Showcase: LOGAM – Your Mom Makes Dubstep Mixtape & Interview

LOGAM – Your Mom Makes Dubstep Special Extended Mix & Interview

LOGAM – YOUR MOM MAKES MIX TAPES (Without my dumb ass talking in the beginning) by LOGAM

1) LOGAM & TL – Propel (Santoku Dub)
2) LOGAM – Stubborn Woman (Santoku Dub)
3) DJG & Headhunter – Spacecakes (Wheel & Deal)
4) Dave Nada – Apocalypse Theme [12th Planet & Flicnh RMX] (FREE)
5) Nero – Welcome Reality (MTA)
6) Boomman & Tity Boi & Yo Gotti – Up In Here [Mayhem Bootleg] (FREE)
7) Xkore – Hello (FREE)
Crim & Partyson – Iron Bee [LOGAM & TL RMX] (Betamorph)
9) Skrillex & 12th Planet – Needed Change (FREE)
10) Phace – Teufelswerk (Neodigital)
11) Triage – Debuatante (Hollow Point)
12) Section 8 – Boulevard (Abducted)
13) Noah D & Armanni Reign – Follow Me Now [Flinch & Kosta RMX] (Westbay Music Group)
14) DJG – Avoid The Noid [Headhunter RMX] (Pushing Red)
15) Bulletproof – Teardrops (Cyanide)
16) Misanthrop – Hammerfaust (Neodigital)
17) Kary Perry – E.T. [Noisia RMX] (Capitol)

1) What is your full name and your alias? How did you come up with your alias?

My name is Thomas Numprasong and my Producer / DJ name is LOGAM. I was watching some show on TV…might have been…No Reservations. Regardless, the episode was filmed in Sweden and they were talking about their language and how this one word Logam was used a lot which represented how they are a people who believe in doing something because they love to do it and not because they are trying to prove they are the best or better than everyone else. They also mentioned that it had multiple meanings; one of which meant a perfect balance, and in some parts of the country… it wasn’t a positive thing lol! They didn’t say how to spell it so i just guessed. However after I already promoted myself with my spelling I saw somewhere online that they spelled it Lagom…soooooo..I kind of unintentionally created a play on it. Like Korn or Big Boi or Lil Wayne or Lil Big Boi made of Korn named Wayne.

2) I’d really like you to go into what changes you’d like to see in the music industry. What innovations have made the biggest difference for you? What would you like to see product-wise in the future?

Changes in the industry? Well one is obvious I’d say lol! NO MORE CAR ALARM CHICKEN MC NUGGET DUBSTEP PLEASE!!! in regards to that though I think a lot of it has to do with the musical background of the artists who are making that kind of Dubstep. I would say either they forgot everything they knew about how music works OR they don’t know anything to begin with. Making tracks is a lot like cooking. I might like spaghetti, chocolate, graham cracker crumbs, celery, mustard, chili paste, and ice cubes but that doesn’t mean they should all be piled on to a plate and served all at once. It’s the same when making a track, in regards to the type of tracks that I was mocking, it’s not necessarily that the sounds themselves are bad (although some of them ARE just awful), it’s more that they are placed one after another and they don’t fit, they don’t make sense together. Isolated they may be fine but all together it’s garbage. Now there are artists such as Skrillex who have many different sounds one after another and it works because he knows what he’s doing, he obviously has some kind of musical background. So in reference to cooking again, if Skrillex were to be the Chef in this analogy he would use spaghetti, chicken, salt, pepper, olive oil, tomatoes, basil, parsley, and parmasean and the result would be a delicious meal which contains a lot of different ingredients as well BUT the main difference is that it works. Amateur Pasta dish = garbage, Skrillex Pasta dish = success.

I’d say the innovations that have made the biggest differences for me would be the introduction of Laptops and software in the DJing world. Pretty much what has happened is that anyone is a DJ now. When Serato came out I thought it was pretty awesome. I was all about it. I don’t have to carry my crate around anymore and I can still play on vinyl? SICK!!! When Ableton came out and I saw that Pendulum was using it to do Live shows I thought that was super freakin cool. But now …it’s just ridiculous. People are making mixes ahead of time on Ableton and just bringing them on stage with a midi controller. Basically hitting the space bar and using knobs and faders to make sound effects. My beef isn’t necessarily that laptops are on stage now, my problem with it is that they aren’t DJing at all. Who the hell couldn’t do that? There is no room for error now. Train-wrecking, which is the main thing we all try to avoid when DJing, has been completely removed from the equation. Aside from being able to pick songs that sound good together, beat matching is the toughest part of DJing. It’s like going to see a pianist at some symphony hall and instead it’s a guy up there with one of those old western automatic playing pianos and the crowds going wild and praising him for being an awesome pianist…Ha!…I said pianist. It’s just ridiculous. It’s a dead give away because they don’t even have headphones on. How the hell do you DJ without hearing the tracks? That’s a new one on me.

