Friday, October 31, 2008

FREAKS COME OUT Tonight in Los Angeles

info line: 310-928-3604














Purchase Tickets: http://www. groovetickets. com/freakscomeout

Come celebrate 10 years of dirty ass house music with Dufflebag Recordings and Friends!! We offer you a perfect location In Downtown L.A. We are putting all our efforts into creating a Halloween night you'll never forget. We will be show casing Art, Photography and Fashion in a way that keeps the focus on the object of the night... Dancing your ass off with your fellow freaks!!!


DJ LINEUP:

Room 1:
DJ DIZ (Igloo, MFF, Chicago )
DJ J-DuB (GKM, DFA, GTA, Chicago)
Wally Callerio (Dufflebag, 1200 Traxx, Minority O.C.
)
Natural Rhythm (Dufflebag, Guesthouse, O.C.
)
Vibezelect (Dufflebag, OM, L.A.
)

Room 2:
Hector Moralez (Minority, Dufflebag S.F.
)
Easilly Influenced (HAWT, Guesthouse, L.A.
)
Bodyrock DJ's (Ninja Skillz L.A.
)
Wobs & Nonfiction (Focus O.C.
)
Cade (Dynagroove L.A.
)
Mullie (Heartbeat L.A.
)

Thursday, October 30, 2008

DJ Qbert's 'How to Fix a Warped Record'

by Larry Gamboa, HAWT San Diego

I came across this super dope video by DJ Qbert a while back. This video shows us how to fix a warped record the eco-friendly way. Basically it involves placing the warped piece of vinyl between 2 glass tables (in the video he uses one glass table and one wooden table) while letting a heat source, like the hot sun, bake the vinyl. After a few minutes or so the vinyl will soften up and then he 'bends' it back to shape. Pretty cool technique check it out...

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

House Music Messageboards

by Mikey Velazquez, HAWT Los Angeles

Sometimes people ask me where there are good places to find out more about house music events, culture, and just music in general. There are many different avenues to use, but one of the most valuable ones to talk about, find out about, and meet new people is through messageboards.

If you are one of those people, I encourage you to check these out for new mixes, and general information on House Music, etc.

Eventually we will launch a HAWT Messageboard, but that is only one of the many things on our To-Do list =)

Below are some of my favorite boards. They are full of friendly people who can answer questions and point you in the right direction whether you want to buy the right turntables, find a great party next weekend, or just wanna talk music or hear a dope new mix.

MOVIN BOARD

FOCUS BOARD

SF UNDERGROUND

UNDERGROUND HOUSE

SONICFOUNDATION


Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Eco-Friendly Clubbing is finally here...

by Eddie Barajas, HAWT Los Angeles




...and you thought that it wasn't possible?!?! THINK AGAIN!

With advances in techonology, we have seen a few changes in the last few years regarding house music's "ecological footprint" getting smaller.

We are seeing less printed physical flyers; more online promoting (I know we all still get bombarded with flyers, but those numbers are dropping) and I think people are really trying to make an effort to be environmentally concscience.

I remember this past summer, DJ's Leonard and Lillyanne (aka Hotlips & Hawkeye) of Futurehouse fame, were offering incentives to people to carpooled to their events, as well as incentives for those using public transportation.


Another great organization, Global Inheritance pushes what I think is a fantastic idea; a series of events known as Public Displays of Affection where people are treated to a solid event with some great music by some top notch talent. Their most recent event featured headliner was Ladytron. Where's the Eco-Friendliness here? The events are held at major public transportation stations (the most recent was at Union Station in downtown Los Angeles) and the only way to get into the event is with a subway ticket to the station or bus ticket.





But what about a 100% eco-friendly / eco-conscience GREEN CLUB? Built from the ground up? Not possible? Well the future is here. Enter ECCO Nightclub. Located in the heart of Hollywood, Ecco stands at the former site of the popular Tokio Nightclub.

Here are just some of the key points to this remarkable club:


Multi-colored, energy-efficient, state-of-the-art LED lighting system

Power supplied by LA Department of Water & Power’s Green Power resources

Featuring a healthy cuisine with a variety of organic items.

