BlooDGAF Beetroots

the italian stallion edition


Badass shot by Holy Mountain, from HARD Haunted Mansion 2009

When M.I.A. sang "no one on the corner has swagger like us," was she talking about herself and Bob Rifo? Because that man has SWAGGER.

Bob Rifo, aka Sir Bob Cornelius Rifo, aka leader of the Bloody Beetroots -Death Crew 77-, aka the "Rifo" part of "Rifoki," aka Bobermann, is a producer/dj/vocalist/punk rocker/Italian man/comic nerd who never shows his face.


Bob Rifo on guitar at HARD LA 4/25 (pic from Holy Mountain)

The Bloody Beetroots are an electronic trio (formerly duo) consisting of Bob Rifo, DJ Tommy Tea & drummer Edward Grinch. They make banging electronic music and tons of remixes. What's awesome is that they're actually punks who have crossed over into electronic music, and crossing genres is always good in our DGAF books. Bob Rifo's often caught wearing a Black Flag or Misfits shirt or something. He even has a Black Flag tat!


photo by Caesar Sebastian, HHM 2009

And he makes amazing, well-composed electronic music! It's not even just something nice to dance to, there's thought and concept behind it. Check their website for manifesto and other things to read.

Maybe I'm just impressed because I've run into too much "real punk rockers don't do that DJ crap"/"there's only one genre of music that's good and it's the one i like" kind of mentality lately. Bob Rifo did an interview with Don't Party a while ago:

Punk and Anarchy are big words for anyone to shoulder. Anyone who wants to adopt this philosophy has a big responsibility and a duty not to betray it. I try to encourage freedom and independence through the channels that are available to me. One musical genre just ain’t enough for me.

I just think that's fucking badass.

HARD @ the Palladium 4/24:


Holy shitballs. It was amazing. Look at him run across the stage! He has so much energy and rocks the stage so hard.

Recently, Bob Rifo teamed up with DJ Steve Aoki to form Rifoki (Rifo + Aoki = Rifoki, get it? eh? eh???). They're like hardcore BFF's (that doesn't make any sense, but just pretend it does).



RIFOKI made their live performance debut at the Palladium, as well. From where I was on the mezzanine, I could see mosh pits happening on the floor. Fuck yes.

See, that's one of the best things about the Bloody Beetroots, and about the current electro eclecticism in general: lately, artists and DJ's aren't afraid to wear their diverse influences on their sleeves and play whatever the fuck they want, how they want. Fortunately, this time around, it's not an awkward or clumsy hybrid like, you know, rap-metal. Thanks to HARD, we've been able to witness some of the best and most DGAF DJ's and artists in electro right now, and two nights of Bloody Beetroots in a row at the Palladium were absolutely no exception.


Bloody Beetroots Death Crew 77 at The Palladium! 4/25/2010 photo: Holy Mountain

After a pit stop at the The Waffle next door, we made it in time for Sidney Samson, who were were totally psyched to see because of, well, "Riverside." Need we say more? We walked in as he was playing the Prodigy's "Smack My Bitch Up" and the crowd was already going wild. Sidney Samson was unexpectedly '90s, as he also dropped Red Hot Chili Peppers twice and managed to mash up his own "Riverside" with Oasis' "Wonderwall"??? A pretty DGAF feat. I would DEFINITELY love to see him spin again!


Look at them go! photo: Holy Mountain

Now the Beetroots and Death Crew 77... where do I start??? They manage to really capture the energy of punk without letting anything get in their way. Instead of watering it down with electro, they complemented it. Instead of letting a bigger venue dilute it, they used it to blow it up. Electronic music and live instrument combinations can be half-assed and gimmicky if not integrated properly, but Death Crew 77 know EXACTLY what they're doing and their results are nothing short of exhilarating, as they've pushed everything a step further beyond its limits and managed to pull it off effortlessly.


Ed Grinch tearin' it up! photo: Holy Mountain

Bloody Beetroots play a decent DJ set, but I felt that this was their true, epic, DGAF element. Their DJ sets don't quite capture their spirit nearly as much as Death Crew 77 does. I don't remember rocking so hard at a show in a long time, and that includes all genres of music. Steve Aoki proved to be surprisingly punk as fuck too. I don't know how I survived 2 nights in a row, but it was insanely worth it. Exhausting, but I have absolutely no regrets.


Beetroots wave! or just cheering. photo: Holy Mountain

It's so obvious Bob Rifo has shitloads of stage presence, and there is early proof in "Kinky Malinki." Even before the Beetroots, Death Crew 77, or Rifoki, Bob Rifo had a band and was making catchy pop punk. We are in love with this song, which never gets old no matter how many times we repetitively play it on YouTube:



Come on. The makeup. The facial expressions. The little yellow keyboard he pounds. And then he smashes a bottle over his head. DGAF. end of story.

