Music, style, and life. We are mGrooves. We are 4groovers…

UPDATED: An unforeseen issue an arisen and Ken will not be performing tonight. The entire ScandalDC crew will still be laying down some hot beats for the DMV

He’s back! (Sort of.) Ken Christensen, or Ken ECB as in East Coast Boogiemen, is back in DC.

After spending several years literally bumpin’ around the country and the globe, I run into him at a friends birthday party that featured the legendary Stephanie Cooke’s first show eva (ever) in DC. He apparently spent some time with Chicago as his home base. Home, sweet, home, DC again.

Foundation 12 featuring Ken ECB Christensen

Oftentimes called an ‘underground pop artist’, Ken has rocked more than just clubs. He has moved people in a variety of venues and places, nightlife to galleries. His production work can be found on such international heavy-weights like Ministry of Sound (UK), Om (SF), Robsoul (FR), and Alphabet Music (Chicago). And he doesn’t just do House. His Downtempo sets are just as legendary.

Is ECB back? How about you ask him yourself. We are fortunate to have Ken join myself and the entire ScandalDC crew for Foundation 12, March 3rd.

What’s your favorite ECB, Ken, or Juan Zapata track or mix?

Kochi likes the beats funky

It’s long overdue to shed a little light on Kochi. This gem was dug out of the archives and updated for your pleasure.

Kochi answers some questions on music styles, why he likes ScandalDC, and his choice in footwear…

Catch Me If You Can by djkochi

And you can catch him:
August 11 :: ScandalDC Thursday @ Gazuza Lounge (DC)
August 25 :: Kowli @ Ottobar (Bmore)

You know what they say, right?  ’Where there is fire, there is smoke!’  Or maybe I have that backwards.  Or maybe it’s all smoke.  But no matter.  Let’s work this out and you will see what I’m talking about.

The fire starts Thursday night with plenty of smoke.  DJ FugAmI kicks off the weekend early (normal for DC actually) with Thursday :: Sushi, Hookah, Cocktails, House music at Gazuza Lounge.  He will also be providing the musical libations for a Hookah MeetUp.  It is likely to be packed house.

Where there is smoke, there is fire!

Then FugAmI returns with the rest of the ScandalDC crew Saturday night for Foundation :: Up In Smoke.  Foundation got in a tad bit of trouble in the neighborhood last month–good kind of bad trouble–and we plan to keep it going this month.  We have invited in Christauff (www.christauff.com) to bring his Tech minded sounds to the floor.  Get your dancing shoes on.  You are going to need them.

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Gazuza Lounge

1629 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC 20009

www.gazuzalounge.com

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Other upcoming events:

Thursday @Gazuza w/Stylo – June 9

Stylo in Devner, CO – June 10-12

Foundation feat Dimitri Max – July 2

I don’t have a whole lot of talking/typing today… I’ll let the music do the talking.

What happens live behind the decks...

Let me know what you think… Subscribe. (on the right side of this screen)

Yep, that is what we are doing. We are gathering Gazuza’s prime talent, and putting it all on a single night.

While most ScandalDC and mGrooves fans are familiar with Fugami, Kochi, and Stylo, we wanted to test the DC gods and see what would happened if we added the prime selector from Gazuza Fridays on top of the gravity of having the entire Scandal crew active on the same night. I mean, it usually only in the big spaces that you can find the 3 of us tagging music all at the same time, right?

We have even invoked the DC ‘stars and bars’ flag in the design of our flier. So if you hear about a fire, ‘we don’t need no water. Let the…” Well you get the idea.

Searching for the perfect beat?

Sammy Arsam Khosh is indeed a prime selector. Probably most noted with his excellent work with the Empresarios, his music and beats are delightful fusion of so many influences it is hard to describe. It just has to be experienced. He has plenty of solo production credit to his resume as well. Read more about Sammy here.

This is why we are calling this All Stars… Don’t miss it!

Oh, what excitement!  Somehow I was able to shed the monkey off my back.

This midi tool has been keep in helping Stylo explore new production and live performance styles.

Writers block, or should I say ‘creativity block’, was firmly in place the other day; so much I openly complained about it in this pages.  But I think I have been able to push through quite a bit of it.

The result is the ground work of a remix I am tentatively calling This N That (TNT).  Essentially a rework, This N That has samples from a 1991 Hip-Hop/Rap hit that I’m sure many will recognize.  Apart from that however, the similarities end there.  I have taken a reference in one of the lyrics and used it as fertilizer to create something new.

