Get ready to dance! Next Friday, Washington DC's funky electronic masterminds, Fort Knox Five, will be taking over Richmond, first with an in-store appearance at Turnstyle, then with a full-on face melter of a DJ set at Canal Club. Fort Knox Five--who, despite the name, are actually a quartet--have gained worldwide fame with the productions they've been releasing on Fort Knox Recordings for the past decade. The patented "Fort Knox Sound" combines live instrumentation and funky electronic breakbeats to make dancefloors explode. Here in Richmond, they'll be dishing out a DJ set full of grooves that mingle hip hop and breakbeats with classic funk and reggae tunes. Expect the party to be going on all night!
We spoke to Fort Knox Five about how they got started, as well as playing live shows and releasing records on their label. Here's how the conversation went:
Who exactly is Fort Knox Five, and when did it all start?
Fort Knox Five is Rob Myers, Steve Raskin, Jon Horvath, and Sid Barcelona. We basically grew up in DC, and played in various bands throughout high school. Steve and Sid met at college at RiSD. They were roommates, and became close friends. Steve and Sid returned to DC, and teamed up with Rob to form Thunderball. We released lots of music on Thievery Corporation's ESL Music imprint. Rob was also playing sitar and guitar with Thievery Corporation at the time. Jon and Steve met through mutual friends pursuing their love for the rave scene and early electronic music. They formed JonH and Raskal, and released several songs on Red Menace Records. In late 2002, we decided we wanted to form our own record label, and release dance floor oriented DJ bangers. The other labels we were working with at the time were not fully appropriate for the music we wanted to release. We formed Fort Knox Recordings and Fort Knox Five in 2003 and the rest is the history of the last 10 years.
What is a live Fort Knox show like, and what makes up your signature sound?
We come from a live music background. We love performing in the full live band. We try to construct songs that are organic and use lots of live instrumentation. We want songs that can be broken into a live band setting, or can be used to rock a DJ dance party. That is how we approach our signature sound. Performing as a live band has certain gratifications that you cannot achieve in a DJ set. The crowd really focuses on the performance, and you can make a connection with the audience that is unmatched. That being said, there is nothing like rocking a party on four turntables, and truly getting off the grid.
What has influenced you guys from the beginning - any particular bands?
We have always been big fans of hip hop, reggae, punk rock, go-go, funk & soul, classic rock, jazz, and indie rock. Some of our major influences would be James Brown, Ohio Players, Stevie Wonder, Bad Brains, Minor Threat, Eric B & Rakim, A Tribe Called Quest, Jungle Brothers, De La Soul, Run DMC, Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Mad Professor, the Beatles, Jurassic 5, Derrick May, DJ Dan, Scott Henry, Coldcut, Slick Rick, Biz Markie, KRS-1, Jimi Hendrix, The Who, YES, Pink Floyd, Manu Chao, Parliament, Bill Withers, Latryx, and War, to name a few.
Any particular large shows that stand out over the years?
We have played some ridiculous parties and shows in many different countries. Some of the best festivals we have played were in Australia. Good Vibes 2007 and Field Day 2009 were definite highlights for us. Burning Man is also a very special place. The production and setup at some Burning Man gigs are top notch. Amazing visuals and sound. Our favorite DJ type party has to be Shambhala Music Festival in Salmo, BC. The lineup is geared towards DJs, and the party people are ready to throw down. At Shambhala, you have everything you need for the set of your life. Bass Coast Festival in Squamish, PEX Fest in Havre de Grace, Maryland, and The Bounce in Belden are three of our favorite smaller sized festivals. The vibes are unmatched at the smaller festivals! We love that!
Tell me about your label, and some of the big releases.
We spent the last couple of years really focusing on the label, and artists releasing music on Fort Knox. It has been amazing. Since January 2011, we released several full length albums from See-I, Empresarios, All Good Funk Alliance, Nappy Riddem, and Liftoff. When the label started, it was based around Fort Knox Five. We wanted to the label to be based around the Fort Knox Family, and all the DC based artists who represent the sound. Each of the artist albums were big releases for the label. They all received high ratings in the radio and press, and were chart toppers on digital music sites like Itunes, Beatport and Juno.
How do you set up a Fort Knox live DJ set, as apposed to the full live show? What kinds of sounds do you look for in approaching tracks for a night?
For our DJ set, we have been using two mixers and four turntables. It is really fun for us. With four turntables, we can take live mashing up, and mixing to another level. We play songs, drop vocals and effects, and beat loops. We can truly remix on the fly. We absolutely love DJing. It is what got us into electronic music in the first place. Another great thing about DJing is being able to be spontaneous and switch things up at any given time. We are really excited to get back to Richmond. It has been years for us and the All Good Funk Alliance.
Anything special in store for RVA when your guys come with All Good Funk Alliance? Maybe video or performance, something super secret we can get the scoop on?
We plan on bringing a serious funk jam down to Richmond! We love it there, and it has been years. We will be celebrating the release of All Good Funk Alliance's new Jacks of all Trades Remixed Compilation on Fort Knox Recordings. We will be loaded with fresh jams to test on Richmond for the first time. We can't wait!! See you on Friday!
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Fort Knox Five will be in Richmond on Friday, February 22. They'll stop by Turnstyle, located at 102 W. Broad St, for a meet-and-greet at 7 PM that evening, where they'll be signing posters and vinyl. Then it's over to the Canal Club (1545 W. Cary St.), where they'll be headlining an evening of funk, reggae, disco, hip hop, and electronic jams. Also on the bill will be All Good Funk Alliance, Flex Mathews, Groove Status, Hydrophonics, and DJ Phil Dice. It all starts at 9 PM on Friday, February 22. Tickets are $10 in advance, $15 at the door--advance tickets can be ordered HERE. For more info about these events, check out the facebook invites below: