Ever wish you were on the set of your favorite indie music video, dancing in a meadow with flowers and half-naked hipsters surrounding you? Well, good, we don't either. It's much more preferable to live out this indie dancing fantasy in a small club, where shots are pouring and pollen allergies don't exist. There you'll find video DJ mixers Blondie K and subOctave, more commonly known as the Fringe DJs. Check them out every third Saturday at Madrone Art Bar and first Thursdays (at Electric Feel) at the Lookout — because let's face it, who has time to watch music videos sober anymore?
Where did you guys get the idea of video mixing?
The video mixing came from a love of the medium and for us wanting our night to be different from other nights. Music videos are more creative now then ever; the combination of visuals and music delivers the kind of overstimulating experience we wanted to create at a nightclub. We also wanted to find an outlet to express and share our mad computer skills somewhere outside our living rooms.
Do you guys ever fight over which tracks you want to spin on a particular night?
Yes! We try to throw songs we feel strongly about in a playlist so the other DJ knows we want to play it. But we always say, if it works in the moment just go for it, no matter what. As we've gotten more experience and acquired more songs we love, we've cared less and less about who gets to play what song. Although, there are always a couple of songs that one of us might try and grab before the other goes on. A recent example is Duck Sauce's "Barbra Streisand," which seems to make people go batty on the dance floor.
Are you scared people will just stand around and watch the videos? How do you make them dance?
Luckily we don't have a hard time getting our crowd to dance. Very early in the night there are more people just hanging out in the bar watching the videos, but it usually only takes a couple of people to break onto the dance floor to get everyone to follow. People are watching the videos as they dance and we especially see them looking at the screen when we are mixing between songs for clues of what's coming. You can tell they are tuned in to the visuals when we are mixing beats and the song really hasn't started yet. But as the artist or band appears on the screen, we hear cheering in the crowd.
For us, the videos only add to the sensory overload that you crave when you go to a nightclub. We've only had to DJ a couple of times without the videos and it's an odd feeling now, like something is missing.
You guys are known for having the newest music videos — where do you find them?
Like with almost everything nowadays, the Internet has taken over as the way we find material and communicate about it. We hear about so many new releases through blogs, Facebook, and Twitter. The Hype Machine website is also a great source to find the most popular remixes out there. Some of our best stuff comes from friends and fans that send great music directly to us. Our fans are truly passionate about music and we really appreciate that.
And what was your favorite music video this past year?
If we had to pick one, it would probably be the Limousines, "Internet Killed the Video Star." The video is a bit twisted with zombies chasing kids, but the expressions on the kids faces are hysterical. It is definitely one of our videos that make people do a double take and wonder what is going on. Plus the Limousines are phenomenal in that video and we're proud that they are a local Bay Area band.
So if you guys could be a duo like Matt and Kim, The Tings Tings, etc., who would you guys ideally be?
Oh boy, those are both such great duos! We adore the Ting Tings and their talent for infectious pop rhythms but we definitely relate to the relentless enthusiasm that Matt and Kim have. Ideally we would love to be more of a DJ duo like the Twelves, doing some of the best mixes and remixes out there and creating original music. It's something for us to strive for.
What's the worst request you guys have gotten?
Actually the worst requests we get are for the song we just played — it happens more often than you might think. Both of us really like to play requests — as a DJ it is often a nice challenge to fit something unexpected into the flow.
What's the ideal outfit to wear while dancing to indie rock and pop? Spandex?
For our money, nothing expresses that look better than the Justice video for D.A.N.C.E. with all the different indie t-shirts. We think the indie ethic is that anything goes if you have the attitude to pull it off ... but when in doubt you can't go wrong with a funky pair of sunglasses.
What's something people shouldn't do during your sets?
Don't wear uncomfortable shoes!
