 --> 01:04:54,880 Speaker 1: And so then I kind of had a small team going. 1251 01:04:54,960 --> 01:04:58,200 Speaker 1: I had me a manager, a booking agent, and it 1252 01:04:58,360 --> 01:05:01,240 Speaker 1: slowly started to grow. And how many nights to work 1253 01:05:01,360 --> 01:05:05,360 Speaker 1: week are you working? Then I'm taking every gig that 1254 01:05:05,480 --> 01:05:07,840 Speaker 1: I can take. It didn't even matter. I mean they 1255 01:05:07,840 --> 01:05:09,320 Speaker 1: didn't know that at the time, that they referred me 1256 01:05:09,320 --> 01:05:11,439 Speaker 1: two d dollars or a thousand dollars that I would 1257 01:05:11,480 --> 01:05:13,320 Speaker 1: take it. It didn't matter. I mean I was playing 1258 01:05:13,360 --> 01:05:15,840 Speaker 1: gigs for next to nothing. But back then that was 1259 01:05:15,880 --> 01:05:19,080 Speaker 1: super crucial because nobody there's no radio stations. There's no 1260 01:05:19,120 --> 01:05:21,000 Speaker 1: way to get people to hear your music. You know, 1261 01:05:21,000 --> 01:05:23,360 Speaker 1: there's no Spotify, there's no there's no The only way 1262 01:05:23,400 --> 01:05:25,640 Speaker 1: they play people your music is to get out there 1263 01:05:25,680 --> 01:05:27,640 Speaker 1: and play the nightclubs. And there are a clique of 1264 01:05:27,760 --> 01:05:30,600 Speaker 1: kids that were very devoted to the underground. Like there 1265 01:05:30,680 --> 01:05:33,280 Speaker 1: is now, it's just much bigger and it's more of 1266 01:05:33,280 --> 01:05:37,360 Speaker 1: a festival scene now, but you know there's underground house 1267 01:05:37,440 --> 01:05:40,760 Speaker 1: music clubs and every city from New York to l 1268 01:05:40,800 --> 01:05:44,080 Speaker 1: A and Tokyo whatever. They're all over the place. There 1269 01:05:44,080 --> 01:05:46,080 Speaker 1: have been a wave of guys that had come before me, 1270 01:05:46,200 --> 01:05:49,720 Speaker 1: that Eric Morrillo's and the Junior Vasquez and Derek Carter's 1271 01:05:49,720 --> 01:05:51,760 Speaker 1: and Mark Freenez that had already kind of set up 1272 01:05:51,760 --> 01:05:55,560 Speaker 1: a platform for me to exist in UM. So I 1273 01:05:55,600 --> 01:05:57,560 Speaker 1: just was kind of following suit and doing what I 1274 01:05:57,560 --> 01:06:00,920 Speaker 1: could do UM. But I was definitely like that second 1275 01:06:01,000 --> 01:06:03,200 Speaker 1: or third generation of guys coming. So it's hard to 1276 01:06:03,240 --> 01:06:05,840 Speaker 1: break in, you know, it's very hard. So what was 1277 01:06:05,920 --> 01:06:13,200 Speaker 1: the break? I never really had that ah ha moment. 1278 01:06:13,520 --> 01:06:15,840 Speaker 1: I had a few things along the way. I think 1279 01:06:15,920 --> 01:06:18,680 Speaker 1: for me. The biggest moment where I knew things were 1280 01:06:18,760 --> 01:06:22,240 Speaker 1: changing and I knew like the old guard was that 1281 01:06:22,240 --> 01:06:24,680 Speaker 1: didn't matter as much anymore. As much as I love them, 1282 01:06:24,720 --> 01:06:27,280 Speaker 1: I think their relevancy was wearing off. Was two thousand 1283 01:06:27,360 --> 01:06:29,920 Speaker 1: and nine when I played E. D C. I played 1284 01:06:29,960 --> 01:06:32,360 Speaker 1: the main stage and I had had a string of 1285 01:06:32,440 --> 01:06:34,880 Speaker 1: hits and when I say hits, hits in the underground 1286 01:06:35,080 --> 01:06:36,840 Speaker 1: where I could play them to a club of three 1287 01:06:37,520 --> 01:06:40,000 Speaker 1: people and people were singing along, and I'm like, damn, 1288 01:06:40,080 --> 01:06:42,840 Speaker 1: this is working, right. I didn't no matter where I 1289 01:06:42,920 --> 01:06:45,160 Speaker 1: was in the world, these people knew this record. So 1290 01:06:45,320 --> 01:06:48,320 Speaker 1: not only am I playing it my FM station, was 1291 01:06:48,400 --> 01:06:52,400 Speaker 1: these thousands of DJs across the planet that we're getting 1292 01:06:52,440 --> 01:06:54,640 Speaker 1: there and playing my music on Friday and Saturday night 1293 01:06:54,640 --> 01:06:57,360 Speaker 1: in their local clubs. So they're playing these mixes. I'm 1294 01:06:57,400 --> 01:07:00,000 Speaker 1: showing up and people are knowing them. So more promote 1295 01:07:00,000 --> 01:07:01,760 Speaker 1: as are like, man, the club's packed when you're here, 1296 01:07:01,920 --> 01:07:04,240 Speaker 1: you know. So at this point, I'm just rolling. I'm 1297 01:07:04,240 --> 01:07:07,920 Speaker 1: doing two fifty shows a year. I'm starting a family. 1298 01:07:07,960 --> 01:07:11,120 Speaker 1: At this point, I mean, it's just getting chaotic. It 1299 01:07:11,200 --> 01:07:15,680 Speaker 1: sounds like and so Okay, you continue to have the 1300 01:07:15,680 --> 01:07:20,200 Speaker 1: same manager in the same agent. Yes, small change agents 1301 01:07:20,200 --> 01:07:23,120 Speaker 1: a few times along the way, Okay, how does that happen? 1302 01:07:23,160 --> 01:07:25,880 Speaker 1: You realize that person is not big enough for what 1303 01:07:25,920 --> 01:07:30,360 Speaker 1: you're doing, or someone approaches you this person is not 1304 01:07:30,360 --> 01:07:34,680 Speaker 1: big enough for what I'm doing. I gotta start looking elsewhere. Okay, 1305 01:07:35,080 --> 01:07:37,040 Speaker 1: you're starting a family and you're on the road for 1306 01:07:37,080 --> 01:07:39,400 Speaker 1: two and fifty days a year. That doesn't sound like 1307 01:07:39,440 --> 01:07:43,560 Speaker 1: it's gonna work. It's a freaking miracle that it did. 1308 01:07:43,720 --> 01:07:46,160 Speaker 1: I can't when I look back to those times. So's 1309 01:07:46,200 --> 01:07:50,080 Speaker 1: some dark days there, but I was having so much 1310 01:07:50,120 --> 01:07:53,800 Speaker 1: fun and my wife Naomi, bless her so she stood 1311 01:07:53,800 --> 01:07:56,440 Speaker 1: by me this entire time. I mean, I don't know 1312 01:07:56,480 --> 01:07:58,320 Speaker 1: how we made it work. Okay, back on it. We 1313 01:07:58,520 --> 01:08:00,840 Speaker 1: were young and dombint we didn't know any for getting 1314 01:08:00,920 --> 01:08:04,560 Speaker 1: the family. Just talking about Naomi. Did does she like 1315 01:08:04,680 --> 01:08:08,280 Speaker 1: your music? She does? She loves house music, okay. You 1316 01:08:08,320 --> 01:08:10,840 Speaker 1: know she was driving from Reading into San Francisco and 1317 01:08:10,840 --> 01:08:13,040 Speaker 1: going to their rave scene that they had then and 1318 01:08:13,200 --> 01:08:17,040 Speaker 1: with similar tastings. Okay. And did she believe in you? 1319 01:08:17,840 --> 01:08:22,479 Speaker 1: She did? She didn't. She didn't tell me no, but 1320 01:08:22,640 --> 01:08:25,000 Speaker 1: was she You're like your greatest champion saying she was? 1321 01:08:25,080 --> 01:08:27,960 Speaker 1: She was like out there do it okay, and she's 1322 01:08:28,560 --> 01:08:31,519 Speaker 1: you know, a really hard worker and understood that. Okay, 1323 01:08:31,600 --> 01:08:34,479 Speaker 1: this is important for you to keep doing these gigs. 1324 01:08:34,520 --> 01:08:39,400 Speaker 1: It is slowly getting better and better with each year. Um. 1325 01:08:39,560 --> 01:08:42,200 Speaker 1: But going back two thousand and nine is when E 1326 01:08:42,360 --> 01:08:47,880 Speaker 1: d C. I sat down with the Pascuala and I'm 1327 01:08:47,880 --> 01:08:50,920 Speaker 1: good friend. I mean, I DJE DJed his wedding, I 1328 01:08:50,920 --> 01:08:53,720 Speaker 1: played his mom's funeral. I've known Pascual for years. This 1329 01:08:53,760 --> 01:08:56,920 Speaker 1: guy's booked me so many times I could had lost 1330 01:08:56,960 --> 01:09:00,519 Speaker 1: count um and he was a champion of me and 1331 01:09:00,560 --> 01:09:04,080 Speaker 1: my sound. So that was that helped. It was a 1332 01:09:04,120 --> 01:09:09,240 Speaker 1: game changer. But I think a lot of American promoters 1333 01:09:10,120 --> 01:09:12,880 Speaker 1: felt the pressure and they saw electronic music as a 1334 01:09:12,960 --> 01:09:17,719 Speaker 1: European thing, you know, house music, and it was always 1335 01:09:17,800 --> 01:09:21,680 Speaker 1: it was such, it had that kind of you know, 1336 01:09:21,760 --> 01:09:23,559 Speaker 1: people listen to house music are the people who ordered 1337 01:09:23,560 --> 01:09:25,439 Speaker 1: the cheese platter. You know. It's kind of like it 1338 01:09:25,520 --> 01:09:28,000 Speaker 1: was a different kind of thing. What was funny because 1339 01:09:28,000 --> 01:09:29,960 Speaker 1: where I came from it was very blue collar. It 1340 01:09:30,040 --> 01:09:32,559 Speaker 1: was like the working class music in Chicago was like, yeah, 1341 01:09:32,640 --> 01:09:34,600 Speaker 1: I get down and dirty and a you know, in 1342 01:09:34,640 --> 01:09:38,800 Speaker 1: a ugly nightclub. So I had a very different thought 1343 01:09:38,840 --> 01:09:40,920 Speaker 1: process and they did. Anyway, around two thousand and eight, 1344 01:09:40,920 --> 01:09:44,240 Speaker 1: two thousand nine, a lot more guys are coming over 1345 01:09:44,240 --> 01:09:46,479 Speaker 1: because money starts kind of pouring into the scene. These 1346 01:09:46,600 --> 01:09:48,880 Speaker 1: rays are getting bigger, the clubs are getting bigger. Things 1347 01:09:48,880 --> 01:09:53,040 Speaker 1: are changing. I'm making a good living now. Um. But 1348 01:09:53,080 --> 01:09:54,799 Speaker 1: I sat down with him in a room and pounded 1349 01:09:54,840 --> 01:09:58,759 Speaker 1: on the he he had booked the Swedish house Mafia. 