Local electronic scene due for comeback
By Garret Schuelke
Western Herald
Kalamazoo was once a thriving base for electronic music. In recent years the genre has been pushed to the wayside, but there are those who can see a comeback in the future.
When Tom Kilroy, known in Kalamazoo as DJ Bandit, created the Facebook group “Kalamazoo Association for the Advancement of Electronic Music” (KAAEM) this year, he put into the info rmationan appeal for disk jockeys in Kalamazoo to play more electronic music whenever they can.
“Grand Rapids is down, Detroit is down, Chicago is down,” the group’s mission statement said, “Why is Kalamazoo so far behind?”
Currently a student at Kalamazoo Valley Community College, Kilroy’s interest in disc jockeying began 10 years ago, when he received a DJ kit for Christmas.
He began working professionally as a DJ this past February. He is also the founder of Epelektrix Entertainment, and hopes to one day own and run his own club, which would feature a variety of music and provide outlets for local groups to perform.
Kilroy also hopes to use the club as a platform to aid Kalamazoo’s homeless population.
Kilroy views the current state of Kalamazoo’s electronic music scene as scattered, rather than small.
“[The scene’s] either hurting or trying to exist,” Kilroy said. “There is a large group of people here in Kalamazoo who like electronic music, but it is under some debate on how to get [the music] out… it might be the difference in music, it might be the difference in promotion, or it might be both.”
Kalamazoo is a haven for eclectic tastes in music, which, according to Kilroy, is both good and bad. Good because of the variety, bad because there is no one place for electronic music to thrive.
“I’m not DJ’ing at a club because clubs are not looking for an electronic DJ in Kalamazoo,” Kilroy said, citing that many clubs prefer to play hip-hop, dub, hip-hop mash ups, and top 40 hits. “It’s a college town, what are college students listening to?”
Currently, Kalamazoo’s scattered electronic scene can be found in clubs (such as Wayside West, Y Bar, and Sushiya), house parties, fraternities, and the student ghetto, according to Kilroy.
Electronic music was not always pushed to the sidelines in Kalamazoo.
Western Michigan University student Colin Frazier, also known as C.Roy, recalls the golden days of the local electronic scene.
Frazier’s first experience with electronic music occurred in fall 2004 at Papa Pete’s, with his current business partner Newton Hall. He first started DJ’ing under the name DJ Unknown on July 4, 2007, in Chicago, under the tutelage of his mentor DJ Psycho, who is a member of the Detroit Techno Militia.
In its prime, Frazier described the Kalamazoo electronic scene as having DJ’s from all over the Midwest coming to perform.
House parties were abundant, and Frazier and Hall’s own company, Sonic Synergy Productions, threw weekly events at Papa Pete’s for 3 years straight, according to Frazier.
The scene started to go downhill sometime around 2006. Frazier took a personal leave from both the scene and business beforehand, and returned to DJ’ing in 2007 to find that it was not what it once was.
“I do not know if it is just dying down, period, or if people are just disinterested,” Frazier said.
“We throw shows because we love the music and we want to provide people who also love the music the opportunity to come out and enjoy it. If there are people that do not want to go out and do that anymore, then I am not sure where we are headed with it.”
In a scene that Frazier views as “fleeting,” and people’s attitudes within in it as “jaded,” Frazier believes that the only way for the Kalamazoo electronic scene can return to prominence is through unity.
“Everyone has to do their part for the scene to be alive,” Frazier said. “I hope that all of us who do events can continue to work together so that we can continue to have a scene here in Kalamazoo.”
Kilroy shares these sentiments.
“If we worked together a little bit more instead of working independently all the time, I think that would be the thing that could make a difference,” he said. “We are not so much working against each other as much as we are working independently of each other.”
To learn more about Epelektrix Entertainment, visit their official Web site at www.epelektrix.com.
Short URL: http://www.westernherald.com/?p=12653
Posted by heraldstaff
on Nov 29 2009. Filed under A & E.
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this article is insulting to any electronic scene that existed in kalamazoo or otherwise. The electronic “scene” as you call it died long before 2004, and has never been close to its glory days (before 2001). Naming Papa Pete’s as the cornerstone of electronic music in kalamazoo is insanely insulting to anyone that has thrown an event here.
I also have to agree with Laura…
and….
… a few misnomers…. missing accurate information….many holes in this article…one of many important cornerstones was sadly deconstructed…..HOUSENATION-formerly it was the longest running electronic dance show on WIDR FM…back in 1998 is when it began an continued to run shows every Thursday from 8PM until 2 or 3 or 4AM without ever missing a single show… this went on for 6 solid years….when WIDR lost it’s control of direction in 2004…HOUSENATION ended temporarily…
BLACK NATION was a another (sadly) deconstructed cornerstone…
There is no real debate about getting something out there (meaning something here in Kalamazoo)… the real fact is there too many chiefs…
Today, Kalamazoo only offers a ” junior league ” style of presentation…. the true talent of Kalamazoo’s electronic scene just doesn’t want to be involved with anybody currently doing events
HOUSENATION is alive and well and broadcasting every Saturday with intermittent shows during the week… if you want to know the link….you’re gonna have to start looking in the right places…it’s an underground thang….for now
as for poor WIDR FM…. they lost a solid deal on a chance to be recognized by Billboard Magazine, receive more music than they ever did before in multiple formats i.e. vinyl,cd….
