Dan The Automator presents: AUDIO ALCHEMY featuring MIX MASTER MIKE and special guests! April 10, 2010

Audio Alchemy is a new bi-monthly series featuring vanguard DJs in the mix and performing with live musicians. It will boldly explore the role of the DJ in the creation of music today.
with resident DJ Shortkut (Invisibl Skratch Piklz, Triple Threat) and the Jazz Mafia All-Stars



Please note: Audio Alchemy takes place in the Yoshi's San Francisco Restaurant, Lounge as well as the Jazz Club.

About Mix Master Mike

Named as one of the greatest DJs of all time by USA Today, Mix Master Mike got his initial itch for vinyl while growing up in San Francisco listening to his uncle's extensive record collection. Years later, the moment that had the most impact on him was catching Grandmixer DST on stage with Herbie Hancock.

With his new found love for hip-hop and his foray into the art of scratching, Mike got involved in the mobile DJ business. Entering Dj competitions, rocking house parties, weddings and all those other "cutting the chops" type of gigs for experience and exposure.

It was at one of those parties that he met Richard Quitevis, better known as Q-Bert. Q-Bert wasn't a DJ at the time, but was so impressed with Mike’s scratching technique that it had the same effect on him as watching Grandmixer DST had for Mike. The following day, Richard went over to Mike's to watch him practice and it was there that the two quickly became friends.

In 1992, Mike was the first West Coast DJ to become World Champion by winning the New Music Seminar DJ Battle for World Supremacy in New York City. That same year, Mike, DJ Apollo and Q-Bert, known as the first ever scratch band, won the DMC World title.

In 1993, Mike and Q-Bert decided to take the competition to the next level by teaming up as a scratch duo known as "The Dream Team" and won the title once again.

In 1994, after winning three consecutive world titles and consistently coming out on top, Mike and Q-Bert were asked to step down from further competition as their domination was too much for the rest of the pack. The two performed an amazing "farewell" set and were honored to become DMC judges.

Shortly thereafter, friends and fellow turn tablists Triple Threat - Apollo (Apollo Novicio), D-Styles (Dave Cuasito)and Shortkut (Jonathan Cruz) - joined Mike and Q-Bert to form the Invisible Skratch Picklz (ISP), the most influential and recognizable turntablist crew in hip hop history. Though the ISP no longer exists, the five founders still remain close to this day.

It was a chance meeting at the Rock Steady Anniversary Jam in NYC in 1994 with Adam Yauch of the Beastie Boys that would propel Mike to the next level. The two exchanged numbers and Mike often left crazy scratch messages on Adam's answering service. Fellow Beasties Mario C and Mike D caught on to his scratch message craze and in 1997 requested Mike's studio work for their multi-platinum album Hello Nasty. Soon after completion of Hello Nasty's recording, the Beastie Boys offered Mike to become their resident DJ.

In the summer of 1999, the International Turntablist Federation honored Mike with The Grandwizard Theodore lifetime achievement award for the advancement of the turntable as a musical instrument. The new millennium brought more amazing things from Mike. In March 2000 the Eye of the Cyclops EP (Asphodel) dropped to brilliant reviews winning the California Music Awards as "Best New Electronic Album," with his first-ever mix CD Spin Cycle (Moonshine) following in 2001. Also check: Return Of The Cyclops (Asphodel), a special anthology of Mike's works recorded before and after his seminal album, Anti-Theft Device (Asphodel, 1999). In 2004 , mike released "Bangzilla" which is nothing short of the titles reference. Its A Battle through the zektarian constellations as mike hits you with action packed kick drums to the chest and a relentless assault of hardcore scratch compositions bound to challenge your musical intellect.

Never one to take a break, Mike's credits also include his weekly "SPIN PSYCLE" radio show on KROQ-FM Los Angeles, as well as working with EA Sports on the "SSX 1" "SSX 2" "knockout kings" and "Jet Grind Radio" for Sony Dreamcast . He also produced music for the motion picture soundtrack for Jail, Hospitals & Hip Hop, hosted the ESPN Action Sports Awards, The MTV Movie Awards and is also prominently featured in the indie film "SCRATCH".

