HARD NYE Mr Oizo

HARD NYE! We rang in 2011 the best way we knew how--with the weirdest, Frenchest DJ there is: Mr Oizo.


HARD NYE



This guy was on rollerblades and was carrying a light-up stick. Also, he was DJing on the patio.


And then limbo happened.


Ooh, Breakbot!


Oh, Suzanne...


DESTRUCTO


This man is extremely happy about his RUBBER vinyl.


Mr Oizo


with DJ Falcon.


Group shot! :D

2011 can only get stupider, Jupiter...

A DGAF New Year

Let's make 2011 a better, more DGAF year. We missed quite a few opportunities and free shows in 2010. We missed everything from the RZA at the Otis College of Art & Design graduation ceremony...

(But our friend Roger Tsao managed to meet him, so we're jealous but VERY grateful that he let us use this photo!)

...to the Record Makers 10th Anniversary art show (thank fuck we caught the much better promoted music show) to Michel Gondry (NOT Mitchell) doing a book signing. Hell, we even missed the Rubber premiere. I guess it was at the AFI Fest? It was the same night as Yelle, however.

Our internet stalking had failed and we can't let that happen again. We were on top of that shit in 2009.

Finances kept us from seeing the Wu-Tang performing 36 Chambers at Rock the Bells, our first ever Coachella, and countless other events, including the Red Bull Culture Clash and the Prince vs. Michael Experience! But we had no excuse to miss free shows from Peanut Butter Wolf, Hyper Crush, or Don Rimini. Except for conveniently timed colds, sicknesses, and/or physical ailments.

BUT NO REGRETS PEOPLE! NO TIME FOR THAT SHIT IN THE NEW YEAR!

CMYK got a new musical collaborator, our own DGAFriend Don aka Van Aerial. He definitely set the bar and raised our remixes up a few hundred notches.

We rang in the new year with Mr. Oizo on the decks at HARD NYE. Nothing says 2011 like a denim shirt.

We'd also like to announce our DGAFriend of 2010... Her name is Satsuki and you might know her from zakka nouveau.

You can read all about her in our long-anticipated interview, coming soon. Yes, we've been saying that for a while now... and we apologize for the delay... but another DGAF year is definitely on the way.

time flies when you're being DGAF

Holy shit... where has 2010 gone? I swear we were just ringing in the new year with Chromeo and Peanut Butter Wolf at Club Nokia. Our musical input has slowed down a bit, but we should be back in full force next year (which is less than 2 months away?!?!)... We're planning a special remix for New Year's, and possibly another mash-up... but we have to take a break so we can finally finish the long-awaited interview with our DGAFriend Satsuki from zakka nouveau.


Let's see, so what else will we be up to for what's left of the year? Well, first of all, we will be DJing at Pop Monster this Saturday, November 20 from 7-10. It's free and local if you're from the South Bay. We love Pop Monster because they support local artists and it's the only place like this in the area. Check this place out because we're lucky here in Torrance to have it!

We may have missed him at HARD Haunted Mansion 2010 (not our fault) and the RUBBER premiere (totally our fault), but don't worry... we're going to ring in the new year with none other than Mr. Oizo.





Is anyone else already scared about 2011?

It ain't Halloween unless it's HARD

ALL PHOTOS BY OUR FRIEND KAREN PEDROZA. THANKS GIRL!!! :)

I always thought Halloween was one of those holidays that of course reached its prime in childhood. I mean, dressing up in a costume and getting free candy? You can't top that. As an adolescent, I discovered things such as Knott's Scary Farm, to much disappointment (I found it more annoying that anything, but that's another story). I started to be at a loss every year for costume ideas. Besides, all the costumes for women were getting annoyingly "sexy". And with no Halloween parties REALLY worth going to, I just accepted that I'd outgrown the holiday.

