The short, engaging documentary Secondhand Sureshots, which every DJ / record collector must see, proves that there is indeed gold to be found in the dollar bins, and that a crate digger with a good eye and a good ear can simultaneously recycle and create from those cheap vinyl finds. Filmed four years ago as a production of dublab, this crate digging in the dollar bin documentary was very recently released on DVD by the Stones Throw label with bonus material. The film, which screened over the weekend at the Downtown Independent, was directed by Frosty, who aptly and eloquently described it as "an experiment in creative sound recycling." The film takes place in Los Angeles, where it follows J-Rocc, Daedelus, Nobody, and Ras G on a crate digging excursion (a "secret mission" is the film's official description) at the local thrift store's (Out Of The Closet Thrift Store) dollar bins to see what musical magic they can conjure up out of what most people would immediately discard as crappy records (and some are really crappy). 

As any modern crate digging beat maker will tell you, it is not about what the original record you have in your hands has to offer, but what you can cull from it to transform it (via chopping up and reworking sounds) into something new and wonderful, and this is where the skills of these four gifted producers come into play. The film comes as a DVD + CD set containing the original 30 minute documentary with additional films featuring more music and art creation plus extra beats and mixes from all four producers, and some other niceness. Recently I caught up with Secondhand Sureshots' director Frosty to ask him about his love letter to dusty old vinyl.

For many, many years now Tuesdays have been the music industry's standard day of the week to release new records and CDs. And today, Tuesday March 3rd, is when brand new Los Angeles music label FoF Music is dropping its inaugural release, Friends of Friends Vol. 1 featuring Daedelus and fellow LA electronic act, duo Jogger. But similarities with the traditional music industry business model end there for this modern, post-Internet age, self-described "T-shirt label," whose catalog will be all digital file only releases.
 
"The Internet in many ways has been “the great equalizer” for both artists and music fans, giving us all new opportunities to release, buy and receive music," writes creator of this new indie label Leeor Brown on FoF's website. The concept for FoF Music, which stands for Friends of Friends Music, he writes, is to invite an artist "to join the FoF family by signing on to do a split EP; they in turn invite another musician or group to complete the split release and commission a designer to create the EP’s artwork on a limited edition T-Shirt which will include a download card (100% seed paper card-- Included will be the release, exclusive remixes and special content: ie videos, mixes etc)."

Today's premiere release, Friends of Friends Vol. 1, is a digital only six song shared "EP" with three songs each from number one "friend" Daedelus (born Alfred Darlington) and his friend Jogger. Alfred also invited friends Amir Yaghmai (who he attended high school with) and Jonathan Larroquette, both of whom are active live band members of his side project The Long Lost with his wife Laura, to also contribute to the new project. Additionally he invited the husband and wife art duo Kozyndan to do the cover art/t-shirt design for the release.

About two months ago LA producer Daedelus and his crew laced up a short one minute pro-Barack Obama jingle in support of their favorite Democratic presidential runner.  Since then, Daedelus and Taz Arnold -- with the help of numerous other folks in LA -- have extended the short bit into a full length song and made an accompanying video for it that features many familiar faces and places around Los Angeles. The creators of the video say it is a "dedication to LA, the mobilization of youth, and of course, Obama."  Check it out!

As one can imagine, guest lectures from Californian electronic producers who dress in Victorian garb is not a daily occurrence here at the University of Limerick in Ireland.  Gigs in this Irish city by Californian electronic producers are equally close to the ground. 

Hence, the intense local media focus on one Alfred Darlington, better known as Daedelus, regarding his mini-tour of Ireland.  The man's lamb-chop sideburns have been a staple image in both regional and national newspapers for the last few weeks, the anticipation around the city and university morphing into something so pronounced that you could feel the interest tingling in that cold April air. 

I guess Irish weather has quite a lot in common with the music of Daedelus, given that both are unpredictable and dramatic – sometimes calm, sometimes wild.  Despite this similarity, Friday (April 11) saw sunshine all the way for the Limerick leg of the tour, following his annihilation of ClubHeadBangBang in Kerry the night before. 

Organised by the Music Technology Department along with local event promotors Kerrynini and Cheebah, the seminar took an informal approach in the same vein as the man's music: open, informal, inviting, all underpinned by a sense of chaotic genius.  What was instantly apparent is the fact that Daedelus is truly a friendly chap, addressing the gathered students and beat-heads in a relaxed, modest manner, despite suffering from an acute case of jet-lag.  Luckily, he's had his coffee.  His accounts of his early explorations into digging were both fascinating and funny, relating how his competitive digging-buddies pushed him out of the funk and soul crates and into the altogether stranger world of childrens' recordings and soundtracks.

The always innovative and funky LA club Low End Theory -- at The Airliner every Wednesday -- has taken the show on the road to New York City, where in March it began a new monthly at the Knitting Factory there.  It held its second night at the downtown Manhattan club over this past weekend where, judging by both nights' charged performances plus the warm audience reactions, it seems that Low End Theory NYC is a hit.

I attended the two Low End Theory NYC parties, including the first night last month when most of the resident DJs from LA flew east for the night.  Onstage were Daddy Kev, Nobody, Gaslamp Killer, Nocando, Eliot Lipp (resident NYC) Flying Lotus (special guest) and the always amazing D-Styles (who did two skratch sets). This past Saturday (4/5)  Daedelus (pictured left), edIT, DJ Nobody, Nocando, and Eliot Lipp put on another great night's entertainment -- especially Daedelus, who clearly stole the show. What a performer! Check the video from his performance below.  And check this space in the coming days for when Irish guest Amoeblogger Johnny Doobs will write a review of Daedelus's scheduled lecture in Limerick, Ireland on Friday (April 11).

Meantime, I asked Peter Agoston, who among many other things in the music biz, books hip-hop related shows at the Knitting Factory NY, how he came to bring the Low End Theory to the Big Apple?  "Daddy Kev and his squad created and cultivated the Low End event for Wednesdays in L.A. I've been to it a few times and even DJ'ed at it once," said Agoston, who spins under the alias DJ Thanksgiving Brown. "It's a fun atmosphere and the line-ups were always unique and very strong. I've known Kev for a while as a contemporary in the hip-hop game -- when I took the job as Talent Buyer for The Knitting Factory NY one of the first things I did was reach out to Kev to bring Low End to NYC.  It took about six months of planning, but it proved to be a good idea!"