On several occasions at Killahbeez, we made mention to German electronica DJ, Alex Ridha aka Boys Noize.  I first came across Boys Noize’s music by way of Kitsune Maison’s only podcast.  The track was a remix to Feist’s “My Moon, My Man” on Kitsune Maison’s 4th CD compilation.  With a very distinct sound and Johnny “Guns” Love’s narrative, I was convinced to seek what other remixes were out on iTunes.  From Justice to Cut Copy, the man’s work is a wide array of epic tunes.  Busy P’s comparison of Boys Noize Records’ efforts to Ed Banger’s is not only a compliment, it’s the truth.  Between production work and gigs, Alex was kind enough to spare several minutes to answer questions we had for him.  Here goes…

Killahbeez: So Alex, can you tell us the origin behind the name Boys Noize?

Boys Noize: I was desperately looking for a “cool” name.  A name to scream and shout after a gig.  A name easy to remember.  A name considered more “prollig”.  A name that sells! A name that expresses the way I feel, the way I play, the way I love,  and MOST IMPORTANT the way I AM.  It had to be outstanding, innovative and timeless, too.  I came up with Laser Face and the single “Face the Laser” but I got into beef with DJ Tiga who wanted the same name for his side project :(  Boys Noize is actually the worst name because most of the people think of 2 guys and everyone writes the name wrong.  I also have other project names as Puzique, Morgentau, Eastwest, or 909D1SCO too.

KB: Who were some major influences in your career?

BN: Anything from Roule Records, Dance Mania, Kraftwerk and Tresor.

KB: Every dj/producer has a signature sound. How did you come about developing yours?

BN: After producing 10 years you get bored of a lot of sounds and I’m always look for something that surprises me.

KB: How important are lyrics in your tracks?

BN: I dont care about lyrics.  When I dj, I don’t like much vocals either.  It’s not easy to have cool vocals on a banging track.

KB: It appears you’ll be touring most of Asia in the upcoming weeks.  Do you have any plans on returning to the US?  We’d love to have you in DC.

BN: Yeah, I am coming back for sure.  For this year I only have dates in NYC & LA, but I’m gonna make a big tour in march09…aiaiai

KB: You’ve done a slew of remixes for artists such as Bloc Party, Depeche Mode, Feist and Justice.  What are all the processes involved in a remix?  Who approaches who?

BN: Its always different.  D.Modes manager contacted me saying that one of the band member is a big fan but it can also be the label that reaches out.  Then sometimes I do free remixes because I love the song.  In some cases, I’ll do swap remixes with other artists or you get asked by a friend like Housemeister…

KB: On the topic of remixes, I really enjoyed your version of Phantom. Will you be remixing anymore tracks for Justice in the future?  Perhaps Planisphere?

BN: Thank you! Well, probably not from the recent album…let’s see.

KB: If there is one artist you would like to collaborate with, who would that be?

BN: Gonzales (Note: Gonzales is Feist’s producer)

KB: What can one expect from your live sets?

BN: Fun!

KB: Lastly, what should we expect from Boys Noize for the remainder of 2008 and beginning of 2009?

BN: I’m mixing the next I LOVE TECHNO CD which will be out in October due to the festival.  I’m working on new stuff & collaborations…too hot to mention yet :=)

Also noteworthy, is the release of Boys Noize Records Volume 1.  Expect top notch floor smashers from Boys Noize, Shadow Dancer, D.I.M., Housemeister, Les Petits Pilous, Siriusmo, Strip Steve, Puzique, etc.  The two cd compilation is now available.  For those in need of a live Boys Noize fix, he will be headlining at Webster Hall alongside A-Trak on October 3rd.  Another reason why I heart GBH.  The “Attack of the Unibros” tour finishes off in Montreal on October 4th.

Swedish songstress Lykke Li is all but 22 years old, but her debut album, Youth Novels, is making heads turn. An explosion of electronic pop-rock with a little new age thrown into the mix, Lykke Li’s raspy, almost childlike vocals transcend lightly-layered, minimalist instrumentals. Singles “I’m Good I’m Gone,” “Little Bit” and “Breaking It Up” are already impacting global airwaves, not to mention Lykke Li’s avant-garde sense of personal style, which has been heavily noted by more than one fashionista. Despite her busy touring schedule (read: over 25 stops which include Paris, London, New York, Vancouver, San Francisco and Copenhagen), Lykke Li gave Killahbeez a hot minute to answer a few questions that have been on our minds.

You’ve been touring a lot lately! First with El Perro Del Mar and now, solo. How is that going?

It’s going very well, thank you. Over my expectations!

Continue Reading

Erin Magee is the founder and designer behind women’s streetwear line MadeMe. Since the release of its first line in fall 2007, MadeMe has gone from a New York incarnation to a global force, landing in the pages of the New York Post, Nylon and Trace, not to mention, collabos with artists like Alicia Keys. We caught up with the unstoppable missile that is Erin Magee to hit her up with a few questions on her inspirations, the collection and what’s next.

In your biography, you talk about filling a void in women’s streetwear. What do you see as being the void and how does your line fill that void?