That is, until in 2008, HARD revived the holiday for me. I can't imagine Halloween without it anymore. It's now back to being the holiday I look forward to the most! It's WAY more fun than trick-or-treating, and good music is also good for your health, unlike candy (no pun intended). I've also realized that dressing up is something you should NEVER grow out of. You're an adult, and you can come up with more ideas and more elaborate costumes. HARD Haunted Mansion, we salute you.





We arrived this year a little late, but we managed to score free street parking around the USC campus. We did miss Busy P, which was a bummer, but ALL I CAN SAY IS THAT I AM GLAD TO HAVE MADE IT IN TIME FOR CROOKERS. THEY NEVER DISAPPOINT. They played a lot of their old fidget hits, and kept the crowd relentlessly going until they ended it with a Boyz II Men song. They will always be DGAFavorites and DGAF heroes.

Rusko was dirty and heavy... fucking dope. I definitely wanna see him again. I don't give a shit, I loved the tracks he produced for M.I.A.'s latest album.

Fortunately Shimosh remembered JUST in time that SebastiAn was playing indoors, and we clamored to get back into the Harder Stage. There was understandably a huge crowd wanting to get in as well. The setup is great so that when you walk into the indoors stage, you're already up at the front by the stage so you don't have to fight your way up from the back. SebastiAn KILLED it as usual. He is DEFINITELY one of the most underrated (if not THE most) DJ out there right now. He always plays pretty flawless sets. Very DGAF.

Now, we were SUPER bummed that Mr. Oizo had to be cut from the lineup (apparently due to visa issues). He was definitely one of the acts we wanted to see most. (He was replaced by Diplo, who wasn't a bad choice at all.) Now Mr. Oizo sure didn't play... but we did see him there! In the crowd! With TWO Flat Erics!!! WTF??? We're not trying to start any internet rumors or anything...





Bloody Beetroots were a good close to Saturday night. It was a more mellow live set, but they still made you dance. You don't mess with the Bloody Beetroots or their genre-defying live shows. Ever.



We returned Sunday as Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles. 2 days of HARD is always tiring but worth it. It just feels more epic. We ended up getting there late again, but we scored free street parking for the second night in a row! We managed to get there for the start of A-Trak and Flying Lotus. It was a TOUGH decision, and a kind of painful one, but we decided to check out Flying Lotus as we hadn't given him a chance at HARD Summer. We'd seen A-Trak play a mind-blowing set at the Ed Banger 7 party back in February, and it was tough knowing we'd missed another one, but we had to make a choice. I did not regret that decision at all, because FlyLo was nothing short of sick. He killed it with his ominous, eclectic mix of tunes. I believe the hype now.

We saw a bit of the special guest, who was Miiike Snow. As much as I wanted to stay, I needed to go to the Hard stage to see the act I was looking forward to the most that night: Underworld. The last time I'd seen them was 11 years ago at the Santa Monica Civic Center! Yes, ELEVEN years!!! How time flies. 1999's "Beaucoup Fish" was one of my favorite albums when I was younger, and I was dying to see what they'd be like in 2010. I was NOT let down. They were as vital as ever. It's hard to believe they've been around for 30 years!!! Karl Hyde is super DGAF... he's got way more energy on stage than performers half his age and dances around with an undeniable presence. Their music is uplifting but with dark undertones, and doesn't sound dated a decade later. "Two Months Off" felt like a total ray of light, "King of Snake" was a glorious surprise, and "Born Slippy" was the finale that just burned down the house.

Underworld just couldn't be topped. We caught some of Boys Noize and Jack Beats, who were both tearing it up, but by that time I was too tired and blown away by Underworld. But we already can't wait for the next HARD event.

Go HARD and go DGAF.

WOW

Happy February! We're already into the second month of 2010... it's Mixin' Monday, and you know what that means. Today we bring you Vous Êtes Des Salmon Dance (Mr. Oizo vs Chemical Brothers (Crookers remix)). Check out our Facebook page or download it here.

Right now it's more like Mashup Monday, but eventually we'll evolve into remixes... and then... original tracks!