a prospective new global audience…about 2700 new listeners, gain more independent record labels to feed music directly, electronic acts both famous and up in coming, a possible deal with a large beverage sponsor to help put on an event, high standing members of the art community are now aware of the poor decisions & actions made by the directors and alumni staff….WIDR FM also had a chance to have FREE representation at Kalamazoo’s Pride event….the radio station dropped the ball and went with a bad decision…not to bring back HOUSENATION
“If you turn on the student run radio station today….you will find most of the programming lacking in structure and the alumni shows that currently still are on the air are the least interesting…. Wednesday & Sunday nights in particular” <This is a quote from a respected alumni of WMU & (former) Instructor.
if you want a comeback….tell the board of directors of WIDR FM to rethink their attitude about how they ignored and dismissed a staple program….bring back HOUSENATION
What are your pointing by saying electronic scene? As Laura said, you are insulting the music players of those days…..
This article, while parts are spot on, missed some very key points of my interview, which I am not going to complain about… I understand how journalism works.
First – Housenation is what originally got me interested in every aspect of electronic music, and I will always make mention of it when asked about my roots in electronic music.
Second – Parts of this article did not properly flow, leaving the impression that I had made mention of Kalamazoo’s past as far as any “scene” was concerned. I wish I was old enough to have been a part of that, but all I know are the stories friends have told me.
Third – “Scene” is quite the generic word… The “scene” is different for everyone… We are a sum of our surroundings, and none of us are everywhere. Where the highlight of the “scene” for me this year may have been the EOTO show in earlier months, it may not have been for someone else. I would much rather stay focused on the music, rather than the idea of a “scene”.
Finally – I would have liked very much to see some other parts of my interview in this article, but the most important to me is recognizing those who are working now to push this wonderful music out to listening ears whenever given the opportunity… Regardless of where.
A few years ago, maybe even sooner… There was almost an utter lack of a place to go and meet with people who share the same interest in music, save for scattered shows and concerts. What I see now, is a glimmering of a chance that interest in this music is going up, slowly as it may seem. Those of us who already enjoy the music will be here listening on, but knowing that we introduced the music to new listeners, expanding the fan base of the most creative genre of music is where it’s at for me. I see that happening, in local bars/clubs, house parties, shows.
It is not my interest to “bring back” what Kalamazoo once was, that would be an ignorant goal. Working with the music that is now, with the demographic that is now, with the talent that is now… An interest is coming into sight, and the wobbles, wamps, and lazers will be here ready to blow someones mind should they be interested.
Its just an article published with a two person point of view, just like we’ve all seen done in the past. The true heads who have been around here long enough to know (not heard) what has occurred over the many years know that there has been some amazing underground parties going on for quite some time (although its winter now and most of us don’t wanna tote our gear out). Although I’d love to see a big Kzoo NightClub feature a weekly or monthly EDM, I’d rather be in the underground dancin’ my pants off next to a speaker til the sunshine comes up. Bars=cover/alcohol/2am shutdowns…I don’t think the Bars are going to help in the situation until they can remain open til 4am.
Housenation is correct in the fact that some of the most talented are not even booking in Kalamazoo and I should add that A LOT of our most talented have moved away out of frustration.
Too many architects and not enough builders says a lot, but in the same sense, I believe that self-sufficiency is crucial and quite lacking around here. Balance is hard to find in almost anything.
Why don’t we just let the people who ARE doing things continue to do there thang and if you wanna do your part then you can offer to lend a hand, perhaps just show up, or throw a party that involves your locals at a grass-roots level. Just because someone can be self-sufficient enough to successfully plan/coordinate/throw their own party shouldn’t be cause for some to point fingers and say that they aren’t “playing” fairly. Now that’s un-supportive.
Bottom line, BANG out your parties with good vibes AND show up to others parties and emit good vibes. It’s a start….
My 2 cents.
it’s insulting to people like house nation, who were here when the scene really WAS jumping, i should post pictures of all the kalamazoo made techno i have, thanks house nation
learn something, it’s called black nation, and sonic mind
I have to say a couple of things in regards here. Housenation may have been a long running part of where our scene comes from. Black Nation undoubtedly has a lot to do with where we have come from. I do not come from there. I have not experienced there. I have no right to talk of what I do not know. you want to come and post about the scene was this and the scene that. I personally don’t care what it used to be like. I fully understand that we must know our past to move forward with purpose and knowledge of prior mistakes, but those who sit and dwell in an era that won’t return are pulling the wool over sheep’s eyes. If you are so concerned with how things used to be then maybe you would be striving to do more to bring about change to achieve this. Then you would say things can never be how they were. Then quit complaining and move forward with the rest of us. Those who feel that they are too good to contribute to what little we have to offer in our community right don’t have ground to stand on. For all that you have done in your past does not give you a leg to stand on in today. You should be thankful that there are young promoters like Kilroy who are out there trying to keep something alive that is bigger than Black Nation and the Warehouse and Club 340 alive. Jaded individuals who aren’t currently present or trying to contribute can piss off and keep their false grandeur of old.