Treasure Fingers, the name has been synonymous with great dance music in 07/08. From dropping his own gems, “Its Your Turn” and possibly electro track of the year, well for me anyways, “Cross the Dancefloor” and not to mention the numerous banging remixes that he continually drops. My personal favorites being Chromeo’s “100%”, Empire of The Sun’s “Walking On A Dream” and even making Fergie’s “Glamorous” palatable. The man consistently keeps people shaking their asses whether its on the dancefloor or in the privacy of their own home. With that kind of resume we can definitely expect more hotness coming out in 2009 and it’s already started with Treasure Fingers remix of Miike Snows‘ “Animal”, heard here. In anticipation of him coming to Vancouver on January 23rd to Celebrities (tickets at www.blueprintevents.ca), we caught up with the man known as Treasure Fingers to talk about his remixes, plans for an album and for the gear heads, we touch on what equipment he uses in the lab.

KB: First off, thanks for taking the time to do this interview with us. So tell us a bit about yourself and how you got started in producing and DJing electronic dance music?

Treasure Fingers: I started with hip hop and experimental stuff when I was really young, 14 or so, on my dad’s drum machine and 4track. Around 16, I lost interest and started playing in punk/hardcore bands. I didn’t really get serious with dance music production & DJing until I was 17 or 18 and my band had broken up. I liked that I could fill the creative musical void by writing, producing, & DJing solo.

KB: You have an interesting name, Treasure Fingers, and before that you were know as The Enemy, tell us about those names, what was the inspiration behind them?

TF: Some friends of mine and I just kicked around some names and Treasure Fingers seemed to be the most popular. I still wasn’t completely sold on it at first but I really like it now. It’s taken over me. ‘The Enemy’ actually started out as NME-5, my first DJ name. I quickly grew out of that and changed it. I still use the The Enemy moniker for some hip-hop/extra production.

KB: Which musical genres as well as artists do you find gives you inspiration? And what kind of influence has coming from the south, Atlanta, had on your style of music if any?

TF: I listen to almost everything and it all influences me at least a little bit. For Treasure Fingers, 80’s funk and disco is the biggest point of influence. I think a lot of the r&b and rap I listen to comes through a little also. I love southern rap, and the vibe of the Atlanta club music scene and (I) hope a little of that comes across through my music.

KB: How did you meet up with the folks at Fools’ Gold and A-Trak and eventually getting signed to the label?

TF: I had quite a few mutual friends but what actually brought it all together was A-Trak sending me a MySpace message saying something like “hey! I like your music and run a label, are you interested (in) releasing some records with us?”. Since then, I’ve become good friend with A-Trak, Nick Catchdubs and the rest of the Fool’s Gold family; they’re all really good people.

KB: Ok so straight up I have to say I love your track “Cross the Dancefloor”, when I first heard it I was quite blown away. The melodies and production work are ridiculous. What was the process of making that track?

TF: Thanks! It started out as just an instrumental filter disco house type track. Then one day I decided to try to put vocals on it. The next day I thought it might be cool to have some girl vocals responding back to my male vocals. The overall production is pretty simple, just a clean kind of poppy track. There’s a sample in there (the filtered disco part during the first breakdown), but I played the rest of the synths, bass, drums and built the track up around the sample just in case we couldn’t get it cleared. Luckily, it got cleared and I’m blown away at how well the song as done thus far.

KB: Recently you remixed Chromeo’s track “100%” and they remixed your track “Cross the Dancefloor”, how did that partnership come about? Were you always into Chromeos’ stuff prior to Fool’s Gold?

TF: Yeah, for sure. I first heard of Chromeo from some DJ mix they had released years ago. Lots of old classic 80s funk, I didn’t know they were writing or producing their own stuff until I heard “Needy Girl”. I love their work, great guys too. I didn’t meet or get in touch with them until Fool’s Gold signed “Cross the Dancefloor”. A-Trak hit me up one day and said his brother and P-Thugg loved it and he wanted to get them to remix it. My remix for them came through some Bacardi promotion they were coordinating with Vice Records, I got asked if I wanted to remix “100%” and of course agreed to it. “100%” is one of my favorites off that album.

KB: As is mine, and that remix of yours is also bananas.

KB: For all the gear heads out there, what do you use to create tracks / remixes?

TF: I use a PC running Cubase SX 3, I know I need to upgrade to 4, as my main sequencer. As far as instruments, I use a lot of VSTs, some hardware synths (Roland JX3P, Roland Alpha Juno-1, Yamaha DX100, Korg MS10), a couple guitars (Gibson SG, Fender Strat), Heil Talk Box, MPC 2000xl, Fender Rhodes mark V, and a lot of other smaller fun things.