Oh yeah, check them out
deathcrew77.com
myspace.com/thebloodybeetroots
twitter.com/bloodybeetroots

Hyper DGAF

the "neon & time travel is always DGAF" edition

Hyper Crush is a band from LA/the 80s/videogameland, and they don't give a FUCK.


There's three members: Holly, Donny, & Preston. Holly & Donny on vocals, Preston on keytar + DJ.

I first found out about them from our friend Emely. Actually saw them live for the first time opening for LMFAO. I thought they were pretty cool then, but didn't look too much into them. Recently, I went to a video shoot for their latest single, "Keep Up." Once I started doing a little more research, i though, holy schnikes these guys are so DGAF. Here's why:




straight out of 1990

Look at them. Do you see those colors??? They wear a lot of neon, reference the 80s/early 90s, old school video games, Back to the Future/DeLoreans a LOT, and generally seem to not take themselves too seriously. No one wears that much neon and gives a fuck. It's just not possible. Oh, and also: MERCEDES BENZ EMBLEM AROUND THE NECK. wtf.


HE HAS LASER FINGERS!!!


According to the official Hyper Crush site, they are "three shit-faced extra terrestrials" who form the greatest electro-80s hip hop band:"
Donny “Ponyboy” Fontaine is a straight shooter who once won a trip to Reno Nevada in a James Dean look alike contest. Despite his uncanny looks he still has trouble with low self esteem at times. Donny began rapping in the summer of 56’ and has not stopped since. One of Donny’s greatest achievements was a freestyle battle he won at the country manor home for the mentally disabled. “As far as I’m concerned none of these retards stand a chance” said Donny prior to his landslide victory. (Side note: In an interview with you would if you had robot ears, Preston said, "DONNY HAD BEEN PRACTICING HIS METAPHORS FOR MONTHS. HE FACED ELI PORTER IN THE FINAL ROUND. DONNY BARELY ESCAPED WITH THE VICTORY AND HIS PRIDE.")
What would the greatest Doo-Hop group of all time be without a super Producer/DJ extraordinaire. His name is Preston “Cutty” Moronie, a cool customer on the computer buttons with a penchant for domestic violence.In an interview Preston once asked a reporter, "what do you tell a woman with two black eyes?" "What?" the reporter replied. "Nothin', you already told her twice," he yelled, as he strangled the broad next to him.
Donny & Preston first met in the fall of '62, during a fist fight at a local Denny's in the city of San Fernando. The two were involved in an altercation over what song was to be played over the jukebox. Preston wanted to hear some "Fats Domino" and Donny of course, insisted on "Martha and the Vandellas."
The waitress who stopped the quarrel was none other than Holly “Baby” Valentine. A big time hussie with a foul attitude and a mouthful of bubble gum. Holly was born in the jungles of South America but moved to the States after having killed several cops. With a voice like an angel and a mouth like a truck driver Holly hit it off perfectly with Donny and Preston. The three decided to start the doo-hop, electro, death-core super group “hyper crush”.

That sounds like some stupid shit that we'd make up.



old & DGAF (halloween 2009)


Some more DGAF evidence:

Exhibit A: water skating across a pool.


hi i'm preston and i don't give a fuck.

Exhibit B: jumping off a second story onto a bunch of people.


hi i'm preston and i (still) don't give a fuck.

Yes, that second video did happen during the shoot for Keep Up. I think events get shut down when people jump off things like that.

I don't know the context of this tweet at all:



Probably was just him thinking, "i don't give a FUUUUUCK!!!" but he only tweeted the last part of it.


come on, look at that neon Hulk Hogan shirt. he is so DGAF. Also, our pants kind of match.

Although I feel that the most DGAF thing about this band is the lyrics. Maybe you're one who doesn't listen to lyrics much. I sometimes don't pay attention to the lyrics and just listen to the music, but sometimes things will catch my ear. Things like:

What the fuck did he say? Walk back and punch the DJ. (Robo Tech)
She laughed, uh, she left me hanging/Holy Schnikes, I was mad! (Sex and Drugs)
Who the fuck is Hyper Crush?/I don't know, they're nice as fuck. (Who The Fuck Is Hyper Crush?)
Back to the crib you freak, freak/tell your mother to leave, leave/unless she wants it too, then it's cool, she can be with me. (She's a Freak)
I fucked around and got arrested/for looking great!/can you believe it, i'm conceited?/now look away. (747)
Shoot your homie in the foot 'til he starts to dance/slap him in the fucking mouth just as hard as you can/when he asks you what you're doing, say 'i'm super retarded/i know that you're my homie but i'm shooting regardless.' (Super Retarded)


and probably my favorite:

HYPER CRUSH. STARRSET. NICE AS FUCK. START TO SWEAT. FUTURISTIC MUSIC IS THE SUPERSTITIOUS DO THE DISHES. (Get Retarded feat Starrset)


I don't even understand.



he's got some mad rhymes, yo.


and now here's a bunch videos just because they're amusing:



"We don't really know shit."