Hear the draft live Thursday night, April 28th.  I am the host for ScandalDC‘s Thursday night weekly at Gazuza Lounge (DC).  There is no cover and the music starts about 9PM.  Gazuza is a great place to get a late bite to eat with there excellent small plates and sushi fusion concept. Email Matias to reserve a table…

 
Latest tracks by djstylo

I have to admit, the last few days in the studio haven’t been too productive.

My internal creative cue button seems to be stuck on pause...

Enough time has elapsed to have, at the minimum, cranked out a short dub or two. But, arrrrgggghh! Nothing! This is so frustrating. I think I’m going to switch gears by tabling the Anda Adam remix, the Black Sheep The Choice is yours re-edit, and go in a different direction.

Whatever vibe I had Friday during my day job dissipated through the weekend. In my opinion, this is one of my consistent challenges of trying to progress my art while still holding a full time job. I am still literally a one-person band, doing most of the promotions, design, PR, etc., in addition to producing and deejaying.

How about you? Do you face a similar challenge? What about the business aspects of your art–how do you manage it? Do you manage it at all?

Thursday, I was planning to drop some new home-studio-grown beats on you all. (This week is my rotation as a ScandalDC resident to deejay Thursday at Gazuza.) After work, I am going to head home and see if I can re-boot and kick some productive-time butt in the studio.

It’s not Tommy Davidson as Howard Tibbs promoting “Funky Finger Productions” either. It is the official closing and after party of BIMA.fest, Baltimore Independent Music & Arts Festival.

Where we close BIMA with an all-night party...

At BAMM, I will be joining some of the areas most known and those that should be known in a beautiful and wondrous party. Three areas of music, a cool patio area to chill, live art, body painting, vendors and artist are just some of the things to expect out of the night.

Here are some of the individuals on the playbill for the evening:

Just some of your partners-in-crime this evening...

Before then if you wish to catch up with me, join me with my ScandalDC crew at Gazuza Lounge. I’ll be laying down another mean DJ set on Thursday, August 19th.

Every Thursday there is a Scandal at Gazuza Lounge...

This week Scandal Thursday features ScandalDC resident, DJ Kochi (August 12th).

-s

Stylo's Getting Into Things

Well I seem to always get into things. I really don’t plan it–it just happens. Does this ever happen to any of you?

So what am I into now? Well, several.

But one is you will find me contributing in a variety of ways from time to time to the blog, 801Studio. This new blog by Tunde will feature her short ‘stories’. These stories will only be in photo form with no words or captions besides. So it is up to your wonderful imaginations to fill in the proverbial blanks with detail. Is a picture worth a thousand words? Well comment on the submissions and lets see…

I have also almost completed my new home studio. I’m excited about this because I can get back to the production work that was started some weeks ago that since has started gathering dust. But even among the construction dust, some music work has been occurring.

Here is what I’ve been getting into music-wise:

Pafuera Telaranas – Bebe
Broken Bells – Broken Bells
Point – Cornelius
In Love With A DJ (Incl. Baggi Begovic Remix) – Ron Carroll and CeCe Peniston
David Penn presents Tried & Tested EP Vol 1
Summer Breeze (Raw Artistic Soul Mixes) – N’Dinga Gaba feat. Sahffi
Funky Twins Ep – Erik Bo
Looking 2 Bounce EP – Demarkus Lewis

-s

I have been fortunate to deejay to along side some very interesting and talented people.  Some of these individuals are more noteworthy than people might expect and are often overlooked by the uneducated or the uninitiated.  Make no mistake, there are superstars right in your backyard.

Adam plays tourist in San Francisco

One doesn’t find these gems by following crowds to the usual suspects like Lady Gaga or David Guetta; real fans of music, while they might enjoy some of that type of work, look past such uber-personalities.  If one has done this, you might have come across Adam Abouraya.  (See http://www.abouraya.com/)

Applying his craft in cities across the globe, he has played along side some of the those same personalities that some roll off their tongues as if they are next door neighbors. He is.  Adam is also a ScandalDC resident.

We, ScandalDC, will be gathering to help him celebrate his birthday at Gazuza Lounge (1629 Connecticut Av NW, Washington, DC) on Thursday, July 8th 9PM.  Why don’t you join us…

-s

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Here is what one might hear in one of my upcoming sets:

BSB – Brand Spankin’ Bought

• 4Hero & DJ Marky, The Kings Of Drum + Bass
• Donn T, Look At (Matthew Bandy Mixes)
• Gangster Sampler
• Marlon D, U.C. Anthem (10 Year Anniversary Remixes)
• Osunlade pres. Nadirah Shakoor, Pride (Incl. Johnny D Mixes)
• Inland Knights, Raise Up
• DJ Gregory and Gregor Salto, Canoa
• The Heavy, How You Like Me Now

Stylo

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