atlanta @ nite

October 18, 2003

WOW...it has been a year since I updated last.

What a very uncool grrrl I have been!

It has been a very crazy year for me as a person and I spent a good amount of my time focusing and exploring Miss Lei.

However, as I was telling a friend this past Saturday night at an all age "Rave" with the lights flickering and bouncing off smoke filled edges of a venue... MUSIC IS THE ONE THING THAT HAS STAYED WITH ME THROUGH EVERYTHING.

MUSIC IS THE STAPLE IN MY LIFE.

Through all the soul searching, globetrotting, trend explorations and so much more music is always there. Sometimes it is like the subtle background soundtrack music in a movie. You know the kind that you barely even recognize is there but somehow sets the mood and emotion of everything else. And then other times music is THE MOVIE, when all else fails to be of importance and music is telling the story. Well, this past year in my absence music has been the background to a chaotic film...I call my life.

So what exactly has been happening in my movie??

Lets see. I chopped my hair off. It has always been long and it was just time to let it go...so that’s what I did. And I love it! And on a completely different note, I bought a house!! It is thoroughly amazing. And I surprise myself everyday when I pull into my garage and plop down on my couch. It's still sinking in that I have beaten the odds of growing up a child of a single mom struggling on welfare. Buying a house has also changed my priorities in a lot of ways. I no longer have money to spend on every item of desire, so my music collection...and clothes collection have suffered the neglect. It has also been a neat transformation of me being a social butterfly fluttering through most events in town, to now really enjoying staying at home.

That is not to say however, that I have not gone out...so lets get down to the nitty gritty of musical happenings.

I went to Winter Music Conference back in the spring in Miami, which was terrific. There are so many amazing acts every night for the entire week it is just musical euphoria. I think the best performance was Grayarea, whom did a live PA of absolutely stunning progressive tracks. They actually have been one of my fave up and comers for the past year, and I had the pleasure of seeing them again in Atlanta. On top of that, and on the other side of the spectrum, I indulged myself into the Drum and Bass side of WMC and reminded myself what I love about DNB. Andy C, High Contrast, Dara (pool side), Tech Itch and so many more had me "broking" out to the dirtiest nastiest bass I had heard in a while. Some of the tracks were so rough, all I could do was shake my ass and love every minute of it. I was glad to have taken a break slightly from DNB, but grateful to have been brought back by the talent I experienced at WMC.

Other highlights of my year, and one that probably deserves an entire update for itself, I went to Burning Man (www.burningman.com). It was unexplainable. Ever since I left I have wanted to and been making my arrangements to return. For those that do not know it is a week long festival in the middle of the desert. A "leave no trace" atmosphere and experiment in temporary civilization, where 40K people bring everything they need for a week into the desert and just explore life and humanity. It was magnificent! I made nipple pasties with a beautiful man. I wrapped myself in a towel, jumped on my bike and road down the road to find someone that would let me borrow their solar shower. I heard a man play music by controlling this fire-throwing contraption with notes created by the fire exiting the creation. I brought scrolls with the OM TARE TUTARE TURE mantra (Deliver me from fear, so that I may live a blissful life) and shared them with strangers having them write their fears to be burned at the end of the festival. I jumped on a golf cart dressed as a bunny rabbit and saw the world threw the eyes of a child once again. All in all, it is something that brought me a wonderful calmness and refreshed excitement about the world and the human condition.

There are so many other things that have been going on with me, but alas I will save it for a book about the Miss B. Haven explorations of Lei. Till next time, which will be sooner than a year...take care and keep the bass pounding.
Lei

October 12, 2002

I have the SET UP!! Finally after saving - because I only wanted the best - I have 2 Technic 1200 MK2s with Ortofon SS needles, a Pioneer 500 Mixer and the Sony 700 Series headphones. *happy dance for me* For those of you that may not know about DJ equipment this is all top of the line. The funny part is I really do not have the largest desire to DJ but I want to be able to play all of my records - which I have become addicted to purchasing - and I wanted to be able to play around with mixing if I wanted to. That is one of the biggest benefits of having a nice real job, is that I can spend money on toys and I do not have to feel guilty.

So now with my setup I have been buying even more records - I have surpassed the 100 record mark in less than 3 months of purchasing. Some of the stuff that I am really feeling lately is the TCR (www.tcr.uk.com) label, well actually that is one of the first labels that I got into when I started listening to Nuskool, so they always have a special place in my heart. There is a new release by B.L.I.M. - Crazy Things with the flipside by Meat Katie - Coming To, which is a storming track that just makes you want to dance around and get buck wild. I love songs like that - the ones that just unleash that animal inside you. Other tracks out recently with this *crazed* feel, is the Layo & Bushwaka - Shining Through remix. Although it is a different sound completely, it just makes you feel uninhibited and the L&B track can be described perfectly as "having sex in a time capsule". It mixes so many layers of sounds from jazz/funk/electro/rock/ect. into this flowingly beautiful song that brings you to an almost euphoric blissful state.

I guess I am very extreme with my music in that sense because I also like the other side of the spectrum with songs that just make you contemplate existence and be mushy. Some tracks like this that I am feeling lately have actually been a lot off of Distinctive Records (www.distinctiverecords.com). They released a 3 Pack remix of an old Way Out West track - Stealth that is just amazing. There are 6 remixes - 2 of which are breaks but the rest are wonderful as well - there is something about the vocal sample that just pulls you in. It is also intriguing to hear how differently a song can be interpreted by different people with the six different remixes. They also have a remix of Maurice & Nobel - Faith Delivers remixed by Ashtraxx that is just beautiful. I am fascinated by music and the intricacies in it.

There is a slew of other stuff that is coming down the pipes and should be getting released within the next few months, but since it is not out yet and there is SO much of it...I will wait. Other fun tracks to mention though are Timo Maas - Shifter with MC Chickaboo. This is an ass shaker!! One of those songs that just makes you smile and move. I really like Chickaboo's vocals on records - I always appreciated it at live events but her new venture to records is a good one. Which leads me nicely to what I have been doing lately...

I have seen in the recent past - Dazee, Chickaboo, C4C, Funk Lab, Rennie Pilgrem, Koma & Bones, Meat Katie, Crystal Method, Layo & Bushwaka, Chris Carter (2x), Adam Freeland and Josef Plante. Wow! That is pretty amazing, especially given that I know I have forgotten at least a few. I think that Koma & Bones was the best show because they just never let up the entire time. Wonderful mixing and stormer tracks! I actually blistered my toes from dancing so much! I also have gained a lot of respect for Chris Carter whom I liked his production before but was not the biggest fan. I had a chance to meet him when he was here and he an awesome man. There is something just so *RIGHT* about supporting people that are talented and NICE. So superstars remember that people like to support other nice people! In addition, Chris' soon to be released stuff is phenomenal and he seems to be growing nicely into his own personal style. It is so sexy and rolling - the perfect combination of breaks, house, and a little special sauce.

It has been a great time for me lately as I play with my tables! Am continuously inspired by my talented and lovely friends! And dance the night away in complete happiness from the one thing that brings me constant bliss - MUSIC!

August 10, 2002

Oh my…I have been a very naughty coolgrrrl! So sorry that I have not updated in a while, life has been whisping by me with great speed. In short…let me summarize…what has it been the last 6 months.

My magazine JIVE Magazine launched its first hardcopy edition – email me if you want a copy. I went to Hiroshima too visit two of my best friends in the world – see pictures. I saw the peace memorial in Hiroshima and was completely struck by the ying and yang of utter distruction and perservance of mankind. I went home to Hawaii to bask in the sun of my native land. I met a guy in a Hawaii that I wished lived here in Atlanta –isn’t life cruel. I bought turntables and have about 100 or so records now after only collecting them for 2 months. I have stood faithfully by as my best friend removed me from her life in place of her new boyfriend because I see how wonderful he is for her. I have fallen in love with the most amazing man and I know it can never work out – and I am learning to accept that. I went out to the Oregon Country Fair with my mom and a great friend from college – see pictures. I realized again how happy music makes me. I went out to Colorado on a whim to see an ex boyfriend from 2 years ago that I barely speak too because I could sense he needed me. Wow what an experience! I have taken time to be by myself in order to know myself and love myself. I have started to write poetry again because I found a muse.

I found myself questioning whether my contributions are noticed here at coolgrrrls – I mean does anyone out there read what I am writing. I write mostly for myself, but when pulled in a thousand directions I question if the readers are getting anything from me. I would love to know what you think. Email me…please and let me know what you think. I love the coolgrrrls staff and the girls…and Frank of course!

And now lastly…it is going to be my birthday on the 22^nd!! I can not wait. I will keep you all up-to-date with a longer update about the music…just wanted to say that I was still living and enjoying every minute.

February 12, 2002

Happy New Year Coolgrrrl Readers! Wow, so since my last update I have been around the world *literally and figuratively* and have landed back in Atlanta with some wonderful experiences and a refreshed outlook on life.

I would like to recognize some of the demo’s that got sent in for my Fresh Artist Search. Big Thank You’s go out to Native Outlande, Osmose, Serch & Escape all of whom sent in demo’s that kept me grooving for the past couple months. All of these guys (come on grrrls send me your stuff so I can have some GRRRL representation). Native Outlander has a body moving deep progressive house sound that reminded me of the sounds that brought me into the EDM scene. I also had the opportunity to see him play out recently and was even more impressed with his live performance that had a more tribally sound. Osmose’s demo is the perfect sound for chilling out with the acid jazz smooth style. It was a great change of pace from what I normally hear, with all his talent and unique sound I am surprised I have not heard him out (somebody book this guy). Serch & Escape (a tag team pair—both of whom are amazingly talented—from Savannah) got my body rocking to almost every genre of music. They mostly spin breaks but I have heard them lay down sets ranging from trance to jungle. They have so much love and knowledge for the music is hard to not be drawn to their music. They took the new found interest in breaks that Sikora had spawned and turned it into a full blown love affair for breaks. Friends or not, these two men have been making me dance harder and touching my soul deeper with their music then any one in a long while. So a HUGE congrats to all of these talented performers thank you for brightening my days with your wonderful sounds...I hope to hear more from you all soon.

Now back to my update, I took a 2 week vacation, the most time off since I graduated from college, and went to Asia. It was almost exactly half way around the world from Atlanta to Hanoi, Vietnam. I was lucky enough to meet up with a good friend from high school who was also traveling in South East Asia. I did not

realize how much I missed my old friends that are so dear to my heart until after nearly 2 days of traveling I arrived at the hotel to see my friends sweet smile. Vietnam was absolutely amazing! The people are so warm and inquisitive with a culture so much like back home in Hawaii. We were able to visit some amazing historical sites that still had not been bombarded with tourists. It was such a humbling experience to see the way an average Vietnamese person lives. It made me rethink my priorities and values. I spent as much time as I could sitting with people and talking to them—even when the only common language was body language. We also spent a few days in a small town Hue (we were probably only 2 of 100 tourists in the entire town). I then went on to Bangkok for a few days which was also very enlightening. After the slow pace of Vietnam it was a little fast for me but none-the-less it was fun. I would like to go back and spend more time out of Bangkok to get more of a feel for the real Thailand.

It was NYE when I returned and despite my hopes for the New Years to remember my New Years was not that fun. The party that I had planned to attend got shut down, so I didn’t hear good music and wasn’t hanging out with the people I had hoped to be with. But I did not let this get me down...my new philosophy (which is perfectly summed up on a new CD I have) "F*ck the frail shit" was definitely tested. I decided that I would just celebrate New Years another night and last weekend made up for it. One of my other best friends from High school came down last minute from Japan (the joy of working for an airline) and so I got to spend some great quality time with her. We went to hear some good friends DJ Serch and Escape play in a DJ competition and they rocked the house *this little dnb head is starting to get converted to the other side of breaks*. Check out www.apcollective.com to get more info on them. All in all the holiday season was a great reminder of the importance of good friends...staying in touch with the old ones and also getting the wonderful gift of realizing some new friends are worthy of true friendship status.

Don’t forget to send in your Demo’s to me and also check out my photo site http://communities.msn.com/LeiVishnuPhotography

Coolgrrrls.com
c/o Ms. Lei
P.O. Box 186
Balboa Island, CA 92662
CA 92662
Much Love,
Lil Lei

November 7, 2001

It is always a struggle for me to start writing my reviews with so much to say and many times a lack of the right words to express my thoughts. This past month I have been more immersed in music then ever before. Music has always been the beat to my heart but since life in general has become more confusing and chaotic I have looked to music as my salvation. There are two CD’s that have been in constant rotation continuing to bring a smile to my face and a calm to my heart – Dara "Future Perfect " and Sikora "U ". Dara is a worldwide Drum and Bass DJ whom I have written about numerous times, and this new CD is just amazing with a driving bass line but also softer overtones that makes it right for any occasion. Sikora, email sikora_ucp@hotmail.com for booking, is an local Atlanta Nu-Skool breaks DJ that I have grown to love and the new CD is absolutely amazing! There has been a CD that I have been this drawn to in a while. With female vocals overlaid on some funky break beats I can not get enough of it (It has probably played 2 times a day since I got it early in October). He mixes some old tunes from back when I first started listening to electronic music in ’95 that just evoke so much emotion and colorful memories. In addition to these CD’s I have also received numerous other mixed CD’s from local artists which I have enjoyed.

So with this...I would like to start a monthly (or at least with every update) new artist review. All of you bedroom djs this is your chance to get some exposure. SEND YOUR DEMO to:

Coolgrrrls.com
c/o Miss Lei’s Review
P.O. Box 186
Balboa Island, CA 92662

And before I do each of my updates I will pick the best freshest CD of the bunch I get for the month. Also, include a little bio about yourself and don’t forget to label your CDs. Thanks and good luck—I can’t wait to hear all the talent!

On the weekends I have been to some really great parties—too many to give the low down on each one. I saw Stakka & Skynet, AK1200, Danny The WildChild, Phantom 45, Panacea, Trace, Tony Faline, Sandra Collins, Vicious Vic, Dynamix, Illfinagas, Ra, SlipNSlide, Freaky Flow & Flip Side, Dazee & Chikaboo, Funk, Frankie Bones, Heather Hart, Vishnu, Jeffee, J-Smooth. Plus a TON of talented locals including Sikora, Iron Chef, Shiv, Egypt, J-Luv, Hyst, The ShadowLaw Crew, Cor_e, Shadrauch, Messiah One, Casper and many more. So it has definitely been a great month...I really should still be tired from all the dancing!

One of best nights were probably the Kaos party put on by 523 Productions with the Toronto Jungle Crew (Illfingas, SlipNSlide, Freaky Flow & Flip, & RA) along with others. It was the tightest vibe at an Atlanta party in quite some time, with top quality DJs, sound, security, venue—everything you could ask for in a party. The 523 people are an up and coming production crew but you would have never guessed it from the night. These guys ran the event with the utmost professionalism and class, and I can not wait until the next party. I urge anyone in Atlanta or elsewhere interested in working with some top quality people to email gypsy_of_523@yahoo.com .

The other great night was up in Nashville for Abyss by Drow Productions (marvin@drowproductions.com) . Another great night of music with an amazing vibe. I have some good friends that are from Nashville and it was so much fun to hang out with them and their high school friends—the reminiscing was in full effect. Iron Chef, Shiv, Messiah-One, Egypt, Special C, and J-Luv all put on a great show and played with all there hearts as some this was the first time that many of them had played out of Atlanta. The Nashville crowd were different from Atlanta but I really liked it and can’t wait to go back.

Other than going out, yes I do other things, I set up a site to put many of my pictures from my portfolio and other pictures from events I go to. It is a private community so you will have to sign in and ask for permission (I don’t want anyone being able to come on the site and maybe abuse it). But if you put in a request and say you are a coolgrrrl reader I will let you in right away. So check it out!!! http://communities.msn.com/LeiVishnuPhotography Also, I have taken up a new hobby—Frisbee Golf!! I never would have thought it but I love it. It is a blast, except I suck but that is what practicing is for, right? I am not so sure if it is the actual sport or the people I play with but it is always a great time.

I think that about wraps it up on my end...once I get flowing it is hard to stop! So check out my pictures, please! Also check out the GUIDE TO SEX survey on the main page of Coolgrrrls. And don’t forget to send in your demos. And if you have any question about my site or the Demo Contest email me.

Peace and Breakbeat,

Lei

September 30th

Well it has been a very trying time for all of us. I have always found comfort in writing but recently I can not even get myself to write in my journal. I finally realized that I needed to get on with life and beginning to write will be my first step. It seems that when bad things happen they happen in spurts, so I am just praying that this is the last of the bad stuff and that the sun will soon shine bright ahead.

Working at an airline has added a different swing on the September 11th events. I kept thinking of the immense amount of traveling that I have done and do. As I tried to return to work the next day I was overwhelmed with the feeling of helplessness. I was able to contact my close friends in NYC and was relieved to hear that they were ok, but my heart sunk at the thought of all those that were not so lucky. I soon found out that one of my college classmates and fellow Brother in Delta Sigma Pi Meredith Whalen had not been so lucky and had passed away in the tragedy. She worked on the 93rd floor, where the tower was hit. I searched for ways that I could send my condolences to her family but was not able to contact them. So I would like to take this opportunity to send my deepest condolences to her family and the families of all of those effected. She was a truly amazing woman. I read an article with her family and they said the last time they talked to her (Monday night) she said she was the happiest she had ever been. That statement to me was truly moving because all I could think was at least she was happy!

Slowly I feel that I am reaching an emotionally stable place, it is definitely not normal but it is at least an attempt. I am trying to bring happiness to those around me each day because happiness and love is truly all that matters. The day that all of this happened my dear friend Jeremy called me and talked to me for a long time. His calm and reassuring words meant more to me than I can even explain, but I at least wanted to mention it. He is truly an amazing man.

