QUIX....aka DJ Quixotic

It’s only appropriate that our next feature DJ arrive at our door through unconventional means….out of order and we are thrilled! DJ Quixotic is his name and in his quest to evolve his inner talents, “Quix” or"Quix 95"as he now calls himself, has chosen to live a life adverse to the “typical” path of DJ career development. Quixotic is well known within the DJ community for his rich and prolific involvement within the DJ Battle scene from 2001-2004 with a crew called The Trooperz. He “is a Los Angeles based DJ/producer most notable in the Turntablist/Scratch DJ scene. He made a name for himself by being the first DJ from DC to win the Washington, DJ. Regional Championships and thus representing the city in the 2001 United States DJ Championships.“ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DJ_Quixotic )

“I AM THE BACKGROUND….” QUIX MYSPACE STATUS

Yet, despite his initial involvement in the competitive DJ battle scene, Quix has been working very hard ever since 2004 to move in the opposite direction of this world, to return to a place of pure and genuine appreciation of music without the extra fixings of social vanity. Quix still continues to cultivate his style and when asked what he currently spins he states, “Anything that moves the crowd. I like to mix all genres up into one big happy mess. I like making sense out of madness. But, I most enjoy it when I’m in the 130bpm zone or the 70bpm zone. I guess I’d have to call what I spin Crunk/ B-more/House/Hip Hop/Rock with well placed Turntablism in my sets.“ (Fetty Be’s Buzz Quix Buzz DJ Survey Answers First Edit)

QUIX at the decks doing some turntable trickery in Vegas!!

Quix has had a long-standing love affair with music and continues to remain deeply dedicated and committed to finding new traxs and artists who inspire his performance on the decks. You will often see him tweeting about new traxs that he has discovered on The Hype Machine Blog (http://hypem.com/track/877540), with intent purpose of flagging new music for his peers and friends. He doesn't share them for political reasons but simply because he feels the music.

THE BEATLES

During his foundation years, Quix was influenced by some incredibly powerful and revolutionary musical performers such as: the Beatles, Jimmy Hendrix, Mixmaster Mike, Swamp, The Misfits, and Q-bert to name a few. Throughout his career his colleagues such as his crew The Trooperz (Sneek, Enferno, Geometrix, Oz and I-Dee) have also encouraged Quix to continuously analyze and self-critique his personal growth in the industry. Over time, as his depth and mastery of the music intensified, so did his sense of purpose within his work.The word quixotic actually means, “unrealistically optimistic or chivalrous” (http://www.thefreedictionary.com/quixotic) Recently, Quix experienced a massive shift from being a champion of Scratching and Turntablism, to a more purist platform of being a champion of music consumption for pure pleasure and not narcissistic purposes. This artist seems to prefer his dance floor to be filled with down-to-earth, real people who come to the clubs to appreciate the music and not JUST to be seen in the latest fashion trends. Quix truly works hard to find less well-known traxs and enjoys dropping not necessarily what is trendy or popular in the mainstream music scene. It's the old quality versus quantity argument.

Nike

When asked about the hawtest place to spin, he states, “I love going to hole-in-the-wall spots like The Room– I’m also a big fan of a party called Quality which my homie Mason holds down with DJ Haul every Saturday at Zanzibar in Santa Monica.” and with regards to what’s important to creating a good club enviro to him he notes, “And the most important, the people coming in have to have their own sense of style (I hate seeing the whole crowd wearing the same name brand clothes)” (Fetty Be’s Buzz Quix Buzz DJ Survey Answers First Edit). Quix is NOT into conforming and following a crowd, but rather he savors and celebrates individuality through artistic expression. It is this genuine,“keep-it-real” quality that appears to be preventing Quix from continuing down the residency path, which he easily could based on his successful and respected career in the industry. He is motivated to select gigs that offer personal challenge and stimulating variety in his daily grind. Quix has a rich performance history at a vast number of venues, but he is quite humble about showcasing it. When asked where he has performed he nonchalantly notes, "I’ve been to NY, DC, Miami New Orleans and many others --– my goal is to spin at as many different cities as I can for the time being." (Fetty Be’s Buzz Quix Buzz DJ Survey Answers 2nd Edit)Quix now chooses the road less travelled and alongside, the unorthodox club non-conformists! Quix adopted his original "Quixotic" handle from a name that he was given after “the character of Don Quixote from “Man Of La Mancha”.

