The PEMF Post – Part One
Regardless of whether or not you agree with the name, the Pittsburgh Electronic Music Festival is happening. So, get over it and enjoy the music, because that’s really what it’s all about. Raving. Straight up. This is the first in a series of posts in which we will be interviewing some of the talent performing at the festival. First up is Designer Drugs. I was approached by a new acquaintance who is personal friends with the duo who asked me if he could interview them for us. Of course I jumped on that, and now you have this rather candid and informal exchange between two old friends. Since it’s so lax, I’m going to give you the rundown on these fellas.
Michael Vincent Patrick and Theodore Paul Nelson, aka Designer Drugs, have become somewhat of a world-wide phenomenon over the past few years, but the New York-based DJ/production duo both originally hail from PA and have strong ties to Pittsburgh. So, it was only appropriate that these local cats were asked to play the inaugural Pittsburgh Electronic Music Festival on July 3rd. Best known for their “wild” remixes of over fifty well-known artists such as Mariah Carey, Little Boots and Fischerspooner, Designer Drugs released their debut album, “Hardcore/Softcore” earlier this year. This album marks a shift from the duo’s poppier, more party-oriented sounds to darker, throbbing, industrial-heavy beats. Attention all gold-digging DJ groupies: Nelson is currently in med school. Hot.
Our friend, who wishes to be known only as Kyda, hit up Michael, aka MVP earlier this week via iChat. They bro-ed out a little and talked about some risqué thangs. Time to hand it over. Pardon the French.
I got a chance to sit down (aka ichat while drunk) with Patrick to discuss his thoughts on the Burgh and the upcoming show. He ended up talking mostly about skateboarding and how hungry he is.
K: So pittsburgh man… let’s talk Pittsburgh… U stoked on it or what? Pittsburgh Electronic Music Festival the 3rd!
MVP: Yes can’t fucking wait for two reasons. 1- I K: So, about the show on the 3rd.
MVP: Yeah! I want to come and I want to skate Polish Hill before the show like last time, but my ankle is fucked so we gotta keep it simple.
K: Haha yeah man, gettin old.
MVP: Yeah dude, soon I’ll have a pony tail and skate a long board. Sucks.
K: So let’s talk about the Burgh man… it was kind of the place you did your first ‘bigger’ shows, sort of… at the BBT and what not. What’s your best memory of the city?
MVP: Oh man BBT for sure. I remember once we played drum and bass there and every time the crowd went crazy we would rewind the song and throw beers into the crowd and Illy hit some girl in the face by accident with a beer, those ghetto ass beers… were they called Brigade?
K: Fuck yeah man.. $1 before midnight. I remember one of the last shows you did there. There’s this pretty epic pic of some random dude pointing a gun at Fred, and no one knew he did that til you saw the pictures afterwards.
MVP: Haha yeah he had a 9 or something. We were all pretty freaked out when we saw the pics.
K: Back to the Burgh…what acts from the city influenced you?
MVP: Fucking Nick Teodori- legend. Hope he is down to skate. Dieselboy and Andy Sine – haven’t seen those dudes in a minute. Plus you got all the locals, Keeb$, MPS, Alaska, Bagel. When I come on the 3rd I want Keeb$ to be in the background of every pic.
There was a conclusion, but I’ve managed to clip the best parts of this exchange and condense them for you, the weary reader. Our next PEMF post will bring you an interview with none other than Mux Mool, who is no stranger to the local scene. I’ve seen him play Pgh three times in the past year, and it’s always a tight set. In the meantime, read up on Designer Drugs. Rave on, ravers!
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