In addition to the National tragedy, I have been faced with some other personal challenges. As I said before I work for an airline, I am in serious risk of losing my job. I am not sure how to handle this but can only do one thing, continue to live and try to make myself happy. My very good friend Rob, who is in the Army along with some other of my friends, put things in perspective because even though he is in serious risk of being shipped of to war he is still maintaining a good attitude. I figure if he can handle that stress than mine is trivial. I do ask that everyone pray for him and the rest of our Armed Forces because they don’t get enough appreciation or support. Also, to add to the difficult times I just found out that I have a mild case of Hypothyroidism, which is when your Thyroid is under-active. This is a problem because your Thyroid regulates many of your body functions. It is scary because people at my age are not usually afflicted with the disease. Furthermore, it is not curable but is treatable. The only good thing is that possibly with the right medication I can finally feel normal instead of always feeling sick and not knowing why.

Well this update has seemed to be a bunch of sniffling and I am sorry for the poor tone. It has helped me to feel a little better and now I can move on. There are some amazing events coming to Atlanta soon. I can not wait. I really need to dance dance dance and I think that will cure all my problems. Last weekend, I did go out to an event in Augusta Georgia (my first event outside of Atlanta in GA) Phunkfest 3. It was a really fun time with the event set up in an old abandoned mall. We got there pretty late but it was still worth it. Other than my friends there were not many good breakdancers to watch but I got my groove on and can’t wait until tomorrow to keep on dancing.

I promise the next update will be filled with MUSIC because music is pure JOY.

Aloha,
Lei

August 10th, 2001

Well let's see so since I got back from my trip from Europe I have been busy busy busy. I had a bunch of projects here in Atlanta that I had been neglecting because I kept traveling every weekend, so I started to get to work on them.

This past month has also been a great month for music in Atlanta with some of my favorite and most talented DJ's coming to Atlanta-mostly from one local promoter Iris. The Formation Records Tour came through Atlanta on Friday the 13th, which proved to be an amazing night. DJ SS, Twisted Individual and Warren G (not the stateside rapper!) tour up the night with fresh dubplates and the wonderfully delicious bass lines. SS is one of the pioneers in the drum and bass community and his set truly shows his expertise of the music. Twisted Individual is barely 20 years old and is already has a great reputation for producing some wicked and dark tracks, as well as being a superb "turntablist". And of course...Warren G...Oh My Gosh...he is my personal favorite MC of all time. His voice is sooo smooth and his lyrics are deep and flowing. All three of these guys are also super nice and into the crowd-loved them. Iris also brought me some new found favorites from Technorganic Records with Gridlok, Negative, Jordana and MC Collaborator. Another group of wonderfully talented DJ's laying it down proper for the Atlanta drum and bass massive. I really liked Jordana's set that added in a few two-step (slower version of dnb) into her set. She was also a pleasure to watch spin with a smile on her face, long nails and a diamond choker...she looked like dnb royalty! Then finally this past Friday, Iris brought in some amazing talent...Mickey Finn, Shy FX and MC Skibadee. Everyone was at this party and it was super fun to see so many people that I hadn't seen in a while. I also met a few new people, which is always cool-you can't have too many friends, can you? I got to stand around the DJ booth and watch Shy FX spin for a little bit. I love to watch him because he is so calm and smooth when he is on the decks. But I didn't stay back their for long because my feet were itching to dance and I did not want to be a DJ groupie. *heehee* It is funny because with dnb there are a bunch of guys being DJ groupies...gotta love that!

Another fun party that I went to in the middle of my Iris "invasion" was put on by Outerlimits on the 21st. It was a good time with a variety of music all by top notch DJ's. I got to see Space Girl for the first time and she was phenomenal. It was a live performance and she was playing the key board and working with some synthesizers and whatever else they use....definitely talented. And beautiful! The dnb line up was also great with Dara, DB, Lion, Bobble, Edo, and Maze all putting down a good show.

Also, my good friends started this weekly event at a club in town and I have been trying to go support that on Wednesdays. The only bad part is getting up at 7am on Thursday after only a few hours of sleep. The event is called Alloy and is a drum and bass event that is a very positive thing for the Atlanta scene. It gives some of our highly talented locals a place to showcase their abilities and gives the dnb heads a place to chill out. The DJ's include people from Negative Cycle, Shadow-Law, Illin Manor Crew, Faderwars and Drow Productions with MC Iron Chef. I strongly suggest everyone checking these guys out because all of them are locals on their way up. It is a great thing to see all these guys representing for Atlanta and working together in a scene that sometimes is so divided. I also suggest that everyone in Atlanta check this night out...you are guaranteed to find bumping bass lines, cool people, good dancers...including my best friend Ku'ulei. Ku'ulei is the superstar Hawaiian breakdancing queen *heehee* just joking sort of, but honestly she is a getting better with her breaking skills lately and it is always great to see girls throwing down in a male dominated breakdance circle. She is definitely the resident "B-Coolgrrrl".

However, after this past month I think I need a break from parties for a while. I love the music but I feel the need to explore another side of Atlanta for a little while...or at least go to sleep before 7am on the weekends for a while! I got turned on to this wonderful band called Level and my ears have been loving the change of pace. I will keep you updated with info about them...their site is coming out soon and they are terrific. I will try to find a link to their stuff so you all can hear it. It is hard to describe as anything other than a kaleidoscope of sound from many different genres with the end result being one body shaking song after another!

Other than that...I have been working on my photography a lot and doing some photo shoots!! I really want to meet some people that do outdoorsy stuff like ride dirt bikes and jetskis and what not...but it seems with all my nights spent out at the club...I am always sleeping when they are out. So maybe with a change of schedule I will have more luck exploring Georgia's Day Life. Oh..one last thing...my birthday is coming up...August 22 for anyone that wants to send me presents *hint hint* just joking...sort of. I love my birthday...I think I will celebrate it this entire month...

...off to eat some birthday cake.
Lil Lei

July 20th, 2001

Hey all you coolgrrrl readers! Well so much has happened lately, I can hardly believe that my last update was only a few weeks ago. First off I went to Europe for 2 weeks with my mom and my grandma. It was a really special trip because my grandma is getting a little older and I never get to see my mom (because she lives in Hawaii). We spent half of our time in Dublin and half in London. Dublin was pretty cool. We took one of those double decker bus tours one of the first days that we were there and that was a nice way to get an idea of where everything was. It was however, very cheesy! The other days that I was there I mostly just caught the bus around to different museums and stuff. I really enjoy just walking around and getting "lost" when I visit places because I think it is the best way to get a feel for where you are without getting caught in tourist traps. One night we went to the Abbey theatre to see Big Maggie. It was a wonderful production about the Feminist Revolution. Loved it!