"We have people behind us, but it's ok, because we gotta get the city." Stopped on a freeway in Seattle. At least you're not stopping traffic in the middle of Hollywood Blvd.



Yeah, we wear our own shirts.


Getting busted in Mormonville, Idaho while playing Sex & Drugs.



They make it rain.


1-900-go-fuck-yourself



Download their shit:
Mixtape Vol 1
Mixtape Vol 2

**ALSO**
They're so DGAF, we decided to make a little dgaf mashup...
Download/listen to our shit:
Big Boom Box Comin' - Hyper Crush vs. Crookers

DGAF Profile #7: Phra of Crookers

The "Crookers! Phra and Bot!" Edition

UPDATED 1-20-10

This profile should have been done last year. We talked about giving Phra a DGAF profile, but somehow it didn't happen. So we've awarded him the first DGAF profile of 2010. There's not a whole lot we know about Phra, who is one half of DGAF DJ duo favorites Crookers. But then, there's not much to say about him either, because we think these videos more than speak for themselves:






Save time and go to 1:10, 5:05, and 6:30...

He can cook like a chef, rocks a pink polo shirt like nobody's business, and started off as a hip hop DJ at 11 years old! It doesn't appear that he'll blow you off if you approach him, no matter how drunk and obnoxious you are (as witnessed at the Custom Hotel after Hard Summer in August 2009). If you've seen Crookers DJ, you'll have even more evidence that he's DGAF. But we're pretty sure you haven't heard him rap. Yes, rap. He can rock the decks AND mic with equal DGAF.

His Twitter name is also Phrappuccino. PHRAPPUCCINO. As you can see we're not making this up. You sure as hell won't find that at your local Starbucks. I think he should do a rap album, and maybe it could be called "phRAPpuccino".

But what kind of name is "Phra"? We assumed it was short for "Francesco", his real name, and spelled with a "ph" for fun (phun?). But on further investigation, we accidentally found out on Wikipedia that "Phra" was a Thai title of nobility and royalty! It was probably intentional, but even if it wasn't, that doesn't make him any less DGAF.

No wonder the upcoming Crookers album is going to be called "Tons of Friends". Who wouldn't want to be friends with someone that DGAF?

Lady DGAF?

What the hell is a mainstream pop singer doing on DGAF? The world needs more DGAF women, and we're always on a mission to find more of them! We definitely didn't expect to find one in Lady Gaga either.

When she first came out, I thought she was a Christina Aguliera rip-off. I mean wasn't it some big thing that they had the same hair last year or something? "Just Dance" also sounded not unlike a Christina Aguilera track. I wasn't impressed. Oh, how cute, she's trying to dress edgy...


I tried so hard not to like her, until Poker Face came out and conquered us all with its catchy disco electro pop swagger. I couldn't escape it.


Love Game had the same effect on me... I thought it had the dumbest chorus until I realized how taunting it was and started singing along to it and found it constantly stuck in my head...


And don't even get me started on Paparazzi... along with its insanely trippy, melodramatic, hypnotic, and bizarre music video... which also references the robot from the silent film "Metropolis" which is fucking COOL...And anyone who gets the Swedish male triplets from the Vh1 reality show "Daisy of Love" in their music video and suggests sex with all three of them IS AS DGAF AS YOU CAN GET!!!


The thing is, I started to notice how FIERCE she was. She can wear whatever the hell she wants and pull it off. She struts like a 7 foot tall supermodel but with more attitude. I don't think a pop star since Madonna has been this ambitious. But Madonna was nowhere NEAR this FIERCE when she first started!!! And her choreography is sick, let's face it. It definitely helped out that she was a theatrical nerd.

Now that i've seen more of her videos and interviews and performances, whatever, holy fucking shit she is a REAL sassy bitch. She's so young but she's so sure of herself and totally in control and really is talented musically. Her confidence and intelligence is fucking badass, especially when younger women aren't encouraged to have any, and in an age where ditzes like Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan are worshipped for cluelessly partying their lives away and being general dumbasses. Lady Gaga doesn't need to cause scandals in her personal life, but only in her peformances, which is the way it should be!

Pop singers aren't really known for their opinions, but the fact that she really is concept driven and is really clear about her references is refreshing. She talks about David Bowie, Queen (her name is derived from their song "Radio Ga Ga") and has a tattoo inspired by John Lennon. She considers what she does "art", and whether you agree or not, I think pop music needs that push and that perspective, and again this reflects her total dedication to her work. She is completely aware about the power of image in music as well as the whole concept of fame, and she's never afraid to express herself or be completely gratuitously over the top, and admit every bit of it. She knows exactly what she's doing. Let her be pretentious if you think she is, because she has a BRAIN.

Did we mention that she is ACTUALLY a talented musician? She writes her own songs, she can actually SING, she plays the piano, and is just a genuinely good performer. What a fucking pro, and so in control of her work. She was also one of 20 people in the world to gain early admission to the Tisch School of Arts at NYU. Did Jessica Simpson do that? HALE NAW. She sure as HELL couldn't do this:

or this:


Did we mention that she is openly bisexual and openly supports the gay community? It's pretty DGAF for a mainstream pop artist to express her beliefs like that. Conservative America, are you offended? GOOD.