1350 01:10:00,040 --> 01:10:03,040 Speaker 1: Nobody really knew at the time in America. And I 1351 01:10:03,080 --> 01:10:05,360 Speaker 1: sat down and I pounded on the table and like, 1352 01:10:05,479 --> 01:10:07,960 Speaker 1: this is freaking crap. Man, you gotta have my back. 1353 01:10:08,080 --> 01:10:11,960 Speaker 1: These guys. Nobody knows these guys. That's wonderful that they're 1354 01:10:12,000 --> 01:10:15,160 Speaker 1: huge in Stockholm or that they are massive in London. 1355 01:10:15,320 --> 01:10:19,559 Speaker 1: I don't care. I'm here in freaking California. Man, you 1356 01:10:20,760 --> 01:10:22,960 Speaker 1: can't do me like this. I got really upset. And 1357 01:10:23,000 --> 01:10:25,080 Speaker 1: he remembers me, and I was pounding on the table. 1358 01:10:25,120 --> 01:10:27,000 Speaker 1: He's like, I've never seen you like this. You're so passive. 1359 01:10:27,040 --> 01:10:30,200 Speaker 1: I'm like, well, I'm not going to take these guys scraps, dude. 1360 01:10:30,520 --> 01:10:32,880 Speaker 1: I'm playing rooms three times the size of what these 1361 01:10:32,880 --> 01:10:35,280 Speaker 1: guys are doing when they come here, because I'm here, 1362 01:10:35,320 --> 01:10:38,400 Speaker 1: I'm this is this is my circuit, bro. And I 1363 01:10:38,400 --> 01:10:40,720 Speaker 1: think they felt a lot of pressure from the European 1364 01:10:40,800 --> 01:10:43,960 Speaker 1: agents and promoters and all that that well there's you 1365 01:10:44,000 --> 01:10:47,559 Speaker 1: know over there. This was the first taste of well 1366 01:10:47,840 --> 01:10:50,599 Speaker 1: on social media, they have these numbers and on this 1367 01:10:50,640 --> 01:10:52,799 Speaker 1: and that. Because up till this point in the underground 1368 01:10:52,840 --> 01:10:55,799 Speaker 1: it was hard to distinguish had value and who didn't. 1369 01:10:56,200 --> 01:10:58,519 Speaker 1: It was mainly who just thumped their chest. The loudest. 1370 01:10:59,120 --> 01:11:02,160 Speaker 1: That guy must be huge. You know. Then YouTube came 1371 01:11:02,200 --> 01:11:04,839 Speaker 1: along and you start pictures of these peoples and videos 1372 01:11:04,840 --> 01:11:07,720 Speaker 1: of their shows, like, wow, they're huge anyway. But in 1373 01:11:07,720 --> 01:11:11,800 Speaker 1: two thousand nine, I played that main stage, so you 1374 01:11:11,840 --> 01:11:14,400 Speaker 1: can played the main stage because you basically bang your 1375 01:11:14,720 --> 01:11:18,120 Speaker 1: hands on the table for Pasqual. I think he was 1376 01:11:18,240 --> 01:11:20,760 Speaker 1: he was gonna put me there that year anyway, because 1377 01:11:20,800 --> 01:11:24,080 Speaker 1: I played some previous years and was attracting these massive crowds. 1378 01:11:24,120 --> 01:11:26,479 Speaker 1: I mean like I was kind of like the people's 1379 01:11:26,600 --> 01:11:30,599 Speaker 1: choice at this point um and a California favorite, so 1380 01:11:30,640 --> 01:11:32,880 Speaker 1: I think he was gonna put me there just on 1381 01:11:32,960 --> 01:11:36,000 Speaker 1: the building. I was like, I'm not going underneath these people. 1382 01:11:36,760 --> 01:11:39,680 Speaker 1: I'm happy for them that they're huge overseas, that's wonderful, 1383 01:11:39,760 --> 01:11:42,400 Speaker 1: but when they come here, this is this is my place. 1384 01:11:43,280 --> 01:11:45,640 Speaker 1: They can be billed below me or beside me, but 1385 01:11:45,720 --> 01:11:48,680 Speaker 1: I'm not going to play under these guys. And he 1386 01:11:48,760 --> 01:11:50,200 Speaker 1: heard me out and he gave me a chance. In 1387 01:11:50,240 --> 01:11:52,240 Speaker 1: two thousand nine was one of those moments where I 1388 01:11:52,240 --> 01:11:53,920 Speaker 1: was standing at E d C in front of you know, 1389 01:11:54,000 --> 01:11:57,200 Speaker 1: fifty six d thousand people whatever it was, that Colosseum 1390 01:11:57,280 --> 01:12:00,400 Speaker 1: was full and the place was it was a giants 1391 01:12:00,400 --> 01:12:02,720 Speaker 1: sing along to my stuff, and I think at that 1392 01:12:02,760 --> 01:12:05,320 Speaker 1: point he was like, Okay, yeah, you really have done 1393 01:12:05,360 --> 01:12:08,160 Speaker 1: something here, you know, so and that kind of solidified 1394 01:12:08,160 --> 01:12:11,519 Speaker 1: our relationship and um, I mean he was really great 1395 01:12:11,520 --> 01:12:13,880 Speaker 1: and kind to me before that. But and then a 1396 01:12:13,880 --> 01:12:16,280 Speaker 1: lot of people and promoters around the world we're watching 1397 01:12:16,280 --> 01:12:18,240 Speaker 1: what ADC was doing. So the fact that I had 1398 01:12:18,240 --> 01:12:20,120 Speaker 1: clout with them and things were playing so well, that 1399 01:12:20,240 --> 01:12:23,439 Speaker 1: just helped. And then I think another important piece in 1400 01:12:23,439 --> 01:12:25,559 Speaker 1: the touring story. I mean, whatever, we can talk about 1401 01:12:25,680 --> 01:12:28,080 Speaker 1: so many different facets of this, but in two thousand 1402 01:12:28,080 --> 01:12:31,160 Speaker 1: tents when Vegas got involved, and that was a game 1403 01:12:31,240 --> 01:12:34,639 Speaker 1: changer that changed everything. I mean, that's forward for those 1404 01:12:34,680 --> 01:12:37,880 Speaker 1: people who are not deep into the scene. So I know, 1405 01:12:38,040 --> 01:12:42,920 Speaker 1: Vegas goes into UH dance music and there's Pakistan. They're 1406 01:12:42,920 --> 01:12:45,200 Speaker 1: all these different clubs. But when you're there as part 1407 01:12:45,200 --> 01:12:47,840 Speaker 1: of the scene, suddenly you just get a call and 1408 01:12:47,880 --> 01:12:49,840 Speaker 1: they say, okay, you know, we're ready to do this. 1409 01:12:52,000 --> 01:12:55,280 Speaker 1: Two thousand seven, two eight. I'm going out there occasionally 1410 01:12:55,360 --> 01:12:59,559 Speaker 1: and playing for these casinos and some shows are good, 1411 01:12:59,680 --> 01:13:03,000 Speaker 1: some they're not so good. But it's different because everything 1412 01:13:03,080 --> 01:13:06,559 Speaker 1: is hip hop. It's all radio right up to that point. 1413 01:13:06,640 --> 01:13:08,160 Speaker 1: And then I show up and I'm playing stuff that 1414 01:13:08,240 --> 01:13:11,000 Speaker 1: these clubs people have never even heard this stuff, like 1415 01:13:11,080 --> 01:13:13,200 Speaker 1: what is this? You know it exists in the underground. 1416 01:13:13,320 --> 01:13:15,240 Speaker 1: But it was working because I'd have enough fans at 1417 01:13:15,240 --> 01:13:16,920 Speaker 1: this point, I'm close enough to l A. People were 1418 01:13:16,920 --> 01:13:18,799 Speaker 1: coming out and they'd fill the club and they drank 1419 01:13:18,840 --> 01:13:21,799 Speaker 1: and there was a party. Um, so Vegas got interested 1420 01:13:21,840 --> 01:13:24,960 Speaker 1: in the music pretty quickly. In two thousand and nine, 1421 01:13:25,680 --> 01:13:28,120 Speaker 1: Steve Winn and his team called me up and they said, 1422 01:13:28,200 --> 01:13:30,320 Speaker 1: we want to build a pool and have an outdoor 1423 01:13:30,360 --> 01:13:35,920 Speaker 1: pool party. And I'm like, hallelujah, let's do this. And 1424 01:13:35,960 --> 01:13:37,559 Speaker 1: I said I got a better they want to They're like, 1425 01:13:37,600 --> 01:13:39,360 Speaker 1: we want to book you once a month during our 1426 01:13:39,479 --> 01:13:41,280 Speaker 1: peak season during summer. And I said, I got a 1427 01:13:41,320 --> 01:13:44,800 Speaker 1: better idea for you from Memorial Data Labor Day. I'll 1428 01:13:44,840 --> 01:13:48,360 Speaker 1: play every Saturday for you guys, and we'll make it 1429 01:13:48,400 --> 01:13:50,120 Speaker 1: a thing and we'll brand it. And they're like, yes, 1430 01:13:50,160 --> 01:13:52,639 Speaker 1: this is what we want. Perfect, let's work a deal. 1431 01:13:52,720 --> 01:13:55,400 Speaker 1: Whatever this is happening. I mean, there's only one other 1432 01:13:55,439 --> 01:13:57,439 Speaker 1: pool party in town at that point. It's rehab, but 1433 01:13:57,479 --> 01:13:59,719 Speaker 1: it's very it's hip hop. It's a hip hop driven, 1434 01:14:00,040 --> 01:14:03,120 Speaker 1: considered urban, so nobody is doing this in this country. 1435 01:14:03,160 --> 01:14:04,680 Speaker 1: But I had been to a Beasa several times and 1436 01:14:04,720 --> 01:14:06,000 Speaker 1: I had seen how these guys are doing it, and 1437 01:14:06,000 --> 01:14:07,320 Speaker 1: I'm like, man if I didn't have to fly all 1438 01:14:07,360 --> 01:14:09,639 Speaker 1: the way to a Besa because that's twenty four hour travel, 1439 01:14:10,240 --> 01:14:12,519 Speaker 1: or I'm like, this changes my life if this works. 