Erin Magee: I have always worn “streetwear” and a lot of the time, wore men’s stuff. When I started MadeMe, there were only a few women’s streetwear brands out there. The ones that did exist didn’t make complete collections. They mainly made Ts and hoodies, which was cool, but I wanted to take it to the next level. My whole premise was to provide girls with top to bottom selection. I wanted to make a brand that embodied an entire lifestyle, so out came MadeMe.

Continue Reading

Mehdi Faveris-Essadi, better known simply as DJ Mehdi, is a hip-hop electro DJ outta Paris, France. Since getting started in the mid ‘90s, Mehdi has knocked down some collabos with Daft Punk, MC Solaar, Chromeo and Busy P, among others. Signed onto French label Ed Banger Records, Mehdi has brought some of the freshest mixes to all corners of the globe. And despite his current touring schedule, Mehdi recently gave some time to Killahbeez to answer some questions we’d been wondering.

You’re mad touring all over Europe right now. How’s that going?

DJ Mehdi: Going very good, thank you. I love touring here in Europe. It’s my home. I never get tired of it. France, U.K., Germany plus Scandinavia and the Mediterranean, so much things to see, so many good people, and the food is usually great. What more could I ask for?

Continue Reading

A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to link up for lunch with Dave 1 whom I’m sure many of you know is 1/2 of Chromeo, the beloved and infectiously dope electro-funk duo pictured above.

I ordered the grilled chicken panini and a diet Coke, he ordered the smoked turkey wrap and an orange juice - Then I pressed record and the following conversation spanning everything from the beginnings of the band to the current state of hip-hop is what transpired…

Continue Reading

Photo: Ian Meyer

The words “The Rub” for some invokes thoughts of a mishmash secret ingredients that they carefully concoct to help tenderize and/or enhance the flavor of the meat that they’re cooking. For others its the party rocking dj trio known as The Rub, which consists of Cosmo Baker, Dj Ayres and Dj Eleven. As a collective they’ve been rocking the scene via clubs and online radio since 2002. Their parties are known to be bananas and to guarantee a great time. We were fortunate enough to catch up with the trio for a quick interview.

First off, I got to say that I’ve been a fan of the Rub for a while now. The whole History of Hip-Hop series as well as the It’s The Motherfucking Remix compilations are insane. Anyways, what’s the origin behind the Rub? How did the crew end up forming?

Eleven: We’d all met separately in the years before the party began. Ayres & Cosmo met through On the Go magazine; Eleven & Ayres met through mutual friends; and, Cosmo & Eleven through a mutual DJ friend who’d forgotten to bcc their email list. Ayres started the party at Southpaw with one of its owners, Mikey Palms. Eleven played at the first one and Cosmo at the second. From there, we kept building, and the party at Southpaw, the CDs and the Rub continued to grow and grow and GROW!

How’d you guys all come up with the name the Rub? Is there a meaning behind the name?

Ayres: When we were trying to think of names for the party, we went through a bunch of different ideas, and I was looking at records for inspiration. “The Rub” is a George and Gwen McRae song about slowing the music down and dancing close, so it’s a thinly veiled metaphor for sex. And then a “rub” is also a simple scratch from the early days of hip-hop DJs, so the name fit nicely and everyone liked it. None of us had any idea that this party was going to be so successful and last so long, but because it did, we’re all happy we came up with a good name and logo.

Continue Reading

Recently Killahbeez.com had the opportunity to interview Reggie Youngblood of Black Kids. We took this opportunity to talk about their influences and styles as well as discussisng their current tour throughout North America and Europe and the upcoming album Partie Traumatic, which is coming out on July 7th in the UK and July 22nd in North America.

Let me start off this interview by saying that I recently saw you guys in Vancouver on April 29 and it was a crazy show. Vancouver crowds are generally known to be a bit mild, but you guys really got the whole crowd into the show. How was the whole North American tour? Were there any standout cities in particular?

Reggie Youngblood: Aw, thanks! The North American tour was criminally fun. We had just left the winter behind in the U.K. and everything was sunshine and flowers in the States. D.C. was quite good and so was San Francisco and Seattle. Oh, and Portland. Really, it was all wonderful.

You guys were part of another band called Cubby previously. What made you guys decide to move away from that and start Black Kids?

RY: The problem with groups previous to Black Kids was that the vibe tended to be way too severe. A bunch of guys posing on stage real hard. It got stale.

Continue Reading

Washington, DC figureheads Dave Nada and Matt Nordstrom first joined forces in the fall of 2007 for their weekly party “trap”. Every week after some heavy drinking, the two discussed the meaning of life and a few song ideas they had. Their initial tracks caught the attention of Dave “Switch” Taylor who immediately wanted them for his legendary Dubsided imprint. With tunes getting support from the likes of Diplo, A-trak, Tittsworth, The Rub, Craze, Stereo Faith, Klever, Drop the Lime, and Jokers of the Scene, these dudes look to set the game on fire.

First of all congratulations on a wonderful debut at the Mad Decent party here in Philly, you guys had the crowd going off the chain, they were going insane.

((Laughter from my rhyming sentence))))

So who makes up Nadastrom?

DAVE: Nadastrom is Matt Nordstrom and Dave Nada, hence Nadastrom

(((Laughter)))

How did you come up with the name?

D: Umm I guess a little basic math, but we had another name but we thought it’d be a little too controversial but we’ll keep that on the wraps…

Continue Reading