2015’s coming to a close, and we at dublab want to wish you all a Happy Holidays! We would also like to thank you for your listenership, participation in dublab events, and support over the busy year.

DUBLAB’s offerings have steadily grown over our 16 years of operation, and 2015 was no exception. Below, you’ll find a selection of some of the highlights from the year, and, because no year-end message is complete without one or twenty Best-Of Lists, if you scroll a bit further, you’ll find the Top 3’s from a number of esteemed dublab DJs.

Radio

 

Over the course of the year, we expanded our live broadcast hours from 10am-10pm Monday through Friday with new shows from: House Shoes, Mark Van Hoen, Teebs, Mamabear,Rory Ferreira & Alexander Kollman, Daniel T., $3.33, Secret Circuit, Gia Bahm Jeffery Plansker, DJ White Rainbow, Carlos Nino and Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, Victoria O’ Hanlon, Mike Harding, Matt McDermott, DJ Al Jackson & DJ Sacred, and Vas Deferens Organization (formerly of Mutant Sounds). You can click on the names above to check out their shows in our archives!

Earlier this year, the dublab crew went on a mini-European tour. As part of the Online Radio Festival, dublab headed out to Amsterdam and joined Berlin Community Radio, Boiler Room, NTS, Red Light Radio, and Stroom for talks, mini-conferences, radio shows, and live events. We also stopped by the dublab.de headquarters in Cologne for a 12-hour broadcast along with some friends from RBMA radio. In Brussels, we were joined by Belgian colleagues and other friends including Chico Sondido, Tommy D.

In May, for our Spring Proton Drive, dublab opened its first monthlong pop-up broadcast space. We broadcast live from May 8th to the 29th from Space 15 Twenty, in the heart of Hollywood. The space truly came to life in the form of a radio studio, record shop and event space with a custom-design by filmmaker/dublab DJ Tom Kuntz. DUBLAB DJs and special guests, including Kamasi Washington, Richard Fearless(Death in Vegas), Shinehead, Scientist, and many more broadcast live daily from the space, which was be open to the public.

 

 

DUBLAB was honored to present an all-day Funkmosphere takeover in the lead-up to the release of DāM-FunK’s Invite the Light. With sets by DāM himself, Matt Respect, Eddie Funkster, I,Ced, and Laroj. Dam also held some wonderful interviews live with Flea, Snoop Dogg, Leon Sylvers III, Daz, I,Ced, Computer Jay, JimiJames, Novena, and XL. Listen to the broadcast in our archives here!

 

 

 

For our Fall Proton Drive, we hauled our remote broadcast rig around LA and broadcast out of a number of places we love in in the city including Amoeba Music, Tune-In Studios, a Leaving Records broadcast from Stonesthrow Gallery, Pacific Beach Vinyl, and special broadcasts by dublab.de and dublab.es. We also recently had a special broadcast from Perfect Circuit Audio, featuring analog synth-heavy sets from Hoseh, Jake Viator, Mark Van Hoen and Thomas Klepper.

 

 

 

In terms of guests, 2015 was an embarrassment of riches, and we had too many special guests to name, but in our archives you can find guest sets by and interviews with:

Lee Scratch Perry,Robert Trujillo, Rollmottle, Geneva Jacuzzi, Luis Perez, Telephones, Martin Gore (Depeche Mode), Busdriver, Tony Watson, Tyler Bell, DJ Stephen, Numero Group, Hugo & Orpheu (Red Light Radio),The 1080p Crew, Gossamer, Domenic Priore, Jessica Pratt, Steve Nalepa (The Acid), DJ Clyde, Aria Rostami, Santiago Salazar, SK Kakraba, Richard Chartier,The Ocean Blue, LGTL, King Tuff,Jennifer Herrema, Moscoman, Sage Caswell, Brogan Bently, Garden City Movement, Christina Vantzou, In Flagranti, Cate Le Bon, Ron Morelli (L.I.E.S), CFCF, Larry Gus,Bullion, Heather McIntosh, Makaya McCraven & Bmajic, Phil King (Lush/Jesus & Mary Chain),Johnny Clarke, Tetrack, and Norris Reid, ARP, Dexter Story, and many, many more.

