The Library, a college hangout nestled within the AMC theatre plaza in the wholesome town of Amherst, is where we meet. I spot Ryan “Arehouse” Howze walking towards the bar, so I follow behind him. I make my way through a bunch of heavy metal hooligans sporting pink hair and acid-washed jeans and biker bros with mohawks scattered about outside. There seems to be some sort of punk rock show going on next door at The Forvm. I get to the entrance of the bar. “I probably should have just waited in there instead of scoping you out like a creep,” I blurt out. Doh. Why did I just say that? But he’s as much of a nerd as I, so my awkward comment rolls off him as he shrugs. We make our way to the back of the bar to a cozy nook with shelves of novels. The lighting is dim and there’s nobody around.

We settle in and get to it. When Ryan begins speaking about what he loves, you can’t really stop him. It’s all esoteric-sounding to me as he throws out terms about syncopation and rhythm, and I just nod like I know what he’s talking about. I let him continue to talk while I gaze at his stunning visage, bathe in his pensiveness, and get lost in his deep-brown eyes as rose petals fall from the sky and tiny bubbles float in a sea of mist. I wet my pants. Seal’s “Kiss from a Rose” plays and I’m mesmerized. Wait, DJs are totally full of themselves. Snap out of it. Okay so that didn't really happen, but I've had my heart broken by a few musicians. What girl hasn't? Oh yeah, smart girls. But anyway, I digress. Ryan's one of Buffalo's more likeable DJ types. He's not the guido-esque Chip Strip DJ that people are probably use to. He's a music nerd, and an actual nerd. Not the social butterfly you'd expect someone working within the Buffalo bar scene to be. Ryan's modest about his craft, always keeping in mind that there's someone ten steps ahead of him. He immerses himself fully in music, holding down a job at Guitar Center where he “doesn‘t make shit" but he gets to fiddle with instruments all day, so it's cool. He claims he‘s not fashionable, although he did show up to our interview in a very clean cut-looking varsity sweater jacket from JC Penney (tag still on, by the way. Totally nerdy. Also, wearing clothes your mom gets you from JC Penney. Totally nerdy.) I'm done ragging. Really though, Ryan's got his shit together. And I was honored to chat with him about his latest moves.

Jessica Brant: I want to know how you got into the DJ thing. Do you come from a musical family? Did that influence you?
Ryan Howze: Well I always played instruments. I played in bands and stuff when I was in high school. My brother was a DJ at the time (DJ Greg "Twist".) So he introduced me to DJing and showed me how to DJ. But I never had any equipment or anything like that. So a few years later, when I graduated high school, like my first year in college, I met a couple guys at the radio station (at Buffalo State College, 91.3 WBNY), and they were all DJs, and I wanted to get into production. I really didn’t want to start out DJing. I didn’t like it. But I want to produce music, and once I started producing music I wanted to find a way to perform my music. So I figured I’ll just do it because it’ll be easier. And that’s how I fell into it. I just met different people and started playing out.

JB: Were you a theatre geek in high school?
RH: Yeah, I was a band geek and a drama nerd.

JB: What was your favorite play?
RH: I mean we didn’t really do anything that I particularly liked. We did “Bye Bye Birdie.” I was Hugo Peabody. I was a nerdy, self-loathing character. I had to play him and it was really interesting.

JB: So it wasn’t a departure for you?
RH: (Laughs) yeah, yeah…

JB: Do you remember your first set? What was that like?
RH: My first performance was at Merlins (now Blue Monk). I played a local showcase with Frosty Tone. They were guys that did Dubstep and drum and bass shows and I got forty minutes to play. And I was so excited and so nervous at the same time. And…I played my little short set and everybody liked it. I played some of my own music and music that I liked. It was really cool to see people react to what I was playing and people were dancing and having a good time and I was the one that was doing it.

JB: How do you describe your sound? I didn’t think you were really big on Dubstep. At the time, was it the thing to be into?
RH: When I first started playing…Dubstep was not the thing to be into. There was a select group of people who really knew what it was…there was only really one or two parties who played Dubstep, but people didn’t like it…but I fell into a group of people who loved it, Mario Bee and the Frosty Tone crew. I got to see a lot of different UK acts come in and different acts around the country come in and come to buffalo and play and dubstep started to get bigger and bigger. I would even challenge different parties. I played the Communist Party, which was all electro house. I would consider myself, to answer your question, a multi-genre DJ…I like to play all kinds of different genres of music. That’s just how I am. But I did start off only exclusively playing Dubstep…I remember playing with DJ Medison at Tigersapien. We opened for them at Pure Nightclub. Medison and I were going back to back and…we played Dubstep that night and it was kind of a bigger deal that we did it for such a long time and nobody thought it was going to go over well but we didn’t care at that point and it actually went over pretty well.

