nightpassapp-blog

[nightpassapp-blog]

NightPass DJ Mix Podcast: Behrouz

As a San Francisco transplant living in Miami, DJ Behrouz Nazari has brought some of those far-out free-spirited West Coast vibes to mingle with the local underground dance music scene at his beloved South Beach hotspot, Do Not Sit On The Furniture. Since first opening its doors in 2013, this tiny but mighty room has been graced by such international house and techno luminaries as Nick Warren, Steve Bug and Visionquest. Of course, Behrouz is an internationally acclaimed DJ in his own right, with a hectic itinerary that takes him from the dusty Nevada desert for Burning Man to the beaches of Ibiza for the summer season. Needless to say, we were stoked when Behrouz offered to contribute the new installment of our monthly DJ podcast. Listen to his killer mix and find out what he had to tell NightPass about his musical roots, Do Not Sit On The Furniture, and the whopping party lineup he's got in store for Miami Music Week.

NightPass: How long have you been in Miami? What's your history here?

Behrouz: I moved to Miami back in 2006, from San Francisco, and have been mostly living in Ibiza in the summers and Miami for the rest of the season, aside from my hectic touring schedule. My reason for moving here was that it became a pain traveling to Europe and South America on a weekly basis from San Francisco, so I chose to move to the East Coast to ease the traveling. The best part is getting to the airport from my house here in Miami in about 15 minutes -- can't top that!

What kind of music did you grow up listening to? How did you first get drawn to to electronic dance music?

I grew up listening to all kinds of music. From the early early electronic days to modern music, disco, you name it. I always liked disco music, and this sort of opened the door for me to explore electronic music. Living in San Francisco, I started collecting records, vinyls and it became a hobby, and eventually I started hanging out at legendary clubs at the time, like Studio West and Trocadero.

When did you first start DJing? What are your favorite things about being a DJ?

First gig I had was 1986, for a fashion show in San Francisco at this place called the Gift Center. A club owner at the time got a hold of the mix I did for the show, which was recorded, and he asked me to play at his club. The rest is history. Favorite things about DJing for me is mostly connecting with people, and taking people on a journey. I don't like to just come play an hour or two-hour set and bang it. My sets tell a story and that's the true mark of a seasoned DJ, I believe. Also traveling to different parts of the world and meeting so many interesting people from all different walks of live and running into these people in the most random places is also a joy. I'm truly lucky to love what I am doing.

For anyone reading this who hasn't been to Do Not Sit On The Furniture yet, what's this venue all about? What sets it apart from others in Miami?

Do Not Sit On The Furniture was designed to be an intimate room with a concept almost like MTV Unplugged. You get to hear your favorite artist in an intimate setting, and with no bullshit at the door. At the same time, I also wanted to give something back to city of Miami Beach and its people. When I moved here, most of the clubs were commercial clubs. If I wanted to go out on a weekday or weekend, there just wasn't anywhere to go out and enjoy the music. So I was on a mission to create a small venue where, in essence, it was like San Francisco meets Berlin in Miami. I also wanted a room where I could express my artistic point of view from all these years of traveling, and also, I wanted to provide a good analog sound in a small venue. At the end of the day, it's a club designed by a DJ for DJs, from the DJ booth to the sound system to all the little details.  

Name a few essential weapons currently in your DJ bag. Any records you're especially feeling at the moment?

Too many to name, but at the moment, Lake People is really putting out some great stuff, as well as some of the records coming out of Romania. For me this is always a difficult question because there is just too many to name.

You have quite a few special events lined up during Miami Music Week. What's the lowdown?

Very excited for the quality shows I have this year, for myself and at Do Not Sit On The Furniture. Personally I'm doing my annual Behrouz & Friends show on Monday, March 23 at Wall again -- I think it's the seventh annual show -- with my good friends Guy Gerber and Lee Burridge. Always a fun event where all the friends kind of get together and play what they want to play with no pressure. It's just about having fun. On Wednesday, March 25, we kick off our first-ever Do Not Sit By The Pool show at the Thompson Miami Beach, where I will be playing with an amazing lineup with DJs like Lee Burridge, Matthew Dekay, Matthias Meyer, Monkey Safari, Nastia, and so many more. Finally, on Saturday, happy to be playing for my good friend Damian Lazurus's 10-Year Anniversary of Get Lost -- always a fun party and a time for all us DJs to let loose and have fun.We also managed to put together a sick lineup of about 10 shows at Do Not Sit On The Furniture that kick in right before Miami Music Week and end on Sunday the 29th.  Here is what we have:

Thursday, March 19: Moreon (Visionquest) and Friends

Friday, March 20: Cityliving Showcase with Jonny Cruz, Ominous (live), Jesse Perez and more

Saturday, March 21: Matthias Meyer

Sunday, March 22: Omid 16B Presents Alola Records with Friends

Monday, March 23r: Blackflag Recordings Showcase with Stacey Pullen and more

Tuesday, March 24: Shlomi Aber and Friends

Wednesday, March 25: Seth Troxler Presents Fuck Jams

Thursday, March 26: Jackmode Showcase with Adana Twins, Monkey Safari and Keven Knapp

Friday, March 27: An Intimate Session with Nic Fanciulli

Saturday, March 28: Ovum 20 Year Anniversary with Josh Wink and guests

Sunday, March 29: MMW Closing Party: 10 Years of Leftroom Records with Matt Tolfrey and Friends  

Tell us about the mix you made for NightPass. 

