BACK TO THE DJ - ROUND TWO!!!

With such success of our first Back To The DJ, Groove Technicians are now going to hold an installment every quarter, hand-selecting the DJ's we think that represent the old school way of party rockin'. The next one will be Friday, Oct. 22nd at The Baltic Room. We have an amazing line-up once again, with special appearances by DJ E-Rok and Topspin! When I was just getting into DJing in the early 90's, these guys were the ones I looked up to, and I'd constantly listen to their live mixes on the Rap Attack radio show. It's going to be an honor to rock with them on this epic night. Peep details below:

New Soul Sundays at The Triple Door

After some patience and puttin' in work with the guys at The Triple Door, we've finally come to a solid development of Sundays. Sponsored by 42Below, we're calling it New Soul Sundays, with DJ Jigsy of Krazy Hype Sound throwin' down the first Sundays, and yours truly on the 2nd and 4th. This month the local Seattle soul band Solstarr will be laying down the righteous vocals for y'all to kick back and vibe to. Mature minded, old soul - how soul music should be. The official splash opening will be in late September, and we will be booking a very large act - keep your calendars open for that one. As of now, I'm looking for some talent to perform at one of these nights after the splash opening - get at me if you think you got it. As with all of our events, come check us out whenever you need a change of pace from the same old scene!

Joints & Jams - Now Every 2nd and 4th Friday

So with some great negotiation, the Groove Technicians have moved our consistent Thursday nights to the 2nd and 4th Fridays at The Baltic Room. This is better for multiple reasons: more buzz, more to look forward to, the more mature crowd doesn't have to work the next day, etc. The music will never change - same Joints, same Jams - timeless Soul and Hip-Hop for the masses!! Come see what the hype is all about!!

Skratch Lounge Makes The Seattle Times!!

Thanks to Scratchmaster Joe, our August headliner, we got a plug in the Seattle Times! Hard work and hustle always pays off down the line. Check the link below:

Matson on Music | Fusion idea: Scratchmaster Joe & Trntdrm at Baltic Room 08/05/10 | Seattle Times Newspaper

BACK TO THE DJ - RECAP

Back To The DJ was bananas!!! I have to say this was the sort of night I've always wanted to have since I started DJing. Can't believe it finally happened 17 years later. Well, better late than never ;) Every DJ respectively killed it! Sonny Bonoho, the dopest host and long-time friend, definitely understands the DJ game and gave all the DJ's the props they needed. I think every person in the joint was there for the music - basically, the people there were the one's who ask "What's the music like" vs. "Is it crackin?" A packed house with peeps already groovin' at 10:30PM - simply dope. Spinja's opening was respectful of the headliners, and yet he was still movin' the crowd very nicely (openers who play bangers at 10PM are stupid and do not understand the game - take note young bucks!!). D'Lemma played my favorite 90's R&B joints and shoot, even I was giggin'. Soul One absolutely destroyed the night with Golden Era hip-hop: can't believe he worked it so well to the crowd...Simon Says and Mass Appeal with everyone still dancin'! Props Soul. Pryme wowed everyone with his own loops and blends - a DJ who definitely understands how to earn his respect on the tables. Fever One funked it up with his deep funk library for all the b-boys who came to catch wreck. Estylz brought it all back to the New Jack/80's R&B and worked the crowd wonderfully. One of the best nights I've ever had. This one's for the books. Respect a good DJ's worth because the party comes correct with him/her.

BACK TO THE DJ!!!

So after this month's Skratch Lounge, I started to think how we are really starting to rebuild a community and make a difference for the DJ's out here in the NW. I woke up Saturday morning thinking, "what else do DJ's rarely have the freedom to do in today's fractured scene?" Well, the answer is, "play whatever the hell we want while still drawing a crowd strictly based on the DJ and the music - no promoters, no requests, no bullshit". With all the wack DJ's today getting gigs, it's difficult for any true school DJ to even have the freedom to play what they want, especially if that's the main source of income. What a better way to revive the fun in DJing than to get a group of seasoned DJ's to throw down their own sets and get the spotlight for the night? I called up some of the homies to get a feel...well, the least to say, I had a line-up in a matter of 20 minutes. A few more days and the idea turned into reality. Big ups to all the DJ's who are down with this night, 100Proof for the genius flyer design, Fever One for the print hook-up and non-stop hustle, and the famous Sonny Bonoho for hosting. You guys made the night - not me, not Groove Technicians, not promoters - the DJ's. Let's make July 23rd, Friday absolutely EPIC:

Nate Vibez Live Performance

On June 17, 2010, we were blessed to have the vocals of Nate Vibez on our last Joints & Jams LIVE Edition at the Baltic Room in Seattle. It was an amazing performance, and he truly captured the crowd with his stellar stage presence. Below are some clips (big ups to Tony Amort, who uploaded these vids as well as ripped the guitar in these sets):

Late Night Hour:


Forthenight:

Skratch Lounge: July

This month we absolutely killed it. We had an unexpected guest come all the way from Portland to check us out quietly: DJ Wicked. Wicked is one of the few DJ's that still goes all vinyl (amen). Real talk, real DJ's.

On to our showcase, who definitely held it down amidst all the eyes on him. Seattle's own DJ Shmix, probably one of the best power scratchers up here, threw a curve ball at us by not only scratching, but dropping his own beats that he RHYMED over. WHAT!? You just gotta watch it:



Skratch Lounge is held every 1st Thursday from 8PM - ?? at the Baltic Room in Seattle, WA. No cover.

New Demo

A possible gig came up for me in LA, which required a demo of some sort. A little snippet of what I do in a soul shifting party environment. Click on the link below. Enjoy!

DJ BAMBOO DEMO

Groove Technicians (We keeps it playa while some choose to play it safe)!

DJ Spinja and I have known each other for quite some time, doing random hip-hop parties back at UW in the 90's. We've always talked about creating a night that caters to our perspective of timeless soul/hip-hop/funk, spanning all real music lovers who can also get down - and it's finally happened. I think it's because we've seen enough happen in the music scene in both the east and west coasts, and the time is just right to create something that was so obviously timeless. Here's a link to our newly formed group Groove Technicians**. A brief synopsis of what we represent:

"DJ's Bamboo and Spinja have come together to form Groove Technicians. We share an appreciation of digging deep in the crates for good music that takes you back to when slow jamz wasn't just the name of a radio segment, but was the time when you got to dance with the girl that made your palms sweat.

The vibe we consistently create moves an audience with flavor, where feeling our music most definitely leads to head bobs and groovin'. Scratching, juggling, mixing, and blending are all essential elements of DJing and we have not forgotten these, staying rooted in the art itself.

As you start to become more familiar with our nights, you might picture a music video with throwback soul/hip-hop and a well-versed crowd moving with the party, or with people engaged in conversation just as intimate as the music. We want to earn your trust so that when you see the name Groove Technicians, you'll equate it with quality and style. Come check us out weekly and we hope that your experience will lead to musical enjoyment, meeting new friends, and a movement that can breathe freshness into Seattle's nightlife."

Please join us and support the movement of just plain old down to earth, good, and undiluted music.

**For those who have been confused, we are not affiliated with the promotional group Resident Media. This is a separate endeavor where the visions do not align. They have taken the liberty to move on in providing events for the trendy masses because that's where their strengths lie. We have chosen to stay with the risk of a much harder task of rocking a party with timeless, not-so-trendy music. Much love for all the support that we've seen in the last year!

Skratch Lounge

I'm elated on how successful the Skratch Lounge has become - and we're only two months into it!! Groove Technicians have once again introduced a fresh, new concept to the Northwest, and it happens the first Thursday of every month. Spawned by the Scratch Pad in the Bay (big ups to Boogie Brown for motivating me to start this whole thing), we've started an open-deck scratch session for all locally talented turntablists to come flex their skills for all to see. We currently have 6 open decks and the beats are run up top by myself and Spinja. Each DJ gets 8 bars and we just keep rotating in a circle. All DJ's have been mad respectful and let each other on - thanks for all being so humble guys! We then break for the featured tablist of the month, who gets solo time to exhibit his/her skills. Following that we have a drumming/scratching free-for-all. Then it's Joints & Jams party time for everyone.

The talent that has come through has blown my mind. Our grand opening featured DMC Champ Mista-B, representing 4onefunk. We were definitely blessed to have him come through from the Bay. This month we featured NW DMC Champ DJ Tre'. Below is a video of him doing a Guru tribute, along with a sample of what you'll hear during the open-deck sessions:





Big ups to Holy Torres for taking some amazing stills. Check out these pics:

May Skratch Lounge Pics

You don't have to be a scratch DJ to come through - if you are just into listening to this truly underrepresented art form, come through and kick back with a beer to just vibe out to good beats and cuts. Is a scratch DJ a good club DJ? Is a club DJ a good scratch DJ? Not always, but one thing is certain: scratching is the most raw form of street cred and bragging rights. Catch some wreck son...

