Biz and Roland Speak

October 4, 2007 5:22 PM
by Dan Vidal [email]

A few weeks ago, top Miami event producer Biz Martinez suddenly announced the end of his long-running Local Celebrity party at Nocturnal in Downtown Miami. After much speculation on our infamous forums, we managed to convince both the infamous V. Barbarino, the "Club Legend", to sit down and grill Biz, and his resident DJ, Roland, about what happened. Warning, this is a trifle blunt. Disclaimer: V. Barbarino is a freelance contributor to CoolJunkie and his opinions and statements are his own, and not of that of CoolJunkie, Track Entertainment, or it's employees and affiliates.

V. Barbarino: LC lasted a lot longer than most predicted, I say your success was the fact it was never about the
music, and others say it was all about the music, what say you?

Biz: The keyword is, fun! Much of the focus went into marketing the concept & we built a really strong brand around that… but the music is what set LC apart from the rest. I’ve always encouraged the residents to take chances, be themselves & just have fun.

Roland - Biz and I created LC for the people. Many people would say that their favorite aspect of the party was the family atmosphere we brought to it. At the same time, the music had direction and was always changing with a purpose in mind. I think a combination of ambiance and sound were key in our success there.

V. Barbarino: Why have you guys decided to leave Nocturnal after all this time?

Biz: For months, we began to feel that the essence of Local Celebrity was being stripped away. The club didn’t seem to care about preserving the quality of the event or integrity of the product. Towards the end, the product “Local Celebrity” stood for nothing. It had been robbed of its personality from under us and we decided it was time to move on.

V. Barbarino: Care to talk trash about them?

Roland: Too many good people still work there and I thank them for all the wonderful times! I'll leave the dirty laundry to other former employees (winks).

V. Barbarino: Did you steal anything on the way out?

Roland: Nah, but I left my Roland street sign behind… I really want that sign back!

V. Barbarino: Biz, are you and LP still fighting like a bunch of bitches?

Biz: Actually Louis Puig and I get along great outside of the business. He’s the Darth Vader to my Luke Skywalker (laughs). There’s definitely some resentment between us, but there’s also TONS of love, respect & admiration. However, working for the same cause just simply seems impossible.

V. Barbarino: Will you guys reunite with LP over at Space? If not what’s your plan?

Roland: Its been 3 yrs since I have been able to search for new opportunities. Its very exciting and I am looking forward to exploring my options.

Biz: We learned how to crawl with Space (Oct. 2001 – Dec. 2004), but we stood up & began to walk on our own since. Thankfully, we have many immediate options & a few new project offers ahead. Not to mention we’re cookin’ up a few events before the year’s end. In the meantime, the crystal ball could predict anything from Suite to Gryphon, Karu & Y to Mansion, etc. etc. (winks)…

V. Barbarino: Roland, do you think if you and Oscar G started to spin again, you guys could revive that magic you guys
held at the old Space?

Roland: Oscar holds that place down well on his own. Maybe he will allow me to carry his records? Those were some magical times though, I will admit.

V. Barbarino: Roland, do you think Oscar G would welcome you back? Are you guys friends, do you talk?

Roland: Oscar has been very influential in my career and one my biggest supporters through the years. We do speak about life, clubland and its adventures on a regular basis. One of my proudest moments was when
he asked me to be a part of his new DVD. I hope I made the final cut!

V. Barbarino: Speaking of old Space, what the fuck has happened to the patios here in Miami? There was a time when you could hear some funky low tempo grooving tunes at dawn. Now the patio is techno and other shit that shouldn’t even be played in the main room let alone the patio! Looking back I gave Ivano a lot of heat, but him and Roland back in the day did it proper! Why can’t we get back to that style?

Roland: It is what it is these days. Every DJ has a style and that’s what separates us all. At the end of the day I just focus on doing my thing & I try not to get caught up with those details.

Biz: I dunno, the outdoor venues & patios used to be about sunny feel-good grooves. These days, the sound’s become more aggressive out there. To go back to “what it was” or the way some say “it should be”, would take a serious reconstruction effort by an entire unit (Owner, promoter & DJ). I know of a promoter & DJ willing (winks)…

V. Barbarino: My opinion of today’s EDM is that people take it way too serious and have fractured it into too many genres, thus hurting the scene. What say you?

Roland: If branching out brings more people to EDM then it could only help getting the word out and making the scene bigger.

Biz: I think it’s great that there are many sub-genres and DJs playing sets that range from Techno to House. It makes things a lil’ more interesting & it shows that EDM is evolving. If we don’t evolve, we stay behind and die like disco.

V. Barbarino: Roland, do you use all CD’s or do you spin vinyl still?

Roland: Depending on the venue. I still love the sound from vinyl but carrying them is quite a work out.

Roland, what is your take on all these jocks using computers? Losers?

Roland: Be nice! I don't use one because I still enjoy playing vinyl and cd's. Some of the best DJs in the world use computers and I don't think any
different of them.