1440 01:14:12,560 --> 01:14:14,160 Speaker 1: And I remember coming home from the meeting. I flew 1441 01:14:14,160 --> 01:14:15,960 Speaker 1: back home. They showed me the big pit in the ground. 1442 01:14:15,960 --> 01:14:17,720 Speaker 1: This is where we're digging the pool, and it's going 1443 01:14:17,760 --> 01:14:20,000 Speaker 1: to be cool. And we want it, you know, they're 1444 01:14:20,160 --> 01:14:22,200 Speaker 1: we want a very European we want it, We want 1445 01:14:22,200 --> 01:14:24,599 Speaker 1: it cool. We wanted Sheep play your cool house music. 1446 01:14:24,680 --> 01:14:28,280 Speaker 1: You know. Anyway, we opened up that Memorial Day two 1447 01:14:28,320 --> 01:14:31,240 Speaker 1: thousand and ten, and five thousand people are inside and 1448 01:14:31,240 --> 01:14:33,759 Speaker 1: there's probably another ten thousand people lined up down the block, 1449 01:14:34,680 --> 01:14:38,800 Speaker 1: and that town had never seen anything like it still 1450 01:14:38,840 --> 01:14:41,439 Speaker 1: to this day hasn't. I mean, it was just like 1451 01:14:42,200 --> 01:14:45,960 Speaker 1: dynamite Adam Bomb went off on the I mean, dude, 1452 01:14:45,960 --> 01:14:49,840 Speaker 1: it just changed. It was just a massive shift from 1453 01:14:50,040 --> 01:14:53,320 Speaker 1: whoa we've got hip hop to like this kid from 1454 01:14:53,320 --> 01:14:56,200 Speaker 1: San Francisco can show up and attract ten thousand people 1455 01:14:56,240 --> 01:14:58,680 Speaker 1: and we can ring a million dollars? How much are 1456 01:14:58,680 --> 01:15:03,680 Speaker 1: we paying this guy? Okay? And everyone was flushed with cash. 1457 01:15:03,920 --> 01:15:06,720 Speaker 1: Um So I was there that summer and it was 1458 01:15:06,880 --> 01:15:12,160 Speaker 1: just I mean, dude grins from ear to ear, the staff, 1459 01:15:12,680 --> 01:15:15,400 Speaker 1: the owner's Mr. Wynn, was my body. I mean, it's 1460 01:15:15,479 --> 01:15:19,120 Speaker 1: just everything was firing on all fronts, you know, four 1461 01:15:19,160 --> 01:15:23,000 Speaker 1: gigs into it. I'm like, okay, we need to readjust something. 1462 01:15:23,960 --> 01:15:26,760 Speaker 1: I need to get paid some more money, you know. Uh. 1463 01:15:26,800 --> 01:15:30,479 Speaker 1: And at this point I have an attorney, Had Shapiro. 1464 01:15:30,600 --> 01:15:32,839 Speaker 1: Great guy has been with me almost since the beginning. 1465 01:15:33,200 --> 01:15:38,439 Speaker 1: Um and he's the longest member of my team. I 1466 01:15:38,439 --> 01:15:40,639 Speaker 1: should say seventeen years I've been working with this guy. 1467 01:15:40,760 --> 01:15:43,599 Speaker 1: But anyway, he uh, you know, he really helped me out, 1468 01:15:43,600 --> 01:15:45,760 Speaker 1: and that my you know, agent, and everybody kind of 1469 01:15:45,840 --> 01:15:50,240 Speaker 1: rallied behind me. And I think we knew that that summer. 1470 01:15:50,280 --> 01:15:53,040 Speaker 1: I'm like, because if something works in Vegas, every casino 1471 01:15:53,080 --> 01:15:55,000 Speaker 1: is going to copy it. Right. Of course, they can't 1472 01:15:55,040 --> 01:15:57,200 Speaker 1: make me making tens of millions of dollars and have 1473 01:15:57,280 --> 01:15:59,800 Speaker 1: people not rip off the idea, not in Vegas. So 1474 01:16:00,000 --> 01:16:01,920 Speaker 1: of course that next year, more and more stuff showed 1475 01:16:02,000 --> 01:16:05,679 Speaker 1: up and then you know, Cosmopolitan came online, Hakkasan came inline, 1476 01:16:05,720 --> 01:16:09,200 Speaker 1: and I mean they were just were buying talent like crazy. 1477 01:16:09,400 --> 01:16:13,200 Speaker 1: And what happened is there's so much competition and there's 1478 01:16:13,240 --> 01:16:18,040 Speaker 1: only a few artists, so the fees just went through 1479 01:16:18,560 --> 01:16:23,200 Speaker 1: the roof. I mean it was just, Yeah, I could 1480 01:16:23,240 --> 01:16:26,599 Speaker 1: move from San Francisco down here. I was already feeling 1481 01:16:26,640 --> 01:16:28,519 Speaker 1: that because I was writing and producing a lot of 1482 01:16:28,560 --> 01:16:30,880 Speaker 1: stuff in two thousand and I moved down here in 1483 01:16:30,880 --> 01:16:32,639 Speaker 1: two thousand and nine, and I wanted to be closer 1484 01:16:32,680 --> 01:16:34,639 Speaker 1: to l A. And I had a studio in Santa Monica, 1485 01:16:34,640 --> 01:16:36,800 Speaker 1: and I was commuting from Orange County. I couldn't afford 1486 01:16:36,880 --> 01:16:38,160 Speaker 1: l A. So I was living in Orange County and 1487 01:16:38,200 --> 01:16:42,360 Speaker 1: commuting back and forth. Um, but I knew things were 1488 01:16:42,439 --> 01:16:45,960 Speaker 1: changing and there was a shift, uh musically because I 1489 01:16:46,000 --> 01:16:48,760 Speaker 1: was doing all these remixes and then six months later 1490 01:16:50,000 --> 01:16:53,920 Speaker 1: versions of that remix with a new song, we're showing up. 1491 01:16:53,960 --> 01:16:56,920 Speaker 1: That production style was going closer and closer to the radio. 1492 01:16:57,200 --> 01:16:58,360 Speaker 1: So I'm like, I gotta be in l A and 1493 01:16:58,400 --> 01:17:00,439 Speaker 1: be closer to this, even if the d J thing 1494 01:17:00,520 --> 01:17:03,000 Speaker 1: kind of creps out because Vegas wasn't locked in, right, 1495 01:17:03,240 --> 01:17:05,920 Speaker 1: I was like I could produce people's records. I mean, wow, 1496 01:17:06,080 --> 01:17:08,320 Speaker 1: you know, a little teeny bit of a Madonna record 1497 01:17:08,400 --> 01:17:10,720 Speaker 1: or Beyonce record is gonna that will take care of 1498 01:17:10,800 --> 01:17:14,120 Speaker 1: us by these producers there they're listening to my remixes. 1499 01:17:14,160 --> 01:17:15,519 Speaker 1: I know they are. They have to be. It's too 1500 01:17:15,560 --> 01:17:19,880 Speaker 1: close stylistically. Anyway, that all kind of happened in a 1501 01:17:19,960 --> 01:17:22,960 Speaker 1: very quick time that Vegas came online. I moved down here, 1502 01:17:23,000 --> 01:17:25,800 Speaker 1: and yeah, I changed my life. I mean, even to 1503 01:17:25,840 --> 01:17:29,799 Speaker 1: this day, Vegas accounts for about forty of my revenue 1504 01:17:29,800 --> 01:17:32,360 Speaker 1: touring wise. I mean it's a it's a large number. Okay, 1505 01:17:32,360 --> 01:17:36,880 Speaker 1: so how often do you work in Vegas? Um? This year, 1506 01:17:36,920 --> 01:17:39,400 Speaker 1: I'm doing a little over thirty shows, thirty five shows 1507 01:17:39,439 --> 01:17:42,000 Speaker 1: something like. Okay, and you're working. We're in Vegas now. 1508 01:17:42,680 --> 01:17:47,559 Speaker 1: I'm with the Hakkasan group and that's Caesar's Omnia Um 1509 01:17:47,640 --> 01:17:52,479 Speaker 1: Hakkasan the club what Republic is at the MGM, So 1510 01:17:52,600 --> 01:17:55,360 Speaker 1: they have you know, they manage multiple clubs there, but 1511 01:17:55,400 --> 01:17:58,120 Speaker 1: I kind of rotate between those three venues. And if 1512 01:17:58,120 --> 01:18:03,599 Speaker 1: this late date, how business for them? It's cooled off 1513 01:18:03,640 --> 01:18:05,840 Speaker 1: a little bit. I mean we're talking about two thousands 1514 01:18:05,840 --> 01:18:09,479 Speaker 1: ten where it was so then every club opened up, 1515 01:18:09,479 --> 01:18:12,559 Speaker 1: and so now you've got you know, twelve fifteen clubs 1516 01:18:12,560 --> 01:18:14,880 Speaker 1: on the strip, and you know, six pool parties, eight 1517 01:18:14,880 --> 01:18:17,160 Speaker 1: pool parties. Wherever it is, everyone's doing it. So when 1518 01:18:17,160 --> 01:18:19,160 Speaker 1: I say it's cooled off, it's cooled off for them. 1519 01:18:19,720 --> 01:18:23,519 Speaker 1: For me, it's it's as wild as it's ever been. 1520 01:18:23,840 --> 01:18:25,600 Speaker 1: So pay for you, because I know from talking to 1521 01:18:25,600 --> 01:18:27,560 Speaker 1: people to the business, pay for you has stayed the 1522 01:18:27,600 --> 01:18:30,720 Speaker 1: same or going up. It's grown up. I kind of 1523 01:18:30,800 --> 01:18:33,600 Speaker 1: hit a ceiling about three years ago, but it's essentially 1524 01:18:33,640 --> 01:18:36,000 Speaker 1: stayed the same. They got a little bit smarter. Used 1525 01:18:36,000 --> 01:18:37,439 Speaker 1: to be in a locked in fee, it didn't matter 1526 01:18:37,560 --> 01:18:39,880 Speaker 1: five old people. There are five thousand people were there. 