After a great vacation in Maui, HI, I come home to another week of work that slams me with endless projects. Yay... Couldn't wait for that. (Not!) So after a long and stressful week, I get to release at Paradise Island by Motive Events. The event took place at Pharaoh's Theme and Water Park once again--even though I though this place was shut down by now--and they brought in some pretty good talent for this gig. I was excited to hear Jelo perform, but I was busy DJing first in the "indie" room. Yes, the indie room. I'm a house DJ but I guess the indie kids still want me to bang house music in there. (It's all the same to me anyway!)

The indie room was in what they call the lasertag or "glow" room since it has all the black lights on, and it had some pretty decent sound fom BassStation. The room was packed and Bulimiatron was finishing up his set right before I got on, so I knew the people were ready to rock.

Originally, I was supposed to walk in with some friends but everyone either bailed or showed up late, so once inside I started meeting people and was trying to find some dancers to get on the speakers since that's always fun. But no luck. My friends who were originally planning to come with me and dance were running late like the flakes they are! (You know who you are!) But as soon as I went on the decks, some girls immediately wanted to dance on the speakers! So I went ahead and let them, the sound guy was giving them shit because it was rocking the setup but I didn't care. 

Anyhow, I ended up asking one of the girls to take some footage of the crowd which you can hardly see, but the place was packed and I had a pretty good time rocking it. All in all, I had a blast and I hope everyone else who went did as well. Here's a clip from the event which you can hardly see, so pardon the horrible lighting once again.

Vestax VCI-300 DJ Controller with Serato ITCH

Recently I was at Guitar Center in Northridge, and I was checking out any new toys that I could play with. I've been meaning to get a new midi controller (Akai APC 40) and thinking of going to CDs on my sets instead of using Serato Scratch Live.

There was a small station with a MacBook Pro laptop setup with speakers, and a Vestax VCi-300 DJ controller using Serato ITCH. It seemed like a neat little toy, so I decided to play with it for a few, and was I surprised!

The Vestax VCI-300 is a USB/MIDI controller that includes Serato ITCH software. he VCI-300 also comes with a built-in audio interface with standard 4 In/4 Out and headphone connection, which means all you need for DJing is the VCI-300, a laptop, and a set of headphones.

Looks May Deceive Your Eyes

It's size and looks may not convince you at first, but it's a very precise and accurate controller. The entire controller is 410mm wide x 43mm height x 275mm deep and the platter size is about the size of a CD--perhaps a few millimeters larger--but after using it for a while you get used to the size. It's loaded with tons of knobs and buttons for accurate control of the software, and loaded with great features.

Adjustable Torque and Curves

The platters have an adjustable torque control, so you may adjust the torque--or resistance of the platter--to your own comfort. A loose setting on the platter lets you backspin the platter and toss it around the track, but if you tighten the platter up you'll have more resistance for precise pitch bending and a real vinyl scratching simulation. 

The crossfader and volume faders also have an adjustable curve, which makes it easy for any turntablists and DJs to customize the response and feel of the mixer. It has a sharp scratching curve for the crossfader which makes scratching on it very easy, and the linear curves are also good for mixing tunes in and out of each other. 

Full Control

The controller has various buttons which may confuse you at first, but after learning all their functions you really can a feel for the functionality of this controller. Search through your laptop is a breeze with the built-in navigational controls, and selecting songs and que points couldn't be easier.

Audio Interface

The built-in audio interface carries an Audio Codec IC with great sound and features a 24-bit stereo D/A-A/D converter. The audio connections include 1 stereo input, 1 MIC input, and 2 stereo outputs (Master L/R, Monitor L/R) and you can control the output from the mixer. 

Conclusion

Overall, I think this controller will be added to my arsenal fairly soon. It's a great controller and the size is compact enough to take almost anywhere. It's great for use in office, car, plane, studio, or even at the club. It will really make mixing a breeze for the portable DJ, and if you don't have the proper equipment at a venue, just use it as a backup for your live set. I give this piece of work a two thumbs up!

Once again, Motive Events has produced an event of epic proportions! The 420 Festival was expecting over 10,000 people to show up on the 18th of April, and I'll tell you it was packed!

There had been a lot of rumors going around that DEA was going to bust the event, people were warning me that I should be careful if I show up, and that they were going to have drug sniffing dogs, and all these other horror stories. It was all a bunch of bullshit spreading around since people weren't sure what was going on with the venue, especially since it was featured in the news. 

