Stereo Systems

The Top Five Parties in San Francisco this Weekend

It's still a tough call, but this week sure feels like the end of a significant chapter in San Francisco nightlife history. The catalyst is, of course, the decommissioning of Mighty's epic RLA soundsystem. But while it might be a sad note for some, remember that these kinds of ends usually signal ne ... More >>

The Sickness of the Audiophile: Behind the Obsession with Fancy Gear

DJ Chucky Brown on Teaching the Art of DJing and His Collection of 25,000 Records

With a record-collecting father and a Studio 54-era disco queen mother, DJ Chucky Brown had a musically rich childhood. Originally an NYC native, he frequented fixtures of the early '90s dance scene such as the Paladium and Danceteria, and began his DJ career by leveraging the vast collection of vin ... More >>

The Top 10 Best Club Sound Systems in San Francisco

Nightlife in San Francisco is a big deal -- we live in the kind of town that takes its partying seriously. Naturally, then, there's a near-obsessive level of detail when it comes to club sound. Look back, and the history of the city is littered with acoustic temples and stories of wild club owners o ... More >>

Twilight Circus on the Origin of His Moniker and the Rise of Dub Music into the Mainstream

With 25 years of experience in the worlds of dub and reggae music, Ryan Moore, aka Twilight Circus Dub Sound System, has taken his musical abilities worldwide, to places like hazy Triad-ridden buildings in Canada and makeshift studios in Jamaica. Working with notable reggae artists such as Sly Dunba ... More >>

Drink: Beat Happening: A Guide to the S.F. Nightlife Renaissance

The Evolution of A-Trak: From Scratch Nerd To Dance Tastemaker In Five Steps

A-Trak is one of the world's most effective musical tastemakers. These days, the Montreal-born DJ and producer is part of the braintrust behind the Fool's Gold label, which has a proven record of picking up artists like Danny Brown, The Cool Kids, and Kid Sister long before larger labels show intere ... More >>

Derrick May and Kevin Saunderson: Show Preview

Mungo's Hi-Fi on the Scottish Reggae Scene, Recording with Sugar Minott, and Playing Croatia

SpuddMungo's Hi-Fi​ Tartan and bagpipes. Celtic and Rangers. Reggae and dubstep? Yes, add another thing Scotland can claim for its own, thanks to Glasgow's Mungo's Hi-Fi crew, a three-man sound system and production team that's swiftly put its stamp on bass-driven music. Whether it's playing v ... More >>

Juan MacLean on DJing with Vinyl, Why the West Coast Rules for Club Nights, and His New Album

Joshi Radin​A longtime resident of DFA Records, Juan MacLean has dabbled in everything from dance-punk to electro-pop. Although mostly known for his work with bands Six Finger Satellite and The Juan MacLean, he has been touring regularly as a solo DJ all over the world since his release on the DJ- ... More >>

Kid Koala Talks Losing Bets, Growing Up on Vinyl, and His Favorite Muppet

Kid Koala​There's not much more endearing than a DJ who loves music and muppets. Hailing from Montreal, Kid Koala is known for his whimsical personality and ability to take listeners on a journey with music fit for psychedelic hip hop dreams, sans the acid. Currently on the Ninja Tune label and pr ... More >>

Dueling Dubs

Exclusive: DJ Mini-Mix from DJ Conor

​DJ Conor seems to be a straightforward guy in both musical tastes and DJ style. His moniker behind the turntables is as simple as it can be (it's just his first name), and the classic disco records he schleps from venue to venue are the purest funky grooves of their kind. This Friday, Conor takes ... More >>

Nickodemus and the Spy from Cairo

Kid Koala reimagines heavy rock with the Slew

Hey DJ! Friday Q&A: Nisus

​There are DJs who log a lotta miles, and then there's Nisus. While other vinyl slingers rack up passenger time on airlines, this guy has spent the summer getting between gigs in Germany, France, Spain, and Switzerland by bike. Overall he  traveled, (two wheel-style), across 1,300 miles, and ... More >>