DON QUIXOTE (Artist Unknown)

"It was my inspiration cause a goth chick in high school used to always call me that. The word quixotic seemed to fit. And my dad is a big fan of the book.”(Fetty Be’s Buzz Quix Buzz DJ Survey Answers First Edit) Quix, in our opinion, truly possesses the “rose-colored” glasses much like the character Don Quixote. He possesses a deep thirst for all that is pure and noble about the art of DJing and music creation. This artist takes his music very personally and manipulating sound is an act that he takes very seriously. Quix has even paralleled DJing to the medium and act of painting. Just recently he Tweeted “…on my way to @JustMatter's studio to throw some musical colors on the wall“. In keeping with some of the ideals of Pop Art used by Andy Warhol,(one of Quix’s favorite visual artists) extracting and mixing bits of various musical genre together to create new musical perspectives or "making sense out of madness"(Fetty Be’s Buzz Quix Buzz DJ Survey Answers Second Edit), is part of Quix’s practice!

"HELLO WORLD" QUIX VS ELLIOT

In his recent, JUST released, "Hello World" Quix vs Elliot traxs 1-7, he takes the listener on an eclectic sensorial journey through sound pairings that range in diversity and genre. He dares and even delights in producing music that is truly alternative to contemporary sounds. He urges the listener to question traditional styles of music that they consume without little thought, through his deliberate juxtaposition of genres. Quix forces us, including himself, to move out of our comfort zone with regards to music and to consider new, even radical sounding music. For example, just when you think you have a handle on one of his "Hello World" traxs, Quix (or Elliot) flips the bass or throws in a heavy vocal with a synthesizer effect... This is all done with the intention of providing his listeners with a "sensory sound garden" experience. The more that I have sampled Quix's work, the more I am reminded of the visual artist Salavdor Dali. This audiophile has overtones of Surrealism in his most recent creations. "Surrealism is a cultural movement that began in the early 1920s, and is best known for the visual artworks and writings of the group members.Surrealist works feature the element of surprise, unexpected juxtaposition and non sequitur; however, many Surrealist artists and writers regard their work as an expression of the philosophical movement first and foremost, with the works being an artifact. Leader André Breton was explicit in his assertion that Surrealism was above all a revolutionary movement." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surrealism)

SALVADOR DALI AND SURREALISM

Quix, in his new found quest to be more pure and genuine with his use of music, truly possesses some of the attributes of the Surrealist arts movement. The choice to step outside of the mainstream box and question assumptions about current musical genres and definitions, puts Quix in a pioneer realm in our opinion. He is pushing the envelope with regards to his music production and this is not an easy undertaking, to go against the grain. The fact that he has "proven" his technical ability and knowledge to his colleagues, is certainly facilitating the choice to move in an alternative direction. Subsequently, he is facing less scrutiny due to his industry credibility. However, there are those who will fight the move to change and continue to preserve the limitations of the status quo, and criticize his efforts.

QUIX

Quix chooses to rise above these limitations and to see the "roots of music", rather than be distracted by the flower. He has taken the industry blinders off and has freed himself to experiment with music and sound, in his quest for more expansive means of self-expression. We are definitely going to be keeping a close eye on the evolution of Quix and his continuous efforts to evolve his personal style. It appears, in looking at historical precedents in all of the arts, that the individuals who choose to question and continue to re-evalutate their medium, are those who truly define and write history in the end.Please take a moment to check out the Wiki profile of Quix. He is definitely not a light weight. With a career such as Quix has created for himself, it’s not surprising that he now possesses the ability and privilege to champion all that’s genuine in the business. You can find out more about this chivalrous artist and get all of his virtual links at: http://www.itsquix.com

ANDY WARHOL

Andy Warhol’s quote truly parallels with the paradigm shift in thinking that Quix has experienced in his career evolution, “Once you 'got' Pop, you could never see a sign again the same way again. And once you thought Pop, you could never see America the same way again.“ (Andy Warhol) Quix sees the music industry through his years of deep immersion, which in turn has gifted him with the insight and the ability to clearly establish his life and QUESTION his career priorities.

QUIX FROM A WIKKIPEDIA PERSPECTIVE!

Quix (often referred to as DJ Quixotic) - is a Los Angeles based DJ/producer most notable in the turntablist/scratch dj scene. He made a name for himself by being the first DJ from DC to win the Washington, D.C. Regional Championships and thus representing the city in the 2001 United States DJ Championships. He later placed Top 4 in the nation at the 2004 USA Championships by manipulating and scratching records by Queen and Jimi Hendrix. He qualified that year by being the first east coast DJ to be crowned the Los Angeles Champion.

Quix is also known for his live sets and performances where he scratches rock with hip hop and is known to "cover" the Tracy Chapman song "Fast Car" using a test-tone record and manipulating the speed of the platter to create the notes.

Recording Artist Lauryn Hill

Worked with Lauryn Hill as a producer in the summer of 2006.

As a DJ he mainly mixes, scratches and fuses Hip Hop with all forms of genres including (but not limited to) rock, soul, punk, reggae, house, techno, and drum and bass. As a producer/artist, his work focuses on synth based sounds with added live scratching favoring the use of computer based software Propellerhead's Reason and Ableton Live.

He belongs to a collective of turntablists named The Trooperz.