I think the only pop singer who comes close in DGAFness is Pink, but despite her badass attitude and vocal talent, she isn't all-conquering like Lady Gaga. Christina Aguilera can sing, sure, but she's not DGAF. Britney dressed up like a fucking schoolgirl when she came out, which was super LAME. Lady Gaga doesn't need any half-assed predictable schoolgirl fantasy bullshit because she's a fucking vengeful high fashion dominatrix who can outwit you and kill you, all while getting over 14 million hits on YouTube in well under 2 weeks:



Because I usually hate it when female singers dress skanky but Lady Gaga is a fucking drag queen without a penis. Let people say they think she's a man or ugly or whatever, just because she's a ferocious performer and looks like she could eat you alive, all while rocking the most avant-garde costumes you could only DREAM of wearing. And her prominent nose just makes her look better in makeup! Haters should just admit they wish they could be as DGAF as her while making a living like that at the same time... and did I mention how jealous Gwen Stefani probably is right now?

She is also brutally honest and sure of herself. Her answer for what she looks for in a partner is a classic DGAF answer. I think more girls should follow her example:

shit, maybe she needs to meet Kavinsky...

And you really need to be DGAF to admit to being a con artist: "if someone asked, who is lady gaga, i would be ok with 'she is the most impressive con artist of fame.'" For a pop singer? super DGAF.


DGAF. fuck the haters. LADY GAGA IS HOT!!!

DGAF Profile #6: Michel Gondry

You've got to be pretty DGAF to be, in my opinion, to be THE definitive music video director of pretty much the past two decades. Sorry Spike Jonze, I love your stuff, but you ain't Michel Gondry!

It all started in 1994 when, as an impressionable 13 year old, I saw Björk's "Human Behavior" video, back in MTV's heyday:


Holy shit. Who was this kind of Asian-looking lady with the funny name and the badass voice and the dope outfit??? What a sick beat too!!! It didn't sound like anything else I'd heard on MTV. The video, too, looked like it consisted entirely of magic sprinkles... it wasn't clips of some band playing, it didn't take place in the desert or at some house party, and it certainly didn't use any computer graphics to show off any special effects (take that, "Black Hole Sun"!) but it certainly did not look cheaply made. It was surreal and abstract yet had a narrative and concept. It was imaginative, original, visually stunning, and anything but boring. All in all, I had never heard, or seen anything like it. I could not categorize any of it, but that is precisely what I liked best about it.

I was amused, impressed, and became more and more of a fan as I saw his other videos, which were becoming more ubiquitous at the time. Michel Gondry? What a weird name (takes one to know one, as I myself literally have one of the most uncommon last names in the world), but whoever this person was, I definitely wanted him to direct my music videos in the future.

Fast forward to late 2003. I still had none of my own music for Michel Gondry to direct videos to, but that's ok. He came out with his first DVD, "The Work of Director Michel Gondry." It was part of this "Director's Series", and was an extensive "best of" collection of his music videos and other works, and a huge booklet. I can't even begin to describe or explain his other works, so it would be best to check out this DVD, or at least look up his videos on YouTube, and believe me, you'll get the idea. He is, in my eyes, unparalleled at making hyperrealities. I hate to pitch a product, but this DVD is MANDATORY!!! If you can't buy it, borrow a friend's copy, because you have to see the booklet too. You just have to. I used to bump this shit in the video room constantly when I used to work at Tower Records.


I found out through this DVD that he was the drummer in this band called Oui Oui, who were in my opinion ridiculously underrated. They were catchy, fun, cute, had nicely crafted songs, and duh, had brilliant music videos! There's even a live performance of them on the DVD where they're playing a show where there's big circular lights flashing with each band member's face on it. I thought that was SO cool. That's pretty DGAF. Their albums are out of print, which is a damn shame, and i think they should be re-released. I managed to get my own copy on eBay even thought I don't own a record player.

Since then, besides a shitload of music videos, he's also directed several movies and numerous commercials. He's even written a book! WTF? DGAF and prolific.

Fast forward to 2009... and shit's about to go down. I named him one of my influences for my Senior Project at Otis. I wasn't quite able to capture his magic, but who cares, because I'd heard rumors that he was going to release another DVD....

I was in the backseat of my friend Deirdre's car, on the way to Denny's in Hollywood where she wanted to stop and eat before going to the Echo where she was going to play with her band, Last Legs. I get a call from Shimosh, who informs me that Michel Gondry was going to be at Amoeba the next day to sign copies of his new DVD, which freaks me out like nothing else. We'd already scored tickets to see the M.I.A. secret show that same night, so I just felt like i'd won the lottery. It was last minute and unexpected, and I was in disbelief until we actually got to Amoeba the next day.