1527 01:18:40,080 --> 01:18:42,400 Speaker 1: Now they've built in bonuses, so they've hedged their bets 1528 01:18:42,400 --> 01:18:44,960 Speaker 1: a little bit um just because the club's kind of 1529 01:18:44,960 --> 01:18:47,519 Speaker 1: got smarter and started talking to one another and hey, 1530 01:18:47,560 --> 01:18:49,760 Speaker 1: what are we gonna do here? We can't pay for 1531 01:18:49,800 --> 01:18:52,240 Speaker 1: these guys. You know, it doesn't matter five thousand people 1532 01:18:52,280 --> 01:18:54,599 Speaker 1: show up, We're not you know, because it just became 1533 01:18:54,600 --> 01:18:57,240 Speaker 1: more competitive. There was more real estate, you know, there's 1534 01:18:57,240 --> 01:18:59,760 Speaker 1: more tables, there's more clubs to go to, and you 1535 01:18:59,760 --> 01:19:03,200 Speaker 1: know that lowered the entrance fee for the patrons, and 1536 01:19:03,280 --> 01:19:09,760 Speaker 1: it changed it a little bit. Well, pause here for 1537 01:19:09,760 --> 01:19:12,080 Speaker 1: a reef moment and get right back to my conversation 1538 01:19:12,120 --> 01:19:17,640 Speaker 1: with the Cascade. You know, I'm primarily a writer, and 1539 01:19:17,720 --> 01:19:20,360 Speaker 1: you can read my work and left sets dot com. 1540 01:19:20,640 --> 01:19:22,400 Speaker 1: Sign up for the newsletter or just read it on 1541 01:19:22,439 --> 01:19:24,280 Speaker 1: the blog if you don't want to get your inbox 1542 01:19:24,360 --> 01:19:27,719 Speaker 1: blown up. In addition to following my commentary on music, 1543 01:19:27,760 --> 01:19:29,720 Speaker 1: tech in the world at large, as well as my 1544 01:19:29,800 --> 01:19:32,200 Speaker 1: personal life, you'll be the first to find out when 1545 01:19:32,240 --> 01:19:35,320 Speaker 1: we've published a new episode of the podcast. Go to 1546 01:19:35,400 --> 01:19:37,640 Speaker 1: left sets dot com and sign up for the newsletter. 1547 01:19:38,080 --> 01:19:40,280 Speaker 1: You need a friend in your inbox to compete with 1548 01:19:40,320 --> 01:19:43,080 Speaker 1: all the spam. I know you'll enjoy it now more 1549 01:19:43,160 --> 01:19:46,320 Speaker 1: with world famous DJ Casscade, recorded live at the tune 1550 01:19:46,360 --> 01:19:51,679 Speaker 1: In Studios in Venice, California. Okay, So in that ten 1551 01:19:51,760 --> 01:19:54,599 Speaker 1: year period and when you start with Vegas to now, 1552 01:19:54,680 --> 01:20:02,800 Speaker 1: what else changes for you? M I think the music 1553 01:20:02,920 --> 01:20:06,240 Speaker 1: just continued. I just continued to be an album guy, 1554 01:20:06,479 --> 01:20:09,719 Speaker 1: and there were there weren't many of those in my world, 1555 01:20:10,240 --> 01:20:12,400 Speaker 1: and a song guy. You know, I sticked with my 1556 01:20:12,439 --> 01:20:15,719 Speaker 1: original kind of two thousand to two thousand three idea, 1557 01:20:16,280 --> 01:20:19,320 Speaker 1: and everybody kind of came around to that, like E. 1558 01:20:19,439 --> 01:20:21,840 Speaker 1: D M was kind of centered around that, like oh, 1559 01:20:22,000 --> 01:20:24,880 Speaker 1: as to have a vocal, this could potentially cross over 1560 01:20:24,960 --> 01:20:27,559 Speaker 1: to radio. That was never my thing, And I don't 1561 01:20:27,880 --> 01:20:32,080 Speaker 1: really particularly right like that. I've never had any radio success. Um, 1562 01:20:32,120 --> 01:20:35,519 Speaker 1: I still kind of right for a nightclub. I don't know. 1563 01:20:36,040 --> 01:20:38,160 Speaker 1: It's a hard lane to get out of, the hard 1564 01:20:38,360 --> 01:20:40,880 Speaker 1: thing to change my mindset. But I'm I'm comfortable with that. 1565 01:20:40,880 --> 01:20:47,000 Speaker 1: That's fine. Um but um yeah, So I just continue 1566 01:20:47,000 --> 01:20:50,439 Speaker 1: putting out records, and my fan base grows and grows 1567 01:20:50,479 --> 01:20:52,920 Speaker 1: and grows, and social media. With the onset of social media, 1568 01:20:53,000 --> 01:20:54,880 Speaker 1: I mean, dude, I could talk directly to the people. 1569 01:20:54,920 --> 01:20:57,080 Speaker 1: Where before I had to go to St. Louis to 1570 01:20:57,120 --> 01:20:59,240 Speaker 1: meet my fans and playing a club and fill a club. 1571 01:20:59,520 --> 01:21:01,559 Speaker 1: Now I can on Twitter, I can get on Facebook, 1572 01:21:01,560 --> 01:21:03,680 Speaker 1: I can send a direct message directly to them I'm 1573 01:21:03,720 --> 01:21:05,640 Speaker 1: coming here. And it totally helped me. So to what 1574 01:21:05,720 --> 01:21:10,400 Speaker 1: degree do you participate on social media? I am it's 1575 01:21:10,520 --> 01:21:13,280 Speaker 1: nauseating how much I'm on there. I apologize to anyone 1576 01:21:13,320 --> 01:21:17,439 Speaker 1: who follows me. But um, I think it was so 1577 01:21:17,479 --> 01:21:21,120 Speaker 1: important because we have no other way. People in my world, 1578 01:21:21,280 --> 01:21:23,720 Speaker 1: there's no other way to broadcast a message. I can 1579 01:21:23,800 --> 01:21:26,160 Speaker 1: playing a club here, I'm playing festival there. It's important 1580 01:21:26,200 --> 01:21:28,280 Speaker 1: for me to talk to these people. And I think 1581 01:21:28,280 --> 01:21:30,639 Speaker 1: it's really gratifying. I mean, when SoundCloud was the thing, 1582 01:21:31,120 --> 01:21:33,400 Speaker 1: it was so awesome for me to like whip something 1583 01:21:33,520 --> 01:21:35,840 Speaker 1: up and edit a mash up, a remix or whatever 1584 01:21:35,880 --> 01:21:37,880 Speaker 1: it was, a new song, put it on there, go 1585 01:21:37,960 --> 01:21:40,040 Speaker 1: to Twitter and like, hey, check it out and post 1586 01:21:40,040 --> 01:21:44,439 Speaker 1: it up and just get that instant feedback before I'm 1587 01:21:44,479 --> 01:21:46,880 Speaker 1: pressing a record that takes two and a half months 1588 01:21:46,880 --> 01:21:49,080 Speaker 1: to press. I shipped the record out, it goes to 1589 01:21:49,160 --> 01:21:51,599 Speaker 1: the store, comes back. I go to that city six 1590 01:21:51,640 --> 01:21:54,320 Speaker 1: months later, you know, a couple of people have found 1591 01:21:54,360 --> 01:21:56,760 Speaker 1: that record. Go there year later, everybody's singing. It was 1592 01:21:56,800 --> 01:22:00,120 Speaker 1: like this eighteen month twenty four month lag of me 1593 01:22:00,479 --> 01:22:03,200 Speaker 1: creating this thing to when people like it absorbed it. 1594 01:22:03,360 --> 01:22:05,000 Speaker 1: Now it's like I can put it out and have 1595 01:22:05,120 --> 01:22:08,040 Speaker 1: this conversation immediately with people. So I loved it. And 1596 01:22:08,080 --> 01:22:11,240 Speaker 1: to what degree on social media is it all primarily 1597 01:22:11,439 --> 01:22:13,840 Speaker 1: I'm coming, this is what I'm doing. Or do you 1598 01:22:13,920 --> 01:22:16,880 Speaker 1: also communicate with fans and talk about subjects that have 1599 01:22:16,920 --> 01:22:19,320 Speaker 1: nothing to do with you, particularly you'll have to do 1600 01:22:19,320 --> 01:22:22,320 Speaker 1: with music or the world at large. Um, I talk 1601 01:22:22,360 --> 01:22:25,080 Speaker 1: about a lot of random stuff. Um, I let people 1602 01:22:25,120 --> 01:22:29,400 Speaker 1: into my world Somewhat. I'm pretty private, but I still 1603 01:22:29,439 --> 01:22:32,920 Speaker 1: share songs of like I should still share thoughts of hey, 1604 01:22:32,960 --> 01:22:34,439 Speaker 1: this is how I wrote this song, and this is 1605 01:22:34,479 --> 01:22:36,960 Speaker 1: what the catalyst was for this, or you know, this 1606 01:22:37,040 --> 01:22:38,439 Speaker 1: is why I'm touring. And I have a lot of 1607 01:22:38,479 --> 01:22:41,240 Speaker 1: discussions in and around music just about like whatever, this 1608 01:22:41,280 --> 01:22:43,040 Speaker 1: is what I'm doing on Thursday afternoon. And I think 1609 01:22:43,080 --> 01:22:46,080 Speaker 1: people like that and they appreciate it. And what platform 1610 01:22:46,240 --> 01:22:51,000 Speaker 1: is your platform of choice? Sadly I'm I'm a Twitter 1611 01:22:51,040 --> 01:22:54,519 Speaker 1: guy because I don't know why. Sadly, well, because it's 1612 01:22:54,560 --> 01:22:56,960 Speaker 1: not as popular as it once was, and I think 1613 01:22:57,280 --> 01:22:59,519 Speaker 1: the younger kids have kind of lost that on Twitter. 1614 01:22:59,560 --> 01:23:01,600 Speaker 1: You know, they want Snapchat and whatnot. I don't. I 1615 01:23:01,600 --> 01:23:03,760 Speaker 1: don't want to feel like I'm producing a television show 1616 01:23:03,760 --> 01:23:05,519 Speaker 1: every day. I don't like pointing my phone at me, 1617 01:23:05,680 --> 01:23:08,920 Speaker 1: and I don't appreciate that. I like Twitter because I 1618 01:23:08,960 --> 01:23:10,519 Speaker 1: like to write, so I can get on there and 1619 01:23:10,560 --> 01:23:13,080 Speaker 1: show you know quick atlantic. Don't think that's how many 1620 01:23:13,080 --> 01:23:16,120 Speaker 1: followers you have today. It's over a million, one point 1621 01:23:16,120 --> 01:23:19,320 Speaker 1: three million, one point four millions, And what about Instagram 1622 01:23:19,640 --> 01:23:22,479 Speaker 1: about the same amount Instagram. I enjoy Instagram because it 1623 01:23:22,520 --> 01:23:24,840 Speaker 1: can be very curated, and I feel like it's still 1624 01:23:25,360 --> 01:23:29,320 Speaker 1: an art. I have a photog and videographer follow me, 1625 01:23:29,320 --> 01:23:31,920 Speaker 1: and we can still put stuff up that's neat, but 1626 01:23:31,960 --> 01:23:34,479 Speaker 1: it is more curated my my channel. I you know, 1627 01:23:34,520 --> 01:23:38,360 Speaker 1: I'm I'm aware of what's happening and put images that 1628 01:23:38,400 --> 01:23:43,000 Speaker 1: I like up. Okay, so you've achieved certainly far beyond 1629 01:23:43,040 --> 01:23:46,480 Speaker 1: most people's wildest dreams. What is left in the landscape 1630 01:23:46,479 --> 01:23:52,040 Speaker 1: that you would like to achieve? Um? I think now 1631 01:23:52,040 --> 01:23:56,200 Speaker 1: it's just more about legacy. You know, what have I 1632 01:23:56,240 --> 01:23:58,479 Speaker 1: added to this scene? I know what it gave me. 1633 01:23:58,479 --> 01:24:02,360 Speaker 1: It gave me a life and uh and I'm thankful 1634 01:24:02,400 --> 01:24:07,080 Speaker 1: for that. So I think, you know, I still feel 1635 01:24:07,080 --> 01:24:09,240 Speaker 1: like there's quite a bit of writing left in me 1636 01:24:09,320 --> 01:24:11,439 Speaker 1: and a few songs that I still want to share. 