Cold & Heat Insulation, saving 20% of standard energy use through high quality insulation

Energy efficient recycled steel air pressure toilets and waterless urinals

State of the art “Dyson Airblades” hand dryers

Free valet for hybrid vehicles

Paperless Solution for ticketing and reservations - Provided by UpCode Solutions USA and its Mobile Access & Interaction technology (MAI)™

Audio provided by Turbosound, winners of the Best Club Awards 2008 “Best Sound System & Best Sound Product”


Got a Prius? swing it by Ecco, you'll get the VIP treatment you deserve for caring about our Mother Planet.

I can't end this blog without mentioning ONE other Eco-Friendly movement going on, and that is of course Green, Grown, and Sexy


Taken from their Myspace page, “Green Grown and Sexy is comprised of Los Angeles-based city girls, Thuy Nguyen and Jen O’Neill. They love to shop, dine, socialize and network, and have a deep love for L.A. They also have a growing interest in doing their part to help preserve the Earth. For many years, [they] were typical consumers who shopped, partied and played without consequence, but [they]'ve realized that wasn't very sexy. [They] woke up, got schooled and are ready to spread the green word. Check out their blog at www.greengrownandsexy.com."

Monday, October 27, 2008

Obama vs. McCain : The Dance-Off

by Mikey Velazquez

This requires no introduction, check it out it's pretty awesome.

Friday, October 24, 2008

DJ MES Live @ JACKFROST!

------------------------------------

Hey all!

Our 3rd Episode of our Weekly HAWTCAST is now LIVE!

Visit www. thehawtmovement. com or simply play it below! You can also visit www. podomatic. com at anytime and search HAWT =)

This week's mix was done by our OG HAWT Resident DJ MES, and recorded LIVE @ JACKFROST 2006, our very first one!

It is a stellar set and another reason why Mes is Mes!

..




......



Thursday, October 23, 2008

Wanna Cheer Up Instantly????

by Mikey Velazquez, HAWT Los Angeles

Wanna Cheer Up?????

All you gotta do is watch this.

You will feel ten times better in no time!!!!!

(Unfortunately YOUTUBE disabled the link for Rick Astley's "Never Gonna Give You Up", i wonder why????)

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

HAWT top 5 list: Roque Santos

by Roque Santos, HAWT San Francisco


Here re my top 5 daily necessities that keep me afloat.

1. My Lady

This woman puts up with a lot: snoring, farting, choking, badgering, bad jokes, bad jokes, and more bad jokes. This is why we get along and this is why she is at the top of my list.

2.Guidant Pacemaker

This thing has saved me from 2 life threatening experiences last year and has proven it's weight in gold. Fuck yeah! Guidant Bitches!

3.MacBook

Since I canceled my TV service my computer is my only source for information and entertainment. My day begins and ends with this thing.

4.Sneakers

Top 5 all time shoes:
1.Nike Air Jordan IV
2.Nike Air Max 1
3.Adidas Campus
4.Nike Air Trainer 1 & 3
5.Nike Dunk High

5.2008 VW Rabbit

Gas prices are no joke these days and parking in the San Francisco is like trying to find a albino dwarf super star DJ.

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

HALLOWEEN: Let the Freaks Come Out!

by Mikey Velazquez, HAWT Los Angeles






That's right people, Halloween is right around the corner! You gotta love that. It just makes ya wanna dress up ridiculously, party with your friends, dance all night and do the damn thang. I still don't know what to dress up as, but if same as usual I won't have that sorted until the day before, heheheh.

I can't wait for this year's festivities, especially for FREAKS COME OUT, the DUFFLEBAG RECORDINGS 10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY Party, on Halloween Friday Night!!!! The line-up is incredible, and the vibe is gonna be thick!

DJ's:

DIZ
J DUB
WALLY CALLERIO
NATURAL RHYTHM
VIBEZELECT
HECTOR MORALEZ

including Gelly and I (Easily Influenced), and some other quality locals too.




Congratulations to our good friend WALLY CALLERIO on 10 Years strong with DUFFLEBAG. That is a loooooong time to run a label, shit anything, and he has done so very successfully. He is one of Southern California's finest, a straight up classy fellow, and can hit a golf ball far.