JB: What the Faaaaaaaaa…Sorry my recorder turned off I think…
Potty Break. Okay back to it…

JB: Who are some of your favorite Buffalo DJs?
RH: Mario Bee, Medison, Brotherbear, of course, Buzz Trillington, Criminal Sounds, who helps me a lot with some of my productions. Universally, Heartbreak and Munchi, those guys really help me out with my Moombahton stuff, my slower stuff.

JB: What’s up with Queen City Cartel (Production company he was a partner in)? Are you still a part of that?
RH: They disbanded. We all just sort of went our own separate ways…it was a fun ride. There’s no hard feelings…

JB: What did you do there?
RH: We would book acts and bring them to buffalo, arrange parties. We had a monthly party that did really well called FRICTION. It was at DBGBs. Honestly, We owe them a ton for what they helped us out with when we were first getting started.

JB: Nice, nice. ::gives weird stare:: You still have the tag on your jacket…
RH: Where?
JB: It’s underneath your armpit.
RH: Aw sick ::Blushes and looks at armpit::

JB: So how do I know when I’m at an Arehouse show? What is unique to you?
RH: I always liked higher energy music, even when I played Dubstep…I love syncopation and polyrhythms and a lot of percussive music, that‘s why I‘m a music nerd. A lot of tribal, kind of ethnic sounds, Latin-influenced stuff.

JB: Okay so tell me more about the Halloween costume idea.
RH: Well since I cut my hair (He rocks a frohawk, fro + mohawk)), there's been this joke that I'm going to be the DJ Green Velvet for Halloween and I think I'm actually going to do it. Green Velvet is this DJ that has a neon green mohawk. Black guy with a mohawk and he wears glasses. He's been to Buffalo twice within the past few years.

JB: Sounds like a male stripper name
RH: People have male stripper names. Basha? That's a male stripper name. (laughs)

JB: What are you working on right now?
RH: There’s a night my brother and I started called “Music Love” and that’s going to be at The Bend (on Allen) every Sat night. People have been asking us for years to play together, and we’ve never played together at the exact same time, back to back or anything, mostly because we use different formats. He plays on CDs or records and I always used a computer…but now we’ve kind of found a secret weapon, a way to mix together, and it works out well. I also host an open mic at the Gypsy Parlor on Grant Street every Tuesday night. I’ve always been a songwriter, try to be a singer…I just kind of wanted to add to what Buffalo already has as far as giving people a place where you can go and just walk in with a guitar and just go play. I just want to help out the music scene and help build that up.

And as the night wrapped up, we said our goodbyes, had a few laughs, and I whipped out his headshot. I wanted him to sign it, so and seal it with a kiss, so I would forever remember this day.

From their early days at the Pink to tomorrow night's buffaBLOG Summer Party, DJs Stephen Pieroni and Sean Heidinger, aka Spooky Business, have come a long way. After winning Artvoice's "Buffalo's Best DJ Crew," the pair have increased their street-cred around the Queen City, including a memorable set at 2013 Taste of Buffalo. With roots planted all down Allen, the two started by playing the Pink on Tuesdays, collecting a mixed audience. From there, they went on to numerous showcases and openings at Hardware becoming, in my opinion, the unofficial DJs of the bar's Back Room.

Myself, I first encountered Spooky Business playing in a hot-as-balls living room at the birD day's house. The crowd was pressed in and dancing on each other as Stephen and Sean laid down a healthy beating of rap songs.

Spooky Business is all about crowd pleasing. They play to the mood and atmosphere of the room, seemingly always bringing  the energy UP! They're style reaches all ends of the spectrum, from Hip-Hop to House and everything in between. Check out their fresh flavor at the party tomorrow night beginning at 10pm and running all night long. While not a video of Spooky Business exclusively, the clip below is from that party I had originally seen them:

If you haven't heard the uproar already, Paris Hilton had her debut "DJ" gig Saturday June 23 at the Pop Music Festival in Sao Paulo, Brazil. In addition to her train wreck of a "performance", the heiress party-girl has also announced that she plans to continue with her endeavors.

