Dallas Observer Mixtape with Arkatype: Local Producer Spotlight

You can tell Chuk Scott is a consummate cratedigger when you listen to the samples on Kemet, the 32-track experimental hip-hop opus he released on Bandcamp. Scott, who produces under the alias Arkatype, has a lot in common with other trailblazing producers such as Madlib, samiyam or Flying Lotus. On this…

The First ‘Hip Hop Book Club’ Convenes at Josey Records

True fans of hip-hop culture love to debate which albums qualify as classics. Now imagine taking these intense conversations in a public setting, outside of your apartment or group texts. Josey Records is hosting just such a gathering at a new monthly open forum called the Hip Hop Book Club. It imitates…

Morrissey: “I Prefer It When They Don’t Understand”

Morrissey plays Majestic Theatre on April 15 Few musicians inspire the adoration that English singer and songwriter Steven Patrick Morrissey does. Rising to fame using his last name since he rose to fame with the Smiths in the ’80s, Morrissey is regarded as one of the best lyricists of all…

Dallas DJ Starts Four-Day Techno Fest in Belize to Help Charity

Veteran Dallas DJ and promoter Willie Trimmer has served as an ambassador for the Dallas house and techno scenes for nearly two decades. Through his promotion company 12InchPimps, he’s organized parties, managed DJs and held down several residencies himself. Now he’s leveraging his experience and connections to start the four-day…

10 Local EDM Artists to Watch

You might think electronic dance music, or EDM, is all about glowsticking and furry boots. The glow sticks are pretty cool, it’s true, but the genre is also about a lot more than that: The combination of deejaying, audio engineering, production and songwriting requires real artistry. Over the last few…

Cinderblock Sessions Takes Its First Step Outside of Dallas at SXSW

Jake Ryan Hull and Nick Melita have mastered the art of the intimate performance. The creators of Dallas-based Cinderblock Sessions — which delivers “one-take” performance videos for up-and-coming Dallas artists with a small, select audience in attendance — brought everything they’ve learned over the past two years to Austin’s South…

Sick Big Sean Bounced Back for His Fans Saturday

Big Sean With MadeInTYO South Side Ballroom, Dallas Saturday, March 18, 2017 The work of fog machines blended with marijuana smoke to blanket the sold-out South Side Ballroom Saturday as fans awaited the arrival of the evening’s performer, Big Sean. The rapper, born Sean Michael Leonard Anderson, stopped in Dallas…

Dallas Observer Mixtape with Aleah Axiom: Slam, Pan-Pot & More

Aleah Axiom spent the past 15 years focused on the many forms of electronic music, but techno appears to be her true calling. Now it’s a full-time obsession behind the decks as a DJ and behind the pen on her blog Robotic Peacock. She travels to watch and interview techno…