If you don't have plans for Halloween yet, you really REALLY should come to this party! Unless you don't like having fun, dancing to really good house music til the sun comes up, and gettin' your Halloween on!

www.freakscomeout.com

Monday, October 20, 2008

Same-Sex Marriage, Our Future President, & the last day to Register to Vote!!!!

by Mikey Velazquez, HAWT Los Angeles

So TODAY is the final day for us Californians to register to vote, and if you haven't yet, well, you really really should. I am a firm believer in the power of the vote, not only to choose the next president, but also have your say in State Measures and Propositions.

Photobucket



Register here: http://www. declareyourself. com

I am in no way well versed in the multitude of propositions, nor do I know the difference between the 2 state senatorial candidates, etc. Of course one has the option of researching all of these, but for now I only know 2 things regarding this year's VOTE:

1). BARACK OBAMA for President of the United States




In my humble opinion, I believe that the United States NEEDS Barack Obama to win the election. Besides the political views and differences between him and McCain, I feel he will display that his greatest role is as an inspirational leader. That is what a president should be. You should BELIEVE in him. You should know that he is out for the good of ALL people. Of course, you most definitely can't ever please them all, but he is the one to restore this country to what it can become. He's got the sweets to kick it down a notch with Oprah, the courage to think outside the box, the strength to challenge our country to pay attention to what's most important in life, and the balls to call people out and go to war when it's the right thing to do.

2). VOTE NO on PROPOSITION 8



PROPOSITION 8 is a constitutional amendment to eliminate the right of same sex couples to marry. I believe that no matter what your sexual preference may be, ALL people should have the right to be with whomever they wish. Who in their right mind can tell anybody that they cannot marry the one you love? I think that is backwards thinking, and pretty much ridiculous. I have alot of friends both male and female who are gay/lesbian, and I think that they should be able to marry. This is 2008 people, it's practical and necessary.

Of course, it doesn't matter what your sexual preference is. If you believe in what's right, then stand up for it.

My long-time buddy Patrick will be adding to this with more information on a future blog to raise more awareness. He has been rallying as many folks as he can to VOTE NO on PROP 8 this year, and has great success thus far. If you believe in equality, and acceptance for all, you should join in and VOTE NO on 8.


Thursday, October 16, 2008

Let’s talk Swag!

By DJ Mes , Guesthouse/HAWT San Francisco

Swag - Promotional merchandise for a band, record label, or other entity in the music business, usually distributed at concerts or conferences.

Being part of underground culture for the past 15 some odd years I have collected numerous pieces of ‘swag’. Most of the items are worthless but there are a some that are nostalgic and hold a special place in my heart.

1. Plastic Man Acid Sheet [a perferated sheet of plascit man acid that came as an insert for the very first plastic man 001] A definiete collectros item and my favorite piece of SwagJ This is one of the first records I bought when I started off collecting dance music so it will allways remind me of the good old days!

2. Classic Music ‘Thanks for coming By’ record store sign [this went out to a few select accounts as part of a christmas package CMC sent to its fovorite record stores] Now that I don’t have a record store it makes a great addition to my bathroom doorJ I remember when it arrrived with a fresh batch of Classic 12 inches. This was back in 1997-1998 when daddys records was still in operation…sigh*


3. Paper Music T-Shirt [One of my favorite record labels ever!] For a while there i bought every paper music release on sight. It didn’t matter, if it was on paper music I had to grab it!

Whats your favorite piece of Underground culture swag?

Discuss:

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Pacemaker Pocket DJ

By Roque Santos, HAWT San Francisco


What You Need to Know

-It's basically an MP3 player with a 120 gig hard drive that has two channels
-You can cross fade between each channel using the line out, and you can cue up each channel with headphones
-This allows you to match beats on both channels and mix
-The Pacemaker editor helps you figure out how many beats per minute each track is
-You drop all your music into the software and it calculates your bpms; the software takes way too long to do this, and it's not the most accurate
-Once you know how fast or slow the songs are, you can do all your mixing from the software
-Visually, it's really easy to match beats by dragging the bpm line up or down to speed up or slow down
-Add effects like filters, loops, and cross-fades
-The software supports all of the functions the Pacemaker itself has, so you can save mixes on the device or upload them to the Pacemaker site
-Select a channel, double tap the touch pad, and call up a song on each
-Each button has a million different functions depending on if you're holding up the pacemaker switch on the side
-Match the bpms, cue the track in your headphones, and play it according to the other channel's beat
-If you want to do effects, you have to know the combination of touching on the pad; it's the same with lots of other functions, and this is where it becomes not a beginner device