DJ Bamboo on Jeepney's Featured Artists Page

Big ups to Jeepney Clothing for creating their Feature Artists page. Made the cut! Check it out:

DJ Kentaro killin' it with the juggle and DJ Abilities drumming

This guy is so damn good at juggling. So clean and precise I had to post it. Kentaro must eat scratch for breakfast and a hearty juggle for lunch.



DJ Abilities with some creative drumming.

DigiWack

I’m sure what I’m saying isn’t anything new, but I’d like to rant my opinion about the digital movement and what kinds of personal reactions I’ve experienced in the last 4 years. With the music recording industry completely evolving to digital, it’s no surprise that Serato Scratch Live was released. I was completely clueless as to what was so appealing about it because I walked around with blinders on, still spinning vinyl and collecting (BTW, I now have Serato – it beats lugging crates; however, DJ principles still don’t change for me). About 4 years ago, I still remember spinning at a club and lugging my vinyl for the gig. I did a lot of live blends and mixed out quickly into the next song – something I always prided in doing. The other DJ spinning was using Serato, and I remember when I finished my set, he came up to me and was like, “Yo, I didn’t know you were doing that live – people can do it that fast?” I know all of you old school/vinyl DJ’s are already rolling your eyes with this question. This is where my rant shall begin.

What is it about this type of question that makes me irritated? Is it the fact that pure Serato DJ’s don’t respect where DJing came from? Is it the fact that someone else is getting paid for just being able to do simple, sloppy, compilation mixes? Is it the fact that the lack of basic turntable skills ruins the image of talented DJ’s to the general public? Yes, yes, and yes.

You see, I got into DJing solely based on just wanting to scratch. That’s all I practiced the first year. Oddly enough, I never learned how to mix music until shortly after.

The Definitions of Old and New School Hip-Hop

What comes to your mind when you look on a flyer and it says “Old School” music all night? Given the musical terrain and fan base of today, I’m saddened to think that in my mind, you might think of stuff from the late late 90’s. Paperboy’s Ditty or Puff Daddy's All About the Benjamins (yes, that was his name before Diddy) is not old school. By definition, "Old School" hip-hop ended around 1984 when Run DMC broke out into mainstream. Artists like Afrika Bambaataa, The Treacherous Three, Funky Four Plus One, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, are true old school where rhymes were more party based and used relatively few syllables per bar of music.

"New School" hip-hop then covers everything from Public Enemy to Jay-Z to Lil’ Wayne, and most fans of hip-hop are familiar with this movement. This travels from political expression to ghetto stories to multi-syllable rhymes.

Formula DJ's from the Bay visit Seattle

Formula DJ's Boogie Brown and Neo Geo came to hang and spin with us at Joints & Jams this weekend. I met these cats on a much needed vacation down in San Francisco (thanks to my girl Michelle for such a wonderful bday gift!). These guys completely get what DJing is all about and continue to rock it. Much love for the hospitality and inspiration. Now it's our turn to pay them back in Sea-town! I don't know what they do in the Bay, but those damn Franette shots killed me (and Glenn, and Neo...haha). Nonetheless, they rocked the crowd and we had a blast! Glenn was definitely in rare form. I've never seen such a designated dancer...

DJ Etiquette - How to Treat a DJ

1. If you see us bobbing our head in deep concentration, DON’T BOTHER US. We’re trying to mix in the next song and incessant waving and looming isn’t helping.

2. Unless you’re at a wedding, high school Homecoming, or karaoke bar, DO NOT ask for requests. We have things called “sets” where we previously pick a list of songs to play with very intricate transitions and mixing, so we’re not going to abandon that for your Top 40 Radio Song. Would you walk up to a band on stage and ask them to play “Single Ladies by Beyonce” all night? Nuff said.

3. No, I will not let you, your cousin, or your friend get on the turntables to DJ. That’s like me coming up to you at a traffic light asking, “Can I drive your car?” Your dude may be DMC World Champion, but I’m not getting some total stranger on my $3000 equipment.