As You Like It & Fault Radio Present: Coast To Coast Seattle
Coast to Coast
In Focus: Seattle
October 16, 2020
This month’s installment of As You Like It Coast to Coast features artists that bring they own influences, stories, passions that lay the the framework for today’s new generation Seattle - Sharlese, Tony H and Succubass — and a Bay Area duo — JX-216 and Rubidium.
Sharlese’s EBM influenced techno, brings forward both the synths and the punch. Tony H and Succubass come at bass music from different directions. Tony H brings a bottom heavy house, with hip-hop flavored tech-house, that’s putting his production on the playlists of dance-floor movers around the world. Succubass laidback, broken beat, bottom heavy chug is the perfect break to your quarantine distress. Her recent Daisychain mix is in constant rotation. Seattle ex-pats, now calling Oakland home, JX-216 and Rubidium have their finger on the pulse North American techno. Pre-COVID the duo co-produced a bi-monthly party Konstruct at UGSF, pushing a big sound more generally found in warehouses in an intimate community driven night.
For this month’s edition of AYLI Coast to Coast, the artists have asked that all tips be directed to support As You Like It, Fault Radio, and King County Equity Now.
As You Like It is the result of a shared taste for quality electronic music, late-night experiences, and creative expression, rooted in the underground and branching out to new heights.
DONATE: Paypal: info@ayli-sf.com
Kings County Equity Now is an ecosystem of over sixty Black-led, accountable community-based organizations of Black elders, organizers, healers, youth and families designing and implementing a new normal rooted in equity now. Our work is grounded in a love for Black people and improving on-the-ground living conditions, together.
DONATE: https://bit.ly/3iHcDw9
Sharlese Metcalf
Sharlese Metcalf got her start as a resident DJ of Seattle's goth industrial wave crew, Second Sight in 2012. Hosting shows at the iconic Electronic Tea Garden, Sharlese drew inspiration from her time there, and was introduced to Kate Moore who was commonly interested in very similar music. When Second Sight disbanded, Sharlese and Kate commenced with their first collaboration called Audiodrome at Pony, a minimal synth/coldwave focused night. After about a year together, Kate and Sharlese moved to Krewmerk and founded their current night, False Prophet. Sharlese is a connoisseur of music, DJs frequently around town and also works at KEXP 90.3 FM as the host of Mechanical Breakdown and is a rotating host on Expansions among many other contributions to the community.
Interview
1. Tell us about who you are as a DJ. What kind of music do you play and what inspires you?
I'm a selector, a true lover of music of all different kinds, styles and waves. I love to play everything, experiment and challenge myself, but I do lean towards techno, ebm, various wave and synth genres.
2. What local projects (events, crews, labels, and beyond) are you involved with?
I work at KEXP with two radio shows. I'm a rotating host on Expansions, every third Sunday from 9:00 PM to 12:00 AM and host the weekly show Mechanical Breakdown. I'm a resident of the techno crew Depth and I also run a synth, wave, ebm night called False Prophet that does live shows and a dance night called Audiodrome with rotating guests. Other projects include a music video, mix night called Just One more Thing and I run a mix series called Techno Hour of Power.
3. What makes your local scene special?
People, inspiration, talent, love and support. Seattle is robust with all of these things and I feel very honored to experience all of this through my work at KEXP and personal projects. There are so many different sounds coming out of the city and I love hearing it all! It's really amazing and something I treasure!
4. What do you hope to see happen once we come out the other side of this crisis?
Community, I hope people will continue to support one another. I hope new talent emerges, with new ideas that mix into a whirlwind of community inspiration. PLUR vibes forever <3
Tony H
Anthony Henderson, known professionally as Tony H is a Panamanian tech house, deep house, techno and minimal producer and DJ. Throughout his career he has had the opportunity to open for the likes of DJ Eva, Trevor Vichas, Hector Moralez, Astronomar, DJ BL3ND, Kristian Nairn aka DJ Hodor, Dean MAson, Donald Glaude, Jason Curtis, The Crystal Method, Paul Oakenfold among others. In 2015, Tony H founded his own label, Late Night Munchies, which has already released dozens of original tracks and remixes by contributors all over the globe. The brand’s shows, which feature new music combined with Tony H’s live performance skills and engaging personality, have translated a strong following of supporters.