We had no idea what was awaiting us there. I'd looked it up online, and apparently it was "Michel Gondry and Friends" and there was going to be a musical performance. Hmm... who were his friends? Our friend Don suggested that his friends were drops of acid that they'd pass out at Amoeba in the form of gum. But I almost had a heart attack thinking it might be a Oui Oui reunion show.



It was almost 7pm at Amoeba, and the anticipation was building. The place was pretty packed. I almost didn't mind missing the Mighty Boosh here a few weeks earlier because this more than made up for that. I ran to get my DVD and got a pretty good spot off to the left of the stage.



It was 7:15, and it hadn't started. Announcements were made that it was going to start shortly, but nothing was happening. Don joked that Michel Gondry wasn't even here yet. I cracked up and we made jokes about how he was actually across the street at the Jack in the Box either doing coke in the bathroom or just grubbing the fuck out. We made a stupid scenario where that was his favorite place to eat of all time in the whole world and he didn't give a fuck about Amoeba, the only reason he would show up here was because of the Jack in the Box across the street.

The announcer mentioned that Michel Gondry would arrive shortly, and we busted up at how Don's joke was actually true. Now, we're not sure about the Jack in the Box part... but we are definitely sure that Michel Gondry is DGAF. He's so DGAF that he shows up half an hour late to his own performance, gets on the drums, and chugs a bottle of Corona without missing so much as a beat. He could have done some predictable Q&A session or shamelessly plugged his new DVD. Nope, this music video director wanted to jam the fuck out. He's actually a really decent drummer, and he's still got it.



I admit I was a little disappointed that it wasn't a Oui Oui reunion show, but it was fun and cute nonetheless. It was kind of upbeat mellow jazz with a twist and I was amused to find that the guy on the synths was none other than Mark Ramos-Nishita, aka Money Mark, another '90s icon.



The '90s are really back, I told you so! (The night would get even more '90s later on, but we didn't know it yet or even think it was possible.)



So afterward we got in the endless line to get my DVD signed. It had an 8-bit aesthetic and I found this particularly hilarious on the DVD itself:


"That's retarded!" I exclaimed with joy and delight. I meant it as a compliment, but when I realized that not everyone would think that way, I self-consciously looked around, hoping that no one heard me, least of all Michel Gondry.

"You swear no one can hear you," Shimosh rightfully remarked.

For some reason I was stressing out about what to say. But I HAD to ask him about Steak because I heard he turned down that movie. I wondered why because I thought that was quite an amusing movie and I've constantly wondered what it would have been like if he'd directed it... The signing was going really quickly, and when my turn came up, I stood there and kind of panicked.

"You'reasoliddirectorandasoliddrummer!"

FUCK!!! I didn't realize how fast I'd said that. That was also kind of a stupid thing to say LOL. He looked up and gave me the most confused look he's probably ever given anyone. Somehow that didn't stop me from asking, "So why did you turn down directing Steak?" (I don't even think that was correct grammar.)



"What???" he asked, still looking confused. "What movie?"

"Steak."

"Yeah," he said, as he continued signing my DVD with three different colored Sharpies at once. I thought that was the coolest thing ever. I think he then mumbled "Quentin Dupieux" under his breath. I was NOT going to ask him again if he didn't feel like answering, so I stood there feeling awkward and amused at the same time. I thanked him, gave him a regulation thumbs up, and wondered if it was called Steak because I'd discovered some kind of beef. I'll never know. And I will not list the ridiculous possible scenarios we thought of. But damn. That was fucking FUNNY!!!

I realized that I should have talked a HELL of a lot SLOWER... he probably couldn't hear or make out a damn word I said. But what I did NOT realize was how amused he looked as I was walking away... LOL

DGAF Profile #5: Tiga - guest DGAF post by DON!

Tiga, born Tiga James Sontag, is a DJ/Producer/Singer/Songwriter/Remixer/Entrepreneur/maybe chef from Montreal. That's Montreal, Canada to you. How does Tiga stand out as someone who DGAF? First of all, aside from remixing, Tiga mainly collaborates. Depending on who he's working with, his role as the musician changes. When he's working with Soulwax, he's the “eyes that won't stop gleaming.” With Jori Hulkkonen, he's “Future Face.” Gonzales is “Piano Watcher.” He's known as a “certain vision and viscera to the funky picture show” with Jesper Dahlback. Finally, with James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem, he's the “Off the wall Montrealer.”




Back in the day, Tiga used to host raves in Canada, but his career was catapulted into the spotlight with his cover of Corey Hart's “Sunglasses at Night.” The cover was done with Jori Hulkkonen under the name “Tiga & Zyntherius.” Even though the track was released in 2001, Tiga managed to go back in time and performed the track on Top Of The Pops in the 80s.

Based on the performance of the single, some could even argue that it was Corey Hart who covered Tiga and not the other way around. Also, by the way Tiga rocks that eye shadow and chews gum while performing, you know he was bringing DGAF to the 80s, even in 2001.