Price

-$950
-It's not quite available in the states, but we'd like to see the touch pad turn into a touch screen, more buttons and the price drop to about $600

info provided by www.pacemaker.net and www.g4tv.com

President Sarah Palin???

by Larry Gamboa, HAWT San Diego

Hello everyone out there in HAWTland. As you all know our national election is 3 weeks away, and certain things have come up that made me think about the direction of our country. I try to keep up on the day to day happenings on our failing economy and presidential race and had a conversation with a good friend the other day about the possibility of the McCain/Palin camp winning this year’s election. I grow fearful of this not because they are Republicans and most of us fear that we will have another 4 years equivalent to the Bush presidency. I am fearful because of the possibility Sarah Palin becoming President of the United States. If McCain becomes president, Palin is just a heartbeat away from becoming our nation’s leader. It’s been documented that McCain is not in the healthiest state at the age of 72. How would you like to wake up one day and come to find out John McCain died while in office and Sarah Palin becomes commander-in-chief? Scary scenario, huh? Headlines in our media could read “Hockey Mom Sworn in as President.”

I don’t know the reasoning behind John McCain’s choice for a vice presidential running mate, but I strongly believe that Sarah Palin is the worst choice for a running mate for one of the highest positions in our government. I think Palin is atrocious and a total DOUCHE! It has been documented that Palin is totally ignorant and completely out of touch with foreign policy issues and our country's economic issues. Below are some videos to check out and ask why the heck was this woman chosen as a vice presidential running mate.

[Case 1]
This one is pure comedy. She is asking an interviewer what exactly does a vice president does in office. OMFG!! WTF!!? Is this chick for real??
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4gkPXSDtGQ

[Case 2]
This is a real scary one. She tries to answer some questions on foreign policy. This woman has absolutely no clue on this issue and tries to pull shit out of her ass. Listen to her answer on the question regarding the 'Bush Doctrine'.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDdPnKjFhpA

[Case 3]
Another one on foreign policy where she discusses Vladamir Putin and Russia.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nokTjEdaUGg

[Case 4]
Sarah Palin on the economy and the government bailout. This chick sounds like she's under the influence.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2kjFn4s4sU

So, did your jaw drop when you watched these videos? Mine did. I can’t believe this woman is still able to gain popularity and support from the American public. It makes me sick to my stomach to see that some women envy her because of her exterior image. With her views and comments on these issues, Palin is certainly not qualified to hold a high government position. Would you want Sarah Palin to be next in line for president? Would you trust Sarah Palin with the codes to nuclear warheads? Would you trust Sarah Palin in dealing with countries like Iran and Russia? Does America want another douchebag as leader? God, I hope not!!!

I’m curious to know what you all think about Sarah Palin.

Thanks for reading.

Peace!


-Larry (HAWT San Diego)

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

NEW KID ON THE BLOCK

by Don Kainoa, HAWT SF

Hello Internet! First of all, I apologize to any NKOTB fans that may have stumbled upon these musings and were looking for a review on their new CD; I am unapologetically ignorant in that musical realm.. but I'm sure its a superb album. Rather, this interweb log (or webbedlog for short) deals with my own experience being the newest official member of the HAWT familia.

Some of the folks reading this might be thinking, "Who the F is this guy?" And "You ain't HAWT bish!" You would have a good reason to think that.. mostly because I only joined recently and I probably haven't met a lot of the good people of the HAWT Movement. But rest assured, this ain't a "Palin-like" announcement; I've been around for awhile and I hope to bring a lot to the crew..

I met Mikey a couple of years ago in Miami while HAWT was still in its infant stages. To know where it started and to see where it is today is a testament to Mr. Velazquez and the crew.. I am definitely honored to be a part of this whole 'ting! ..And just as he mentioned in an earlier blog, I agree that HAWT can encompass many things and include a lot of different kinds of music.

Although I am a househead through and through, I would like bring more downtempo/hip-hop, soul, funk, midtempo, brokenbeat into the mix.. all the while keeping the HAWT feeling. I hear a lot of the "old" folks (although I'm probably one of them) wax poetic about how you used to be able to hear house, techno, hip-hop, funk, disco, and soul all mixed together at the same party.. and I would like to see that happen a bit more as well.