So basically what has happened now is that every !$@#!%^@&&# in high school (some are older) is a DJ now and all their friends love Dubstep because it’s cool and so now they are all promoters and DJ’s too. So that means that a lot of these kids (not all) start throwing shows and having their best friends “DJ” at them and then they book someone like me, or another actual DJ, to play as well but when we get there they have no turn tables, no CDJ’s, no reference monitors, and no clue what they are doing. It’s a nightmare and they are still raking it in because these new fans don’t know any different. It makes it quite frustrating for all the actual DJ’s and especially the real Promoters who put a lot of time and MONEY in to bringing the real fans the music we want to hear. The scene is some what of a joke now. If you make rock music you’re in the clear. No one has made a guitar that plays awesome solo’s for you AND if they have it is NOT socially accepted. At least I haven’t seen it.

Product wise there isn’t anything I would like to see, I’d just like to see the decline of AUTO Dj’s being booked and the increased education about “how it all works” with the fan base in America. With that being said, doing a LIVE set is nothing I’m against personally. That’s a whole different ball game that I know very little about. My shit talking is directed to those who are making pre-made mixes and playing them live and calling themselves DJ’s. Mistabishi did it and was publicly and nationally mocked. Why? Because he was in Europe, where the fans know what’s up. As far as I know, there are ZERO Dj’s out there playing premade mixes on laptops and getting away with it. This is all about RESPECT to the craft and the scene itself. I just wish that the American so called “Fans” would understand what the craft is really all about. When I was at Borgore last year, I heard multiple people say “is this the Borgore? Is this the Borgore Band” First off, NO it wasn’t. Secondly, he is not a band. Thirdly, why are you here? Because it’s the cool place to be that’s why. Yes, there is always going to be new faces at shows and a lot of them are going to be uneducated. I think its’ great when people come out to check it out and see what it’s all about but this has gone beyond that. When I was in metal, regardless of what band it was, just about everyone at the show was there to see the bands that were playing and they bought tickets to see specifically those artists. The scene is like a family and now the kiddie table at the family reunion is eight times the size of the adult table and they’re all there cuz they heard we have alcohol and Uncle Jessie is gonna let them have some….when ever they want it.

Yes, I do realize that I sound like an old man who is sick of having kids flood my scene and It sounds like I’m saying that you need to be confirmed as a fan before we let you in to our shows and obviously that would be stupid.I don’t hate ALL the young fans, I’m just irritated by the “posers” if that’s the right word. I guess I’m just super passionate about music and i take it too seriously and it pisses me off that the scene doesn’t feel real or genuine anymore here in the states…for Dubstep that is. We’re good in the DNB scene, they don’t like really like it lol! There’s not any Yoyoy synths lol! …except in Drumstep….ahhhhh….shit.

3) What is your goal as an artist? Like what is your mission statement as a DJ/Producer/etc.?

I don’t really have a goal actually. I mean there are Record Labels that I would be thrilled to be on but I’m not trying to take over the world with my music or anything like that. I just make what i like to make and I am thankful that some people also dig it.

4) If someone doesn’t “get” dubstep or dnb, how would you go about introducing it to them or explaining it to them to where they may understand it better? (Just wondering from a dj/producer perspective)

I really don’t try that hard to recruit people. If they ask me about what kind of music I make I usually just point them to my soundcloud page or give them the names of artists that i like so they can check em out. If they dig it; great. If not; great. People like what they like and some have open minds and others have shunned all electronic music all together. To each is own.

5) When you are DJ’ing live shows, how have you learned to feel the “vibe” of the crowd? How do you know what they like and don’t like? Is it just the cheering or do you think there is more to it than that?

Yeah it’s pretty much based off of whether or not they are really dancing hard and making epic bass faces when they should be. Loud noises is a give away. When they shout “Reeeeeeeeeewind!!!!!” I think that’s a dead give away lol!

6) Do you prefer small venues personal or big sold out venues and why?

I think both are good. In each situation if there is no one there then of course there is NO vibe at all which sucks. It’s REALLY bad when it’s a large venue and you can hear yourself fart. It really depends on who’s playing too. We could never have Doctor P in a small venue because it would be uncomfortably packed. But if I was the headliner then it work better in a smaller venue as opposed to the arenas. Quaint venues are great for week nights when you just want to go out for a bit and see some friends and hear some great tunes. The vibe of a sold out big venue is amazing though when you are the artist on stage. I have yet to experience that as a DJ, but when I was doing metal we played for some pretty large crowds and it was an amazing feeling, one that i will never forget.

7) What is your favorite track at this hot moment?

State of Mind – Ronald Reagan

AWESOME track!!! Can’t get enough.

8) What is the funniest memory you have regarding DJing a show? Like funny/weird/strange/obscure/wtf

One time a bunch of us drove down to Florida because this guy booked us for some “Epic” event with multiple “Stages”. When we got there the show was in a restaurant / Bar and the stages were folding tables, one inside the restaurant and one outside in the parking lot. On top of that, he didn’t have any sound gear, such as …I dunno…SPEAKERS!!! So my friend Dave and I drove around town collecting equipment from people he knew for this event and then when we finally got it all the promoter admitted that he also didn’t have any cables to connect it all. lol!!! So this time I sent HIM to go buy the cables and told him exactly what to get. Of course he did not get the right cables so i had to use this other guys hunting knife to splice them and wire them to the speakers manually lol!!!! What a joke. Annoying then; hilarious now.