Interview
1. Tell us about who you are as a DJ. What kind of music do you play and what inspires you?
I play and produce a variety of house music from tech house to deep house to techno to funky house. Other artists inspire me especially those close to me whether they DJ or produce like DJ Gre, Tourmaline, Myndgruv, Bacosaurus, Askim, Subset, Longstocking, Kevin Knapp and the list could go on and on.
2. What local projects (events, crews, labels, and beyond) are you involved with?
I run 2 labels (Late Night Munchies & Munchies After Dark) as well as my podcast/Twitch stream called The Drive-Thru. The main label Late Night Munchies is for more of the tech house and deep house sounds and the sub-label, Munchies After Dark focuses more on melodic house & techno. My podcast, which is now one of my main streams on Twitch (every wednesday from 2-6pm PST) is an outlet for artists to create and share mixes. Then after the pandemic hit, I turned it into a stream where every week I pick a different venue or organization and raise funds for them during my stream. To this day I have raised over $10k and hope to raise and help even more people with my platform. Locally, I have also released on labels such as Tilted Records, SUB 49, Uniting Souls Music, Viva Recording, Build It Records and Underscore Recording.
3. What makes your local scene special?
Our local scene is so special because it is filled with so much talent. The bar is set pretty high for producers and DJs in Seattle, which for me makes it fun to see so many people I know getting the recognition they deserve.
4. What do you hope to see happen once we come out the other side of this crisis?
I hope that we can come out of this with many DJs that love to play music doing what they can to help support venues that have had to take a huge hit whether they have had to close during this time or are trying to stay open to make whatever money they can. We really need to stand behind these venues so that we can all get back to doing what we love and giving dancers the space to enjoy themselves again.
Succubass
Succubass is the alias of Seattle-based DJ Jessica Duran, a member of the local TUF collective who's quickly become well-known for her exceptionally diverse tastes and ability to jump across multiple styles and confidently provide top-notch vibes to a wide range of dancefloor parties. A trusted selector to deftly set the tone for adventurous electronic bills, she's shared the stages with world-class underground acts such as Lena Wilkins, Umfang, Loefah, Juju & Jordash, Mike Huckaby, Goth-Trad, Roman Flugel, Shanti Celeste, and many more, while also bringing her DJ talents to a handful of recent PNW music festivals, including TUF Fest, Treefort, Sensory Illumination, and Cascadia.
Interview
1. Tell us about who you are as a DJ. What kind of music do you play and what inspires you?
I genuinely love music. I dig daily and it's important to me to play tracks that connect emotionally and physically with people. Complexity in both rhythm and emotional narrative while keeping a groove and a dash of chaos is paramount when I DJ. I play many different styles of music, but really lean into more bass oriented and leftfield sounds. Detroit techno, classic house, industrial techno, downtempo, broken beat, dub, breaks, and bass are some of my favorites. I'm inspired by my peers and other artists that spread joy.
2. What local projects (events, crews, labels, and beyond) are you involved with?
Since late 2018, I've been a core member of High & Tight as a curator, sound engineer and rave specialist. It's been a joy to work with Cody, Joel, Carlos, Chris and Matt. Formally affiliated with TUF, but we dissolved earlier this year. I have many fond memories working with all the folks at TUF, helping host workshops, TUFFEST and TUF 'Til Dawn.
3. What makes your local scene special?
A massive sense of community. There are so many talented and passionate people here and most all are willing to help and share resources. Lots of support and love.
4. What do you hope to see happen once we come out the other side of this crisis?
That's a hard question. First, I want justice, power and healing for all marginalized folks and I imagine this quest will go on for the rest of my life. I also hope that we can all get together again and dance in power. I miss the rave and I miss traveling. I feel like that's so selfish of me, but I desperately want to resume those activities after the crisis. It seems like we are going to have to live with Covid for the foreseeable future, so I'm not sure what the other side is going to look like without a massive shift.