1637 01:24:11,560 --> 01:24:15,320 Speaker 1: I still feel that I still want to write and 1638 01:24:15,360 --> 01:24:19,240 Speaker 1: produce and continue sharing. I'm really interested in Sun Soaked 1639 01:24:19,280 --> 01:24:21,360 Speaker 1: and seeing that become a brand that can stand on 1640 01:24:21,360 --> 01:24:24,360 Speaker 1: its own. I mean, right now, it's essentially a cascade concert, 1641 01:24:24,520 --> 01:24:26,720 Speaker 1: a show that people are going to that's on the beach. 1642 01:24:26,760 --> 01:24:29,160 Speaker 1: Well that's special. Um, but I'd like to see that 1643 01:24:29,280 --> 01:24:32,960 Speaker 1: potentially be in more places. Um, something that I could 1644 01:24:32,960 --> 01:24:37,000 Speaker 1: be really having involved with. But um, you know, kind 1645 01:24:37,000 --> 01:24:39,599 Speaker 1: of transition and make it something more than just being 1646 01:24:39,640 --> 01:24:41,760 Speaker 1: about me, you know, bring other artists and make it 1647 01:24:41,840 --> 01:24:44,280 Speaker 1: multiple days. Have it been a few different looks? You know, 1648 01:24:44,320 --> 01:24:48,000 Speaker 1: we're sitting here on Thursday, the week following Sun Soaked 1649 01:24:48,520 --> 01:24:52,760 Speaker 1: in Long Beach. There were thirty one thousand people there. Uh, 1650 01:24:52,800 --> 01:24:55,880 Speaker 1: to what degree with your were you happy or unhappy 1651 01:24:55,880 --> 01:24:59,240 Speaker 1: with certain elements of the show? Thank you for your 1652 01:24:59,360 --> 01:25:01,120 Speaker 1: right up by the way that was I said it 1653 01:25:01,160 --> 01:25:04,200 Speaker 1: was great and people should only go the amazing thing here. 1654 01:25:04,240 --> 01:25:08,400 Speaker 1: And I just know because this promoter, Eric Kurtz, took 1655 01:25:08,400 --> 01:25:12,120 Speaker 1: me two thousand and ten or whatever to Hard Halloween 1656 01:25:12,640 --> 01:25:15,400 Speaker 1: and it really opened my eyes. And the funniest thing 1657 01:25:15,479 --> 01:25:17,680 Speaker 1: was people very good friends. And I said, you're not 1658 01:25:17,720 --> 01:25:20,120 Speaker 1: gonna believe. We gotta tell you a story. We went 1659 01:25:20,160 --> 01:25:23,280 Speaker 1: to the USC football game and walking by all these 1660 01:25:23,280 --> 01:25:25,960 Speaker 1: people and I said, I was there and there I've 1661 01:25:26,080 --> 01:25:29,439 Speaker 1: bucked out. So you know, that's how I really originally 1662 01:25:29,479 --> 01:25:33,600 Speaker 1: got into the scene. I've been to Abitha couple of times, etcetera. 1663 01:25:34,120 --> 01:25:38,519 Speaker 1: And what blows my mind is that people have no 1664 01:25:38,600 --> 01:25:42,520 Speaker 1: idea what's going on here, being its sunsoaked. The amazing 1665 01:25:42,640 --> 01:25:45,519 Speaker 1: thing was and it's not amazing to you, but for 1666 01:25:45,520 --> 01:25:49,120 Speaker 1: those of us everyone singing along to songs that are 1667 01:25:49,160 --> 01:25:53,519 Speaker 1: not mainstream songs mainstream meaning you know, the Spotify top 1668 01:25:53,560 --> 01:25:55,519 Speaker 1: fifty are written about in the media or whatever. This 1669 01:25:55,680 --> 01:25:59,000 Speaker 1: is obviously that important to them. And the other thing, 1670 01:25:59,040 --> 01:26:01,400 Speaker 1: of course, is a social atmosphere. You got to a 1671 01:26:01,560 --> 01:26:04,439 Speaker 1: regular show and you bump into something. It happens all 1672 01:26:04,439 --> 01:26:07,160 Speaker 1: the time, Okay, just walking along, Hey man, what are 1673 01:26:07,160 --> 01:26:11,280 Speaker 1: you doing? Hey? No, no, no, no, sounds like oh cool, 1674 01:26:11,360 --> 01:26:14,640 Speaker 1: no problem. It's very yeah, you know, so it's a 1675 01:26:14,640 --> 01:26:18,040 Speaker 1: great atmosphere. Now, the other thing, I was told that 1676 01:26:18,120 --> 01:26:21,679 Speaker 1: there were no trips to the hospital, okay, and this 1677 01:26:21,760 --> 01:26:27,760 Speaker 1: is very different from many other electronic music festivals. Why 1678 01:26:27,760 --> 01:26:35,280 Speaker 1: do you think that is? I think it's partly me 1679 01:26:35,320 --> 01:26:39,000 Speaker 1: as a person and the people that I've attracted, um 1680 01:26:39,160 --> 01:26:42,120 Speaker 1: through years of touring you know, my music. I think 1681 01:26:42,160 --> 01:26:46,200 Speaker 1: I'm emitting a message that that you know, it isn't 1682 01:26:46,880 --> 01:26:51,080 Speaker 1: like that helps that right, that environment, So it's about you. 1683 01:26:51,120 --> 01:26:53,920 Speaker 1: It's you're setting a tone. I think listen, dance music 1684 01:26:54,000 --> 01:26:57,880 Speaker 1: is like that generally speaking, right, But then I think 1685 01:26:58,080 --> 01:27:00,720 Speaker 1: I'm one of those guys that's in front of that 1686 01:27:00,800 --> 01:27:03,479 Speaker 1: kind of leading that charge. I like to think of 1687 01:27:03,560 --> 01:27:06,200 Speaker 1: myself as that anyway. Um, you know, I've been very, 1688 01:27:06,280 --> 01:27:09,040 Speaker 1: very fortunate with my live shows I've done. I mean, 1689 01:27:09,360 --> 01:27:13,120 Speaker 1: to my knowledge, that's the largest like single act ticket 1690 01:27:13,160 --> 01:27:15,960 Speaker 1: sales of anyone in my world, certainly in North America. 1691 01:27:15,960 --> 01:27:17,519 Speaker 1: I don't know about Europe, and I can't speak for 1692 01:27:17,560 --> 01:27:20,400 Speaker 1: some of these other places. But thirty one people, this 1693 01:27:20,479 --> 01:27:24,160 Speaker 1: is this is insane, and I think the thing that 1694 01:27:24,400 --> 01:27:27,519 Speaker 1: is so difficult for people in the music industry to understand. 1695 01:27:27,560 --> 01:27:30,160 Speaker 1: And I'm managed now by rock Nation and Jay Brown. 1696 01:27:30,920 --> 01:27:33,880 Speaker 1: They're just so fascinated because it is it's how do 1697 01:27:33,920 --> 01:27:37,360 Speaker 1: these people know these songs? How you got thirty one 1698 01:27:37,720 --> 01:27:40,000 Speaker 1: people singing along to a song that I released eight 1699 01:27:40,080 --> 01:27:41,720 Speaker 1: years ago. I mean, I could turn the record off 1700 01:27:41,720 --> 01:27:43,559 Speaker 1: and they'll sing the course with the hands in the air. 1701 01:27:44,560 --> 01:27:46,639 Speaker 1: It boggles my mind. It blows my mind. But that's 1702 01:27:46,680 --> 01:27:49,320 Speaker 1: the age of the Internet. People are finding this stuff. 1703 01:27:49,479 --> 01:27:52,400 Speaker 1: When you look at my spins on Spotify, there there's 1704 01:27:52,439 --> 01:27:54,280 Speaker 1: nothing special, you know, on like four and a half 1705 01:27:54,320 --> 01:27:57,000 Speaker 1: five million streams a month. This is you know, I'm 1706 01:27:57,040 --> 01:27:59,640 Speaker 1: not even in the top I don't think, you know, 1707 01:28:00,160 --> 01:28:02,360 Speaker 1: But yet I can go and sell these many tickets. 1708 01:28:02,600 --> 01:28:05,800 Speaker 1: Many popex have a very difficult time doing something like this, 1709 01:28:05,880 --> 01:28:10,160 Speaker 1: and that's really Listen. That's how I discovered your emails, 1710 01:28:10,280 --> 01:28:14,280 Speaker 1: because it was I'm outside of this music industry. I 1711 01:28:14,360 --> 01:28:17,080 Speaker 1: kind of sit on the outside. I'm looking in. But 1712 01:28:17,360 --> 01:28:20,519 Speaker 1: yet I've been able to find in carve my own niche. 1713 01:28:20,560 --> 01:28:23,559 Speaker 1: And I think that's what's been so fascinating to the 1714 01:28:23,560 --> 01:28:26,120 Speaker 1: people around me and even myself. I'm still kind of 1715 01:28:26,120 --> 01:28:28,880 Speaker 1: like shocked and scratched my head. Okay, you know, if 1716 01:28:28,920 --> 01:28:31,439 Speaker 1: you go back to you know, the classic rockers, the Stones, 1717 01:28:31,560 --> 01:28:34,000 Speaker 1: the Beatles, they said, hey, we'll do this for ten years. 1718 01:28:34,000 --> 01:28:36,120 Speaker 1: We'll go back to hometown, we go back to the factory. 