HAWT will ALWAYS be known for house, it's what we do. and we do it well.. At the same time, I feel we can bring back that all encompassing vibe by bringing more types of music into the fray..

SO.. that's enough for now I think.. I will be posted up north, helping Roque and the gang grow the HAWT presence in San Frandisco and trying to push some of the non-house music that we are into. I'd like to know the the innernet's thoughts on this, so hit me up with a comment or flame the ish outta me!

peas.

Don

Monday, October 13, 2008

JACKFROST Toy Drive

Every December since 2006, we put an event together called JACKFROST here in LA. The idea is to host a night of great music, beautiful art, and bring people together to celebrate this wonderful life and the holiday season, all in the name of giving back.

We host the JACKFROST TOY DRIVE leading up to this event in order to give back in any way we can, by simply raising money and toys for Inner City Los Angeles children who could really use a smile on their face this time of year. It is this spirit of giving that creates a magical energy at JACKFROST. The first year we raised several bags full of toys and a hundred bucks. The next year, we quadrupled the amount, and with the help of our good friend Carrie and many others we shattered the previous year's collection.

Email me at mikey@hawtmusic.com for more information.



We are now beginning to get our Jackfrost Toy Drive team together, so if you would like to volunteer in anyway, please touch base with me or anyone of the HAWT family.

Stay tuned for more information on this year's JACKFROST event in Los Angeles. It will be in mid-December as always, and we look forward to sharing another special night with you. Hopefully we can once again shatter last year's Toy Drive and spread some holiday love with even more kids =)

Here is a clip from last year's JACKFROST Winter Wonderland 2007 w/ DJ Justin Long.

Friday, October 10, 2008

CALENDAR: Upcoming HAWT Schedule & Events in Los Angeles & San Francisco!





UPCOMING HAWT SCHEDULE in both Los Angeles & San Francisco!!!!



To see LARGE Views of Flyers CLICK HERE

***********************************************************************

Santiago & Bushido's 1st ever LA performance w/ Easily Influenced!!!!




HAWT in SAN FRANCISCO! BLOG LAUNCH PARTY!!!




Bristol Sessions 7 Year Anniversary w/ JB & Easily Influenced in OC!





DUFFLEBAG 10 Year Anniversary & Halloween Madness!!!!!!





SNEAK BIRTHDAY BEATS in LOS ANGELES!!!!! w/ Special Guest TBA





SNEAK BIRTHDAY BEATS in SAN FRANCISCO!!!!! Insane Line Up!!!!!





AND OF COURSE.......

JACKFROST COMING BACK in DECEMBER! STAY TUNED!!!!!

=)

Thursday, October 9, 2008

Just For The RECORD

by Eddie Barajas, HAWT Los Angeles


Hard to believe the year is winding down, it has been a busy one for all of us at HAWT . Mikey and Gelly have been relentlessly crankin' out the jammies this year, seeing a couple of their tracks being pressed was a surreal experience! Magana has also released some music as well! The HAWT label is finally seeing the light of day. As Mikey mentioned in a previous blog, going through two distribution deals is a definitely a rough ride, and with the current state of affairs with labels going digital, less and less vinyl is being pressed, and that makes a HUGE impact...on me.


Thinking back on it, it's pretty nutty to think that just a few years ago, Los Angeles had a decent amount of record stores. I remember when at any given time, I could've gone to 6 or 7 DIFFERENT spots to hit up for vinyl; Amoeba , Aaron's Records, DMC, Street Sounds, This is Music, Beat Non Stop / Temple of Boom, not to mention the infamous WAX store on Melrose Ave. Now it's just a handful. No doubt that Amoeba reigns supreme. It is literally the LARGEST independent music store in the NATION. I am VERY lucky to have such close access to it; I pretty much spend my lunch hour diggin' through the vinyl bins.



Some people collect comic books, I collect records; to me they are like big 12"x12" baseball cards. Having an extra copy of a record comes in REALLY handy in a trade *wink*. Which is why I sometimes will have a third copy on hand.. you know, one to play, one for back-up, and one for trade!
That reminds me, I got to give a buddy of mine in SF one that I've stumbled onto while diggin.