Rubidium b2b JX-216
Rubidium’s current take on techno is heavy and dense. Her sound can vary from driving to hypnotic, experimental to atmospheric, with an occasional dip into an ambient realm. She is fond of tension, creative sound design and exploring darker themes in her sets. Her tracks can be found on the From 0-1, Webuildmachines, Subspec and Anode labels, with more on the way. In early 2018 she launched 'Konstruct', a monthly Techno event at Underground SF in San Francisco with fellow artist, JX-216, showcasing talent from across North America and beyond.
Formerly known as Milkplant, JX-216 is a new alias developed by veteran San Francisco Techno DJ/Producer, Justin William Pennell. Schooled in the Midwest and developed on the West Coast, his work encompasses well over 30 years of combined DJ/production experience, and over 10 years of record label management. In 2008, he began the internationally recognized label, From 0-1 with fellow artist Sone. His newly updated live pa debuted at the 2018 Droid and Blank Code Interface/Scene official Movement Festival event at The Works in Detroit; alongside Kr!z, DJ Hyperactive, Vril, Phase, Sophia Saze, and others. He’s already had releases signed to Sleaze Records, BEK Audio, Impact Mechanics, TMM, SUB_tl, Ascetic Ltd., Rheostatus among others.
Interview
1. Tell us about who you are as a DJ. What kind of music do you play and what inspires you?
Rubidium: I'm a techno DJ. Every now and then I'll dip into some ambient/experimental tracks that are on the darker, more somber side. I love visceral sounds. When I'm digging for music, sound design is what I respond to the most. I'm inspired a lot by film, both photography and cinema, and the stories they can tell.
JX-216: I've been DJing techno since the year 2000. I also DJ house occasionally, and have been known to play industrial and experimental music to switch it up every now and then. I am most inspired by the possibility of creating sounds never heard before by the human ear; layering Techno tracks in a DJ set affords me that opportunity.
2. What local projects (events, crews, labels, and beyond) are you involved with?
Rubidium: I have been the art director for Justin's record label From 0-1 since 2008. Justin and I started Konstruct in February 2018, a techno monthly that was held at Underground SF. Our friends Fabrizio Uscanga (Eichef/U-SRD), Loammi Rodas (U-SRD) and Lisa Borland were a vital part of the team as well. We had just celebrated our two year anniversary last February, prior to the beginning of the pandemic.
JX-216: Rachel summarized a lot of my involvement locally, specifically Konstruct with the rest of the crew. I miss it a lot, and love our home at Underground SF. Steven, owner of the club, and all the other staff are so awesome to work with. They let us follow our own vision for the experience we want to create with each event. Beyond Konstruct, I run the label From 0-1 cooperatively with Brian Sonnleitner (Sone) in Seattle. We've been in operation for about the last 13 years and have released vinyl, CD's, and digital tracks from local and regional artists and international talet. Rachel is our art director and designs all our releases.
3. What makes your local scene special?
Rubidium: I had a lot of fun in Seattle. I lived there for 9 years, and was able to experience a range of nightlife and events during my 20's. I met so many amazing friends. I attended my first outdoor parties, and the Decibel Festival was one of the only festivals dedicated to electronic music during that time. I used to frequent Flammable Sundays, the house music weekly held at Rebar, fairly often for a few years when I had Mondays off. Of course I also met Justin there and we have been together for 13 years this month.
JX-216: As Rachel indicated, we met in Seattle in 2007 and started dating Halloween of that year. Seattle is kind of a second home to me. It's where some of my oldest friends live, and where I kicked off my production career and launched my label. The six years I lived in Seattle were monumental and paved the way forward for my music. I moved there from Milwaukee in 2004 the week of the first Decibel Festival. Having the opportunity to be involved with the festival as a fan, volunteer, and promoter were invaluable experiences.
4. What do you hope to see happen once we come out the other side of this crisis?
Rubidium: I hope the North American scene can start strengthening from within. I hope we can see the pitfalls of capitalism and learn to value ideas, (and each other), more than profits and metrics. I hope we have the best fucking parties ever.
JX-216: I hope we learn to be more patient and understanding with each other. I hope we learn to find common ground rather than constant division.
Interviews by Chris Zaldua & Kylie-Ayn Kennedy
