Local Celebrities Interview

July 21, 2005 11:53 AM
by [email]

With the “Local Celebrity” party hitting its stride at Nocturnal, I sat down with the “brains” behind the hottest Friday Night Afterhours Party… Biz Martinez.

Bling:It is no surprise to those close to the scene that you are friends with Roque Castro and Roland. How has that tightly knit friendship enhanced your business relationship with them?

Biz:Sometimes it’s not good to mix business with friendship, but in this case it has helped us. We can be open & straight forward with each other expressing our needs without beating around the bush.

We're a Team & we always do what's best for the team. Roland & Roque understand that if something is on my mind, I will let them know without hesitation. I think having such a tight triangle bond with them has really helped us communicate better.

Bling:Roland has graced the decks of Space (main room and patio), AMIKA, and now Nocturnal...what has been your favorite memories of his previous and current residency?

Biz:There have been so many, mostly at the old & new Space. Some that really stand out are; Steve Lawler & Roland at the old Space in 2002, Roland’s “Lunar Sessions” CD release night w/ Sander K in 2003 & the BBC Radio One 2004 WMC party @ Nikki Beach watching Roland just go bannanas on that crowd.

Also Sander, Roland & Pete Tong going record for record, tag teaming on the Space terrace last year in 2004 was memorable. As you can see we really enjoyed hosting & playing along side Sander Kleinenberg...

Bling:During the 5 you have managed/promoted Roland, where can you say he has "grown" the most with regards to his sound?

Biz:Space, since we spent 3 ½ years together there. But to me the real difference has been in the last year ½ or so. He’s always evolving his sound & a lot of that has to do with him adapting to new environments.

One thing I love about Roland is that he always finds a way to surprise you. He’s unpredictable & isn’t scared to introduce a new sound to his audience.

Bling:Having coordinated highly successful local parties including: Space Afterhours, the "IN" Parties at Cafeteria, "Inside Out" at Amika, and now "Local Celebrity" at Nocturnal, it seems that all these parties have had a common theme; One that portrays a sense of fun and wackiness

Biz:In the end, it’s a party; Fun should be the key word! Believe it or not, with all the work and stress it takes to plan a successful party, sometimes it takes me a while during the night to break free from reality and just let loose.

My dear friend Jagermiester is always by my side though & I always find a way. Thankfully we’ve been pretty successful at creating some really fun & cool parties that come from the heart!

Bling:How difficult/important is it to construct a party that truly goes beyond the music and create that carefree "vibe?"

Biz:It’s very important to me, but these are things you just don’t plan. It all has to come naturally & well timed… You can’t force anyone to have a good time, but making everyone feel comfortable & at home is a start.

Setting the example is the key. Sometimes I get in my wacky mood & I say “f*#k it, we’re seriously gonna have fun tonite & I don’t care what anyone says or thinks”!

Bling:How does it feel to be alongside Roland on a patio once more? Having spoken to Roland on countless occasions, I know he has a passion for playing patio sets. Why is that? Is it the vibe? The crowd? The variety of music that he can play in such a setting?

Biz:We're really excited to be back on an outdoor terrace. Roland's sound fits like a glove outdoors.

As a dj, you can set so many different moods out there if you know what you are doing. As for me, well, I get to do crazy things like toss giant balloons into the crowd, use stupid airhorns & soak you with my waterguns!

Bling:Where did the idea of "Local Celebrity" come from? What is the true meaning behind the "Local Celebrity" party? And what is your personal view on the meaning behind "Local Celebrity" as it has played out at Nocturnal so far?

Biz:I’ve always been taken care of by the industry well & I really, really enjoy giving some of that back to my industry friends. So with every party that I do, especially the weekday parties & afterhours, my focus goes into the industry & the locals.

With that in mind, I thought up “Local Celebrity”. The name well suits what our party stands for; INDUSTRY & LOCALS! Just like “in” Wednesdays (R.I.P.) @ Cafeteria was short for "industry" Wednesdays.

At the same time I like to poke fun at the seriousness of some parties out there, so don’t take my party name too serious. It’s not like we truly think we’re “local celebrities”.