The other highlight of Dublin was that I went out to this club called Switch on Saturday night. I had started talking to this girl Sonja early that day while shopping. I was asking her if she knew of any good clubs and she told me about it. Then she gave me a free VIP pass to get into the club and told me she would see me there. That was one great thing about Dublin—the people were so good hearted! It was nice to know that I would know someone there also because I was planning on going by myself. The club was being hosted by D1 records with the musical styles of Mark Broom (from the UK) and Eamonn. The club was located in the bar district and was rather small with sparse decorations, but it leant well to the mood for the evening. The crowd trickled in slowly but by 11:30 or so the club was packed with a wide range of people. I loved that the crowd was so diverse. I mean I saw this 20 something well dressed couple sitting next to an older (45+) man sitting next to a younger girl with a Teletubby shirt on. People were truly there for the music, and the music was great! It was hard techno and house music, which I rarely get to hear in Atlanta. Both DJ’s had flawless mixing skills and track selection. I tried trainspotting a few records that really got me moving but couldn’t...so I just kept on grooving. As I looked around the crowd during Emmans set I really felt as though everyone was feeling the music. People were not dancing to show off, but more importantly dancing because they were moved. It was really beautiful! All in all this event was on my top 5 list of things that I did while on vacation. I strongly suggest that you check out D1 Records Website because this guy is doing great things for the Dublin Electronic scene ( www.dublindistribution.com/0-home/ ). Also thanks again to my new friend Sonja.

London was a change of pace from Dublin, but I liked the contrast. The one complaint that I had about London was that it seemed everywhere I went was a tourist trap. Being from Hawaii I understand that this was probably my fault because I did not know enough about London to avoid the traps, but alas all the commercialism did get to me. The low point of my trip was going down to Kings Road, supposedly the birth place of Punk Rock to find the road littered with boutiques and yuppies! I saw a Virgin Record store and went in to ask if they had a CD by one of my favorite UK Drum and Bass DJ’s Ray Keith. Well the sales clerk did a search and then told me "No, we don’t carry him. We mostly carry well known artists!" So I asked her if there were any independent record shops around the area and she told me that there were not any music shops "of that sort" around. Oh my gosh, this is supposed to be were Punk Rock was started and there are no Indie record shops. Things that make me wonder! Other than this little downer and also the fact that I missed Ray Keith playing out at a club London was filled with excitement. I walked around the city and saw most of the sights and the beautiful architecture. One of my favorite places was the Museum of Portraits (or something like that), which had a wonderful photography exhibit. It truly inspired me to work more on my photography. I also went to see Chicago at the Adelphi Theatre, which was spectacular! I really need to see more shows in the states.

I went out to two different clubs while in London—Heaven and Ministry of Sound. Heaven was in the Charring Cross / Trafalgar Square area and was easy to get to, which is why I went there. It was 3 different rooms of sound (House/Ambient, Hard Techno and Hip Hop/Top 40), which made things interesting. However, even with the large selection I still was not too impressed. The advertisement that I saw for the club had some DJ’s that I recognized but once I got to the club I found out that the line-up was completely different. I asked for the time slots but no one seemed to know who was spinning at the different times. The crowd was alright but left something to be desired. The upper level room with the House and Ambient was the best room with a good vibe and tight music. I however, forgot the names of the DJ’s. I did get a big kick out of hearing "You’z a Hoe" blaring in the hip hop room, although Heaven is definitely not giving Atlanta a run for their "booty humpin" money.

I went to Ministry of Sound on a Saturday night, which I had been told was the better weekend night. I had such high expectations of the club that I think I may have set myself up for a let down. We, my mom and I (Yes my mom is super cool and loves to dance), arrived at the club at around 11pm to find a long line that didn’t move. We waited in line for about 20 minutes before it even started to move, which set my night off to a bad start. Once we entered the staff was super rude and pushy until we got to the main bar. We took a look around to see a fairly well laid out club with a main bar and tables to dance on. Then a side room and another bar with a balcony overlooking the main bar. There was also the main dance room but it was closed. It did not open until 1:30am, I guess they were waiting for the other rooms to be packed before opening that one. Whatever the reason I was very annoyed because the music in the "lounge area" was not all that great. By the time they opened the main room I had sort of lost my enthusiasm due to the lackadaisical music style and the crowd, which consisted of overdressed people that seemed to be more into the image than the music. The main room did offer better music and more of a dancing crowd but it still was not anything spectacular. The highlight of my night was watching this "staff" dancer tear up the dance floor. That man could move *wink wink*. So all in all, I suppose MOS was an average club but it definitely did not meet my expectations on this night.

So, that pretty much sums up my trip...hopefully you read this far and I did not bore you all. I had a wonderful time but was ready to get back to sleep in my own bed. Next time I go to London I will definitely have to get the inside scoop from a local. Which reminds me, I did try to get in contact with the London Coolgrrrls but it did not work out! Maybe next time.

Ciao,
Lil Lei

June 30, 2001

Denver Exploration!!!

"SOUND ENGINEER PLEASE TURN UP THE MUSIC.
SOUND ENGINEER PLEASE TURN UP THE BASS. WE CAME ALL THE WAY FROM THE UK...SO THAT YOU COULD HERE THE BASS" –MC GQ

I made my way out to Colorado to see some of my best friends in the world (Jeremy and Brett) and also to get the added bonus of hearing easily one of the best Drum & Bass DJ’s in the world ANDY C. This Reload was apparently the last of a series of monthly dnb gatherings at the Boulder Theatre and they sure went out with a bang. As we arrived, I could not believe that there were not more people there to see this solid line up. I mean we showed up early at around 11pm or so, and did not wait in line at all. In Atlanta it seems that there is always a line—Hotlanta trying to get a little NYC or Miami feel I suppose. Regardless, we went into the Theatre and I was once again overwhelmed by the quality of the venue. There is something very magical about listening to hard driving electronic beats in a venue built for oldskool theatricals and musicals.