KB: In an interview that I checked out between you and Kill The Noise you mentioned that you wanted to move towards more of a live show by the end of the year, is that something that’s still in the works?

TF: Definitely! The live show won’t be ready for a while though. I’m concentrating on finishing the album now, but once it’s done I’m going to focus on putting the band together and hitting the road.

KB: So staying on topic with the album, when can fans expect it? Or has touring been taking up a lot of your time?

TF: Touring and remixing has been taking up all my time lately. Next year will be the time for a full-length album. I have a lot of tracks half finished & demo tracks already, I just need to pick out the best and finish them.

KB: What are some of your upcoming projects and collaborations that you can talk about?

TF: Not too much I can talk about right now really. I just finished a bunch of new remixes that should be coming out over the next several months. You can check my MySpace (www.myspace.com/treasurefingers) or website and see the full list of remixes I’ve done to date. I’m currently finishing one for Miami Horror “Don’t Be On With Her” for Virgin/EMI in Australia.

KB: So with your busy schedule are you still involved with or plan to work with Evol Intent?

TF: Yes, we have a live show we’ve been doing at bigger events and festivals. We’re working on new material now, and also doing a couple new remixes. One is for Shiny Toy Guns “Ghost town” and the other is a dubstep remix of Tech Itch & Kemal “The Calling”.

KB: Dope. So changing course, what are Treasure Fingers current top 5 tracks that you can’t stop listening to?

TF: Drop Out Orchestra “Gibbon”, D’Stephanie “Rock the Disco”, Van She “Kelly (Breakbot remix)”, JR Disco “What Cha Going To Do”, Matt Hughes “Can’t Talk Now”

KB: Thanks again for taking the time to do this interview.

TF: No Problem, Thank you!

Treasure Fingers website: www.treasurefingers.com
Treasure Fingers MySpace:www.myspace.com/treasurefingers

Treasure Fingers “Cross The Dancefloor”

Chromeo “100%” Treasure Fingers B-Live Pemberton Mix

Lady GaGa aka Stefania Gabriella Germanotta has dazzled the dance music scene with her new album ‘The Fame’ with its booty shaking hits like “Just Dance” and “Poker Face.”  Hustling the streets of NYC her whole life, it’s no surprise this blonde bombshell has brought major grit and glamour to her dance floor friendly songs.  If you haven’t heard of her yet, check her out now as I predict she is here to stay alongside the best.  And apparently I’m not alone:  The New York Post called her the “Future of Pop” and Us Weekly called her “Pop’s New Dance Diva” while comparing her to Madonna.  Throughout all this hype, Lady GaGa remained refreshingly grateful and honest during our candid interview.  I hope you enjoy her answers as much as I did conducting the interview.

Killahbeez: Tell me a little bit about yourself.
Lady GaGa: I’ve been working on this album for over two years now and am grateful that it has finally gotten to this point.

KB: What got you into singing and song writing at such an early age?
LG: Well I started piano at the age of 4 and started writing at the age of 13.  At 16 my mom would help me so I could get into certain clubs to play and I just hustled you know.  I dropped out of college early and started sending out my demos that I made out of my room.  From there I started go-go dancing and really working the club scene to get out there.

KB: You have a keen fashion sense.  Do you feel that fashion is an integral aspect of your music or music in general?
LG: For sure.  The fashion, the technology and just being innovative with what people are hearing and seeing are a big aspect of my music.  I want people to go to my show going “What the fuck was that!?”  In other words it’s like a pop show fit for a museum.  Everything we do is completely spur of the moment.  I don’t usually know what I’m wearing until it gets delivered an hour before the show and it’s usually stuff you can’t just get anywhere.

KB: What are your top 3 clothing and shoe designers?
LG: For clothing I would say Chanel,  Maison Martin Margiela and Thierry Mugler. For shoes I would pick Christian Louboutin, Marni and I have to say again, Chanel.

KB: Where do you get your inspiration for your music?
LG: For music pretty much New York, parties, pop culture. I’m really inspired by all the energy they give.

KB: How did the NYC scene influence your music growing up?
LG: Oh it totally did.  Everything about my music is attitude and lifestyle.  I would be a completely different artist if I didn’t have New York.

KB: It’s been rumored that you have collaborated on Britney Spears’s track “Quicksand” from her upcoming album Circus, can you confirm that?
LG: Wow, how did you find that out already (laughter)?  I can confirm that I worked on a track but not which one.

KB: What was it like working with Britney Spears for you?
LG: I never got to work with her directly in the studio because I was in Europe.  I would have loved to produced the vocals for her but I wasn’t in the studio.  I’m excited to work with her more closely in the future though.

