Saturday, October 23, 2010

An #Almost Famous Conversation w/ DJ Platurn


This weekend we have DJ Platurn of the Oakland Faders joining us at HG Lodge for Almost Famous. The Faders are one of the most respected DJ crews on the left coast and Platurn is well known for his killer party rocking blends and pushing the limits with his creative live sets. I will be joining him on the tables for the opening set so expect nothing but the best jams on party mountain.

For booth and guestlist reservations hit us at: membersonly206 [at] gmail [dot] com

Had to bring this back to the top as I chatted with Platurn this week and wanted to give y'all fence sitters that added push to realization that Platurn is not to be thought about lightly. Come out tonight! Get a booth and go ham to a soundtrack you won't find playing at another club in the town.

Have you played Seattle before? If so do you remember where, who with, any details?
I have, a few times. Mostly at The War Room but some other joints with the homie Marc Sense. Always a blast up there and the food and digs are excellent.

Do you make time to dig for vinyl when you hit new towns? Do you go out when you are home looking for vinyl?
Always. #1 priority - i've been collecting records for 15 years so at this point it's not a daily occurrence like it used to be but I still try to go almost every week, usually to the flea markets around the Bay or to Amoeba Records.

Do you ever play vinyl sets these days?
Most definitely. Pretty frequently actually. I also throw an all 7" monthly called "The 45 Sessions" at The Layover in Oakland. Amazing party and we've had everyone from Kon & Amir to Shortkut come rock it. The 1-Year anniversary is next month and i'm very proud of its success.

You are originally from Iceland, when did you come to the states? Was you exposure to Hip Hop and DJin something that happened when you made the move? Does Iceland have a hip hop scene?
Came to the States for the first time back in '83 and officially in '88. Def exposed to Hip-Hop on a real level when I moved but the culture has existed in Iceland since the mid 80s. Interesting to keep in mind that Iceland is one of the first inhabited countries just out of NY when crossing the Atlantic so a lot of the trends and music landed there before it even hit mainland Europe. They have a thick scene nowadays too.

Who were the first DJs to inspire you and make you get behind the tables?
JAM.....MASTER.....JAY!!! Then Jazzy Jeff, Aladdin, DJ Scratch and so on...

How did you and DJ Spair join forces? Are you guys still collaborating?
I've known the homie Spair since '95 and we started the Faders in 2000. We are still holding down the collective and have some things in the works but he's killin' shit in Vegas these days so it's not always as easy to collab when you're states apart.

Tell me about the Scion mixtape and what that did for you guys?
Got us a lot of exposure for sure. Good amount of press and half a million copies of the CD we made helped get the name out there quite a bit.

What will be playing in your ears on your trip to Seattle?
I actually don't listen to music much when traveling - not the car either. Not sure why that is - prolly cuz i'm around music constantly because it's my work/life that I take little opportunities like that to get some peace. If you're asking what i've been listening to as of late, well i'm loving these "Back To Peru" comps, Moses Hightower from back home and a bunch of random Steel Drum joints i've gotten my hands on.

What can the crowd expect from a Platurn set in 2010?
Hard to say - I'm all over the place these days. I tend to lean towards the obscure but energetic and funky remixes, edits and blends but it really has to do with the crowd and the vibe -- classic Hip-Hop and samples, etc. I played a bunch of house in SF the other day - haven't done that in hella long.

Are you excited by modern music? Do you find yourself more inspired by tunes that are older?
I like a lot of the stuff coming out but it is and always has been the music that pays homage to and recognizes the past that I dig the most, even the newer Electro stuff. I love a bunch of the new funk and any Rap or new Disco with a sample in it is gonna perk my ears up rather than something that doesn't. It all depends - there's good and interesting music from every genre and time period. I guess if it sounds genuine and soulful then i'm widdit -- a nice funky breakbeat always helps too.

Last words? Advice? Shout outs? Rants?
Big ups to the Members Only crew for having me out and to the homies Marc Sense, Zac J. and Mike May for taking care of a brother when I roll to town. Oh, and be sure to check out djplaturn.com & oaklandfaders.com on the regular for all things funky. Peace and all that!

No comments:

Post a Comment