Despite the performance on Top Of The Pops, Tiga has rarely, if ever, performed a live show. However, he describes his shows and relationship with his fan as such:

“My job is to descend from above and sprinkle the crowd with unimaginable spices... There's a real feeling of community at my shows. The kind of community where a demigod can walk incarnate amongst the scum, but it's community.”

Indeed, we are truly not worthy enough.

But the one thing that sets Tiga apart is his presence. You know you're listening to a Tiga track even before you start listening to a Tiga track. His image is plastered all over the cover art and his voice is a guaranteed to be the focal point of the track. It's kind of like all the times I went to my friend's house and replaced all of the family photos with pictures of myself.














source: Discogs - Tiga

Not only is Tiga's music and voice inspiring for generations to come, but the lyrics are thought-provoking and often tackles social issues of today. For example, the lyrics to “Move My Body” (featuring Soulwax, but we all know the real brains behind the operation) is, “The power punch that beats the bunch” over and over again. Wow. Talk about mind blowing. When I was done listening to that track, I truly believed that the power punch could, in fact, beat the bunch. Don't even get me started with “Mind Dimension...” Okay, let me get started with “Mind Dimension.” The lyrics, “Every time I look into your eyes I see the future” really hits close to home with many people, specifically psychics. When the main hook, “Mind Dimension” comes in and repeats for 30 seconds, you know that you're listening to a track that was made to invoke social change. Tiga for president!



There are many things that sets Tiga apart from the rest of the competition and the man himself knows this. Even though many people have accused Tiga of being arrogant and self-centered (which Tiga agrees), Tiga is not selfish. Why? Well in his own words:

“Every morning, I leave a hotel. I check out. I give all the conditioners that I steal to a bum.. Any bum. It doesn't matter. The point is, it's more significant than the least I can do. And another thing, criticism in general: it doesn't affect me. THAT DON'T CHANGE MY HEART.”

DGAF quote of the hour? I believe so.

Tiga funds a group known as the Tiga-core. The group consists of individuals that look like Tiga and go around doing charity work such as building wells in impoverished resort towns. Think of it as some sort of PR organization. The outcome is extraordinary. Take a look at this side-by-side comparison of Tiga and a member of the Tiga-core:


Mind blowing, right?

Unfortunately, their progress is slowed down by Tiga-themed warlords or "Tiga-lords". Despite funding them as well, Tiga has little to no power over them. When asked why he doesn't just cut the funding, Tiga responded, after singing a song:

“It's a very complicated issue. Life's not black and white.”

Tiga the singer should not be confused with Tiga the DJ. While on the outside they look relatively the same, Tiga the DJ is the more down-to-earth alter ego of Tiga the singer. The key difference to tell the two apart is that Tiga the DJ would always wear a cap while Tiga the singer would not. Also, Tiga the singer would be more likely to be dressed up and probably would be wearing some sort of chameleon scarf. Additionally, I wouldn't think that Tiga the singer would dare to walk on bare floor, so expect a carpet of humans laid out in front of him.


Photo credit: Scootie

So remember, kids: Tiga with cap = Tiga the DJ. Tiga without cap = Tiga the singer. Another way you can tell if it's Tiga the DJ is if he's DJing. That's normally the biggest giveaway.



Just because Tiga the DJ is considered more down to earth than his singer counterpart, it doesn't mean that he too isn't DGAF. Take the aftermath of Hard Summer for example: after a couple of tweets describing the situation and vibe of the forum, Tiga brought up the real issue the next day:


Amen, Tiga. Four cheese is, in fact, way too many.

Or how about that tweet on the way to Europe?


Who knew that it was also possible to be DGAF in 140 characters or less?

Aside from DJing, Tiga also runs his own record label, Turbo Recordings. Along with his own releases, Turbo releases tracks from other artists such as Proxy and Popof. They also helped develop the musical career of Chromeo. Additionally, Turbo Recordings didn't just release techno and electro tracks, they also released some drum & bass tracks originally too. Talk about an eclectic DGAF label. In (the DJ) Tiga's words, “My philosophy is, if it excites me it will also excite somebody else.”(Source: Beatportal: Ciao! This is the Real Tiga!)

I could go on and on about how DGAF Tiga is. I could talk about how his captive reptile breeding program got shut down because experts thought it was too “indecent” to arouse monitor lizards with ice cubes. I could go and talk about how his favorite song is “Take Me To The Bridge I Love” by the Red Hots. I could also add in about how he pays his accountants in DJ lessons (Lesson 1: Timing. Lesson 2: Equipment). But I can't. Simply because it's impossible to sum up just about how DGAF Tiga is.

By the way Tiga, we're all waiting for that talk show!

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

DGAF Profile #3: Louise Brooks

Hmmm... She doesn't look very DGAF, does she?
Stunning? HALE YEAH. Devastatingly gorgeous? DUH. I mean, look at that fancy, glamorous photograph. She was a movie star... and a silent film star at that! But come on... famous Hollywood SILENT FILM actresses can't be THAT DGAF, can they?