I'm currently diggin' through MY OWN collection, for a couple of mixes that I am putting together this weekend. Sure I'll sprinkle a couple of Mp3's in there, but for the most part I'll stick to vinyl. I'm excited about putting together these mixes as i haven't done so in a while. I am also VERY excited about what's coming up for HAWT as the year does indeed wind to a close...

It was last year's Love Fest weekend that saw the LAUNCH of HAWT SF, and SF received us with open arms and dancing feet, our favorite! And of course it is NOT TOO EARLY to start thinking about the fact that JACK FROST is around the corner!!! That's right!! Probably our most favorite party of the year, we especially love how the community gets together and thinks of the less fortunate than us, and really get in the spirit of giving.

That being said, don't limit yourself to once a year - go out there everyday and be considerate of those around you...you'll be surprised at the impact you make.

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

San Francisco LOVEFEST 2008 : A Review

by Roque Santos, HAWT San Francisco

In the days leading up to the parade meteorologists predicted rain, and local clubbers held their breath in fear that the event would fill with showers. However, on October 4, 2008 San Francisco’s Civic Center Square was blessed by the Glow Stick God, who gifted us with a perfect day. The Parade, which started at 2nd and Mission and ended at the Civic Center, consisted of dozens of flatbed trucks housing mounds of sound, superstar DJ’s, and electronic music. Following the various floats were hipsters, guidos, clubbers, ravers, burners, hippies, naked gay guys, and the rest of San Francisco’s dedicated electronic music heads. In short, this event was a blast and was well worth the travels for our out-of-town visitors. There are a couple of things that stick out in my mind about this event, and some of these memories will haunt me for the rest of my life.



First off, this year’s “hipsters” really caught everyone’s attention, and it wasn’t their 1991 Jane Fonda-day-glow-work-out gear I’m talking about either. It was the superfluous amount of designer drugs coursing through their veins, which caused them to piss, vomit, and eventually pass out on the steps of the Mayor’s office. But lets face it, the only differences are that when I was their age I was wearing ridiculous clothes and doing designer drugs, but it was at night and I had to pay. I could talk more about the floats and getting drunk with friends, but pictures speak a thousand words.




Tuesday, October 7, 2008

HAWT Music: The Label & 1st Release



by Mikey Velazquez

So the blog is up an running, and tomorrow marks Day one of our HAWTCAST featuring the Live DERRICK CARTER Mix from the HAWT Music Label Launch Party. We hope you guys check it out as it was a very special party for us, and an exceptional night of music.

That being said, many people have asked us when our 1st record is going to be released. We have had some issues regarding that, and finally we have some light at the end of the tunnel getting distribution settled and on the way. In other words, you will not only see the "official OFFICIAL Launch of the label", which will begin with vinyl presses(yes, VINYL!), but you will also see the digital end follow soon thereafter, giving you the option of purchasing either one. It has been a long hard road to this point with many twists and turns. We have had 2 different P&D deals in place that have withered away because of distros going down. We are at a major crossroads in music right now, and it's very difficult.

You see, we have always wanted to do this right. We always wanted to press records and get our music out as much as possible. We could have easily done our label digitally over a year ago, but then we would have compromised our objective to cut corners, and that would not be right. Anyhow, if all goes well you will see our first releases dropping on both vinyl and digital download before the year's end =)

In case you haven't heard it yet, the 1st release is an EASILY INFLUENCED original called "ROCKIT". (listen here: www.myspace.com/thehawtmusic It's funny because it was one of the first tracks that Gelly and I made that we were ever happy with, so we decided to make it our first release. Our style has changed significantly since that point over 2 years ago, not good nor bad, just different. Rounding out the release are remixes (aka REHEATS) by 3 producers we admire very much. First of all, we chose to have some local Southern California representation on the label, something we intend on showcasing alot in the future since we have so much talent here alive and kicking! The first one is THOMAS WHITE of NATURAL RHYTHM, who has always been one of our fave producers over the years. Along with Pete Williams, and more recently on his own, Thomas has consistently put out dancefloor bomb after dancefloor bomb, showing versatility and talent with funky, jazzy, dirty goodness.