The night started off with local Cannon and MC Dino, who both performed last month as well. I really liked both of these guys styles. As I have said before, I really enjoy watching the DJ or MC while they perform to get the overall feel for them. I like to see them having a good time, moving and grooving with the audience—and these two gentlemen definitely got bonus point for doing this spectacularly. I think having this audience interaction is key to track selection and crowd response, it is after all a musical journey right? At the beginning of their set the crowd was pretty sparse but by the end the place was packed and people were already hyped up. The last time I heard Cannon his track selection seemed to have been a little dirtier and harder, but this time it was a little lighter with the rolling baselines. His style was a perfect match with the rest of the performers that night all of which kept the audience feet rolling.

Next up was RedOne, whom I had never knowingly hear before, accompanied by MC GQ. He started his set smooth but dropped in a few dirty dark tracks, which made the crowd go wild. It was nice to see the styles mixed up a little bit, although the majority was lighter. MC GQ had that standard UK style coupled with a unique voice—much deeper than most MC’s but his rhymes were so slick.

By the end of RedOne’s set the crowd was getting restless awaiting Andy C. I went to ask the door man if they had sold out and he said they had not. I could not believe it. There were probably 600 or so people there...and this is ANDY C we are talking about! I guess Denver just doesn’t have as big of a dnb scene as Atlanta. Andy C finally took over the tables after a long introduction by MC GQ, which I did not like. I hate when a DJ tries to make a "grander" appearance than necessary either by starting off with a track that screams their name or an MC that won’t stop hyping the DJ. First, I do not think that the music should stop at any point throughout the night no matter what. Second, I think it is much more impressive when a DJ can pick a track that is so off-the-chain that people are forced to look up at the DJ booth to see who is dropping it. And this was Andy C! I would have thought he would have been a little more humble because his talent more than speaks for itself. Either way my friends and I were all jumping up and down like groupies awaiting the needle to hit the record. When it did, the whole crowd screamed in enjoyment.

I am not sure of the name of the track but I had heard it before (RAM records I believe) with that rolling bass line that had become the "signature" for the night and the most beautiful female vocals. What can I say, I am a sucker for the combination! He continued with a few more "feet movers" and then dropped a familiar crowd pleaser. MC GQ started asking the crowd if they wanted a "RELOAD" (For those of you who don’t know...that is when they restart the song") and everyone screamed in agreement, well they got what they wanted but it was the beginning of a bad trend. Andy C continued to drop phat record after phat record but it seemed like every other record was getting a reload. This really hurt his set because it did not give it any continuity and it stopped the music too many times. It got to the point where we were all pleading for him to not reload. I am not sure if this was MC GQ’s instigation or if it was Andy C, but either way I didn’t like it. His set was still good because of his mixing skills and more evident...his track selection, but it was not what I would have expected from him. It made me wonder if his set would have been different if he was in a city with a larger (possibly more knowledgeable) dnb scene. Hmm..food for thought.

Lastly was Shimon and Dino who got things on a little more of a continuous flow—the reloads stopped. Right about that time everyone started to leave as well. We stayed for a while longer to hear Shimon drop tight tracks one after the other. Throughout the entire night I kept asking people around me if they would ID some of the tracks that were making me weak in the knees, but no one could! I wish that I could have just hopped up on stage to take a peak...but alas that was not an option. Anyways, we left about 45 minutes after Shimon’s set started because it was already late and I was getting tired. It was a wonderful night for Reload...except for the excessive reloads.

One other thing that I have to report on is that on Sunday while I was out in Denver my good friend Jay (friends of Jeremy) took me out to the motor cross course. It was soooo much fun. I took a bunch of pictures of him doing some sick tricks and also got to have him ride me around for a little bit. It was such an adrenaline rush. When I got back home I decided that I wanted a dirtbike...so that is my new savings goal.

Well I am off to Dublin and then to London...today. So I will give you all the update when I get back. Maybe I will get to meet up with our London CG. Till then...

Aloha.

June 12, 2001

Well things have been pretty slow as far as my night life has been concerned since my trip out to Denver. I have been planning and saving up for my trip to Ireland and England at the end of the month and also my return to Denver next week for the final Reload party. Despite all of this, I did get to hit up a few things around town. Two weekends ago...Friday the 1st, I went with my best friend to a newer club in midtown called Ten27. It is a really nice vibe and well laid out. They play mostly hip-hop and R&B at the beginning of the night with some other variations thrown in and then toward the end of the night they pick up the pace a little with some more mainstream electronic music. I am not sure who the DJ was that night but they did a great job of setting a mood for the night. This was my first time at the club and it was really a place that made you feel at home. The crowd was all smiles, as they sat, stood or danced in little groups. Toward the middle of the night they opened up this big pull up garage door thing at the front of the club. This not only let air into the club to cool it off but gave it a very South Beach feel because the dance floor was now exposed to the main Peachtree street traffic. I ended up leaving at around 4am and went to Backstreets, which is one of the more well-known clubs around Atlanta. The clientele is primarily gay but a good amount of straight people still attend because of the reputation of providing top music in a great atmosphere. I was thoroughly impressed. It was easily the best laid out club that I have been to in Atlanta. It truly felt like a big city night club with different levels of dance floors with numerous bars and minimal lighting. It was like a secret city because from the outside you could not tell how big it was inside or how many people were inside getting their groove on all the way to the wee morning hours. Backstreets is also a unique club because it is a "private" club freeing them from following the state mandated liquor laws. They are allowed to sell liquor 24-7, which is a very big change from the normal 4am last call and no liquor on Sunday laws in Georgia. This privilege draws a large crowd of people that have left another bar when it closes and still want to party. I stayed until 6:30am and there was still a large crowd. I am definitely going to go back again, now that I am a "member".

