On Friday Aug 3rd, Avalon held yet another epic Control Avalon, displaying a bass pounding line up including Los Angeles natives Cold Blank, Mr. Whiite, Messinian, and dub-step veteran Rusk. The Hollywood crowd was out early to make sure they had no delays on their entrance into the Avalon venue. Some attendees dressed to impress, while others had their official "Wake The Fuck Up" t-shirts and "stunnas" with no lenses. As 10:30pm hit, Cold Blank made their way to the stage with a sold out crowd anxiously waiting for the next banger to drop. I was blown away by the transitions from dub-step, to electro as the duo dropped such tracks as "Firestorm" by Far too loud, Cold blanks own "Los Angeles", and their new addictive remix to Cyprus Hill, Rusko & Damian Marley's "Cant Keep Me Down". Christopher Gaspar and Manny Luquin, the members that make up Cold Blank caught my attention with their harmony with one another, mixing together as one unit. We later caught up with the duo for an official Death By Electro interview with Cold Blank.
DxE: Being Los Angeles natives how did it feel performing in front of a home crowd?
CB: We can feel the magic juice flowing through us like moonlight through the ghost dance. We don't play in LA very often, but when we do, we drink Stella Tall Cans. It's cool because our fan base is the biggest here in LA and we really feel the love when we see familiar faces and see the crowd reactions to our new material.
DxE: What do you guys like to do on your free time when you get back into town?
C: Sushi, bar hopping, more sushi, more bar hopping, and good times with good company.
M: Catch up on my DVR'd shows, getting King Taco 'cause you can only get in LA.
C: Oh yeah, can't forget about all the LA food spots like In-N-Out.
DxE: You recently released an incredible album, "The Agenda" on Burn The Fire Records, can you take us through the process of the production of the album?
CB: Yeah! Each track has its own unique elements but they always have the swag-hound bass lines; there's usually a dominant bassline in our tracks. Generally, we put together a hard-hitting compilation of tracks all themed toward the reptilian agenda. However, some tracks also carry influence from past experiences including partying in illegal warehouses, touring in other countries, and playing tons of raves back in the day.
DxE: What programs do you use for producing music? Any favorite synths or sounds?
CB: Ableton Live 8. Yeah tons of favorite synths & sounds. We use V-Station, Sylenth 1, Massive, Predator, Vanguard, Nexus, and really rinse the distorted buzz square sound. Distorted massive basslines and 8-bit video game sounding leads are definitely the way to go.
DxE: How did Cold Blank form?
CB: We were both badass individuals who partied in the same scene back in 2006 in different parts of LA, basically wherever the party was. We eventually started chatting on Myspace in 2007 & founded Burn The Fire together in 2008, hosting parties & eventually self-releasing the music we began creating together shortly thereafter.
DxE: How do you feel about the rapid growth in EDM and its influence on other genres of music today?
M: It's amazing that artists like Skrillex are paving the road for EDM producers worldwide, winning grammy's and collaborating with Kanye West. David Guetta's Titanium already went platinum. It's crazy considering how easy it is to download free music.
C: It's mind-blowing to me because I was somewhat teased for liking electronic/dance music in high school. It's awesome when I look back and my friends tell me that I was ahead of the curve. We both were, and it's why we started working together.
DxE: Who are your musical influences, past and present?
C: Daft Punk, Mellowdrone, Queen, The Rapture, The Faint, Wolfgang Gartner, Moving Units, Calvin Harris, Crystal Castles, Boys Noize
M: Nine Inch Nails, Underground Construction (Hard House), Mstrkrft, Justice, Deadmau5, also Wolfgang Gartner, and select 80's hits.
DxE: What were your favorite tracks to produce and why?
C: My favorite was our remix of Joachim Garraud's Atrium. It's not out yet, but it's definitely my favorite track out of all of our productions. I really dig the surprise drop and love the structure, it's very futuristic and anthem-ish. We had been wanting to produce big room electro for a while, and combining tribal/tech house elements really topped it off for me.
M: Mine was our remix of Cypress x Rusko's Here From Day One feat. Damien Marley. It was our first time exploring the bpm of 110. It's awesome to receive a remix opportunity from from one of the producers that got me into Dubstep. Also Cypress Hill, 'cause I always wanted to be a rock superstar, live large, big house, five cars, ya' know! d:)
DxE: What would you like to say to all the Cold Blank fans out there?
CB: You guys gotta step it up and help us blow up more. Spread the word bitches. We've produced tracks for you guys for years, and what do you have to show for it?! Nah just kidding, we love our fans and we're grateful for their continuous, ongoing, and unconditional support in any direction we've gone in. They keep us going for sure, and without the support of our fans (Facebook/twitter friends included), we would not be where we are today. They define us and we love them. Thanks for the support lil chickens!
