This week's DC9er presents readers and listeners with not one, but two very different mixes from seasoned area musician, dubstep producer and DJ, Mwanza Dover.
And not by accident, either. Dover voraciously admits that there was no way he could "really make one mix that would make sense for what [he does]." So he went and made an "all vinyl Soular Power mix" and an "all laptop Blixaboy set" for you all to devour.
That's no small feat, but Dover has been DJing for the past eight years now. And, with an eclectic array of influences, he likes to keep his sound fresh.
"The Blixaboy sets are more of a creative endeavor while the Soular Power sets are more like exploring the roots of groove based music through a wide variety of genres and all on vinyl," he says.
Want to catch Dover in action? Blixaboy will play The Astroblaque Bass Junkies night at The Lounge on Elm Street on May 7. And you can catch Soular Power the next evening, on May 8, at Tradewinds Social Club in Oak Cliff.
And, after the jump, check out a Q&A and both mixes Dover's provided.
How long have you been DJing for?
8 years.
How did you get your start DJing?
I had a big collection, so I started getting invited to DJ at various parties.
What was your first gig like?
It was very random. I had no idea what I was doing.
Who/what are some of your biggest influences musical or otherwise?
Alejandro Jodorowsky, Sun Ra, Nick Cave, James Brown, Can, The Stooges, Steve Reich, Glenn Branca, Scott Walker, Aphex Twin, Massive Attack, Fela Kuti, Joy Division, Gang of Four, Ellen Allien, P-Funk, The Pop Group, The Fall, My Bloody Valentine, Velvet Underground, King Tubby, the entire dubstep movement, Jeff Mills and Stax Records. I like a wide range of music, but these are the artists that have had the most consistent impact on me as an artist and DJ.
Which DJ's do you follow? Do you have a favorite?
For dubstep, I really dig 2562, Scuba, Untold, Kode 9, Skream, DJ Pinch, Synkro, Martyn, Zomby, Mala and Appleblim to name a few faves. For techno, my faves would be Ricardo Villalobos, Jeff Mills, Echospace, Rob Hood, Modeselektor, Convextion, Basic Channel, Ellen Allien, Bruno Pronsato, Luciano, Minilogue. I like a lot of techno, but I definitely lean towards the modern German scene, classic Detroit and South American minimal stuff. I like my techno space-y and deep just like my dubstep.
How do you decide what songs you're going to play?
For Soular Power, I just bring three crates of vinyl and kind of riff off of my partner Gabe. We really try to connect the dots of groove music throughout history. Especially if we can find that groove in places people don't always look. For Blixaboy sets, I play 50 to 100 percent my own tracks. Even if I use a track from another producer, I will chop it up and only use a segment of the track in my session. The Blixaboy sets are more of a creative endeavor, while the Soular Power sets are more like exploring the roots of groove-based music through a wide variety of genres and all on vinyl. The dubstep mix I did for you guys is a little heavier on other people's music than I usually play. Since folks around these parts are not really that familiar with dubstep, I wanted to give a point of reference. Especially since my style is more on the fringes of popular dubstep.
How much preparation goes into putting a set together?
I will take anywhere from a few hours to a few days. I put a lot of thought into my sets and cuts for the night. For Soular Power, that means listening to a lot of records to find the choice cuts for the night and spending lots of time crate-digging for vinyl in various vinyl shops. For Blixaboy, that can mean writing 10 new tracks to bring in a big batch of new tunes no one has ever heard before. Constantly bringing fresh material keeps the sets up to date with where I am at creatively.
What are your main objectives when it comes to playing music? (Are you looking to entertain the crowd, educate them, or something different altogether?)
The Soular Power sets are all about edu-tainment. Turn them on to some classic tracks while making them shake their shoes. We really try to explore the history of deep groove and how it has evolved through many genres. Whether it be krautrock, funk, soul, post-punk, garage rock and whatnot. The Blixaboy sets are really all about playing very deep dub techno and dubstep. At the end of the day I love playing techno for punks and punk for techno heads.
What can someone expect when they come to see/hear you play?
Hopefully a completely different experience than what they are used to with DJs. I work really hard to make every gig different from the last. I like to use the music to tell a story and express whatever emotions I am feeling at the time. At the Soular Power gigs, we play a lot of great feel good music. The Blixaboy gigs are more introspective. I like to think of DJing as sound art.
What kind of equipment do you use?
For Soular Power, I use two turntables and a mixer. For Blixaboy, I use Ableton Live on a laptop, a theremin, sometimes my guitar and other little electronic toys.
Requests. Love em or hate em?
I'll take them for Soular Power sets if they are in the context of what we are playing and we have it in our vinyl crates. Blixaboy is not a request act.
If you could play a gig anywhere, with any other DJ/music act, whom would you play with and where would it be?
I would love to play Substance Dubstep night at Berghein in Berlin with Scuba. I daydream about going to the motherland of Detroit to play the Detroit Electronic Music Festival. That is a long-term goal.
What sets you apart from other DJs in Dallas/Denton/Fort Worth?
I am still more of a musician than a DJ, but I have really gotten sucked into the history and art of DJ culture over the past eight years. I love techno, experimental music, dub, soul and punk equally. I have no interest in becoming a one genre DJ. My palette is a little too broad for that. That being said, I do consider myself a dubstep producer nowadays, but we shall see how long that lasts until I move on to something else.
When/where will you be playing next?
Blixaboy will be at The Astroblaque Bass Junkies Night at The Lounge on Elm Street on May 7. Soular Power will be at Tradewinds on May 8.
What can Dallas expect to see from you in 2010?
Lots of Blixaboy releases (digital and Vinyl), lots of mixes and and lots of gigs.
Soular Power tracklist:
Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings - Pick It Up, Lay It In The Vut
Chester Randle's Soul Senders - Soul Brothers Testify, Part 1
Fela Kuti and Africa 70 with Ginger Baker - Ye Ye De Smell
Baby Huey - Hard Times
Can - Vitamin C
Wilson Pickett - Get Me Back On Time Engine no.9
The Rimshots - Do What You feel
Bush Tetras - Can't Be Funky
The Pop Group - Thief of Fire
Magazine - Shot on Both Sides
The Wipers - Up Front
James Brown - I Got The Feelin/Give It Up or Turn It Loose
Lee Fields - My World
Blixaboy Dub Power tracklist:
Datarock - Amarillion (Blixaboy & Redeye remix)
Untold - Gonna Work Out Fine
Joy Orbison - The Shrew Would Have Cushioned the Blow
TRG - They Know
2562 - Flashback
F - Poka
Synkro - Everyday
Blixaboy - Ruby
Scuba - Three Sided Shape
Blixaboy - Politiks
Kontext - Plumes (Relocate remix)