 

Events

True to form, DUBLAB presented dozens of free concerts throughout the Los Angeles area in 2015. These included:

Sleepless I

In September, Sleepless: The Music Center After Hours was presented by The Music Center in collaboration with dublab for our 16th anniversary. This free multi-room event took place in the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, home of the LA Opera, from 11pm to 3am. Featuring live sets by John Tejada, Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, Southern Soul Spinners, Luis Perez, DJ Lady C, Steele Bonus, Pinchy Don, SK Kakraba and many many more. Sleepless opened the doors of The Music Center’s Dorothy Chandler Pavilion to the general public in a way that’s never been offered before, transforming it sonically, visually and spatially. Check out a video that the Music Center put together with footage from the event!

Sleepless II

 

 

Building on the previous Sleepless event’s success, the Music Center expanded the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion’s capacity and opened up new rooms for dublab to curate an even more intricate night of music, visuals and art installations. Daniel Lanois took over the entire fifth floor of the Pavilion, playing a nearly continuous four-hour set of pedal steel guitar. Attendees were entranced by installations from Nanny Cantoloupe, Tom Recchion, Miko Revereza and the Vas Deferens Organization. Performers and DJs for the night included William Basinski, Jeff Parker, $3.33, Locust (R&S), Dntel, Mark Maxwell, Maria Minerva, Suzanne Kraft, Daniel T., and many, many more. A full lineup for the night can be viewed here.

 

The Second Summer of Love

On April 30th, 2015 part of Britweek, Novation & dublab presented The Second Summer of Love “Upstairs” at the Ace Hotel in Downtown Los Angeles. This happening was dedicated to the rise of Acid House in the UK during what became known as the Second Summer of Love. This music movement, which spanned the unusually hot British Summers of 1988 and ’89, changed the state of music worldwide. DUBLAB DJs Jimi Hey, Daddy Differently,Lovefingers and Heidi Lawden played classic songs from this period amidst projected, archival artwork and photographs (archives of these sets can be found on dublab.com or by clicking on the DJs names above). The Second Summer of Love event paid tribute to influential clubs like Shoom, Trip and The Haçienda while celebrating the legacy of the scene’s producers and DJs whose work influenced contemporary dance music.

 

Tonalism

 

This year Tonalism, dublab’s annual all-night ambient happening, was presented at 356 Mission, with an incredible lineup featuring DJ sets by dublab DJs Sodapop and Hoseh, solo ambient sets by members of Animal Collective, Black Dice and Gang Gang Dance, and sets by the Klang Association, Miles Cooper Seaton & Heather McIntosh,$3.33, George Jensen and Angela Seo (Xiu Xiu). Inspired by La Monte Young’s “Dream House” as well as the work of musicians and composers such as Terry Riley, Yoko Ono and John Cage, Tonalism combines sound and visual elements to create an experience that audiences can enjoy over an extended period of time. Live musicians, DJs and video artists played and perform throughout the night; starting at 6pm and ending at 6am, with complimentary tea and water for all who attended.

 

Bring Your Own Dance Moves

 

In the Summer of 2015, in collaboration with ArtDontSleep and the Music Center, dublab presented Bring Your Own Dance Moves, six free nights of non-stop music on the Music Center Plaza featuring top LA DJs including: Cut Chemist, Benedek, The Egyptian Lover, Carlos Nino, Cooper Saver, Peanut Butter Wolf, Heidi Lawden, Secret Circuit, Suzanne Kraft and Jimmy Hey.

Mike Harding Rodolphe ALEXIS ‘The Glittering Thing on the Mountain’ [Gruenrekorder] Howlround – Tales From The Black Tangle [The Fog Signals] Robert Crouch – Organ [Dragon’s Eye]

Cooper Saver Valet – Nature – Kranky Horsebeach – II – Alone Together Jonny Nash – Exit Strategies – Melody As Truth

Induce Jacuzzi Boys – Happy Damage EP Kendrick Lamar – To Pimp A Butterfly Sufjan Stevens – Carrie & Lowell LP

$3.33 Tyondai Braxton – “HIVE1” – Nonesuch Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe & Ariel Kalma – “We Know Each Other Somehow” – rvng Kode9 – “Nothing” – Hyperdub

Zach Cowie gaussian curve – clouds floating points – elaeina joanna newsom – divers

Jimmy Tamborello Samoyed – Saturday – Flask Rafael Anton Irisarri – A Fragile Geography – Room40 Teresa Winter – Oh Tina, No Tina – Reckno

Jake Viator Suzanne Kraft – Talk From Home Future – DS2 Laraaji – All In One Peace