Flava of the Month Turns 6

Three of a Kind: Triple Threat DJs When it comes to local legendary hip-hop DJs, few have the pedigree of the boys from Triple Threat. Apollo aka P-Lo is an original Invisible Skratch Pickl who was also Souls of Mischief's DJ on the '93 til Infinity tour. Shortkut is both a Beat Junkie and a Sk ... More >>

Hey DJ! Friday Q&A: DJ Said

Nigerian born producer / promoter /label owner DJ Said came into this world from the same corner of the globe as Fela Kuti, and he's just as addicted to spreading Afro Beat to the masses--although he blends those sounds into myriad dancefloor styles. After a stint in England, Said settled in the Bay ... More >>

Green Day Reissues Their Entire Catalog - On Vinyl

Green Day: In Yer FaceThere's nothing quite like crispy, shrink-wrapped vinyl LPs, is there? In anticipation of Green Day's  upcoming new release, 21st Century Breakdown, Reprise Records has announced it will be reissuing the Berkeley pop-punx entire catalog on audiophile 12-inch vinyl throug ... More >>

Instead of Your Usual Torment

Two Gallants, Q-Bert and Laughing Squid's Unholiday Party: Your Monday Morning Hangover

Weekend recap by Janine KahnWe're shaking ourselves out of holiday lethargy here on All Shook Down, and we'll be alive-alert-awake-enthusiastic (OK, maybe "sober" is a more accurate term) through Wednesday afternoon. We've a lot planned for New Year's Eve, but before we get ahead of ourselves, here' ... More >>

Friday Night: DJ Q-Bert at the Independent

DJ Q-Bert The Independent December 26, 2008 Review and Photos by Eric K. Arnold Better than: Leftovers, sweaters from Grandma, reindeer roadkill 'Twas the night after Christmas, and all through the house, no one was unstirred, not even a mouse. The Independent's line up of Q-Bert, Mochipet, and J ... More >>

Turning the Tables

Hey DJ! Friday Q&A: Paul Costuros a.k.a. Special Lord B.

Amen Break Assassin

Subatomic Scratch

Do the Hustle

Freight and Salvage Begins Year-Long Multi-Million Upgrade

Loud Car Stereos Unite and Annoy the Fuck Out of People

Beat Down

This DJ simulator is nothing to rave about.

Revolutions

Once upon a time, DJ Qbert helped define and deify turntablism. That time is over. So what's next?

BeatBox

John Digweed and his prodigy spin through town; "Dub Mission" celebrates its eighth chilled out year

Hear This

A bite-sized installment of the large (and no doubt geek-laden) celebration of synth

Lounge Axe

Potrero Hill gives new meaning to the term "DJ battle"

Weirdest Bowling Experience

Astro Bowl at Sea Bowl

Scratch Attack

How a white punk from Ireland helped jump-start the Bay Area hip hop and turntablist scenes

Ridin' the wheels of steel

Why don't you smile now; A Slim's chance.

Cat Five

Kataphonics (Hip Hop Slam)

Globs and Monsters

After 18 years, Crawling With Tarts is still throwing musical elements at the wall to see what sticks

Various Artists

The Funky Precedent Vol 2 (Matador/No Mayo)

Best Nightclub for a Religious Experience

"Mass" First Sunday of the month at Ten 15 Folsom

Rapper's Delight

The history of hip hop, at Yerba Buena Center

The Royal Whee

Live house band Dubtribe Sound System gets older, wiser, and imperial

Skratching That Itch

Skratchcon 2000

Dig the New Breed

Live Human proves that turntablism can learn a thing or two from jazz -- or is it the other way around?

Break Science

What does DJ Marz do as a turntablist? Everything. All the time.

A Cut Above

It took a move from New York for Vinroc to become a world champion DJ

Dog Bites

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Hear This