Yes! The 420 Festival was taking place at Pharaoh's Theme & Water Park one more time! KTLA had done a feature on Pharaoh's Theme Park the day before, mentioning that under age kids, drinking, and drugs would be involved. The worst statement made in my opinion was "dangerous activities". Ravers aren't dangerous! Please, get your facts straight! It was also later stated by a sheriff that the ravers were being very respectful, the only problem they had was since they had last minute changed the event to an 18 and Over event, a lot of kids were trying to rush the gates and fences. 

The night went off without huge problems (from what I saw), the only issue I had the entire night was that I had to pay for parking and water even though I was an artist. That's some bullshit! Either way, I had a great night. I enjoyed my set, and had the crowd rocking. I brought in a few friends, and they were gogo dancing for me on the speakers while I did my thing. 

Thanks to everyone that I saw and met there, thanks again for everyone for the continued support, and next time I'll show up a bit earlier and get everyone rounded up! Stay tuned for the next Motive Event, and listen to Motive Radio on x103.9 on Fridays nights midnight.

Check out some of the video clips on YouTube of the 420 Festival and my set or check out my Videos page for more. The lighting was shitty, so please bare with it.

How Sweet It is, I haven't been to one of these events in a while. I usually don't attend massives for the fact they just aren't as fun as they used to be for me. I'm more at home with a smaller more intimate crowd, but for the sake of promoting for ANTHEMS at How Sweet It Is, I decided to go inside along with my buddy Yusuf.

We got inside without paying coz we're pimps like that, took a while but we did it. Ran into a few people I'm familiar with and some old friends as well. Ended up being pretty exciting to be inside a massive after not being for a few years. Not much has changed, as they say, "We get older and they stay young". Still the same kids showing up in goofy outfits, still the same kids getting fuct up on drugs, still the same ravers going to spread the PLUR and trading kandy, and the music is just as loud. 

The music was great, I was listening to Charles Feelgood and DJ SS for a while, and then of course some of the guys from Josh Billings' Club FOCUS from O.C. I witnessed a swarm of kids trying to jump the front gates, cops pulling them down, kids rolling around on the floor, people danincg, enjoying themselves, and hot dogs and pretzels, ya the concession stands. Not sure why but this event had reminded me of an OC Fair gone rave. 

It just seems so mainstream now. I wouldn't be surprised if in the next few years events like these will be promoted on the radio and mainstream websites. More people are digging the electro house now, and others are getting more involved in the scene, especially with all the girls running around half naked feeding the guys to show up at events! Woot! 

Well, the event was a huge success for B3 and Insomniac, I would probably attend another with more friends, but like I said, massives aren't my style anymore. 

With all the recent headlines and Pharaoh's being in the news lately, I'm wondering if this is the end of another era in raving? I've been around long enough to see this scene go from something fantastic only shared amongst few, to main stream events for high school kids to party at and experiment and stay up all night. Lately with all the news sharing to the public that these young kids are showing up in their underwear (which I'm sure started up from the "Almost Better Than Sex" lingerie themed rave) and popping ecstasy pills and getting into trouble with their parents, it's no doubt that the city was going to crack down on the latest new venues in the rave scene.

This past weekend I was promoting at two different events, and some friends and myself were worried whether to head out to San Bernardino because we heard rumors of Pharaoh's being shut down with police inspecting every car and anyone that looks like a minor, so we called up some friends to double check before we left. 

We arrived and the place was packed as usual, but there we did notice there we police vehicles all over the place and an ambulance in front of the venue. As we parked, we saw some other friends and decided to promote all over the cars down the street. I was told to be careful because cops were handing out tickets to anyone promoting, but we just teamed up and hit up all the cars on the streets. 

Anyhow, we spent the night promoting outside of Pharaoh's but we did a run through of the event to check it out and see how it was going. As usual it was packed and kids were all over the place, they had four rooms and since it was the last event at this venue the kids seemed hyped up to party. 