DGAF of the year 2009

American Apparel even got in on the act... yup, we partied like it was 1999 and it was the Frenchest Year ever. We didn't even leave LA. How scary is that? The year started with the Suzanarchist going to eat at the French Market at Disneyland, tipsy off Alizé and Hpnotiq she'd smuggled in Gatorade bottles. It was funny seeing Anoraak at the Echoplex the following month... but as the year continued, stuff like the Ooh La La Festival and the Crème de la Crêpe restaurant by my house happened. And did the Suzanarchist ever anticipate getting called "Gaspard", and so often (and "Mr. Oizo" even once)?? And somehow Shimosh speaks perfect French while all I can say is "I'm funny and lazy". Inside jokes misfired, but our retarded predicaments always hit the target. The end is near! The end of the year, that is (but never our stupidity (unfortunately)); we thought it'd be a fun idea to make our own "best of" list. People, events, moments that have topped our 2009 DGAF list!

Most DGAF DJ (Duo):
2ManyDJs
Sorry Justice, Crookers, The Bloody Beetroots, Mixhell, & others—the DGAF DJ Duo of the year is 2ManyDJs. Have you seen these guys live? They really Don't Give A Fuck. It's amazing. Crookers came a close second for providing the most relentless beats of 2009...

Most DGAF DJ (Solo):
IT'S A TIE!

Peanut Butter Wolf
Crams all the hits while leaving absolutely no room for boredom, and rocks eclecticism you won't find anywhere else (besides 2ManyDJs). The undisputed master of '90s hip hop. Nobody mixes nostalgia and entertainment like PB Wolf. Forget YouTube, it's all about getting your vintage video fixes from his VJ sets! He did a short tour of 9 dates with all 90's videos. He was the "first time they allowed hip hop" at Fuck Yeah Fest. He kicked off that set with Bell Biv Devoe's "Poison." ANYBODY who can effortlessly and seamlessly mix Serge Gainsbourg into Michael Jackson into O.D.B. without missing a beat wins the highest DGAF honor. AND for finishing your set with Wu-Tang's "Triumph" at West Coast shows. Could've played some West Coast hip hop or "California Love" but why be predictable when you can be DGAF?

Mr. Oizo
So DGAF that we had to be him and Flat Eric for Halloween. His DJ set at Control at the Avalon may not have had the visual splendor of 2ManyDJs (but hey, nobody else did) but he set the bar for originality and did not rely on clichés, predictable songs, or formulaic dynamics (even if he DID play Pon De Floor). Hell, he guzzles champagne, smokes, and breaks CD's on his head and throws them out to the audience. He doesn't even need a crowd to party. He will do the Chivers handshake with suspecting and unsuspecting fans alike. He directed Steak. Enough said.

Most DGAF event:
Busy P's Cinespace Birthday
What other event happened during FINALS of Senior Year at Otis, had a collection of drunk French guys, Thomas Bangalter (yes, of Daft Punk) DJing without the robot mask, Kavinsky miming a saxophone on a bottle of Vodka and then distributing said Vodka in the bottle cap to random people, a fight between Kavinsky/Mehdi/So-Me vs Cinespace Bouncers, Busy P telling us to get out, and Kavinsky drunkenly stumbling across Hollywood Blvd. while stopping traffic?

None other, thankyouverymuch.

Most DGAF Pop Performer:
Lady Gaga
So, after seeing Lady Gaga perform at the Nokia Live on Monday, December 21st, 2009, it's super official—Lady Gaga wins at pop, at performance, and at DGAFness in general.

Most DGAF Restaurant:
The Waffle
Fuck Denny's. They're always busy, they have mediocre food, and no vegan menu. The Waffle literally has something for everyone. Even your dog. Now THAT'S DGAF. Where else can you get $12 bottomless Sangrias, Mimosas, Margaritas, and Bloody Marys? Perfect for pre-parties when you know drinks are going to be too expensive where you're going, and perfect for afterparties when you're hungry from dancing all night. Be DGAF while giving a fuck about your food!