But the thing is, she never even wanted to be an actress, let alone even consider herself as one. Meet Mary Louise Brooks, a true original DGAF badass. Sorry to be sexist, but she gets even more props because she's a woman. Female badasses still get more shit than their male counterparts for "misbehaving" today, so the fact that she pulled it off during the 1920's gives her the honor of being a DGAF pioneer.

Born November 14 (which is, coincidentally 1 day before Ol' Dirty Bastard's birthday!!!) in 1906 in Kansas. Her talent in dancing took her to New York at 15, where she went to study with the progressive Denishawn modern dance company. She became a favorite of the company and toured with them as their star dancer. But after 2 years, she was kicked out because... she couldn't fit into the dance company's clean, wholesome, sober, virginal image... NOT because she sucked at dancing. Her dream was shattered, but her notoriety would only pick up the pieces.

Louise, who admitted that she "liked to drink and fuck too much" continued dancing for another couple of years, showing up late or not at all to practices, staying up all night getting wasted and sleeping with whoever she pleased (including Charlie Chaplin!). She said and did whatever she wanted, whenever she wanted, and never apologized. She became notorious for her "bad attitude", her defiant honesty and constant refusal to kiss ass. Her looks and talent almost let her get away with it all.

What also scared everyone about this sassy ferocious bitch was not only her fierce independence, but her fierce intelligence. At 18 she secretly wrote a review for the New York Times for a drama critic that got too drunk to even pay attention to show he was supposed to be reviewing. The review was so convincing that no one suspected that a teenage girl with no experience in professional writing had done it; they all believed it was the critic's work. Don't forget that Louise finished her formal education in dance but not in school. That girl LOVED to read, but still, what she pulled off was no joke!

When she got bored with dancing, she signed a contract with Paramount studios to try acting despite the fact that she thought movies were inferior to theater. Whatever, she needed the money, which she blew all anyway on her friends and family... and of course clothes, books, and alcohol for herself. She would often show up to shoots still drunk and barely awake from the night before. What was her favorite hangover cure? A few swigs of gin, of course. She claimed that she never knew what she was doing as an actress, and all she knew how to do was act herself. You go girl!

She was the real deal personification of the rebellious flapper girl of the 1920's, and popularized the bob haircut, which turned out to be the most trendy hairdo of that decade. Funny, because that iconic style was just how she'd cut her hair since childhood!

After Paramount screwed her out of a promised raise, she realized she was sick of Hollywood anyway and went to Europe to make her three best-known movies: Pandora's Box (1929), Diary of a Lost Girl (1929), and Prix de Beauté (1930). When she returned to the US, silent films were becoming obsolete and Louise was asked by Paramount to record vocals for a movie she'd starred in called the Canary Murder Case. She refused to do it and even turned down bribes. It cost the studio a lot of time and money to find someone else. But hey, that's what you get for fucking with Louise Brooks.

She never seemed to care that much about her acting career, which was never her dream anyway. She turned down roles that could have made her a huge star. She continued acting for money but went bankrupt because her spending was as reckless as her lifestyle. She married twice, divorced twice, and didn't give a shit about getting alimony from either wealthy ex-husband. She eventually ended up as an alcoholic reclusive writer in Rochester, New York. She burned the manuscript of her own autobiography, and died in 1985 of a heart attack.

She was self-deprecating and critical, stating in a letter to her brother: "How I have existed fills me with horror. For I failed in everything — spelling, arithmetic, riding, swimming, tennis, golf; dancing, singing, acting; wife, mistress, whore, friend. Even cooking. And I do not excuse myself with the usual escape of 'not trying'. I tried with all my heart."



Louise Brooks certainly did not fail at being DGAF.

DGAF Profile #2: Ol' Dirty Bastard

You know that song that goes, "You can't Wu-Tang better than me"? Well it doesn't matter, because you SURE as hell can't better than ODB... and I don't think you can get any more DGAF. Even the RZA himself in the Wu-Tang Manual proclaimed that "There's only one Dirty. The planet couldn't handle another." Well how DGAF is the one and only Russell Jones? He's so DGAF that he has this many aliases: Dirty, the Professor, the Bebop Specialist, the Specialist, Prince Delight, Ason Unique, Unique Ason, Osiris, Dirt McGirt, Dirt Scultz, Ol' Dirt Dawg, Joe Bananas, Freeloading Rusty, and even MORE listed on his wikipedia page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ol_dirty_bastard

But my favorite alias of ODB? Definitely Big Baby Jesus. I mean, BIG BABY JESUS? REALLY? Have you heard the lyrics to "I Can't Wait" on N***a Please? I mean, he was so DGAF that he even named an album "N***a Please"! And have you seen the cover? LOOK AT THIS SHIT:



Who else is DGAF enough to take a limo to pick up a welfare check ON TV? ODB, THAT'S WHO!!!



