Dizzy Miles

Tony Coke: Your music is hard to define! It’s electronic, do you have any specific genre you like to claim as your own?

Dizzy Miles: Yes, I call my music dance/funk. The track “Dark Elegance”, I classify as classical hip hop. I’m a big fan of Henry Mancinni, Burt Bacharac, George Clinton and Joe Zawinul. I take my 20th century influences and bring them into the present.

Tony Coke: You have quite a few songs available online. It looks like several songs are on multiple EP’s or LP, and available as singles. Is there a specific strategy you are using in doing that?

Dizzy Miles: The single comes first and then the EP. Or my producer, Doug Cash, will combine tracks from multiple singles or EPs to make an album. Hopefully, it keeps it interesting for the listener.

Tony Coke: I would think many of your tracks would be appealing to TV and Film music directors. Have you have any tracks licensed, and is that something you consider when creating tracks or albums?

Dizzy Miles: I simply write, arrange and record what comes to me through a myriad of inspirations.
My label, Pryor 2 What ? Records, recently signed a non exclusive licensing agreement with Producer Content for cable and network television, independent and feature films and games.
We’re very excited to see where the music is going to land and in which medium.Being non exclusive gives you the option to license with multiple outlets internationally.

Tony Coke: How long have you been creating music and do you perform live?

Dizzy Miles: Back in 2000, I was exposed to the band ” Deep Forest “. That was my main motivation to start writing and recording. That experience also triggered memories of some of my favorite arrangements. Like 1984 by The Eurythmics and Animals by Pink Floyd. I wanted to take those sonic themes of space and depth and apply them to my arrangements.When it comes to playing live I have little to no interest. I’m happiest as a studio musician working for Pryor 2 What ? Records.
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Tony Coke: What is up on deck next for Dizzy Miles and what is the best way for people to get a hold of your music ?

Dizzy Miles: Right now we’re just spit balling ideas for 2016. Maybe a compilation that combines tracks from all of my releases.Tentatively entitled: Cyclamen.
You can find my catalog at cdbaby. http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/DizzyMiles

Brownies Interview

I really love getting to know bands and musicians around the world! Besides opening doors for new travel opportunities, you get the chance to learn about new cultures. The internet exposes us to new music and cultures that we would never have an opportunity to experience, unless we were world travelers, and I’m glad BandsRising.com can help make that happen.

Brownies are a band from Israel, a part of the world where I’ve never been, and all I see about it are war updates on CNN. It’s really refreshing to know that it’s not all guns and bombs, and there is music being played there.

Tony Coke: Who are the Brownies? Why do you create music? Give us a quick history run down.

Brownies: Brownies are a band that was formed in 2006 . Today there are 2 members. Efrat Darky and Oded Adar.
We are from Israel. In a village called Bat Hen. We create music because it’s our call. We do believe this is our mission on planet earth. That’s why we are so observant in our songs and melody and lyrical vibration.

Tony Coke: I think it’s so great to see musician emerging from other countries. What is the music scene like locally in Israel?

Brownies: There is a huge amount of musicians that create in English and touring around the world. We are cooperating with musicians from other places as well .

Tony Coke: How have political conflicts with other countries effected your music and other musicians in Israel?

Brownies: Music has no borders at all. We come with our wide open intentions and we get many fans from many countries. Including Iran. Of course there are some exceptions. Yet there are so little I wouldn’t like to give them the stage.

Tony Coke: Are the majority of your fans located near you, or have you been able to target other markets with the internet?

Brownies: Good question mate. Well. our fans comes by the hundreds from South America ESPECIIALY due to a TV series “SPLIT” that we are in, in it’s SOUNTRACK. Yet you can also see fans from Hong Kong, France, ECT…

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Tony Coke: Wow that’s awesome!! Congratulations on the song placement. What are your current goals and what is coming up next for Brownies?

Brownies: We really like to vibrate as much as we can dream. We do dream big☺ yet we are having our next album in Hebrew. We love touring so Hebrew will be easier. So far we traveled with our music to Germany and Gibraltar. We are aiming to tour as much as we can.

Tony Coke: Very cool! Such a pleasure talking with you from around the globe. Best of luck to the Brownies.