Like a cocky talentless athlete who decided to jump into the shark tank with the major players, she has single handedly made herself the laughing stock of this niche genre and the music media seems to be at a consensus: what is happening to this generation? Mixmag had a headline in May that read "PARIS HILTON ANNOUNCES DJ TOUR (YES, REALLY)" while SPIN Magazine quotes "As much as it pains us here at SPIN, it seems Paris Hilton is not kidding around about this music thing."  Hipster Runoff, a blog dedicated to high-minded hipster criticism, obviously had a field day with this news and to type "Paris Hilton" in the search bar on Twitter and hit enter, you will find a timeline strewn with sexual euphimisms, "lolz", and jokes about how the end of the world must really be approaching.  Scattered across the internet are informal obituaries dedicated to the death of dance music.  Fans are saddened by the soon splitting of Swedish House Mafia and speechless as they stop watching the Paris Hilton footage only 30 seconds in (that's a first.)  Oddly, a couple good reviews of her show in Brazil exist which means clearly the reviewer was either one of two things: tone deaf or did not attend/see any footage of the actual show.   

DJs with actual talent across the world are posting on social media sites and conjuring memes to voice their disgust with this abomination.  In 2011, Hilton claimed her goal is to become the "most powerful female house music DJ of all time," better yet -- prepare to grasp at your hair and shake your head -- "the queen of house music."  In the short amount of footage released, she exhibited no actual talent of doing any type of mixing, or anything at all for that matter.  There was an undeniable pitch problem not to mention at 0:57 you see someone conspicuously sneak up to adjust the mixer for her.   

Is this the end of all that was great about this genre?  Perhaps, or maybe it's just an end of an era.  This is more then a beautiful genre being destroyed by it's overpopular mainstreaming because people would actually have to like some of these acts that are ruining it.  But it is the flashy pink diamonds and talentless avant garde of a self-entitled "princess" that is giving a bad look for the artists who have helped build this movement that now has a deteriorating meaning.

Although dipping her hips "sexily" and reaching her hands up to produce excitement may be a typical Friday night in her world, it is by no means a DJ career.  Not to mention she never actually touched the turntables once.    

Tonight MNM Presents San Fransisco based electronic music producer and performer, Eskmo.  Under Ninja Tune, Warp Records, Amon Tobin Collaborator, he has reached great heights in his music career.  A multi-genre composer he chooses to avoid classification, and the critics notice his unique quality.  Bleep.com described his tracks as "masterfully produced...sophisticated, post-Dilla hip-hop funk."  He has been developing a genre-less approach as his music career continues.

“I want to bring that out for people, and whatever that might activate for them. If someone is in a transitional phase, going through life difficulties or in a raw space, I want to direct [that energy] to a [more] productive space.”

Openers include Papi Chulo and Stuntman.

Soundlab [110 Pearl St. Buffalo, NY]
Doors @ 9:30pm - show 10pm-3am

Check him out on Facebook and Twitter.
http://www.eskmo.com/

Watch the mind-blowing visuals and hear his creative sound mastery in the video for "Cloudlight."  

Ranked #1 female DJ in LA Weekly, TOKiMONSTA, will be in Buffalo tonight thanks to MNM Presents. She is also the first female to join the Brainfeeder crew, a highly-esteemed record label in Los Angeles. She tours worldwide and has such talent that she has been recognized by major publications and radio stations such as DJ Mag, Pitchfork, LA Times, SPIN, BBC Radio 1, and KCRW - and that's just to name a few.

Her musical background as a pianist influenced and created the distinct sound that she has become so recognized for. Her creation of "vast textural soundscapes through the utilization of live instruments, percussion, digital manipulation, and dusty noise" is what has made her name so established in the ever-changing music world. Marrying her passion for hip-hop and EDM, she produces and performs an energetic and wavy sound. TOKiMONSTA also does not let the fact that she is a female in a predominately male environment stand in the way of blowing the minds of her listeners. Her powerful persistence to achieve has proven she's a bad-ass lady with no fear of going head-to-head with "the big boys."

Tonight at Soundlab, doors open at 9 pm and the show goes from 10 pm to 2:30 am.
Openers include Ay Fast and also a back-to-back performance by Perceptor and Mark Kloud.
Tickets are $15 at the door. +18
Check the Facebook event page for more information.

Don't miss this.

Have a listen to her original tunes and remixes on her Soundcloud.

Factory Nightlife presents DJ extraordinaire Eddie Halliwell tonight at Rendezvous Niteclub in Statler City. He has become greatly known and respected as an international trance DJ in the decade or so of his career. In addition to being a former DJ for BBC Radio 1, he has also had other phenomenal achievements such as producing seven essential mixes, in 2011 he launched his label Fire It Up Recordings (FIUR) and has spent his fifth year at Cream Ibiza as resident DJ along with Calvin Harris, Laidback Luke, and Paul Van Dyk.