Battle Highlights

• 2004 USA DMC DJ Championships (4th Place)
• 2004 Los Angeles DMC Championships (1st Place)
• 2004 Vinyl Kombat USA Championships (Top 4)
• 2004 Vinyl Kombat Los Angeles Championships (1st Place)
• 2002 Guitar Center USA Championships (Finalist)
• 2002 Guitar Center Los Angeles Championships (1st Place)
• 2001 ITF Bay Area Championships (1st Place)
• 2001 DMC Washington DC Championships (1st Place)

Discography

• (2009) "Chillin' (QUIX 95 Remix)" Wale feat. Lady Gaga (digital download)
• (2009) "Re-Program (QUIX '95 Remix)" DeLovely (digital download)
• (2008) "Viva La Bitch (Coldplay Remix) (w/ ELLIOT)" (digital download)
• (2008) "Devil Music (w/ ELLIOT)" (digital download)
• (2008) "Live Mix (2008)" (digital download)
• (2006) "Live On Circuit Radio"
• (2005) "Quixotic Comes Alive"
• (2003) "The Demonstration"
• (2000) "Dual Entity" (out of print)
• (1999) "Free Krusted Breaks" (out of print)

QUIX

BUZZ EXCLUSIVE DJ SURVEY

1. What inspired you to pick your DJ your name?

The character of Don Quixote from “Man Of La Mancha” was my inspiration cause a goth chick in high school used to always call me that. The word quixotic seemed to fit. And my dad is a big fan of the book. Although now I use just QUIX or QUIX 95.

2. What kind of music do you like to spin?

Anything that moves the crowd. I like to mix all genres up into one big happy mess. I like making sense out of madness. But, I most enjoy when I’m in the 130bpm zone or the 70bpm zone. I guess id have to call what I spin Crunk/ Bmore/House/HipHop/Rock with lots of scratching thrown in.

3. What and who are some of your major influences (artists, DJs, etc.)?

The Beatles, Jimmy Hendrix, Andy Warhol, Mixmaster Mike, Swamp, The Misfits, Q-bert and my crew The Trooperz (Sneek, Enferno, Geometrix, Oz and I-Dee)

4. Biggest reward about being a DJ?

Looking into a crowd and seeing thugs dance with preppy kids.

5. Biggest pet peeve about being a DJ?

Requests.

6. What is the best party you have ever spun at?

Hard call – there’s been many – most recently I had a lot of fun spinning at an Electro/Bmore/Drum ‘n Bass party in Wash DC.

7. If you could mix at a club or party anywhere, where would it be and with whom?

It would probably be a backyard barbecue with a bunch of friends. That’s what I love about LA. Everyone loves eating, drinking, and live music all rolled into one. And the weather always permits it here.

8. In what cities have you spun? Are you a resident DJ at any clubs right now?

I’ve been to NY, DC, Miami New Orleans and many others --– my goal is to spin at as many different cities as I can for the time being. Not a big fan of residencies at the moment, I like being able to rock for different crowds.

QUIX At One Of His Many Gigs Throwin' It DOWN!

9. What is the hottest club you have ever been to, either as a DJ or a patron?

I love going to hole in the wall spots like The Room– I’m also a big fan of a party called Quality which my homie Mason holds down with DJ Haul every Saturday at Zanzibar in Santa Monica. Its been going 5 years strong. I also absolutely love going to The Do-Over party in Hollywood on Sundays. Although now its damn near impossible to get in if you don’t get there before 4pm.

10. Do you plan out your sets or do you play to the crowd's reactions?

I used to plan them, not anymore. I trust my instinct now and ability to tap into the vibe of the room. I always rehearse my remixes and I always get on the tables to feel out tracks and timing and scratch breaks. If I'm doing a showcase or actual performance, then yes, I practice till I'm sore.

QUIX

11. If you could design a club, name three important aspects of it's layout.

1) The sole attention should be on the DJ

2) Projection screens everywhere (I'd have it be 70’s glam imagery or 80’s pictures of bar mitzvah DJ’s)

3) And the most important, the people coming in have to have their own sense of style (I hate seeing the whole crowd wearing the same name brand clothes)

12. Techno/Trance or Mash-up/Hip Hop

I’d have to say – Electro/HipHop/Mash-up/Turntablism (I think we covered this earlier haha) Sorry!

13. East Coast or West Coast?

I have love for both coasts – nothing beats Mexican food in Cali, and nothing beats the Fall season in the east coast.

14. MAC or PC?

I use both.

15. Top favorite 3 tracks of all time.

Sorry that’s much too hard!!

I'll give u some of my current favs:

“Moth Wings” by Passion Pit

“Right Hand Hi” by Kid Sister

“Everything I Own” by Ken Boothe

“Tiger By My Side” by Empire Of The Sun

“The Funeral” by Band Of Horses

http://www.myspace.com/helloquix

KEEPING THE BEAT WITH THE GENUINE QUIX!