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EDC & The Reggae Rave Connection
By Kayla K.
As you all know, Resin Music has traditionally focused on covering the wide variety of reggae music out there from traditional island beats to the very popular reggae-rock genre that is taking over. Many of the reasons that people enjoy reggae are due to the positive vibes, and the extremely energetic, passionate fan base. Now on seemingly the opposite end of the musical spectrum lie the womp filled electronic, trance and dubstep genres. While many would say that these genres are polar opposites, after attending the Electric Daisy Carnival (EDC) in Las Vegas, I beg to differ.
Sure the music has a different tempo and the artist “plays” a complicated set of electronics rather than a guitar, but the product is a song with a very distinctive and edgy beat. This unique sound is what drives such passionate fans to their shows.
Both reggae and electronic fans seem to be the happiest, whether that happiness is a product of a substance or the music is beside the point because apart from costumes, the behavior of the fan bases are quite similar. Hundreds of thousands of “ravers” packed into Las Vegas’ Motor Speedway to bond with one another and be captivated by their favorite sounds. On a smaller scale, the same is true of reggae fans as seen at West Beach Music Festival, RaggaeFest, and many other shows that attract large quantities of dedicated fans.
Both of these genres are also rapidly growing in popularity as they used to be much more underground. With their fresh spin on traditional reggae music, reggae-rock sub genre bands such as Slightly Stoopid, Sublime, and the Dirty Heads have brought reggae music to a much more “mainstream” audience. The same can be said of DJs like Avicci, Steve Aoki, and Skrillex who have taken popular songs and remixed them beyond recognition making great dance and party music. Fans are looking for something new and fresh, and both surf-roots reggae and dubstep genres allow their sounds to constantly transform.
As a newcomer to the rave scene I was unsure of what to expect, but I fell in love. While packed in the front row of Swedish House Mafia’s first set I could literally feel the excitement and pure joy of those surrounding me. This is a similar feeling to the genuine smiles I have seen on the faces as those that pack into the front row of Slightly Stoopid, as they sway back and fourth singing along to their favorite songs. This just shows that music is meant to bring people together, and regardless of your musical taste, if open to trying new things you may be pleasantly surprised.
KAT and the IT that can't be taught
By Kayla K.
For those of you who have not heard of her, KAT is a name that will be lighting up marquees very soon. With the release of her new EP 'Supergirl', a supportive team of fellow musicians, and the backing of reggae-rock guru Lewis Richards, Kat Nestel will surely do big things. I had a chance to catch up with Kat on Thursday, July 7 at her CD release party and concert. This event was held during "Surf Roots Thursdays” at Saint Rocke in Hermosa Beach. This is a weekly event hosted by Resin Music so if you haven’t checked it out, you definitely should!
Remedy for Kill and Sinizen opened up for Kat and their high energy and positive vibes were a great compliment to the excitement of this huge step in Kat’s career. Kat is no beginner to music, quite the opposite. She has been singing since she can remember, and has played a slew of instruments making her very well rounded musically. “My music has developed over the years, and it will continue to develop” explained Kat, “I used to be into the rave scene and that type of music, and now I would say that I have a pop-rock reggae ska sound.”
Whatever you chose to label her sound, there is no denying that it has a captivating quality. Owner of 17th Street Records, Lewis Richards was able to pick up on her talent right away when he heard her singing at a neighbor’s house. “I heard Kat singing from my shower, and was like damn that bitch is loud! Super cheesy song but that voice was amazing so I told her to come to the studio.” Seemingly once Lew recognizes your talent, big success is in the near future as we have seen with the Dirty Heads, Seedless, Tomorrows Bad Seeds, and countless other bands that he has taken under his wing. Lew is a big character in the reggae scene and he considers the music he produces to be, “Surf roots-beachy but still rocking, something you can have a margarita to.”
At the release party, Remedy for Kill and Sinizen showed their support for their friend Kat by performing, and also stayed optimistic that soon they too could be releasing an EP. Remedy for Kill also plans on recording at 17th Street Records with Lew in the near future. As a relatively new band together, Remedy for Kill explained, “ We just want to get our music out there to as many people as we can. We just play whatever we are feeling as a group in the moment.” Sinizen has similar goals to Remedy for Kill. They have already recorded with Lewis at 17th Street and had nothing but positive things to say about working with both Lew and Kat on the single “Crazy in Love”. There certainly seems to be a lot of love in the tight knit reggae community of Southern California, and it is difficult to ignore that while you would expect these bands to compete for stage time and popularity, instead they do nothing but compliment and endorse their fellow striving musicians.
As Kat anxiously awaited going on stage, you could see her eyes light up. The star quality that she has was quite evident in her performance, as she was giddy and genuinely excited just to be able to sing and interact with her fans. Her high energy and love for music will no doubt lead her to success. Richards explained Kat quite well, “Everyone is looking for IT, and well Kat has IT. “IT” can’t be taught.”
Team Canada Spreading the Love Up North
By Kayla K.
Reggae rock’s ability to make listeners feel uplifted and at ease could not be honored more than by the mission of Team Canada Music. While Canada is seemingly the polar opposite of the Hawaiian tropics and glassy shoreline of California, one cannot forget that the power of reggae music comes from its ability to make anyone, regardless of their location, feel the sheer pleasure of island vibes. Team Canada has taken fandom to a new level by creating a non-profit group whose sole goal is to spread their love for reggae rock in Canada. What started as a road trip to visit one of their favorite bands has turned into an opportunity for Bob Bellefleur and his wife Nikki to make a significant change on the impact that reggae has in the Canadian music scene. Team Canada can be recognized by their jerseys, but attending concerts with large groups of friends is only part of what they do.