1719 01:28:36,560 --> 01:28:39,840 Speaker 1: Do you anticipate if your forty seven now, you anticipate 1720 01:28:40,800 --> 01:28:43,080 Speaker 1: years from now you'll still be in Vegas or somewhere 1721 01:28:43,080 --> 01:28:47,479 Speaker 1: spinning records? No? No, why not? I don't think so. 1722 01:28:49,360 --> 01:28:52,240 Speaker 1: This is a young person's game. It really is. It's 1723 01:28:52,240 --> 01:28:56,960 Speaker 1: a it's very dance music is young, full of life, 1724 01:28:57,680 --> 01:29:00,680 Speaker 1: and I think it would be ficult to be like 1725 01:29:00,680 --> 01:29:04,120 Speaker 1: a really old guy up there trying to lead that charge. Um. 1726 01:29:04,160 --> 01:29:06,680 Speaker 1: I think listen, I'm always going to be writing and 1727 01:29:06,680 --> 01:29:11,840 Speaker 1: producing records on some level because that that satisfies something 1728 01:29:11,880 --> 01:29:14,200 Speaker 1: inside of me. Right. I love writing a song, I 1729 01:29:14,240 --> 01:29:18,240 Speaker 1: love working on music, I love remixing stuff. Um and listen, 1730 01:29:18,360 --> 01:29:21,880 Speaker 1: I'm sure I'll have the occasional tour like dust it 1731 01:29:21,960 --> 01:29:24,360 Speaker 1: off the turntaip, let me get out there and do something. 1732 01:29:24,800 --> 01:29:27,840 Speaker 1: But to the degree that I'm touring now and stuff, no, 1733 01:29:28,080 --> 01:29:30,880 Speaker 1: I mean I've slowly been kind of winding it down 1734 01:29:31,040 --> 01:29:32,880 Speaker 1: for the last sound of three or four years. I've 1735 01:29:33,280 --> 01:29:34,880 Speaker 1: you know, at that peak when I was doing two 1736 01:29:34,960 --> 01:29:37,320 Speaker 1: hundred plus shows a year too. Now, you know, do 1737 01:29:37,360 --> 01:29:39,920 Speaker 1: a hundred shows this year, hundred and ten shows or something. 1738 01:29:39,920 --> 01:29:43,320 Speaker 1: It's half of what it was. Um one, because I 1739 01:29:43,400 --> 01:29:45,920 Speaker 1: make so much more money per show, so to hustle 1740 01:29:46,080 --> 01:29:48,760 Speaker 1: is hard. Um, but I think it will continue to 1741 01:29:48,800 --> 01:29:52,240 Speaker 1: kind of go that way. Um. Okay, but a hundred 1742 01:29:52,280 --> 01:29:56,040 Speaker 1: is you know, you have many legendary acts who do 1743 01:29:56,360 --> 01:30:00,160 Speaker 1: sixty shows every other year, So a hundred shows there's 1744 01:30:00,160 --> 01:30:02,680 Speaker 1: still a lot of shows. Yes, it is, okay, not 1745 01:30:02,760 --> 01:30:04,760 Speaker 1: in my world, but yes, of course, of course you're 1746 01:30:04,760 --> 01:30:07,920 Speaker 1: in DJ but anybody as they become more successful, because 1747 01:30:07,960 --> 01:30:10,080 Speaker 1: we know I remember, I think I was talking to Metallica. 1748 01:30:10,160 --> 01:30:12,120 Speaker 1: They went all they went on the road. When they 1749 01:30:12,120 --> 01:30:14,080 Speaker 1: all came back and got a divorce. You know, you're 1750 01:30:14,120 --> 01:30:16,240 Speaker 1: on you're working so hard on what you do, your 1751 01:30:16,280 --> 01:30:18,840 Speaker 1: life completely changes. So when you get to the point 1752 01:30:18,840 --> 01:30:20,160 Speaker 1: you want to get a certain point, you want a 1753 01:30:20,240 --> 01:30:23,400 Speaker 1: life work balance. But that does not necessarily mean you 1754 01:30:23,479 --> 01:30:28,599 Speaker 1: stop working, right, I agree with that, Okay. I mean 1755 01:30:28,760 --> 01:30:30,559 Speaker 1: you said twenty years from that. That just seems like 1756 01:30:30,560 --> 01:30:33,400 Speaker 1: a really long time. Okay. I think what you're saying 1757 01:30:33,439 --> 01:30:35,960 Speaker 1: is with the classic rock accent, they couldn't even imagine 1758 01:30:36,120 --> 01:30:39,280 Speaker 1: especially you know. Okay, but come on, further questions. What's 1759 01:30:39,320 --> 01:30:42,200 Speaker 1: it like to be on stage when and don't forget 1760 01:30:42,560 --> 01:30:45,519 Speaker 1: I mean, you know, but people listening dance music, it's 1761 01:30:45,520 --> 01:30:49,160 Speaker 1: a very active audience. They're not sitting passively. You don't 1762 01:30:49,160 --> 01:30:50,680 Speaker 1: have to wait for the song to end man to 1763 01:30:50,760 --> 01:30:54,519 Speaker 1: get applause. What's it like being on stage in front 1764 01:30:54,520 --> 01:30:57,280 Speaker 1: of that many people, getting that reaction, having them in 1765 01:30:57,320 --> 01:31:03,720 Speaker 1: the palm of your hand. It's insane. I mean, it's 1766 01:31:03,720 --> 01:31:09,920 Speaker 1: impossible for me to describe. It's the energy flowing through 1767 01:31:09,960 --> 01:31:13,360 Speaker 1: me is crazy. It's very difficult for me to sleep 1768 01:31:13,439 --> 01:31:16,559 Speaker 1: after a show or to calm down. It takes a while. 1769 01:31:17,120 --> 01:31:21,400 Speaker 1: I mean, dude, I've I'm it's electric. It's funny you 1770 01:31:21,479 --> 01:31:23,720 Speaker 1: say that because people, you know, people always say they're 1771 01:31:24,280 --> 01:31:27,280 Speaker 1: criticisms of musicians. You know, go into a minor. One 1772 01:31:27,320 --> 01:31:30,240 Speaker 1: would be, well they date models. Well, models have the 1773 01:31:30,320 --> 01:31:33,720 Speaker 1: same lifestyle, you know, traveling around the world, staying up 1774 01:31:33,760 --> 01:31:36,280 Speaker 1: all night whatever. The next thing is, well, why do 1775 01:31:36,360 --> 01:31:38,320 Speaker 1: they all do drugs? I know you don't do drugs, 1776 01:31:38,640 --> 01:31:41,080 Speaker 1: but I always say it's very hard. You know, you're 1777 01:31:41,120 --> 01:31:44,599 Speaker 1: loved by twenty people in an arena, you get back 1778 01:31:45,000 --> 01:31:47,800 Speaker 1: into the bus with the same guys that you know 1779 01:31:47,960 --> 01:31:51,000 Speaker 1: since high school. You can't come down for hours. They 1780 01:31:51,080 --> 01:31:53,439 Speaker 1: use the drugs. I'm not saying that's a good thing, 1781 01:31:54,040 --> 01:31:57,000 Speaker 1: but the average person has no idea what it's like. 1782 01:31:57,000 --> 01:31:58,880 Speaker 1: You know, It's like if I write and I get 1783 01:31:58,920 --> 01:32:01,479 Speaker 1: most inspired later at night, you know, I can't write 1784 01:32:01,520 --> 01:32:04,840 Speaker 1: and go to bed. You're just all fired up. You 1785 01:32:04,920 --> 01:32:07,400 Speaker 1: gotta get the idea. You gotta and I mean it's 1786 01:32:07,600 --> 01:32:10,439 Speaker 1: very physical as well. You see you on stage, I'm 1787 01:32:10,520 --> 01:32:12,840 Speaker 1: jumping around. I'm running to this side, run and that side. 1788 01:32:12,880 --> 01:32:15,960 Speaker 1: It's just and I have to do that because so 1789 01:32:16,040 --> 01:32:18,000 Speaker 1: much is flowing through me. I feel like I could 1790 01:32:18,000 --> 01:32:19,759 Speaker 1: lift up a car and throw it into the audience 1791 01:32:19,800 --> 01:32:22,120 Speaker 1: at certain point, you know, I mean, it's it's great. 1792 01:32:22,280 --> 01:32:24,599 Speaker 1: So that's a great analogy. Just you know. Another thing 1793 01:32:24,640 --> 01:32:28,760 Speaker 1: that people have criticism electronic music. They say that basically 1794 01:32:29,000 --> 01:32:31,360 Speaker 1: it's all on hard drive and the guys just pressing 1795 01:32:31,360 --> 01:32:34,320 Speaker 1: and play. When you are on stage, how much are 1796 01:32:34,320 --> 01:32:41,519 Speaker 1: you creating on stage? Great question. I'm gonna make this 1797 01:32:41,600 --> 01:32:44,080 Speaker 1: as short of answer as I could possibly make. There's 1798 01:32:45,600 --> 01:32:48,200 Speaker 1: weren't an interesting spot with electronic music for a very 1799 01:32:48,240 --> 01:32:50,680 Speaker 1: long time. A lot of it was being created. And 1800 01:32:50,720 --> 01:32:52,320 Speaker 1: what I mean by that as I show up and 1801 01:32:52,320 --> 01:32:55,680 Speaker 1: I've got two or three records behind me, I know 1802 01:32:55,760 --> 01:32:58,960 Speaker 1: the first record I'm gonna play, sure, but I have 1803 01:32:59,000 --> 01:33:01,400 Speaker 1: no idea what's gonna happen. And then it's this interesting 1804 01:33:01,439 --> 01:33:03,479 Speaker 1: relationship that you have with the audience. And this is 1805 01:33:03,520 --> 01:33:05,840 Speaker 1: certainly true in the nightclubs where you're kind of like 1806 01:33:05,880 --> 01:33:09,840 Speaker 1: weaving this tapestry, this audio tapestry right with them, and 1807 01:33:09,880 --> 01:33:11,920 Speaker 1: you're going in and out, and there is a skill 1808 01:33:11,960 --> 01:33:14,240 Speaker 1: of lining this up and blending knees and picking the 1809 01:33:14,280 --> 01:33:17,680 Speaker 1: next song. And it's very it's very organic thing, and 1810 01:33:17,720 --> 01:33:20,360 Speaker 1: it is a talent and whatever, I'll sitting here and argue, 1811 01:33:20,360 --> 01:33:22,280 Speaker 1: even if I'm not in this business, how I'm telling 1812 01:33:22,320 --> 01:33:25,479 Speaker 1: you there are guys that do it really, really well, 1813 01:33:25,880 --> 01:33:28,960 Speaker 1: that have learned