V. Barbarino:Seriously, don’t chicks hate techno?

Biz: Seriously, I saw some of the hottest chicks groovin’ to techno this past WMC. Maybe they were from another planet or somethin’ (laughs).

V. Barbarino: What’s the status on the noise complaints toward the downtown patios from the condo owners? Give us the inside info!

Roland: The clubs in downtown are doing everything they can to comply with regulations. Walls have gone up, sound insulation is being installed, etc. Hopefully the changes will satisfy the neighboring area.

Biz: I dunno, I guess it all depends what mood the city officials are in. You can’t really predict when they’ll drop in… it almost seems like someone of influence calls in a complaint and/or they just randomly show up with a signed petition asking you to turn it down.

V. Barbarino: As many know, I believe EDM will never make a come back, as disco never did. I feel too many say with these lame corporate buzzwords that it will “evolve” and “transform.” Why would EDM be any different than disco?

Biz: Some things just work in cycles. If done right, it can re-emerge in a big way here locally. Miami has tons of potential. I think people are starting to crave something other than the usual top 40 that’s being played around town. Most club owners open up the trendiest club, but with the same ol’ muse. When the first ballsy guy down the street takes a chance, does it right & sees an ounce of success, all the other guys will follow. I’m hopeful you’ll see a shift in our favor sometime in the future. It’s definitely not dead! I’m going on my eighth year doing this stuff!

V. Barbarino: As everyone knows, I’ve never touched a club drug in my life, but as a well-known DJ told me, the scene
needs a new drug for it to come back to 1990’s levels. Care to comment?

Biz: I guess, maybe some feel that way. Let me take the time to say this… its bad enough clubs are giving away the door and liquor in some cases, which is spoiling our clubbers. Today everyone knows someone and just about anyone can be a “promoter”. If a new ecstasy were to re-emerge, we’d be in bad shape- because everyone seems to be on someone’s Guest list to avoid admission these days. In the 90s, people paid admission. Today, clubs would go bankrupt!

V. Barbarino: Biz as a person who sells a lot of bottles in this town, shouldn’t it be illegal to force customers to
buy a minimum of multiple bottles? Isn’t this an immoral practice that kills many on our streets in alcohol related accidents? Think about it, the club/bar is forcing you to buy a tremendous amount of excess alcohol. No reason why a party of 4, should be required to buy bottles. If you had a DD for the night, that means 2 bottles for 3 people! It’s my contention this practice should be illegal. We are putting profit above safety. Please comment.

Biz: A VIP table is real estate at a club. The club is selling you a private space (in most cases), which comes with your own personal server. You’re paying for comfort. They’re not trying to get you to drink yourself retarded. They are just simply putting a price on that piece of real estate. There’s really only one person to blame if you over drink & that’s yourself.

V. Barbarino: If South Beach rolled back closing times to 3am, would it really change anything? Wouldn’t it actually
help?

Biz: God forbid!

V. Barbarino: I’ve known you guys for about 6 years now, I must say you guys are pretty stable in terms of not moving around from club to club. Only in club land will clubs keep hiring the same people who fail across the street. If they failed at Club X, why the fuck would they work out in their current club? Make some sense of this wacky job market for us.

Roland: Because some club owners are new to the business and have to fail before they succeed. The thing is most of the club owners can't afford to fail. I'm very passionate about what I do and see many people involved in the club business for all the wrong reasons. Those are usually the ones you speak of.

Biz:Big Talkers! Some people make good “used car salesmen”. Unfortunately, I don’t… so I have to work hard & prove what I’m worth otherwise.

V. Barbarino: Tom Tancredo of Colorado, called Miami a third world country, defend your city!

Biz: Tom who? (pff… laughs)

V. Barbarino: Help out some of these tourists. Say Joe Tourist is having his birthday in Miami and wants to buy bottles. What is the secret to getting the best deal? Also what is the best way to avoid drama?

Biz: Visit the CJ forums… there’s always plugs to different parties. Chances are, you’ll find info, a promoter or someone that will point you in the right direction.

V. Barbarino: Joe Tourist asks you to recommend three clubs and three restaurants to visit while he’s here on vacation, what would you tell Joe Tourist?

Roland: As for clubs, go to see Oscar G, Tootsies or the spa at the hard rock. Restaurants? Truluck's (Drive to Boca its well worth it!), Joe's, (Legendary)
Havana Miami (the best mojitos in Miami).

V. Barbarino: Best bar to “pre-game” in South Beach?

Biz: Segafredo! or Polar bar if you’re in the mood for an ice cold beer.

V. Barbarino: Last CD you guys purchased or downloaded (legally of course)

Roland: Kanye West - Graduation.

Biz: I shop iTunes for singles. Most recent whole CD I purchased was Thievery Corporation – “The Cosmic Game”.

V. Barbarino: Where and when will we see the announcements of your new party?

Biz: Announcements soon… where? CoolJunkie. Thanks to everyone who took the time to read this and to those who’ve shown us love & support throughout the years!

Visit Biz: at his MySpace profile. Visit Roland at his: click here.