This last weekend I went to Peace Continuums Future Funk on Saturday June 9th. Future Funk got off to a rocky start when the venue had to be changed from the Market to Studio Central the DAY before the event. I was very surprised that the promoters were able to find a new venue with such short notice. I think that the ATL party kids will agree with me in saying I am sure glad Peace Continuum pulled it off because the performance that took place were some of the best I have seen in a while. I think it really showed that Peace Continuum knows their business and has a bunch of hard working people involved to be able to make a venue change at the last minute.

Raymond Rawls started was on in the mainroom from 10-12 and he got the night started right. Even when I got there at 10:30ish he had a group of people dancing strong up in front of the DJ booth. I must say that it takes talent to get people to be the "first" to start dancing. Normally it seems that people who arrive early will wander around and socialize, but the tracks Ray was laying down made you dance. His style had changed a lot from the last time I had seen him and I was really impressed. It was a lot more up tempo with that driving bass line that I just love. I wandered up to the front of the DJ booth/stage to get a better look at him and was so happy to see him dancing around and smiling ear to ear. It was obvious that he loved that driving bass line as much as I did and it is always such a great feeling to know that the DJ feels the music as much as you. Ray was definitely having an on point night, which is the norm for him–I have yet to hear him have an off night. He not only had good track selection and mixing skills, he also had the added bonus of crowd interaction. As more people arrived, his set got more and more energetic with the crowd really getting into it. The energy level was super high by the time Funk Lab came on at midnight.

I was not sure what to expect from Funk Lab because I had never seen them live and had not knowingly heard any of their stuff. There is that added element that a live PA brings to a show and I think Funk Lab captured this great. They had little Christmas light costumes going on, which I could have done without. It just didn’t add anything to the show and with performances by Spacemen and Rabbit in the Moon the costumes just didn’t seem up to par. They should have had some of us Coolgrrrls help them out with style. However, what they lacked in the costume department they more than made up with in their music and since MUSIC is the most important I was still very impressed with the overall performance. They were the perfect combination of funk, bass and a groovy tone.

Next up in the main room was Monk. He is the reason that I went to this show and OH MY GOD I was blown away. He started his set with a movie clip from Full Metal Jacket. I know you all know it! Then he dropped "Me so Horney". The crowd was just going wild. The bass was so loud and so hard that people did not know what to do with themselves except shake that money maker. There were guys around me that were screaming like little girls at the outstanding sound Monk was pushing through the speakers. I love old school booty shaking tracks and he served up his version of these "booty anthems" one after another. There have been parties that I feel sore the next day from dancing so hard, but this one I was actually dancing so hard that I felt sore before I left the club that night. I really need a full body massage today as the muscle aches have now fully set in. Not only was my body sore, but my face was sore from smiling so big. I love to look around during a performers set and see everyone else enjoying themselves and during Monk’s set no one could help but smile as songs like "Baby Got Back" and "That’s the way we like to *%#@" pounded out of the speakers.

Hudia Hudia took over where Monk left off. His set eliminated the freaky element of Monks set and added in some funky breaks. It seemed that a good majority of the people in the mainroom were worn out by this point and the energy really never peaked back up for Hudia. I really don’t think it was due to anything lacking from his set but just the fact that he had to follow Monk. There were still a good number of people that were dancing like crazy to Hudia, so I know his set did not go unappreciated. I was in between both rooms all night...so now let me give the run down on the jungle room. I must say that I am glad this party was not at the Masquerade because those steps would have been a complete drag.Local talent Thomas B. got the jungle room hyped early with the help of MC Hubbs early on in the night. The jungle room had a bunch of comfy chairs and a few pool tables, so it served as a chill room as well. Thomas had a good group of people out on the floor dancing and the rest of the people were bobbing their heads even if they weren’t dancing. There were points were I wished that Hubbs would have laid off the mic and just let Thomas’ track play out, but I assume that is just a skill that takes some practice. Other than those occasional instances Hubb and Thomas worked well together to give a tight performance. Mr. Mendez came on after Thomas, but was competing for the crowd with Funk Lab and Monk. There was still a pretty big crowd in the room during his set because people kept taking a breather from the other room. There was also a good amount of dnb heads that kept the room hype throughout the night. The parts of Mendez’s set were skillfully right on point but I would have liked a little harder and faster track selection. However, that is just me, and I still did enjoy the tracks he laid down. He did drop the remix of the famous Dido song for the second time of the night, which I like so I won’t complain to much but I was wondering if he had been paying attention to Thomas’s set.
State Side Collective took over the jungle room at 1:30 and kept the room going until I left at 5:30. It seemed like the room got progressively more packed as Monks set came to an end. By the middle of their set, which was a 4-turntable mesh of beats, the break circle was going strong. I do not know all of the DJ’s that make-up State Side but they did a terrific job of creating one seamless set. There were times that I could notice that they were changing up the rotation a little because I would hear a new style flare up, but for the most part it sounded like one unified energy filled tight set.
The jungle room and the main room seemed to be the perfect combination for my desires throughout the night. I would go dance my a$$ off in one and then switch up the tempo and do it again in the other room. I had a ton of fun trying to battle my different breaker friends in the jungle room, which is always a blast. This was the first time in a while that I had gone out without my best friend Ku’ulei but I think being there without her made it easier for me to meet new people. And I did just that, I met a lot of really nice people that I can’t wait to meet up with again.
The party ended a little earlier than planned because Studio Central had an after hours event that was planned to start at 5am. Peace Continuum and the people throwing the after hours worked together to ensure that both groups would be satisfied, and I think everyone was pleased. Myself and some friends took advantage of the "early" end and headed back to my place to take an early morning swim. It was the perfect end to a perfect night.
Overall this party had a good turnout considering the late change of venue. Those people that did turn out had wonderful attitudes and kept the vibe happy the entire night. I think people did a really good job of acting responsible while enjoying themselves. Thank you Peace Continuum for a great night and a special thanks to Monk for working my body. If only Peace Continuum would have thrown in a free massage with each ticket...a girl can wish can’t she?

May 26, 2001

Reload
Boulder Colorado

Alright, so last weekend I went out to Denver Colorado to visit a few high school friends. It was an absolute blast. On Friday night we went out to Boulder Colorado for a Reload party, which is a monthly Drum and Bass party out there. I was really looking forward to going to this event because I have not been to any purely drum and bass parties outside of Atlanta. The Atlanta drum and bass scene receive a lot of bad stereotypes and I was really curious to compare the ATL vibe to that in Colorado.