and honed that for a very long time. 1814 01:33:30,040 --> 01:33:33,320 Speaker 1: As it became digitized and it changed things a little bit, 1815 01:33:35,720 --> 01:33:38,640 Speaker 1: it was a lot easier to have less talent and 1816 01:33:38,680 --> 01:33:41,320 Speaker 1: be able to pull it off because then it became 1817 01:33:41,360 --> 01:33:44,160 Speaker 1: more about the song. Okay, write a good song, get 1818 01:33:44,200 --> 01:33:46,080 Speaker 1: up in front of the audience and play it. That's 1819 01:33:46,120 --> 01:33:49,720 Speaker 1: good enough, and you are just pressing play. I am 1820 01:33:49,760 --> 01:33:52,320 Speaker 1: trying to blend those two worlds of the old and 1821 01:33:52,360 --> 01:33:54,439 Speaker 1: the new. I mean, I still show up on stage 1822 01:33:54,439 --> 01:33:56,320 Speaker 1: and I have a playlist with a hundred songs on it, 1823 01:33:56,360 --> 01:33:58,679 Speaker 1: and I think I know what I'm gonna play. And 1824 01:33:58,760 --> 01:34:04,479 Speaker 1: to my two ring parties, Dismay and and and I 1825 01:34:04,520 --> 01:34:06,559 Speaker 1: mean they hate me for this that I still kind 1826 01:34:06,560 --> 01:34:08,400 Speaker 1: of go off on these tangents. They want me to 1827 01:34:08,439 --> 01:34:11,080 Speaker 1: provide them a set list so all the pyrotechnics and 1828 01:34:11,120 --> 01:34:12,960 Speaker 1: everything can be all in sync and it can be 1829 01:34:12,960 --> 01:34:15,559 Speaker 1: this beautiful show. And I refused to do this because 1830 01:34:15,560 --> 01:34:17,760 Speaker 1: I'm like, look, man, even if I give you a 1831 01:34:17,800 --> 01:34:22,720 Speaker 1: set list, I'm not going to stick to it. Then 1832 01:34:22,720 --> 01:34:25,879 Speaker 1: it would be no fun. And for me, well, and 1833 01:34:25,880 --> 01:34:27,920 Speaker 1: I came up in a time when that didn't exist. 1834 01:34:27,960 --> 01:34:30,960 Speaker 1: I mean, I toured for ten years by myself, like 1835 01:34:31,040 --> 01:34:33,200 Speaker 1: I did whatever the hell I wanted to do, Like 1836 01:34:33,280 --> 01:34:35,759 Speaker 1: I didn't have to answer to anyone. So they hate 1837 01:34:35,760 --> 01:34:37,439 Speaker 1: me in a twenty four hours of the gig. They're like, 1838 01:34:37,439 --> 01:34:39,240 Speaker 1: what are you starting with? You know, what are you 1839 01:34:39,240 --> 01:34:41,760 Speaker 1: gonna do? And I'm like, okay, I think I might 1840 01:34:41,800 --> 01:34:43,800 Speaker 1: start here, and I'm pretty sure I'm an end here 1841 01:34:43,920 --> 01:34:46,800 Speaker 1: in between, you know, but the guy. But what we've 1842 01:34:47,120 --> 01:34:49,200 Speaker 1: discovered is the guys that do the best with me, 1843 01:34:49,320 --> 01:34:51,360 Speaker 1: they just go and play every show with me. So 1844 01:34:51,400 --> 01:34:54,559 Speaker 1: as I incorporate new mixes and finished new songs, and 1845 01:34:54,560 --> 01:34:56,200 Speaker 1: I can incorporate that on my show, and they're hurt 1846 01:34:56,240 --> 01:34:58,120 Speaker 1: and they're familiar with it, and so they become a 1847 01:34:58,200 --> 01:34:59,920 Speaker 1: season as I am. And that's the best way to 1848 01:35:00,000 --> 01:35:01,800 Speaker 1: to it. Instead of these guys just shown up at 1849 01:35:01,800 --> 01:35:03,320 Speaker 1: the big shows that they're at the big shows, the 1850 01:35:03,360 --> 01:35:06,559 Speaker 1: small shows. I'm playing five people they're they're they're listening 1851 01:35:06,600 --> 01:35:08,360 Speaker 1: to it. They work in the video of the lights. 1852 01:35:08,880 --> 01:35:11,719 Speaker 1: So what about the health of the scene at this point. 1853 01:35:14,120 --> 01:35:17,200 Speaker 1: I think it's great. Uh, it's kind of broken into 1854 01:35:17,240 --> 01:35:19,479 Speaker 1: two things. So there's kind of like a pop lane 1855 01:35:19,520 --> 01:35:22,160 Speaker 1: where you got David Getta's and Calvin Harris's that have 1856 01:35:22,680 --> 01:35:25,559 Speaker 1: taken dance music and opened it up to a wider audience, 1857 01:35:25,600 --> 01:35:29,559 Speaker 1: which is awesome, um, and that angered some of the 1858 01:35:29,560 --> 01:35:31,519 Speaker 1: people when we were all in one scene, when we're 1859 01:35:31,560 --> 01:35:34,439 Speaker 1: all just one group of guys. But now it's kind 1860 01:35:34,439 --> 01:35:38,599 Speaker 1: of fractured, and the underground has become like all ships 1861 01:35:38,720 --> 01:35:40,720 Speaker 1: rise with the tide, right, So even the underground is 1862 01:35:40,800 --> 01:35:45,400 Speaker 1: much bigger and more profitable and healthier because this pop 1863 01:35:45,439 --> 01:35:47,679 Speaker 1: stuff is there. But I think it took a moment 1864 01:35:47,720 --> 01:35:51,280 Speaker 1: for people to realize like, oh, that's them over there, 1865 01:35:51,320 --> 01:35:54,880 Speaker 1: that's the pop stuff, and this is us where the underground. 1866 01:35:55,120 --> 01:35:57,479 Speaker 1: So they're kind of separated now. Before there was that 1867 01:35:57,600 --> 01:36:00,439 Speaker 1: weird period of time where we're all together, well I 1868 01:36:00,479 --> 01:36:02,200 Speaker 1: don't like them, and that guy doesn't like this. But 1869 01:36:02,280 --> 01:36:04,760 Speaker 1: now they've kind of they've gone their separate ways and 1870 01:36:04,760 --> 01:36:09,040 Speaker 1: there's a divide between them, um, which is weird. Because 1871 01:36:09,040 --> 01:36:12,680 Speaker 1: I kind of coexist in both worlds. I mean, I'm 1872 01:36:12,720 --> 01:36:16,880 Speaker 1: over here straddling defence. Um right, what would you like 1873 01:36:16,960 --> 01:36:21,360 Speaker 1: to have a radio hit? Sure? Yes, So whatever you 1874 01:36:21,400 --> 01:36:24,400 Speaker 1: sit at home saying, you know, whatever your process is, 1875 01:36:24,400 --> 01:36:26,920 Speaker 1: whether it be a premeditator after the fact, well this 1876 01:36:27,000 --> 01:36:29,360 Speaker 1: might this might work. Are you still strive? Are you 1877 01:36:29,439 --> 01:36:35,320 Speaker 1: striving to reach that pinnacle? Uh? Yes, for a few reasons. One. Now, listen, 1878 01:36:35,400 --> 01:36:36,840 Speaker 1: I've done a lot and I've written a lot of 1879 01:36:36,920 --> 01:36:39,400 Speaker 1: music over twenty years. So now in the last like 1880 01:36:39,560 --> 01:36:42,040 Speaker 1: three or four years, as I got signed to major 1881 01:36:42,120 --> 01:36:44,360 Speaker 1: labels and went out of the indie scene, I mean 1882 01:36:44,400 --> 01:36:45,840 Speaker 1: before I used to turn in an album and it 1883 01:36:45,920 --> 01:36:48,920 Speaker 1: was here's the track order. I mean, it wasn't didn't 1884 01:36:48,960 --> 01:36:52,000 Speaker 1: give me input. I was like, here it is. Then 1885 01:36:52,080 --> 01:36:53,840 Speaker 1: I signed with Warner and I had any and Our 1886 01:36:53,920 --> 01:36:55,799 Speaker 1: signed to me, and he's like, listen to the songs 1887 01:36:55,840 --> 01:36:57,679 Speaker 1: and give me feedback and hanging out in the studio. 1888 01:36:58,000 --> 01:37:02,760 Speaker 1: And I kind of liked it. Why not five years 1889 01:37:02,760 --> 01:37:04,720 Speaker 1: ago I would have told him to f off and 1890 01:37:04,760 --> 01:37:06,920 Speaker 1: get out of the room. But now I'm like, cool man, 1891 01:37:06,960 --> 01:37:09,760 Speaker 1: You've got some ideas. What's up? You know, I've been 1892 01:37:09,800 --> 01:37:12,240 Speaker 1: around I've written a song, I don't. It's not about ego. 1893 01:37:12,320 --> 01:37:14,479 Speaker 1: For me. I'm kind of like, just make something cool 1894 01:37:14,560 --> 01:37:16,439 Speaker 1: and have a good time. So I kind of had 1895 01:37:16,479 --> 01:37:20,480 Speaker 1: to check myself and rearrange how I thought about the process. 1896 01:37:21,200 --> 01:37:23,040 Speaker 1: And not only that, Now it's like, I feel like 1897 01:37:23,080 --> 01:37:25,200 Speaker 1: I'm such a part of what the sound of what 1898 01:37:25,280 --> 01:37:28,240 Speaker 1: modern dance music is. I feel like songwriters coming and 1899 01:37:28,240 --> 01:37:31,320 Speaker 1: pitch me on songs. I'm like, wow, did you do 1900 01:37:31,400 --> 01:37:33,240 Speaker 1: you know this song by me? Because this is very 1901 01:37:33,280 --> 01:37:35,639 Speaker 1: similar to something I wrote five years ago or seven 1902 01:37:35,720 --> 01:37:37,720 Speaker 1: years ago or ten years ago. Oh my gosh, I 1903 01:37:37,800 --> 01:37:40,439 Speaker 1: love that song. Yeah, I can see the influence there. 1904 01:37:40,479 --> 01:37:42,479 Speaker 1: So to me, it's cool when other songwriters come and 1905 01:37:42,479 --> 01:37:45,639 Speaker 1: want to work with me. Where before I was closed 1906 01:37:45,640 --> 01:37:48,639 Speaker 1: to that idea, now I'm like, well, let's collaborate. Two minds. 1907 01:37:48,640 --> 01:37:51,719 Speaker 1: Three minds are better than one. I've kind of learned 1908 01:37:51,760 --> 01:37:55,000 Speaker 1: to enjoy that process now, the part about do I 1909 01:37:55,040 --> 01:38:01,479 Speaker 1: want a radio hit, it's more about me because in 1910 01:38:01,560 --> 01:38:04,600 Speaker 1: this independent world where we could try and be like, 1911 01:38:04,680 --> 01:38:06,760 Speaker 1: this person is worth as much of this guy's worth. 