This is a live set recorded at Do Not Sit On The Furniture recently. Enjoy!

[nightpassapp-blog]

NightPass DJ Mix Podcast: Ms. Mada

Ms. Mada (AKA Rachel Tumada) has earned a loyal following in Miami after several years as a resident DJ with the LINK & Miami Rebels promotions crew, opening for some of the biggest names in global house and techno at hotspots like Treehouse, Story and Trade. She even played at the 2014 Ultra Music Festival. So picking Ms. Mada to kick-start our new DJ mix podcast was pretty much a no-brainer for us. Check out the killer one-hour mix she recorded exclusively for NightPass and learn more about this beloved Miami DJ.

NightPass: How long have you been in Miami? What's your history here?

Ms. Mada: I've lived in Miami all my life. I was born in the Philippines, but my mom emigrated to Miami when I was just two months old. So yeah, I went to grade school here all the way through high school, until I moved away a bit for college. I'm really more Hispanic than I am Asian. [Laughs]

What kind of music did you grow up listening to? How did you first get drawn to to electronic dance music?

My brother was a huge influence on the music I listened to growing up. He introduced me to everything from classic rock to hip hop, even grunge and some experimental. But what I really enjoyed the most was hip hop, especially during the golden age. I remember listening to Wu-Tang and Beastie Boys on my walkman during the bus rides to school. I must've heard electronic music around when I was seven or eight, but never really paid much attention to it until around middle school. My friend and neighbor at the time introduced me to trance and she shared all mixes she had with me. One of the first CDs I ever borrowed from her was a mix from Webster Hall -- unfortunately, I forget who actually mixed it and what was on the tracklist, but I had the CD mix on repeat for months. I also remember being obsessed with 93.1 when it was a dance music station [Laughs]. I remember listening to Carl Cox's Global Sessions on there every so often.

When did you first start DJing? What are your favorite things about being a DJ?

I started DJing in 2008. In the beginning, my friends who are DJs, as well, gave me a few pointers and I took it from there. I didn't have my own set up to practice on yet, so I literally went to Guitar Center almost every day. They have a DJ setup hooked up to the house system in the back room, so I took advantage of it and practiced any chance I got.  My absolute favorite thing about being a DJ is the feeling I get when I see all the people in the crowd enjoying the music I'm playing. I don't think there's anything better than that.

For those of our readers who haven't been to the LINK & Miami Rebels parties at Trade yet, what are these nights all about? Why would you recommend they go?

Our nights at Trade are a musical escape. People that work regular 9 to 5 are looking for a place to let loose, have a drink, and listen to great music -- we are that place. We feature great music on a powerful system, without the muss and fuss that comes with bottle service-focused clubs on the Beach. At Trade, everyone is engaged on the dancefloor and there's a sense of camaraderie amongst the crowd. You don't have to dress up, you don't have to be "hot", or be loaded. Just come as you are and we'll do the rest.

Name a few essential weapons currently in your DJ bag. Any records you're especially feeling at the moment?

First and foremost, I will almost always play a Hanfry Martinez track in every one of my sets -- I just love his productions. There's also this one track on Noir that I've been burning out a little too much since I've gotten it, it's called "Daze" by Kevin Over and it's a track that really gets the dancefloor moving. Sebo K's remix of John Tejada's track "Sweat (On The Walls)" is another one that I've played frequently. (Since I've played them so much I decided to leave those two tracks out of the mix I made for you guys). Oh and I have to honorably mention LA-4A which is Ambivalent's alias -- he has some amazing records under this alias on his fresh label, Delft, including my current favorite, "Invader." This record is included in this set I made for you guys.

You got to play at Ultra 2014 on the Underground Story stage. What was that experience like for you?

Ultra was a surreal experience. Granted, I played at noon to maybe a handful of people, but I stuck around after the set and watched the crowd at the stage grow into a serious mass of people later in the day. The energy was incredible. It's funny though, I remember attending my first Ultra in my junior year of high school and I remember telling myself one day I would play at the festival. Didn't think it would really happen nearly 10 years later. [Laughs]

So what can we expect from Ms. Mada in 2015?

This year I'm dedicating more time in the studio. I just didn't have time to really focus on music with our transition into Trade last year. Not many people know this, but aside from being a resident DJ, I also work for Davide [Danese, of LINK] as his assistant, working behind the scenes doing the logistics for the company, and act as a liaison between the company and the agencies we work with.

What can you tell us about the mix you made for NightPass?

The mix I made for you guys is very dancefloor oriented. I always imagine myself in front of a crowd whenever I plan a set, so this one is no different. I've been digging some of Deetron's recent productions lately, especially his remix dub of "Reciprocated Love", which I included in the set. You'll hear Dan Diamond's voice over Peace Division's "Club Therapy" in there as well -- I just love that track. "Cornelius is Gaye" by Terrence: Terry & Hanfry Martinez, of course. Oh, and there's also a 10-year-old classic I threw in the end that I hope you guys will enjoy too. Honestly, I don't want to divulge all the details to the mix, so just listen! I hope you guys enjoy it.