9) What producers do you look up to in your genres and why?

State of Mind is at the top. I just can’t recreate their sound no matter how hard I try lol! Their tracks are always so energetic and funky and I just can’t get enough. I really dig Icicle as well. I find that his sound is quite original and usually odd but funky at the same time. Spectrasoul is another heavy favorite of mine. Loving the minimal vibe lately and they have a nice smooth and tight sound. Mad respect for Noisia of course. They are amazing producers and have always created new levels for everyone else to try and reach. I have to give props to Skrillex as well, dude really came out with his own sound and just dominated the scene. I personally don’t play a lot of his stuff live but you can’t deny that he has certainly put his mark on the Dubstep scene forever. Everyone wants to be him right now. I always liked Skream too. When he came out with his track “Where you should be” i had it on repeat all the way to work for the entire day, a total of an hours worth of driving. Amazing track, really knows how to capture a vibe in general and the lyrics on that track really hit home with me.

And last but not least is Mayhem. This dude has more or less been my mentor for the last year and has really taught me a lot. There is pretty much NO sound that he cannot create from scratch, nor a genre that he could not make a hit track in. MAD talent. He has really helped me understand the method behind the madness and also how the scene works from a business perspective. I wouldn’t know what I know today without his guidance. Thanks A Bone!

10) How did you learn to DJ? How long have you been DJ’ing?

Ahhhh well I was at my friend Scott’s house one day and we were playing poker. This freakin hippy douchebag kept winning every hand. A week later I was at that same friends house and this same hippy was DJing on his turntables. I had never heard this type of music before and I thought it was pretty awesome. I became friends with this guy and he invited me over to his house where had a plethora of vinyl records. He started educating me in the ways of Drum N Bass and taught me how to DJ with Vinyl. A few months later I bought some tables off my friend Dave and started practicing on my own. About a year later my Hippy friend and I moved in together and he continued my education. This hippy friend goes by the name….PLOYD Thanks brother!

11) If you could be any musical note, what note would you be?

Interesting question. Technically notes are written on paper and tones are what we hear. So i think If I were a tone I would be E because I make a lot of my tracks in E since the power of the Sub note makes my balls shake and also when I play along to a lot of my favorite metal tracks I have to tune my guitar to E as well. If i were a note, I’d be a whole note because it looks like an O and I’d want who ever was on the receiving end of what ever it is that I am doing to have an O face….you can analyze that how ever you’d like. :p

12) What was the most annoying thing a fan can do in your opinion? What is the coolest thing a fan can do for you?

I would say it gets a little old when people keep asking me for my tracks for free. If you are a close friend or a name in the scene that is different. Hate to make it seem like there is a VIP group or something but honestly…there is. You know who get’s to eat out for free at the best restaurant in your town? The friends of the Chef, or other known Chef’s in the area. That’s just how it goes. It’s also a business. If I’m giving them to you, why not just give them to everyone and bypass the signing off to labels and distributors? That’s not how it works. Sorry.

Coolest is when people tell me that they just heard some track of mine and they love it and just shared it and / or played it in their set or something along those lines. When they ask me for production advice that’s pretty sweet too. Makes me feel like i somewhat know what im doing.

13) Did you collaborate with anyone on Your Mom makes Dubstep or was that all you

That display of idiocy was alllllllllllllllllllllll me. lol!

14) What is your “official” reaction to the responses you’ve gotten from “your mom makes dubstep”?

Ho…lee….crap…I had no idea it was going to blow up like that. lol! I really just did it for sheer amusement of it and because I was sick of hearing those kinds of tracks. I’m amazed at how many people agree with me and not at all surprised that some people got the wrong idea. However it sure is nice to see how some have talked trash about me or about the track and then everyone who agrees with me stands up for me and shuts them down. Pretty awesome. I really appreciate that!!! Thanks everyone!!!

Now some have said that my message is that you should not use pitch down voices or put hip hop samples in Dubstep or that Dubstep sucks which is incorrect. The particular style that I was mocking just happens to generally have a pitched down voice right before the drop, as well as some kind of vocal thing at the end of the measure, as well as some random hip hop thing that doesn’t even fit the track. I’m not saying you shouldn’t use any of those things in songs. I’m saying if you do use it, do it right! Sampled voices are always going to be in our music, it’s a part of our sound. Just not every single song. Hip Hop and Dubstep or Hip Hop and DNB go great together…when done properly. Don’t just grab any ol sample and throw it in there. It should fit your theme and / or make sense. I also had a kick drum, a snare drum, and hi hat in that track. Does that mean that I think those things are also stupid? Obviously not. Wouldn’t be much of a track without drums in it.

Thanks again for all your comments and I’m glad that you found it amusing and agree with me! Can’t wait to hear the remixes!!!

LOGAM