1912 01:38:06,760 --> 01:38:09,280 Speaker 1: That much goes back to that conversation I had, you know, 1913 01:38:09,320 --> 01:38:15,280 Speaker 1: a long time ago with Pasqual I deserved here. You know, Um, 1914 01:38:15,320 --> 01:38:18,360 Speaker 1: there's still a lot of guys that, oh, well, we're 1915 01:38:18,360 --> 01:38:20,639 Speaker 1: gonna build him here and build them there. Okay, then 1916 01:38:20,680 --> 01:38:23,559 Speaker 1: just don't include me on your festival. I'm fine, I 1917 01:38:23,600 --> 01:38:28,360 Speaker 1: don't need your dollars. Although that's a lot of money. 1918 01:38:28,439 --> 01:38:33,559 Speaker 1: Of course, I'll be playing for cheeseburgers right But to me, 1919 01:38:33,600 --> 01:38:35,519 Speaker 1: it was like, I don't need to be a part 1920 01:38:35,520 --> 01:38:37,479 Speaker 1: of that that that guy that you're putting on ahead 1921 01:38:37,520 --> 01:38:39,719 Speaker 1: of me or claiming that he has more value. I don't. 1922 01:38:40,240 --> 01:38:43,920 Speaker 1: I don't subscribe to that cool you know. And so 1923 01:38:44,040 --> 01:38:46,760 Speaker 1: for me, the touring numbers became a really big deal. 1924 01:38:47,760 --> 01:38:50,240 Speaker 1: And I understood when you know, the Swedes and all 1925 01:38:50,280 --> 01:38:52,400 Speaker 1: these guys came around, they're like, I sold out Medicine 1926 01:38:52,439 --> 01:38:54,599 Speaker 1: Square Garden. I understood why they did that, because they're 1927 01:38:54,640 --> 01:38:58,360 Speaker 1: trying to, you know, put their value up to these 1928 01:38:58,360 --> 01:39:01,000 Speaker 1: promoters and show them things. So for me, when I 1929 01:39:01,040 --> 01:39:03,559 Speaker 1: come back, I mean promoters around the world right now, 1930 01:39:03,600 --> 01:39:05,640 Speaker 1: the country you're emailing me. They can't it can't be 1931 01:39:05,760 --> 01:39:11,479 Speaker 1: thirty one people. You meant thousand people. Really, Oh, I 1932 01:39:11,479 --> 01:39:14,320 Speaker 1: had a promoter. I'm not going to say who's when 1933 01:39:14,360 --> 01:39:17,080 Speaker 1: I told him, like you mean three thousand, Like, no, 1934 01:39:17,160 --> 01:39:20,519 Speaker 1: this is thirty one thousand paid people. Guess what with 1935 01:39:20,560 --> 01:39:23,000 Speaker 1: another couple of thousand jumping the fence and probably a 1936 01:39:23,000 --> 01:39:26,519 Speaker 1: couple more thousand on my guest Listen. I mean, this 1937 01:39:26,560 --> 01:39:29,160 Speaker 1: is the thirty five thousand person party we're having here. 1938 01:39:29,280 --> 01:39:32,920 Speaker 1: This is a show that we're creating waves and those 1939 01:39:33,960 --> 01:39:37,479 Speaker 1: those moments, because to me, whether it's five people or 1940 01:39:37,560 --> 01:39:41,840 Speaker 1: fifty thousand, it's more about success and not having to 1941 01:39:41,920 --> 01:39:45,120 Speaker 1: answer to the promoter and prove my value to them. 1942 01:39:45,160 --> 01:39:47,200 Speaker 1: So for me, the radio hit is like it's here 1943 01:39:47,240 --> 01:39:50,519 Speaker 1: nor there. But I can't stand answering to these guys 1944 01:39:50,640 --> 01:39:52,599 Speaker 1: that are like, oh, well, we're gonna put this kid 1945 01:39:52,640 --> 01:39:54,559 Speaker 1: who's eighteen on in front of you, and I'm like, no, 1946 01:39:54,640 --> 01:39:57,840 Speaker 1: you're not You're not cool. I don't have to play 1947 01:39:57,880 --> 01:40:02,400 Speaker 1: your party, dude, I'm busy that day. Well, certainly the 1948 01:40:02,439 --> 01:40:06,800 Speaker 1: cutthroat business like this, but traditionally traditionally is a funny 1949 01:40:06,880 --> 01:40:09,200 Speaker 1: term to use. For over the last twenty years, but 1950 01:40:10,000 --> 01:40:14,519 Speaker 1: dance music has waxed and waned in popularity outside of 1951 01:40:14,520 --> 01:40:18,120 Speaker 1: its core audience. Yes, do you think that it will 1952 01:40:18,160 --> 01:40:21,200 Speaker 1: continue to grow or go back to base or do 1953 01:40:21,240 --> 01:40:24,240 Speaker 1: you have a viewpoint on that it's going back to base. 1954 01:40:24,280 --> 01:40:25,880 Speaker 1: Now we're in the middle of a shift. It's going 1955 01:40:25,920 --> 01:40:28,439 Speaker 1: back to base, which is cool, it's fine. I think 1956 01:40:28,439 --> 01:40:31,120 Speaker 1: there's a handful of guys that it doesn't matter. They're 1957 01:40:31,160 --> 01:40:35,800 Speaker 1: just part of the pop cultural landscape. Um, so they've 1958 01:40:35,840 --> 01:40:38,200 Speaker 1: kind of risen above that here in this country. I'm 1959 01:40:38,320 --> 01:40:40,839 Speaker 1: very fortunate to be part of that small club of guys, 1960 01:40:41,320 --> 01:40:45,160 Speaker 1: um and girls. I think there's a girl in there somewhere, maybe, 1961 01:40:45,320 --> 01:40:49,639 Speaker 1: I hope. So I'm not touching that right, um, but 1962 01:40:49,840 --> 01:40:52,040 Speaker 1: I think we'll make it through. And I think the 1963 01:40:52,120 --> 01:40:54,360 Speaker 1: underground as strong as it's ever been. But it's it's 1964 01:40:54,360 --> 01:40:56,840 Speaker 1: weaning because every listen everything is hip hop right now, 1965 01:40:57,760 --> 01:41:00,439 Speaker 1: and even a lot of successful dance song songs have 1966 01:41:00,520 --> 01:41:03,160 Speaker 1: to have okay, we gotta have a verse from g 1967 01:41:03,320 --> 01:41:07,360 Speaker 1: easy this or whatever. And it's becoming more you know, 1968 01:41:07,880 --> 01:41:11,719 Speaker 1: lab created music, right, everyone's got to have an opinion 1969 01:41:11,720 --> 01:41:14,240 Speaker 1: and make this and make that and make this. And me, 1970 01:41:14,280 --> 01:41:16,360 Speaker 1: I'm kind of like comfortable to sitting back doing what 1971 01:41:16,560 --> 01:41:20,080 Speaker 1: I've always done. Sure the poppit, yeah cool, I take 1972 01:41:20,120 --> 01:41:21,960 Speaker 1: one of those. Cool And I listened to am I 1973 01:41:22,080 --> 01:41:25,320 Speaker 1: open to listening to somebody else's ideas and what I 1974 01:41:25,360 --> 01:41:28,200 Speaker 1: should being. Yeah, sure, is most of it a waste 1975 01:41:28,240 --> 01:41:31,920 Speaker 1: of time? Yes, I'm like because I'm perfectly comfortable what 1976 01:41:31,960 --> 01:41:34,280 Speaker 1: I'm doing. But if somebody's got a great idea and 1977 01:41:34,320 --> 01:41:36,920 Speaker 1: there's a brilliant songwriter out there, I love good music, 1978 01:41:37,000 --> 01:41:40,519 Speaker 1: and I'll spend a day in the studio with them, 1979 01:41:40,560 --> 01:41:43,680 Speaker 1: and you know, maybe some magic comes out of that. Well, 1980 01:41:43,680 --> 01:41:46,840 Speaker 1: there's a whole another podcast getting into the creation and 1981 01:41:46,960 --> 01:41:49,840 Speaker 1: the scene. But you've been listening to the Cascade on 1982 01:41:49,880 --> 01:41:53,440 Speaker 1: the Bob Left Sets podcast. This has just been fascinating 1983 01:41:53,479 --> 01:41:56,960 Speaker 1: and edifying just to hear. And when people have no idea, 1984 01:41:57,000 --> 01:41:59,920 Speaker 1: all they see is like the Forbes list a successful DJ. 1985 01:42:00,400 --> 01:42:03,240 Speaker 1: They have no idea of the hard work that's put in, 1986 01:42:03,479 --> 01:42:06,240 Speaker 1: and especially in your case, that you were attracted to 1987 01:42:06,280 --> 01:42:08,840 Speaker 1: the scene when there was barely any scene to begin with, 1988 01:42:09,080 --> 01:42:11,680 Speaker 1: when you're growing up in Chicago, and to use the 1989 01:42:11,720 --> 01:42:15,840 Speaker 1: old cliche, that started music businesses and every walk of life. 1990 01:42:15,840 --> 01:42:18,519 Speaker 1: Now you paid a lot of dues, so you're at 1991 01:42:18,520 --> 01:42:21,400 Speaker 1: the pinnacle. You have a smile on your face. It's 1992 01:42:21,400 --> 01:42:23,479 Speaker 1: been so great to have you here. Thank you so much. 1993 01:42:23,520 --> 01:42:28,120 Speaker 1: Thanks appreciate it. Until next time, it's Bob left Sets. 1994 01:42:28,640 --> 01:42:36,599 Speaker 1: Tune in next week for another podcast that wraps up 1995 01:42:36,640 --> 01:42:39,519 Speaker 1: this week's episode of the Bob left Sets podcast, recorded 1996 01:42:39,560 --> 01:42:42,960 Speaker 1: live with the tune in studios in Venice, California. I 1997 01:42:43,000 --> 01:42:46,080 Speaker 1: hope you enjoyed my conversation with Cascade as much as 1998 01:42:46,120 --> 01:42:48,800 Speaker 1: I did. What do you think of the interview? You 1999 01:42:48,840 --> 01:42:51,800 Speaker 1: can email me at Bob at left sets dot com. 2000 01:42:51,880 --> 01:43:06,640 Speaker 1: Until next time, I'm Bob left Sets. Can't think of 2001 01:43:07,640 --> 01:43:14,519 Speaker 1: me reason and I don't know me. Saly one must 2002 01:43:14,640 --> 01:43:15,720 Speaker 1: be o