Bob and Nikki have been avid listeners of reggae rock since high school, “We both enjoy reggae music by itself, but it is the energy infused into the reggae/rock genre that we find so addictive.” Their exposure to reggae in Alberta, Canada was rare and they soon became frustrated with the lack of publicity the genre was getting in Canada. This meant that they had to drive up to 15 hours on weekends just to attend a show. Their dedication and discontent with the current promotion of reggae rock in Canada pushed them to become the public relation gurus of the Canadian reggae rock scene that they are today. They found that the issue was not a lack of interest for the genre in Canada, but rather the majority of the population had never even been exposed to the music.
Since it's not difficult to fall in love with reggae rock, the main issue was getting the music out into the public. Bob and Nikki have achieved this through a variety of promotional strategies, and everything is non-profit out of their own pockets! When they travel to shows they usually acquire press passes and shoot the venue from two different angles to create a great video of the concert that is then posted on their YouTube site. They also take still shots and compile CDs of their favorite songs to ensure that people actually listen to the music rather than leaving it up to them to seek it out.
Bob and Nikki have distributed over 2,000 CDs everywhere from skate shops to malls and of course Canadian concerts. These CDs feature some of their favorite Canadian acts such as illScarlett and Redeye Empire, as well as American bands such as Pepper. Their future goals are "To start booking shows, tours and festivals throughout Canada. We are currently working on a new promo CD which will feature 24 bands that we hope to one day have play up here. Before booking the shows we plan on using this CD to help build an audience for this genre.”
Team Canada has obviously taken on a huge endeavor balancing touring around with bands, editing hours of show footage, and basically being the sole promoters of reggae rock in Canada while maintaining their own personal jobs. So the question must be asked - what is so special about reggae rock that would drive this duo to such extremes? Nikki answered quite eloquently, “Music should be about the music, not the money. Listen because you love it, love the good vibes and the feeling you get from it. That's the driving force behind Team Canada Music and we think THAT is something worth promoting!”
New Footage: Kayla with Through the Roots & The Green in San Francisco!
A New Generation Turns to Reggae
By Kayla K.
Reggae music is undergoing a transformation, from the Hawaiian Islands to the East Coast; young bands have been spreading their good vibes in a unique way. This genre of music is now more than ever expanding across the country. Bands such as Iration, Rebelution, Tribal Seeds and Through the Roots just to name a few, have taken their personal love for reggae and put a twist on it to make their sound distinctive. In an industry where pop and rap dominate, the individualism and drive of these artists proves to be crucial in their success. Members of a few of the bands, some of which were touring took a minute to reflect on their work and delve into why they chose reggae.
All of these bands seemingly have a common purpose; they started out purely because they enjoyed playing the music that they love. “The foundation for Iration's style comes from our love of reggae music,” commented Adam Taylor, the bassist for Iration. “Early on and even in our current set list we'd cover songs by artists like Black Uhuru, Bob Marley, and Steel Pulse. These days we're trying to blend those rhythms with a more modern approach with heavier guitars and synthesizers. “
Growing up in Hawaii has also given a few of the bands motivation to spread the messages that are so influential in the islands. Brady O’Rear, the keyboardist for Through the Roots explained, “growing up in Hawaii everything played on the radio is reggae; everywhere you go you hear it. Its more then just a genre its part of the lifestyle out there so I have been around it my entire life and I can say that reggae music is a huge part of my life.”
While Reggae has strong roots in Hawaii, the feel-good messages portrayed through the music can be heard everywhere. This new surf-rock reggae hybrid has proven to fit in quite nicely in Southern California, where island beats and positive vibes are always welcome. Although there is a niche for this type of music in Southern California, the popularity of reggae is yet to reach its full potential. When asked if he thought that the music industry fully embraces reggae, Taylor expressed, “not yet but were getting there. It’s going to be a long road for traditional reggae music but it’s the hybrid genres that will break out of the mold.” He continued to compare bands like Pepper, Dirty Heads, and Slightly Stoopid while noting that their success has been driven by their use of old-school reggae rhythms paired with current lyrics that draw younger listeners.
With the new popularity of this reggae hybrid, an increasing number of young bands are trying to make it by spreading their version of these blended reggae styles. Tribal Seeds lead vocalist and guitarist, Steve Jacobo gives these words of wisdom, “follow your dreams and believe in yourself. If you make music that you really love then other people will love it too.” This advice should weigh heavily as he and his fellow band members were able to do just that, and now they have toured throughout the United Sates as well as South America. “New bands starting out need to work super hard, and it can be such a grind,” reflected Evan Hawkins the lead singer for Through the Roots. “But you need to be willing to take a hit and have a struggle because in the end what you get to do is just awesome.”
With all of these bands both new and old touring and making a name for themselves, the question arises as to when their music will become mainstream. When the idea of the Surf Roots Tour becoming the new Warped Tour was posed, everyone was very enthusiastic and hopeful. “I think it is an interesting concept. For bands that are new or that have a good first disc but haven’t put up any touring numbers, its great,” said Taylor.“ It gives them a chance to pool their numbers collectively and draw bigger crowds rather than going out on their own.” Hawkins agreed that it is a great idea and that traveling with the other bands would create a good variety. He believes that with an array of bands they would be able to target places that generally don’t listen to this style of music. This would allow them to perform something fresh, and change the way that reggae is perceived as a genre.
Whether they are touring across the country, or playing local gigs in Southern California, these guys truly love making music. Members of Tribal Seeds, Through the Roots, and Iration all agreed that performing and making a connection with their fans is what really keeps them going. Being able to travel around with their best friends while putting on great shows, and spreading positive messages, is what makes their feel-good tunes so captivating.
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