The Sounds of VTech

Photos by Joy Yoon

This Sunday, March 15th, 2009, VTech with Mochilla are proud to present opening DJ sets by Madlib and DJ Nuts. A can’t miss opportunity for hip hop lovers, Brasilian funk feelers , and down and dirty crater diggers.

MADLIB

Madlib (photo by B+)

From the unlikely beach town of Oxnard, 40 miles north of Los Angeles, the multi-dimensional Madlib quickly rose to prominence as one of the most interesting figures in late-’90s hip-hop. With his childhood buddies in the Lootpack, Madlib quickly made a name for himself as a rapper, producer, and DJ. In particular, his expansive style and deft touch for composition made him one of hip-hop’s most sought-after producers. An enthusiastic crate digger, with a deep reverence for jazz and soul, Madlib branched out into a number of ambitious, engaging solo projects.

Along with DJ Romes and Wild Child, Madlib formed the Lootpack in their hometown of Oxnard. The trio made their debut on tha Alkaholiks’ 21 and Over in 1993. They continued doing work for tha Alkaholiks and other artists before releasing their full-length Soundpieces: Da Antidote six years later. The album earned solid reviews but went largely unnoticed. Madlib did not, however. After hooking up with Los Angeles DJ Peanut Butter Wolf, Madlib did a lot of production for Wolf’s Stones Throw label. In 1999 the label released Quasimoto’s astonishing The Unseen LP. Doubling as himself and his alter ego Quasimoto, Madlib handled vocals and production duties on the album, a huge critical success.

Not resting on his laurels, Madlib followed The Unseen a year later with his Yesterday’s New Quintet project. Madlib played all the instruments himself, infusing his exploration of jazz with both style and substance.

While continuing on with a massive release schedule and work load, Madlib completed a remix/reinterpretation project for Blue Note, a collaboration with Jay Dee under the Jaylib alias, a collaboration with MF Doom, produced 1/2 of fellow Lootpack member Wildchild’s solo record and many other remix and producer tasks all in 2003.

Never one to slow down, the next few years brought a myriad of new releases, including Jackson Conti’s Sujinho, a collaboration with Azymuth’s Ivan “Mamao” Conti, who will be playing drums at Verocai’s L.A. debut this Sunday. 

With each year Madlib has continued to expand his abilities beyond the core hip hop that he is known for.

“I could listen to that (Arthur Verocai) album everyday for the rest of my life”  - Madlib

www.myspace.com/madlib

DJ NUTS

DJ Nuts

DJ Nuts is the foremost turntablist living in Brasil today. His skills mixed with the depth of his crates makes him unique in his home country. As a youngster in the late eighties he became fascinated by the burgeoning Sao Paulo hiphop scene. Graduating from the school of “Yo MTV Raps” - he began Djing under the tutelage of Macello 2the Bone (producer of Racionais MCs) in 1991. In 2000 he became the tuntablist champion of Brasil. As a producer he was done albums for Marcello D2 (Sony Music) as well as working with Brasilian music legends Gilberto Gil, Planet Hemp, Joao Donato, Trio Mocoto, O Rappa and Dom Um Romao.

In 2002, DJ Nuts was a tutor at the Red Bull Music Academy in Sao Paulo. He became the main consultant and DJ for Brasilintime: Batucada com Discos- the Mochilla sequel to Keepintime,  on the relationship between Brazilian music of the 1970s and hip hop and funk. 

„Em 1972 falaram que ele estava maluco… sua musica é agora.” - DJ Nuts 

www.myspace.com/djnuts

Sunday, March 15th, 2009
7-11pm / All Ages / $22.50 Limited Presale / $32.50 After
*Presale Tickets Available @www.ticketmaster.com and
The Luckman Box Office +1 323 343 6600
(Please keep in mind that these are assigned seating events - in order to sit together you MUST purchase your tickets together - to view seating chart please go http://luckmanarts.org/seatingchart.php)
*Presale + early arrival is STRONGLY suggested*

Harriet and Charles Luckman Fine Arts Complex
Cal State University Los Angeles
5151 State University Drive. Los Angeles. 90032

Feb 22nd 2009
VTech, Mochilla and ArtDontSleep present

Suite for Ma Dukes : Miguel Atwood- Ferguson & Carlos Nino with a 40-piece orchestra.