Or just because you are “in” doesn’t mean that it’s cool or exclusive… My goal is to leave you with your own interpretation of the party. You can take “local celebrity” serious, or you can poke fun at it. That’s what makes it so great & marketable…

Bling:The "Local Celebrity" flyers have gotten rave reviews from board members and Industry alike. Who are the brains behind the catchy flyers? How important of an impact does eye-catching flyers have on the "less informed" clubber as opposed to the "regulars?"

Biz:It’s all about first impressions! With “in” & “local celebrity” I’ve always had the all out freedom to create a design that’s different, catchy & fun. Every weekly flyer I design reflects my mood & the audience I’m targeting, but most of all they represent the many personalities of the party (it all depends on how you interpret it).

I learned to interpret my flyer designs almost like a story line of where the party is going. I put a lot thought & pride into it & every week I sit behind my pc with a big smile putting them together.

I don’t think there’s anyone out there who enjoys this part of the operation as much as I do.

Bling:What DJ's both local (currently or in the past) and globally influenced Roland the most? How?

Biz:Hints & elements in Roland's sound come from influential artists & bands liks Depeche Mode, The Cure, New Order, Kraftwerk & Todd Terry... As for deejays who've made a difference, locally I would say Oscar G has been a big figure over the years in Roland's career as a friend & peer.

Roland has tremendous respect for Oscar & dearly appreciated working along side him during the time they spent at Space. Globally, Sander K would be another deejay who's had an impact on Roland.

He really enjoys playing with him & if you've been to a night featuring Sander & Roland, then you know how it goes!

Bling:How has winning the 2004 CoolJunkie DJ Spinoff aided Roque Castro’s career?

Biz:It was a great way to break the ice for him. It gave him some publicity as a kick start & taught him a thing or two. As someone wanting to breakthru into the scene here locally, the cj spinoff helps you do just that. The rest is up to you...

Bling:Where do you see the "Local Celebrity" party going in the foreseeable future? Will you try to bring in Guest DJ's alongside Roland? Lastly, do you want to create something that locals have yet to experience, or will you try to recreate the magic of many of your previous parties (specifically the "IN" party at Cafeteria)?

Biz:I love creating something new with a sprinkle of the past. Usually that sprinkle is an influence from my childhood.

As for the actual party; I like to start with the foundation; the residents & party. To me it’s about having the party take off first & about having your audience grow comfortable with the music & its environment.

It’s like planting the seed, watering it & watching it grow. When it’s mature & ready, you trim it & do other things to keep it healthy & fresh.

That’s when Special guests & other ideas come in the picture. “Local Celebrity” is still like an infant plant. We’re only 8 weeks old… If we were a baby, we’d be taking our first steps right now.

It’s exciting to see a party grow. With hard work, preparation & opportunity, hopefully this baby grows into a giant!

Bling:Where do you see the House music scene in 10 years? It seems as though hip-hop in particular holds an iron grip upon South Beach. Do you believe that underground house can rise in popularity in the U.S as it has overseas?

Biz:It’s evolving right now. However, it’s far from becoming as popular here in the US as a whole, as it is in some areas overseas like the UK.

As for Miami, Electronic Dance Music isn’t the “alternative, hot new thing” anymore like it was interpreted by the average clubber in 99-2002. It made a big impact locally during our generation & it’s sort of just been hanging in there evolving & waiting to explode again.

I think back then it took itself a bit too serious & the clubbers didn’t take it as serious. I think now it’s the opposite, probably because of the high expectations most clubbers have.

These days artists & djs are exploring new ideas & concepts to add to their music & to their performances. Djs like Sasha who are always evolving & incorporating new ideas into their sound & music.

Artists like Mylo, who almost seem to have no boundaries, crossing over pop genre’s into the world of EDM. Others that do it so well live are Sander K & Danny Howells.

Danny T has been doing this sort of thing for years now, but I don’t need to tell you that! & also Oscar is a great example of that right here in our own back yard.

They all do it very different in their own way of course. Some of them are the present & future, others have always lead the pack. Whatever it be, their love for what they do is what helps keep the fire burning within’ the industry keeping EDM interesting.

Hopefully many can follow their examples and continue the progress. Djs get old & loose their hearing you know ?! and on another note, so do promoters (winks)…

Bling:I want to thank Biz Martinez for his valuable time in allowing us all to get to know our “Local Celebrities” on a more personal level.