Electrolightz present…Barry Romance (Part 2)
Click here to read Part 1.
HipTronik: What is the evolution of your sound? You’ve all been a group for eight months, but has there been a change that’s taken place?
E: I’d say so. When Eroc first started writing the music he was coming from a Cut Copy/Depeche Mode kind of world. Now I think we’ve moved into the electronica/Top 40 stuff, especially with the remixes we’ve done for Interscope artists like P. Diddy, Lady Gaga, Mary J. Blige.
I think that’s a really unique part of what our band does. We have this whole production side, we work with other artists and we remix songs and I think that’s one of the things that helps separate us. WE like to collaborate and work in general.
It’s inspired us to take the sound a little bit less indie and a little more pop … We’re not the kind of band that feels like we need to stick in one genre and we’re open to moving and changing depending on popularity…
It’s exciting to be with a group a people who are open to creating what feels right. That’s something that Namebrand talks about. He’ll say, “I just want to go and do music and not think about what it’s supposed to be.” I’m excited to see what comes out next.
HipTronik: Which one of the remixes is your favorite?
E: Lady Gaga's “Telephone.” I think it’s been doing really well on YouTube and it’s a great example of super famous great artists with our two singers in there … It just works. People have been playing it in the club a lot. It’s really fun to be at a dance club and hear our remix come on and see how people react to it ... That’s always exciting. And that’s when I feel like we’re doing the right thing.
HipTronik: That is really exciting. Now, about the genre in general: our site is called HipTronik, which is a blend of electronica and hip hop. How do you guys feel about the Hiptronik genre? Where do you see it going? How do you guys fit in?
E: We’re the most ideal band for this genre. I think that’s exactly what we’re doing. Some of come from a strong hip hop background. Some of us are really into electronic music. So the blending of the two just seems really natural for us.
We’re happy that it has a home and there are other people doing it … I think the genre has a lot of potential as it continues to grow, as long as it doesn’t get soft or watered down so that it’ll stay interesting for the kids that are at the head of the genre.
HipTronik: So, do you…
E: Do I have other band members? I swear I do. [laughs]
HipTronik: Here’s a fun question for you: What’s on your playlist currently?
E: [Checks computer playlist] Well, we have the "Electronightz" mix tape. Top-of-the-line here. We listen to Ke$ha, A-Trak, Steve Aoki and Far East Movement. I think in general, people who do music for a living really want to stay on top of what’s working and what people like.
And I think the bands we perform with are the bands we want to listen to. We saw Shiny Toy Guns at the Heat Festival; I really like that. I thought it was a cool blend of rock/goth edge with something similar to what we’re doing. Ke$ha’s so much fun; we love her.
HipTronik: Yeah, she is.
E: Also, I think it’s super awesome to have Lady Gaga in the world. Everyone in every genre is like, “Yay!” we have someone who is eccentric and trying to change things. It kind of works for everything and it’s been a real honor to do some of her remixes. Who doesn’t want to party with Lady Gaga?
HipTronik: True. Do you guys have any live events coming up?
E: Yes. We’re going to rock the South by South Music Festival, we’re playing with Schwayze and Mike Posner at the Phoenix in Austin, and then we’re going to the Winter Music Conference in Miami, which is an amazing party.
HipTronik: Have you been before?
E: I have. The rock band (Something for Rockets) Rami and I were in played there. And then I believe we’re going to the East Coast to play at the University of Massachusetts and the University of Connecticut to play with LMFAO so that’s going to be so much fun. We’ve also been doing this residency at Hyde, which is more of a DJ set rather than a full show.
I’d also like to give a shout out to the L.A. Leakers. They are DJs at Power 106 and they’re hosting our mix tape. They’re great guys and they’re really pushing us musically and having us try new stuff. They help us see what works for radio and what works live. They have a good sense as far as music that sounds good. I’m psyched that they took us on for the mix tape and have helped guide us through this process.
HipTronik: Is there any artist in particular you’d like to collaborate with in the future?
E: We’d like to do an actual track with Lady Gaga. I think Timbaland is always doing interesting stuff as far as production so it’d be really cool to work with him. We’d love to team up with Steve Aoki. He’s always pushing the genre forward, as far as being a real presence. Who wouldn’t want to hang out with Jay-Z or Kanye West? Or even Daft Punk. To write with those guys would be amazing.
HipTronik: Outside of music, do you have any individual projects you guys are working on that you’d like to share with us?
E: Eroc, the DJ, he has his own producing team called Dariffs. Rami has a solo project called Rami Dearest.
HipTronik: Is it pretty different?
E: Yeah. It’s real different.
HipTronik: And what about yourself?
E: I have another band called Kashmere, which is a singer-songwriter project. It has a totally different vibe, kind of like Bon Iver. Namebrand has his own music that is kind of like “Namebrand the rapper.” More straight hip hop, not really dance or electronic, but rap.
And with all of these projects, you have to do them on the side to get the inspiration when we come together. I think the key to a good song is when it’s able to cross into multiple genres and not just sound good in one genre. So when we work with our other bands and we’re playing a different style, we can include that style into the Electrolightz.
HipTronik: So even though you guys have your own stuff going on, E-lightz is your main focus?
E: Yeah. It’s kind of like our home. It seems to be the thing that everyone is responding to and we’re just really psyched about it. It’s fun to hang out with this group. We have a great time together. And I think we have the other things on the side because it inspires us and pushes us to create more.
HipTronik: Is that what it’s like when you guys get together? Everyone’s pulling things from different places and bringing them together?
E: Absolutely. Like I was saying earlier, we didn’t all know each other. We knew Eric (Eroc) in the beginning so we’re all very different personalities. We have different styles and come from different places of music, but for some reason it all works.
And it’s all working in the genre. The kind of group where you’d be like, “Hold on. These guys are all friends?” But you see us on stage and you’re like, “ Whoa. This works out amazingly.”
HipTronik: So that must make you guys really unique in that field then because of how different you are all.
E: I think so. Especially since we listen to music outside of the Hiptronik genre. So the stuff that we’re pulling from will help push the genre. We’re going to be the kind of group that you can look to.
HipTronik: Do you guys have any goals for yourselves and the band in the future? What would you like to accomplish? What are you working towards?
E: We’re working towards being a group that’s consistently traveling and playing parties and shows on the road. Being successful with a hit record—I think that’s the goal of any musician who takes the business seriously. We all want to quit our day jobs and we all want to play music for a living.
But I think in the short term we’re excited about having our video completed. That’s coming out soon. [We’re] putting out an EP of original music in the late spring/early summer and playing all the shows that we have now. I really believe this group has the kind of drive that can get us a hit record and can get us to be on the road permanently.
HipTronik: That sounds really good.
E: But right now, we’re holding down L.A. We love it here.
HipTronik: So do we. Finally, is there anything you’d like to say to your fans?
E: When we say E-lightz, you say E-lightz! [laughs]
Also, we’ve had a lot of instant support from fans, which is why I think the band has worked so hard for the past eight months. This project, I think, for all of us is the one that everyone seemed to immediately respond to. If anything, we’d like to say thanks for the people who stuck their neck out and believed in us. We love it. We love the fans.
HipTronik: We’re really excited about what you guys are doing. Thank you so much for taking the time to talk to us.
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