James Yancey will be forever be known as J Dilla.  He was born in Detroit. His music was the most revered sound in hiphop from the mid-nineties until today.  He had worked with everyone from Tribe called Quest to Busta Rhymes, De la Soul, Common even Janet Jackson. His two solo albums for BBE records are classics and his Donuts album for Stones Throw is considered genre defining. Donuts, his final album,  was completed during one of his extended hospital stays. Dilla suffered from Lupus. It was released on February 7, his 32nd birthday. Three days later, while at his Los Angeles home with his mother (MaDukes), he passed away.

Carlos Nino & Miguel Atwood Ferguson have chosen to pay tribute to Dilla by interpreting his music in a contemporary chamber music style that they been developing.  Their EP “Suite For Ma Dukes” will be released and performed live for the first time.  Very special guests to be announced.

Opening Dj Sets by J.ROCC and House Shoes
Very Special Guests TBA

Sunday, February 1, 2009
7-11pm / All Ages / $32.50

*Tickets Available via WWW.TICKETMASTER. COM

Presented at The Harriet and Charles Luckman Fine Arts Complex located on the campus of Cal State University Los Angeles. 5151 State University Drive. Los Angeles. 90032

March 15th 2009
VTech, Mochilla and ArtDontSleep present:
Arthur Verocai with 30 piece orchestra featuring Airto Moreira, Ivan “Mamao” Conti, Jose Bertrami, Carlos Dafe and many more…

Folk-jazz composer/arranger Arthur Verocai was born in Rio de Janeiro in 1945.He has created challenging arrangements and compositions for Brasilian artistsfrom Jorge Ben (Negro é Linda) to Ivan Lins (Agora) to works from Leny Andrade and Gal Costa. Verocai is best known however for his eponymous 1972 album. It is a stunningly innovative effort.  It puts Verocai into a rarified field with the heavy string oriented music of Charles Stepney and David Axelrod. Released in a dark period of Brasilian history, the album fared poorly. Subsequently the album has become an oft sampled highly influential classic - see Ludacriss and Little Brother.

Opening sets by Madlib and Dj Nuts
Very Special Guests TBA

Sunday, February 1, 2009
7-11pm / All Ages / $22.50

*Tickets Available via WWW.TICKETMASTER. COM

Presented at The Harriet and Charles Luckman Fine Arts Complex located on the campus of Cal State University Los Angeles. 5151 State University Drive. Los Angeles. 90032

April 5th 2009
VTech, Mochilla and ArtDontSleep present:

The Music of David Axelrod live with 26 piece orchestra.

Born in Los Angeles, David Axelrod defines composer/arranger. He was a Grammy winning producer for Capitol Records in the 1960s and ’70s.  He has recorded everyone from Stan Kenton to Lou Rawls from the Electric Prunes to Cannonball Adderley. David Axelrod has forged a distinctive dramatic musical style.  His music lives and breathes Los Angeles.  His pair of solo albums based on the visionary, mystical poetry of William Blake (Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience) have influenced so much of hiphop.  His string heavy sound has been sampled by everyone from Dr. Dre (Next Episode) to Lauryn Hill and Lil Wayne (Dr Carter).

Opening sets by J.ROCC
Very Special Guests TBA

Sunday, February 1, 2009
7-11pm / All Ages / $32.50

*Tickets Available via WWW.TICKETMASTER. COM or please call the Luckman box office.

Presented at The Harriet and Charles Luckman Fine Arts Complex located on the campus of Cal State University Los Angeles. 5151 State University Drive. Los Angeles. 90032