The Reload party was held at the Boulder Theatre in downtown Boulder Colorado. This was a wonderful change of pace from ATL, where the amount of venues open for electronic music events has become limited. The theater had one main room with three different levels leading down to the main dance area. There was a balcony with movie theatre chairs over looking the entire downstairs as well. The balcony served as a great place to get a drink and observe all of the activities, with a birds eye view of the DJ’s. I was pleasantly surprised at the amount of respect that the party go-er showed toward the venue. There was a no smoking rule inside the venue--due to a limited outside smoking area people had to wait in line to smoke—yet, they still obeyed the rule. Many of the best Atlanta venues, were ruined by irresponsible party goers and seeing the respect that was shown toward the Theatre gave me hope that ATL will be able to regain some nice venues.

The party was unbelievably cheap considering the line up; $5 pre-sale and $15 at the door. The line up was power packed—RAW, Dara, Rinse and Flux with Denver local MC Dino and DJ Echo. I would have paid $15 just to see Dara! The turn out was less than I expected though totaling only around 500 people in all. This was very surprising to me because I am used to the massive turn outs in Atlanta. I am not sure if the scene in Denver is just not as large as Atlanta or if it is just the drum and bass following that is smaller, but either way it turned out to make a very intimate night.

All the DJ’s were right on point for the night. Echo started the night off right and seemed to set the tempo for the rest of the DJ’s. His set was hard and driving, getting people on their toes from the start. Rinse and Flux kept the crowd going while never letting up from the fast tempo that Echo started off with. I am not sure if they were playing a different style than out in ATL because it is the West Coast versus the East Coast, but I definitely was feeling the style. I have seen Dara a few different times and this time was easily the best. He was really reacting well to the crowd and kept on dropping dirty dark baselines that would not stop. I heard a few songs that I recognized but a lot of new stuff as well. I wish I would have been able to see the tables to ID some of the songs, but do to the set-up this was impossible. *I will have to start heading to the record stores to learn the names of these tracks*. RAW ended the night with an unbelievable set. His scratching technique was amazing. I just stood there shaking my head in awe a few times, he was definitely having an ON night. MC Dino truly impressed me as well. He had good rhyming ability matched with a smooth voice, and the experience to know when to talk and when to let the music speak for itself. I really liked the way Dino held himself on stage too, he truly looked like he was feeling the music and having a great time...I love to see that!

The vibe of the party was wonderful. Everyone was smiling at each other and just genuinely having a good time enjoying the music. There was only a few people in a break circle very briefly, where it is common place in ATL. As much as I love to watch breakdancers it was neat to see everyone dancing instead of a few people dancing with everyone else standing around watching. All-in-all, this was a wonderful event with little drama and excess talent. Next month is going to be the last Reload event for a while with Andy C...I am going to have to go back to Denver for that one. I love my airline job!

May 18, 2001

Aloha...coolgrrrls readers! I am so excited to be representing Atlanta, while sharing a little bit of my Hawaiian roots at the same time. Let me first introduce myself. My name is Lei, born August 22 1978 in San Francisco California. I have had a life blessed with many rich experiences mostly due to being raised by a single deadhead mom. I hitchhiked cross country twice and went to over 70 Grateful Dead shows before I was 13 years old with my mom. Some people may have negative feelings toward the way I was raised, but I am grateful. Through my eccentric childhood I was loved unconditionally by my mom and taught to appreciate music.

My mom and I ended up moving to Hawaii when I was in grade school, and this is where we stayed for the most part until I graduated from high school. Hawaii was a wonderful place to be a teenager because there were "big city" activities without the danger. It was also a terrific experience for me because it taught me about the beauty and necessity of diversity. There is so much that we can all learn from each other if we just open our minds and hearts; for this exchange of ideas and experience-to me-is the purpose of life.

Due to my upbringing, I have always been very immersed in music and "counter culture". I worked at a local radio station through high school and really started to educate myself on the different styles of new music. I was lucky enough to be guest listed for all shows and events that came to Hawaii, and through those experiences became a music junkie! The electronic scene started to pop up in Hawaii in '94 and I was there to witness the making of something beautiful. It was such an experience to see the scene explode from one small club with "bedroom DJ's" to biweekly large raves with DJ's from around the world.

I left Hawaii for college, with a brief semester in San Diego and then the remainder in Ann Arbor, Michigan. While I was at college I would go to the local alternative club to see different local bands perform. There was not a large electronic scene in Ann Arbor and due to lack of transportation I only made it to Detroit a few times. I took the time in Ann Arbor to focus on my studying, in Business, and creative writing. I wrote for the business school paper and submitted different short stories and poems to Quarterly publications.

I graduated from college in May 2000 and moved down to Atlanta to work for Delta. I love Atlanta. There are so many different events to stimulate my creative mind and further my obsession with music. I have really gotten into Drum and Bass, since I have been here and that has become my newest obsession for knowledge. I still love the other genres of music though. Some of my favorite DJ’s are Ray Keith, Ed Rush, Dara, Carl Cox, Micro, Andy C, Monk, Sandra Collins, J-Smooth and local Atlanta DJ’s Mayhem, B:Roc and Ulises.

I plan on giving the coolgrrrls readers reviews of the different events around Atlanta focusing mainly on the electronic and hip-hop scenes, but not limited to those. I am always open to learn new things, so if you are in Atlanta and have some suggestions of what I may want to explore drop me an email...I am still new here so all your suggestions will be appreciated. I would also like to share some interviews from different DJ’s from ATL, as well as ones that come to here to perform. My passion also lies in photography, so I hope to spice up some of my writing with pictures of my findings. I plan to showcase some graffiti created by some of the many talented writers here in Atlanta. Lastly, I travel a lot due to my job, therefore I will be able to offer a perspective of the electronic scenes throughout my travels.

I hope this gives you all an idea of who I am and what you can expect from me. Like I said if any of you have suggestions please let me know...being a coolgrrrl is after all a learning experience like everything else in life.

Until next time....