But HAVE you listened to any of his solo albums??? HAVE YOU HEARD "I CAN'T WAIT"??? HAVE YOU HEARD THESE LYRICS??? He gives a shout out to LUKE. As in Luther "Skyywalker" Campbell from the notorious 2 Live Crew and one of the prominent figures in Miami Bass in the early '90s! AND to OutKast!!! All while threatening to bring on the Armageddon! And did I mention the shout outs to Eskimos, boats AND submarines?




ODB is a true DGAF legend... the RZA claimed that when they were about 16, ..."some guys rolled up on him... with a shotgun. And ODB just took the gun right out of the guy's hand. The motherfucker snatched the gun and turned it back on him... No one else did shit like that – and not live to tell." And ODB sure as hell lived up to his name. The RZA continues, "In every kung-fu movie, there's always the dirty bastard, the dirty rat, somebody who, no matter what he does, does wrong. Even when he does right, his intent is to do wrong. Well that's Dirty in real life... He'd rather do it to a girl that got a guy than girl without a guy." He smoked crack, was shot several times, was arrested for everything from shoplifting (he stole $50 shoes while he was carrying $500), attempted murder, assault, attempted robbery, drug possession, driving without a license, and failing to pay child support for his 13 kids. THIRTEEN KIDS!!!

But even the bastard had a heart under that ol' dirty exterior. Legend has it that he witnessed a car accident from his recording studio in Brooklyn and he helped lift a car to save a 4-year old girl. Yes, you read that right... and damn, you thought that shit only happened in movies. And apparently he visited her in the hospital too. ODB win.

Not only that, but can you believe that he would posthumously show that he had more class than KANYE WEST??? Yeah right, you're thinking, Ol' Dirty Bastard. That crazy crack smokin' criminal. Versus hip, trendy, and clean Kanye. But here's the proof... let's start out with Kanye's tantrum at the 2006 MTV music awards when he lost to Justice:



OH HALE NAW KANYE OH HALE NAW. Can you believe that shit? Kanye was rude, disrespectful, called So-Me a "n***a" (wtf???) and threw in some cussing. HIlarious? Yes. Classy? NOPE.

Believe it or not, despite the fact that the Wu-Tang Clan ain't nothin' to fuck with, ODB didn't bring the ruckus when he crashed the stage at the 1998 Grammys. Just listen to his speech:



ODB didn't cuss, didn't disrespect anyone, and never once raised his voice. He even tried to end his speech on a positive note! "I love you all? Peace?" Wu-Tang are really doing it for the children, because they save them from car accidents too. WOW. WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT? Seriously.

ODB is sadly no longer with us... he died in 2004, 2 days before his 36th birthday. Wu-Tang's first album was called Enter the Wu-Tang Clan: 36 Chambers. He died in his studio which was on west 34th street. 36-2=34. Wu-Tang numerology would have a fucking field day. There are even conspiracies about ODB being killed... another case of a musician who turned clean but mysteriously died of an overdose. We've seen this twice before in Seattle in the '90s but I won't name any names. The RZA proclaimed OBD as "...a true American free spirit. He scares some people, but other people just love him because he'll do what they wish they would do but are scared."

DGAF ODB RIP

DGAF Profile #1: KAVINSKY

"drink all your vodka and stop traffic in hollywood" edition

Coke? —taken from meowza's flickr

This guy is the epitome of DGAF.
French DJ Kavinsky (signed on Fool's Gold) does not give a FUCK. Only he can ride around in a Testarossa, drink all of Busy P's vodka, get a bouncer from Cinespace in a headlock, then get caught in a headlock himself, stop traffic outside of Cinespace at 2 in the morning and wear shirts that say "Coke" on it and get away with it. There are many types of DGAF in this world, and Kavinsky is the badass type of DGAF.


Look at what this guy is wearing, is there any question as to how DGAF he is?—photo from SHIMOSH's flickr

This man DJ's around the world, driving around in a red Testarossa. He even made a song based on his Testarossa. In fact, he created an entire backstory to his music and became the character of his music. Can you do that if you gave a fuck? I highly doubt it.



Kavinsky supposedly died in 1986 in a car crash in his Testarossa. He came back to life as a zombie and now drives the streets with the Testarossa. In 1986, that fool was 11. He died while driving a car at 11. DGAF indeed.

The shirts he wears is just extra proof about how DGAF he is. Coke? You know he does a lot of it. And I'm not talking Coca-Cola, either. How else do you come up with shit like dying in 1986 while driving a Testarossa? And he sports that on a shirt for the world to know, because he just DGAF.

He not only makes crazy music and even crazier characters, but he acts in his friend Quentin Dupiex (Mr. Oizo)'s videos and films. Even the characters he plays are DGAF.



Does he give a fuck that he's throwing some kind of square softball and acting in the most nonsensical film of this century? No. No he does not.


The only video interview I know of that exists of this man is also incredibly ridiculous:




Superpowers: "Just a big dick." Do I need to go any further? I think I've proved my case.