"Now kids just use them, for example, Eddie Halliwell - what he does with those Pioneer CD players is fucking nuts! He had no hesitation; he just went for it and has probably got the best out of the machine," said Paul Van Dyk, a highly-esteemed Grammy award-winning EDM DJ, raising the bar for Halliwell and his talents.

For most of his career he produced only remixes, until he debuted his long-awaited original track "Neon" in the summer of 2011.

Check him on Twitter and Facebook.

The show tonight is strictly 21+ and dress to impress. For more information, check out the Facebook event page.

Not only was Buffalo impressed with Excision's set Monday night at Town Ballroom, but the feeling was reciprocated. "You guys know your shit, good for you!" he exclaimed into the mic as the crowd reacted to "Undah Yuh Skirt" a consistently banging track since Zeds Dead released it.

Prior to Excision was a quick set from Buffalo's own Stuntman, followed by fellow touring DJs Lucky Date and Liquid Stranger. Liquid Stranger, whom I was very much looking forward to, had a great opening set and was a perfect warm up for the intense sound to come.

The specially designed 100,000 watt PK sound system vibrated from the floor of the venue up and through to the end of your nose (no exaggeration.) Little colored ear plugs were undoubtedly in many ears that night. The "x vision" visualizer was projected upon a large geometric structure in the shape of an X, three spikes were erect on either side, the ones closest to the electric letter reached upwards like the horns of a bull. He and his decks were raised and behind at the intersection of the X.

The crowd danced without a lull and a mosh pit formed in front of the stage. When his set came to a close, everyone cheered for an encore with their arms raised and crossed to form an "x." Encouraged by an emphatic audience, he continued the show with two more tracks one of which was "Louder" by DJ Fresh. Not that the show could have gotten any louder.


If you didn't attend the after-party, you sincerely goofed. Stuntman, HXLY and SwaggleRock had phenomenal sets and the quaint underground Soundlab was jam-packed with Excision go-ers ready to rage through the night. I'm sure Tuesday morning, many were left with sore legs and ringing ears, but it was well worth it.

Black chandeliers were suspended over the long rectangular dance floor and the flashing lights lit up the fancy attire of those who filled Rendezvous Niteclub. A few screens surrounding the DJ set projected the crisp Factory Nightlife logo while deep house kept a continuous feel-good groove.

The venue was dripping with elegance. The sophisticated decor of Statler City and the club itself was breathtaking. Each room had personality and an atmosphere that breathed sleekness.

Jarvis and Angelo Petrucci warmed up the crowd until legendary DJ and producer Paul Oakenfold took the stage. The floor quickly filled in with dancing people and became progressively compact and sweaty, but from what I saw no one seemed to mind. Oakenfold's set was flawless. Well paced house and trance, Oakenfold kept the mood appropriately peaking and dipping.

During his set the screens were projected with mesmerizing morphing geometrical patterns and trippy visuals. Images of women dressed in white danced on a beach as he dropped an Above and Beyond track - my heart soared. That night, Oakenfold brought a perfect mental journey for the trance and house heads. It was a set that had the ability to reach the core of your soul.

Paul Oakenfold, a legend to the EDM scene, will be performing tonight in Buffalo. A big thanks to Factory Nightlife for scoring such a major booking, the show will be held at Rendezvous Niteclub at Statler City (107 Delaware Ave) from 10pm-4am and "come dance all night to this DJ."

Oakenfold's DJ career began in the late 1970s and has prospered greatly up to the present. He has touched almost every aspect of media with his unique presence. His musical history tracks back and is so widespread that it's quite unbelievable how much he has done; collaboration efforts with what seems to be a never-ending list of prominent names in the business, his music has been featured on commercials and he's also taken part in developing soundtracks for films.

In 1989, Oakenfold established Perfecto Records, a trance recording label based in the United Kingdom.

His genre identity is very expansive and ranges, and is not limited to, electronic dance, progressive house, progressive trance, drum and bass, breakbeats and by the 2000s was releasing productions inspired by classic genres such as jazz and soul. An interesting characteristic of Oakenfold's music is his Goa based tunes, specifically trance. Goa music became an inspiration of his in the 1990s after discovering the electronic music genre that originated in Goa, India in the late 80s.

An intriguing track to explore is his original production, "Nixon's Spirit", which embodies hints of the Indian inspired genre and almost has an overall feel of psy-trance paired with Hunter S. Thompson's declarative voice-over.

Over the past decades Oakenfold has won numerous awards and has been top charted internationally.

Don't sleep on this one.
Check out the event page on facebook.
And his official site.




P.S. Remember this one? "Starry Eyed Surprise" Paul Oakenfold ft Shifty from Crazy Town. Oh Crazy Town...