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Get to know Robert Pointer / Compression LA better
Q1: How long have you been in the "scene" here in LA?
I moved to Los Angeles from the Bay Area in 1999. I always thought that I might only be here for a little while, but here I am, 10 years later! I started DJing in LA in 2002 when I started a breakbeat club called Boom Box and created my new alter ego, Robtronik. In 2005, I created Compression to cater to my musical interest in all things techno when I started to tire of the breaks scene which began to get stale musically around 2004. I have been Dj'ing rave/techno/house, etc. for 20 years now.
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Q2: In your opinion, what's LA's 'edge' in the clubbing scene compared with other US cities like Miami, Detoit, New York?
I'm not sure that we have an "edge" over other cities per se, because those other U.S. locations all have their pros and cons as well. I believe that Los Angeles is probably one of the most active cities in the U.S. with regard to electronic music. I think this is due to the sheer amount of people here which always increases the odds that someone is going to be into whatever genre you might like, our musical history from the late 70's and 80's with electro and hip hop, and mabye our weather which allows any types of events all year long without much risk. It is obvious though that we here in LA seem to have options every single night of the week with regard to different flavors of dance music - and that's quite remarkable. We might just be fortunate enough to have the right mix of motivated people living during this time and place, here in LA. It certainly helps to have a few mega-venues as well like Vanguard, Avalon, etc. |
Q3: When was your first DJ experience & who was playing?
In my bedroom. For myself! LOL. Probably my first real DJing experience was playing some psuedo-underground techno event that I put together in Vacaville, CA of all places back in 1993 or 1994. Shortly thereafter I ended up playing a real underground in Birmingham, England through a friend who lived there and got me the gig. I was so nervous, my hands were shaking when I put the record on. I still remember the track - Smokebelch II remix by David Holmes, I think. |
Q4: If given the chance, what artists would you like to work/play with?
Well, I have been fortunate enough to play with my heroes already - Derrick May, Keven Saunderson, & Juan Atkins - through my club Compression and I'm pretty stoked about that achievement. I equate that to being able to jam with Charlie Parker or Miles Davis if you were a fan of jazz music. How luck is that that we live today among the innovators of this sound that we all love? In the future, I'd still like to play with Danny Teneglia, Ricardo Villalobos, and maybe Jeff Mills. I would also like to play with one of my favorite artists who's influenced me greatly over the years, Sunshine of the now disbanded Dubtribe. |
Q5: What projects are you currently working on?
I'm working on setting up some special shows for Compression called our Expansion parties. Last year, we hosted Cobblestone Jazz, the Minus crew with Richie Hawtin and Magda, as well as Drumcode, etc. So, for 2009 I want to up the level of production capability and really put on some special shows at either King King, Cinespace, or even the rooftop in downtown Los Angeles at the Standard Hotel. I'm also working on a print version of a Compression based magazine for distribution here in LA and some other goodies that I'd rather wait until I get them formed before divulging details. |
Q6: What are your 'top 5' electronic music tracks of all time?
Ah, this is a great question, and will probably reveal the amount of time I've been doing this. In no particular order:
Passion - Gat Decor, Bombscare/Waremouse - 2 Bad Mice, Innercity Life - Goldie, Belfast - Orbital, Papau New Guinea - Future Sound of London
If I could add a couple from Underworld (Rez/Cowgirl) and Prodigy (Experience album). |
Q7: What was the last record/track/album you bought?
Some random thing from Beatport. Honestly, I miss the days of vinyl when every purchase was a bit more personal. These days tracks and artists don't stand out as much individually. What tends to stand out now is a body of work if you keep finding good music from the same artist over and over again. That tends to allow that artist to stick in your mind over the random stuff available today. |
Q8: Any advice for the aspiring promoter/dj?
Think about what you want to say and project on the world and make that your mission. Don't wait for someone else to give you a break - or give you permission to do something. Just do it yourself. And never, ever, give up. Failure is part of the process to success. And finally, expect incremental gains over time, not a quick silver bullet to success. If success happens fast there is a higher likelihood that it will go away quickly too - so set the expectation inside you that you are in it for the long haul. Oh, and also: Be nice. That helps a lot too. :D |
Q9: Where can we find you?
Facebook I'm listed under Robert Pointer.
MySpace: Compression LA |
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