Most DGAF Director:
2Michel Gondry
I STILL don't know why he turned down the chance to direct Steak.

Most DGAF friend:
Don
There's too many Don moments this year. Too many stupid Don moments to count. When CMYK go out, we're always certain that "something stupid's gonna happen." When CMYK + Don go out, it's guaranteed that the stupidity is increased tenfold (that's an understatement, but i just want to use the word "tenfold"). Every time we go to a club event, there's always someone on ecstasy the he finds and messed with. If there's anyone who knows how to fuck with rolling e-tards in the funniest way, it's Don. Ex: at Control to see Etienne de Crecy: "DON PATROL!"
Don is truly a pioneer in Not Giving A Fuck about ANYTHING, and for that, we love him. And hate him a lot.

honorable mention:
amanDon
Amanda Blaze Pillon + Don Okuda = amanDon
a pretty DGAF duo. When amanDon gets together, things just get ultra stupid.

Now there are way many more DGAF and stupid events, but too many to mention here. Video contests, fake Facebook pages, Busy P's blog, drunken encounters in hotel lobbies, random wristband distribution, Thanksgiving Day fasting, the frightening phenomenon that is LMFAO, and of course the many mind-blowing, face-melting events and club nights that the HARD team put on. If you want all the details, read our blog, which only chronicles a fraction of what we get in to and up to.

We have a feeling that 2010 will be an even more DGAF decade. Stay tuned, stay DGAF...

OIZO CONTROL

A couple months ago, I posted a DGAF profile on mr. oizo and CMYK finally got a chance to see him spin live in Hollywood. It was further proof that he deserved that profile. In fact, he's so DGAF i'm posting about him again.

So on Friday, 10/16/2009, Suz, Don & I went out to see Mr. Oizo spin at Control (at Avalon).


taken from Control Friday's myspace

When we got into the club, the doors to the main floor was closed, so everyone was hanging around the bar. I got myself a water, and Suz got herself an Incredible Hulk (Hennessy + Hypnotiq). The doors opened and Deth Hertz played a pretty solid set. Then Mr. White went on at 12 and played bon jovi's "you give love a bad name" into lmfao's "shots." it was probably the funniest mashup i've heard in a while (Shot through the heart and you're the blame! shot through the heart! shot shot shot shot shot shot EVERYBOOODY SHOTS SHOTS SHOTS SHOTS SHOTS SHOTS EVERYBOOOOODY! = WTF?). I was literally on the floor laughing.


Don does not approve of LMFAO

Then, finally, the beardy Frenchman himself, Quentin Dupieux, aka Mr. Oizo took over the decks with an amazing DJ set that made my mind melt with goodness.


Mr. Oizo is cooler than you.

Fans gathered around him as he was walking towards the backstage area, including myself. But my intention was not to tell him he was the best DJ/director ever (although that was part of it), but to do the Chivers handshake with him. I stopped him and said "CHIVERS!" (not sure if he heard this) and did the motion to the first part of the handshake. He smiled and did the handshake with me. Needless to say, that made my night.


in case you didn't read the other post and don't know what a Chivers handshake is

So anyway, when Mr. Oizo goes up, the audience goes apeshit. He starts djing with CDJs WHILE smoking AND drinking champagne (straight from the fucking bottle!). And of course, he played Flat Beat! <3 It was amazing to hear him play that. The best part is, when he plays a CD, he takes it out, breaks it, and throws it into the audience. DGAF enough for me? you better believe it.


Don, Suz & the Nabil Linus ready to melt their faces off to Mr. Oizo

Also, at some point in the night, he sprayed the audience with his white foam champagne. There were a few people who brought their Steak DVDs to get him to sign it. People passed it up to photographers on stage who put it up on the table for him, and he signed it for them. DGAF, yet still nice enough to sign autographs during his DJ set. What a guy. What a beard! And one of the guys from Club Soda had a CHIVERS jacket!


It's bootleg, but it's still rad

The point is, if you ever get a chance to see Mr. Oizo, do it. Because it'll blow your brains.