Mike's latest work , "NAPALM ROCKETS" is a collision of dubstep and hip hop which is sure to Rattle the foundations of music. Follow the man , the myth, the legend we call "mix master" as his legacy continues.

About Dan The Automator
Producer Dan The Automator is known internationally as one of the most groundbreaking and inventive creators of hip-hop music. He first achieved critical and commercial success in 1996 with the esoteric Dr. Octagon album, and followed suit with a slew of landmark recordings and remixes that established him as not only a producer to be reckoned with, but as a remixer and songwriter as well. His collaborations with hip-hop legends Prince Paul (Handsome Boy Modeling School) and Del tha Funkee Homosapien (Deltron 3030) resulted in success on a larger scale, and he went platinum as the producer of the debut Gorillaz album in 2001. Another Handsome Boy Modeling School record followed in 2005. Dan co-wrote and produced "Get Your Way", a hit single for British singer Jamie Cullum. His new project, NBA2k7, features Mos Def, E-40, Fabulous, Ghost Face, A Tribe Called Quest, Rhymefest, Lupe Fiasco, and many others. The soundtrack will be released on September 19th, 2006.

Dan "The Automator" Nakamura was born and raised in San Francisco. A chance meeting with Kool Keith in San Francisco resulted in Keith hiring Dan for some work on his own record. Keith then suggested Dan assume production duties for his Dr. Octagon alter-ego, and Dan started to put tracks together for the record that would ultimately aquaint him with a much larger audience.

A fusion of hip-hop beats and bizarre atmospherics, Dr. Octagon was released on the Bulk Recordings label in 1996. Propelled by Kool Keiths' rhymes and mind-bending meter, the record owed its' success in equal measure to Dan's inventive production. Dan's studio, the Glue Factory, also served as the workshop for recordings by Mo'Wax's DJ Shadow and for various artists on the latter's Solesides label.

As Dr. Octagon spread through the underground scene, DTA found himself collaborating with directly or remixing for a wide variety of artists: Primal Scream, the Eels, DJ Krush, Cibo Matto, Dust Brothers, Mike Simpson, Cornershop, the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Stereolab, and more. Dan then teamed up with hip hop guru Prince Paul for a project called Handsome Boy Modeling School. An album titled So, How's Your Girl? was released by Tommy Boy Records and was an instant underground success. 2000's Deltron 3030 project followed, a collaboration with rapper Del tha Funkee Homosapien and DJ Kid Koala.

In 2001, DTA reached his widest audience yet with the Gorillaz, an eclectic collaboration with Blur's Damon Albarn and artist Jamie Hewlett. The self-titled debut was a hit on both sides of the Atlantic, going platinum in the U.S. and spawning Dan's first major hit single, "Clint Eastwood", featuring Del tha Funkee Homosapian.

In 2002 Lovage, a collaboration with former Faith No More singer Mike Patton and smoky vocalist Jennifer Charles was released. A mixtape of many of his favorite remixes called Wanna Buy A Monkey? followed, featuring remixes of Black Rob, Air, Zero 7, Tortoise, the Doves, De La Soul, Dilated Peoples, and more.

After reaching worldwide success with Gorillaz, demand for Dan as a remixer and producer grew exponentially. A known genre-bender, he worked on singles from acts ranging from Blink 182 to Sarah McLachlan, and co-wrote songs with artists such as Mos Def, Beanie Man, Beck, Busta Rhymes, and more. Additional collaborations with Alex Kapranos (Franz Ferdinand), Pharrell, RZA, Mars Volta, Casual, Cat Power, and Linkin Park were the beginnings of what would be the second Handsome Boy Modeling School album, which was released on Atlantic Records in 2005, and followed by a sold-out U.S. tour.

Hip-hop is a genre that has proved itself far more flexible and groundbreaking than anyone might have predicted at its genesis: from its massive worldwide popularity to its seemingly endless "next levels", as it were, hip-hop music continues to be full of surprises, thanks largely in part to record producers like Dan The Automator. While paying homage to his heroes and influences, Dan has crafted a career as unique as his records, always walking the line between music that makes a serious statement and music that delivers undeniable hooks and knows when not to take itself too seriously.

Official Website: http://www.yoshis.com/sanfrancisco/jazzclub/artist/show/1201