The second reheat is by our good buddy and Balance-Hollywood resident, JOSHUA HEATH. This guy is amazing, and is merely scratching the surface of his potential. He has been blowing up over the last 2 years plus putting out releases consistently on mega labels such as Miguel Migs' SALTED & Inland Knights' DROP MUSIC among others. The guy is super talented and has a magic touch always putting his signature funky sound one everything he does. He also plays live bass and other instruments too on his music, which is why it always sounds so warm and juicy, heheheh. Anyhow peep that out on or page as well! www.myspace.com/thehawtmusic

Finally, the last but definitely not least reheat on our HAWT Music 001, is by none other than the almighty DERRICK CARTER himself. I have no problem admitting that DC is my absolute favorite. He always has been over the years, for well over a decade and if it were not for him I may not be on the path that I'm on today. You might think it sounds cheesy, but we all have people we look up to, admire, and try to pattern ourselves after. He is the reason I fell in love with this music, and I will be forever grateful to him, his music, his production, his DJing, and his label. Not to mention, when I first met him I realized that he was one of the most down to earth, sweetest individuals you will ever meet! I already had the utmost respect for him and when i saw that he was just so smooth, it really taught me alot, and I am thankful. Anyhow, DC did the last reheat on the release and you should peep that one too! www.myspace.com/thehawtmusic

Finally, that rounds out our first release, so please remain patient as it should be available by the end of this year! Soon thereafter, we will have a steady schedule of releases for HAWT Music on both vinyl and digital. More info coming soon!

That being said, if you have any questions, want more information, would like to be added to our email list or simply wanna find out how to get involved in the HAWT Movement, email me!

mikey@hawtmusic.com

Lookout for tomorrow's blog by our own HAWT SF chief ROQUE SANTOS, as well as our 1st HAWTCAST featuring the DERRICK CARTER MIX, LIVE @ the HAWT MUSIC LABEL LAUNCH PARTY!!!!!

Just go to: www.thehawtmovement.com

Monday, October 6, 2008

THE HAWT MOVEMENT: The Vision

by Mikey Velazquez


So this marks the official launch of our daily HAWT Blog! Buyakasha!!!!

Back in June, I started this page to challenge myself to write everyday (something I have always loved to do), and give an introspective look into all things HAWT: the music, our label, our parties, DJ gigs......ranging all the way to music I have been inspired by, politics, community awareness, sports, the arts, book reviews, film, comedy, and of course random nonsense! After all, isn't that basically what a blog is? That is what makes it so cool, because there are no rules, there are no boundaries or editors or publishers. It's a blog and you can write about whatever you want.

So starting today, our HAWT Blog will be much more fun and much more involving and fresh and. We have a large family, ranging from our DJ's of HAWT Los Angeles, San Francisco, and San Diego, to many known and not as known DJ/producer/promoter friends, to just friends and family in general all over the world. This will merely showcase the various insights we are comprised of and keep readers interested (hopefully!).

The original vision for The HAWT Movement was sparked years ago when we wondered why things had to be so one dimensional? Promoters threw parties. Party people had a good time at those parties. DJ's played at parties. Producers made music. Sure some people do them all, but why couldn't there be more? We wanted to have a clothing line. We wanted to raise money for needy kids and give back to the community, eventually starting a non-profit organization to raise money for. We wanted to do all these things, bring people together and have a good old time, together under one roof listening to good music, all in the name of having fun and promoting a good cause. Now it's not quite there, trust me, but the wheels are still churning and we're just warming up.

We are all huge fans of music. Music makes us tick. Think about our world without it? BORING! Music is an essential part of the world and we want to acknowledge that. Personally I love many styles of it, and the mantra behind our philosophy has always been "if it's HAWT it's HAWT", and that is what drives the idea behind our record label and music. We got the idea from our all time favorite one, Classic Recordings, which simply put out CLASSIC records. There wasn't a pigeon-hole to it, just quality music. Funky, techy, deep, jazzy, swingy, soulful, quirky, forward-thinking, downtempo, hip hop, etc. Why not? This will be seen more and more with the releases we have in the future. It's about acceptance, not just musically but generally, and that is what House Music history has always taught us. That is why we love it, and we take those special ingredients to put our own little twist on it, HAWT Style.

Starting this Wednesday and every Wednesday thereafter, we will also spark up our HAWTCAST, aka HAWT Music Podcast that will feature DJ mixes and radio style programs featuring interviews, details on future events, and much more. This week's HAWT Mix will be none other than Derrick Carter's from our HAWT Music Label Launch Party earlier this year in Los Angeles. We hope you take a listen and relive the night with us!