KB: Your upcoming tour is with New Kids on The Block.  Were you a big fan like most of us in the Nineties? How does it feel to be touring with them at this point in your life going almost full circle in a way?
LG: Oh my god, I was HUGE fan!  I mean I had the “I love Johnny” t-shirt and everything.  It feels amazing.  It really, really was hard not to be star struck even though I know them as friends now, to see them on stage still gets me super excited.

KB: Who would you like to collaborate with in the future?
LG: I would love to work with Marilyn Manson.  He is such a visionary and his work is really artistic in the same vain as what I do.  I would love to work with someone who has the same philosophy as I do.

KB: What would you advise to your fans who are interested in singing and song writing?  Any words of wisdom?
LG: Two pieces of advice: 1)  Go buy the book “Letter to a Young Poet”.  Read it 100 times and in the deepest hour of the night, ask yourself if you would die if you were forbidden to write.  2)  Live your life within quote that book unquote, since it has strong philosophies I agree with about art.  Everything in there is true, you will find your dreams.

KB: Do you find it any different getting into the music scene as a female?
LG: Well when you are female and you are blonde and pretty, people assume you don’t know shit.  It takes a minute to earn your intellectual space as an artist, especially when you’re a woman like me who likes to do it in her underwear.

KB: What’s the worst trend in music these days?  Favorite trend?
LG: Least favorite is the “I don’t care trend.”  Like “I don’t care how I dress at award shows and I don’t do interviews” type attitude.  I’m enjoying seeing artists that work really hard and are doing something really serious in their arena.

KB: Can you name a few of those artists that you enjoy right now?
LG: I really like M.I.A. and Britney.  In some ways, she (Britney) has to fight harder right now to get people to take her seriously but I have a feeling she will be making a comeback in the next year with some serious pop music.

KB: Any last words to your fans?
LG: Thank you to my fans and I love you!  You are so loyal to me and I will stay loyal to you.  Keep your eyes and ears open because I will be making a lot of things happen soon!!!

On November 6th and 7th, Keys N Krates played to a packed house in Vancouver and then in Victoria. For those of you that have been reading the blog for a minute now, you know we’ve been talking about Keys N Krates quite a bit. For those that aren’t in the know, Keys N Krates are a live remix band, yeah thats right a LIVE REMIX BAND, live drums with Tune, live synths with Matisse and Jr. Flo on the turntables breaking down the samples. In the midst of their busy touring schedule we were able to catch up with one of the members, DJ Jr. Flo, for a quick one on one interview.

And yes that is a car alarm in the beginning, a testament to how dedicated I am to go to dodgy areas to get interviews for you all. Wellllll, technically this was across the street from my place, and the area isn’t that dodgy. But yeah sorry about the car alarm in the beginning.

For upcoming tour information hit up their MySpace page: www.myspace.com/keysnkrates

If you liked this interview please help me out and vote for me here: music.virgin.com

Special thanks to AJK and the video editor extrodinaire Gordon Wong.

A long time indie favorite, dance floor rockers The Faint have brought us the undeniable truth about American politics and the daily life of the American middle class with a quirky, tongue-in-cheek approach making use of unforgettable lyrics and striking melodies that no one can shake off.  I had the opportunity to speak with Todd Fink, the lead singer of The Faint and am truly pleased to share this conversation with our readers.

As kids, what did you all want to be when you “grew up”?

Todd:  Hmmmm… well not sure if I wanted to be anything or even had certain aspirations.  Kinda sad, I know [laughter].  But I guess as I grew up I wanted to be a professional skater.

How far did you get with skating?

Todd: Right up to being a pro but then I realized that I wanted to take my time with getting better at skating so that I would have a better chance at becoming a pro with a reputable skateboarding company.  I did really well in national youth competitions and stuff.

How did the transition from skateboarding to music happen?

Todd: I had surgery for my knee from arthritis, and found out I couldn’t really skate anymore.  But from the experience of doing something that I loved, I gained the passion that transferred into music and if I kept doing it just like with skateboarding, I knew that anything was possible.

How did the members of The Faint all meet?

Todd: Well Joel is a skateboard friend and my bro Clark, I had him around all the time to go skating.  The three off us were from the skating scene and started the band.  The other guys we just met in Omaha and it just so happened that we all went to the same high school.

Did you think that you would be this successful when you all first started out?

Todd: No. I mean, we didn’t really think about it.  The only goal that I remember having was a dream to be able to go out and tour different places and know that however amount of people there would be whether big or small, that they knew our music and it happened bigger than we ever expected.  At the same time you are convinced by your own humility and it’s hard to really know which one to believe, the numbers of fans responding to the success is almost a mind fuck.