DGAF Profile #4: Flat Eric + Mr. Oizo

via Mr. Oizo's twitter

Flat Eric is an adorable, yellow fuzzy creature from Filmmaker/Musician/Artist/Frenchman Mr. Oizo (real name: Quentin Dupieux)'s head. Flat Eric was based on another creature that Oizo had made before, named Stephane. Eric is almost exactly like Stephane, except Stephane has ears and Eric does not.
Here is Stephane in Mr. Oizo's "M-Seq"


very similar indeed.

However, Eric gathered a lot more fame and exposure after starring in a series of commercials for Levi's. He drove around with his friend Angel (Phillipe Petit) avoiding the police and getting haircuts:


The name "Flat Eric" came from the idea that he was run over by a car that flattened his head, but that got scrapped. The name stuck, though, and thus the Levi's commercials were born (i guess).

Flat Beat, by Mr. Oizo—a huge hit in 1999 in Europe:

That noise that Flat Eric makes is just too much. I love it. <3

He sits in a huge office, makes calls to whoever he wants and plays Flat Beat for them, and smokes sausages in place of cigars (wtf?). Did i mention he's a muppet? i think most other muppets sing silly songs about counting or cookies or mah nah mah nah. Flat Eric was made by the Jim Henson company, built by Janet Knechtel. And do other muppets end up on the cover of Heat?


probaby not. Coolest muppet ever. Yes, even cooler than those on Avenue Q.
Flat Eric has a cult following by more than just little kids learning how to spell and count. Flat Eric is awesome.

But the real reason Flat Eric is such a DGAF character is because of his creator, his daddy: Mr. Oizo.


Mr. Oizo (ps, pronounce it Monsieur Wah-Zoh) is a French artist who makes badass films, badass electronic music and is just a total badass weirdo. According to Wikipedia, he was signed to F. Communications after Laurent Garnier of FCom bought a car from Quentin's father and found out about Quentin's crazy artsy talents and asking Quentin to direct his video for "Flashback" in 1997. He released Flat Beat in 1999 and the EP sold over 3 million copies. Three Million. That's a lot of copies.
His music is fucking weird. FCom even called his second album, Moustache (Half a Scissor) unbearable (but that's bc they're fail and Mr. Oizo is win and knows better and left their sorry asses and signed on to Ed Banger)—it's weird, but it's awesome. I am totally fascinated by this weird man and his weird music and his weird film and his all-around weirdness. He's not limited in his art—he's made a few music videos, directed the Levi's ads with Flat Eric, and has a couple movies: Nonfilm (2001) and Steak (2007).

Nonfilm is a totally bizarre film set in the desert, kind of goes nowhere, and shot all hand-held and freely. It has Oizo's friends and fellow DJ/electro artists Kavinsky & Sébastien Tellier. I did not understand it, but it was just so surreal and hilarious and it's because Mr. Oizo DGAF: "fuck standard filmmaking, i'm going to go to the desert and shoot a shoot and call it a film." And for that, i salute you, Quentin.
Steak, however, makes me bow down in worship (think: WE'RE NOT WORTHY! —Wayne & Garth). I don't even know how to describe it, except that I thought it was the funniest thing to exist in DVD form. It's about two friends (Eric & Ramzy, a famous French comedy duo) who have been separated and reunited in a time where facelifts and big retro trucks are the fad, and the Chivers are the coolest of the cool. It's also reallly fucking weird and they drink milk all the time.



lol. Sébastien Telier and Kavinsky are also in this movie, along with Oizo's Ed Banger labelmate SebastiAn. Mr. Oizo, Tellier and SebastiAn made the (weird) soundtrack for the movie. It's amazing.

Honestly, I don't know if Quentin Dupieux gets into a ton of crazy shit and get up to some crazy antics and does a shit-ton of drugs like some of our other DGAF highlights, but he just makes such rad shit that he's a DGAF badass.
yeah, fuck the haters.


but who cares? @oizo3000