Under all the circumstances with the newst lately, I've also heard that The Hudson and Gotham also might have to get strict with their age limitations as well. I did witness cops pulling kids over left and right, and handing out tickets and arresting a few people, and it got me thinking if this could be the end of this rave era that has grown in the Inland Empire as of lately.  I've noticed in the past, as soon as a venue gets shut down, the scene tends to shrink and splits into underground parties, and filters out the kiddies from the underground ravers. I guess it could benefit and maybe filter out all the youngins from showing up at these events, because I am a bit embarassed to be at some of these events when I see kids that look 12 or 13 years old walking around with their older brother or sister. Gets me thinking about when I started raving as well, and took my sister. 

Who am I to judge though, I was raving at a young age as well.  Maybe a bit too young for my own good, but it was fun, it was ours, and it wasn't as raunchy as it has become. The next phase is surely to startup. No longer are the big fat pants of the ravers, they've become bras, panties, and gogo booties, and guys wearing fitted clothing. Maybe in the next era a bit more fashion will be influenced. Seems like it would do some good, or maybe they'll influence an 18 and Over policy and legitimize electronic music stateside. 

Every now and then, I get into it with some people at raves about why I dislike San Bernardino. Yes, I drive there often for bookings and promoting at gigs like Phaoah's and Gotham or the Hudson, but I really don't like San Bernardino. Maybe I'm being bias, maybe other feel the same way or maybe the complete opposite, but I've got my reasons for not liking San Bernardino.

Quick Story of San Bernardino:
Once upon a time in a land far away (from my house, about an hour drive) while I was still living in Orange, CA, there was a venue that emerged during the late 1990's aside from the Fox Theater in Pomona, CA, which had been the heart of the rave scene at the time. The Fox Theater was hosting events on a weekly basis from 500 to 5,000  people in attendance. The scene was growing incredibly large, and massives were becomming more popular, so this called for another venue because kids were complaining about Pomona. Enter the "Masterdome".

The Masterdome was a venue in San Bernardino, CA, that was not that far from the National Orange Show which was being used for events such as Electronic Daisy Carnival, Audiotistic, Nocturnal Wonderland, and so on. Kids were already familiar with the area, so the Masterdome became the second home to ravers. 

Inside the Masterdome,there was a massive ring sized dancefloor where an old boxing ring lived. Bleachers surrounded the dance floor where people could rest or sit and enjoy the music and lightshows. Out back, they would setup a second room which was more breathable when the place was packed to the brim with ravers. They would also setup a third room when neccessary in front of the bathrooms inside near the entrance. The venue wasn't bad at all, and the sound and lighting was legit.

Eventually, the city of Pomona cracked down on the Fox Theater, and all the events soon began to take place at the Masterdome. The Fox Theater was no more. This lead to me driving out every weekend, sometimes twice a weekend for bookings in San Bernardino, and this is where my opinion on the area comes in.

1) San Bernardino sucks because of the car break theft.
No not stealing cars, but breaking into cars and stealing shit. Yes I know this happens everywhere or could happen anywhere, but I had my car broken into twice within a month. I heard of people having their car broken into one weekend after another.

2) Shady People
If you're in San Bernardino, don't take this the wrong way. I'm not saying everyone is shady, but there are shady people out there. I've had friends held at gun point too often and jacked for their wallet, cell phones, and anything else on them. Some complied and were left alone, and then there were the few that were beaten even after.

Not only friends, but I myself was mugged once after leaving the Masterdome. I had a crate of records, my headphones, wallet with over $200, my new watch, shirt and jacket stolen. No I didn't give this shit up easily, I put up a fight. But it is a bit difficult to fight four guys off you when you've just been cracked over the head with a "The Club". Yeah, you know those steering wheel locks? 

3) Shady Security
I'm not sure why, but security at events in San Bernardino always seem to know who has drugs, and have drugs on them for sale. If that's not it, they'd be harrassing kids or even kick their asses.

4) FAR AS FUCK!
It's far. I drive over an hour to get there now, and even though a lot of kids rave out there and are from the I.E. it's still FAR from L.A.

5) Ravers are getting younger
Is it me, or since raves have been in San Bernardino the ravers have been getting younger and younger? Yes we've got scantly clad girlies, but the young ones that seem like they've barely hit puberty are running around in bra and panty, not neccessary!

So there it is. That's my opinion on San Bernardino. I've got friends that live out there, and I know a few of them also hate it but have no choice, and some are so hood they don't mind it. Myself, I think I'd rather stick to Los Angeles. Even though LA has it's rough spots and I know people have been jacked out here too, it's no where close to the stories I've heard in San Bernardino.