You boys are from Omaha.  How has that influenced your music and your individual creativity?

Tood: I’m sure it has, I mean we’ve all been here our whole lives and I’m sure our opinions in which things we have experienced have affected us.  There have been good record stores here and venues that are conducive to small bands performing and it’s not like we lose people to Kansas City or anywhere.  The closest place is 8 hours to Chicago.  So we are just a bunch of people for whatever reason ending up and staying here, so Omaha has a thriving music scene.

I’ve noticed you have evolved as a band since the days of Danse Macabre, Wet From Birth to your current album Fasciinatiion.  Was this planned or something more along the lines of a natural progression?

Todd: Well we sort of base it on our opinions about what sounds good and what makes sense.  To do changes over time, based on what music we hear, it’s a natural progression for better or for worse.  It’s definitely natural.

People in the past have labeled you as the “new new wave” or “dance/punk.” How do you feel about these labels?

Todd: Labels.  People love them, but in general we try not to associate with them since they are fads and catch phrases and no matter how cool they are at the time, people invest too much in the actual label and get tired of them over time.  We feel like, “listen and decide for yourself.”

If you were to describe The Faint and your music to an outsider, what words would you choose?

Todd: I’ve had to do this on the plane a few times sitting with strangers [laughter].  I guess I’ve said we play electronic rock music before.  It’s pretty general.  Or I will say we play songs with keyboards – I try to keep it literal.

Who have been your major influences in the music world and are there any current bands/acts that have caught your attention?

Todd: Fugazi has influenced us.  But you take different things from different bands, you know.  Sonic Youth, The Clash and David Bowie – bands that have good songs that are unmistakably their songs.  The band Late of The Pier, they are pretty awesome and from the UK; they have something there that I relate to for sure.  We like that French electronic scene.  There is a huge explosion of artistic expression there.  We were in France and met with Busy P, Sebastian, Kavinsky, Kasper from Justice, etc..

So any prospects of remixes with them?

Todd: Definitely.  But we’ll see,  we do have some good remixes that are being worked on including with Boys Noize  – Alex,  he and DIM did a mix together.

Where did you come up with The Faint as your band name?

Todd: It just presented itself.  There was no decision; it just was.  We didn’t have a name for a while and it was just kinda assigned to us when we did our first show.  On the flyer was a Roman Bailer reference, so we kinda considered ourselves as a band without a name until 1997.   We knew it was just going to come to us and it did.

Last but not least, what do you guys spend your time doing when not touring or making music?

Todd: Well, I like to make visual art collages and other artistic things.  Also I love playing pool, I love learning science, astronomy etc.  We are kinda the NPR and stoned cartoon watching kinda of guys – we can’t help it.  When we’re not doing band stuff we still hang out.

Thanks so much guys and I’m looking forward to seeing you guys live at your next show!!!  When is the next U.S. tour?

Todd: Our next tour in the States is in two weeks and after that in the Spring.

This week’s Mixtape Monday is from the latest podcast from Mad Decent Worldwide Radio which features Dave Nada, one half of the Nadastrom duo whom we had a chance to interview and can be seen here. From the words of Dave Nada via Mad Decent:

“i’m always a fan of tearing the club up to my favorite bmore anthem. but there’s nothing like tearing the sheets up to your favorite sexy baltimore club jam. i cooked up this mix, showcasing some of the best baltimore love club classics. Not only does it remind you why producers like Griff and Technics are the dons, but also shows you how versatile baltimore club music is and why this genre rules the universe. enjoy the mix! cant wait to smash! xoxo (shout out to emynd & bo bliz)”

Mad Decent Worldwide Radio #37 ft. Dave Nada (Remix)
Download Here

Tedra Moses – Be Your Girl (KW Griff Remix)
Outkast – Prototype (DJ Technics Remix)
Floetry – Say Yes (?)
Ready For The World – Love You Down (DJ Technics Girlfriend Remix)
Raheem Devaughn – You (DJ Technics Remix)
John Legend – Ordinary People (KW Griff Remix)
Jill Scott – He Loves Me (DJ Technics Remix)
Blaqstarr – All The Girls
Patti LaBelle – If Only You Knew (Rod Lee Remix)
Sylvia – Pillow Talk (DJ Techincs Remix)
Chris Brown – Aint No Way (You Won’t Love Me) (Curtis Vodka Hey Girl Remix)
Jimmy Cozier – U Got Those Goods (?)
Black Box – Everybody Everybody (DJ Ayres Quiet Storm Remix)
Usher feat. Lil Jon – Lovers and Friends (inst)

Via Mad Decent