You hear the Brownies catalog of music on Bandcamp.
https://brownies1.bandcamp.com/album/desert-island

Also, check out their YouTube channel:
http://youtube.com/drarky

No Step – Artist Interview

Tony Coke: You’ve been making electronic music a while now… Do you feel it’s easier now, with the advancement of audio editing software?

No Step: Definitely. But there’s such an abundance of options and things you can do now that you gotta work hard not to get lost. Every plugin and piece of gear comes with thousands of presets and gigabytes of samples, and each one of them is so deep you barely use 10% of what they can do. Things were harder a few years ago, but the limitations forced you to learn just how far you could abuse your toys.

Tony Coke: I listen to a lot of music these days and think, “that dude has probably never picked up a real instrument in his life”. I don’t get that feeling when I listen to NoStep. Do you also play traditional instruments, or is it strictly mouse and keyboard for you?

No Step:My first instrument was the computer, way back in the 90s running Impulse Tracker on DOS. I started playing drums a few years later and I can fake my way on keyboards and guitars, but I’m honestly not that good at any of those. Since the beginning I was always more interested in textures and how the same instrument can sound different depending on how it’s played, recorded and so on. That’s why I love samplers in general; I can build a beat using drums from the 90s, bass from the 70s and a subway train as percussion.

Tony Coke: How has relocating from Brazil to Toronto changed your music? I would imagine your influences would change dramatically.

No Step:Music is still a surprisingly regional thing and most indie Canadian artists are unknown elsewhere. Everything you hear influences what you do, so yes, there was definitely a change.

But the biggest change was realizing there’s space for pretty much any kind of music in Toronto. People in Brazil can be incredibly conservative in this aspect, and there’s an inexplicable prejudice against anything that isn’t typically Brazilian. As someone non-typical, I’ve never really felt at home there, so moving to Toronto was liberating in this aspect. The only thing that bothers me is how people don’t dance!

Tony Coke: Your have a show coming up July 17th with the RAW: natural born artists organization. It sounds like a mix of all kinds of art. How did that partnership come about? Did they reach out to you, you reached out to them?? Have you done a show similar to this before?

No Step:I did a show at Nocturne a while ago with a few local artists and Michelle was performing with her Mantragora project (The Databats and Iderdown were also there). I didn’t know she was connected to RAW by then – only that she played a killer minimal techno set using vintage hardware. I connected the dots when the opportunity to submit material for RAW:Glimpse came up, so it was a very serendipitous thing.

I’ve played festivals and showcases with past projects, but I’ve never been part of anything as diverse as RAW. I’m really excited for it!
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Tony Coke: What’s the rest of 2015 have in store for No Step and what’s the best way for people to connect with you?

No Step:I’ve started doing livecasts from my studio recently, sometimes performing and sometimes geeking out about production. There will be a new EP soon(ish), and definitely more gigs.

You can find everything No Step at http://nostep.ca, and I’m @nostepmusic on Twitter and Instagram. Oh, and buy tickets for RAW:Glimpse at http://rawartists.org/nostep!

Tony Coke: Thanks for catching up with us and all the best on your upcoming gig and ‘Arctic Summer’!

If you happen to be in the Toronto area, here’s the info on the No Step show:
RAW:natural born artists Toronto presents GLIMPSE
July 17th at the Virgin Mobile Mod Club, 722 College St.

A multi-media showcase featuring Toronto’s best talent in Music, Film, Fashion, Visual Art, Photography, Dance, Performing Art, Hair and Makeup
An interactive event where audience members should expect to be entertained! Sip on a glass of wine, watch performances and walk around the labyrinth of art displays!

RAW also has events around the world I believe, definitely all around North America.
They combine visual, audio, and other forms of art to create a different kind of event, to stimulate your artistic receptors in multiple ways.
Check them out at http://rawartists.org

She Lion – Ariel de Lion Interview

To make it in today’s music industry, you have to think big and have your hands in many different things. Brooklyn based, Ariel de Lion, is a prime example of this. With radio, multiple music projects, as well as multiple businesses, he’s a busy guy, so I’m thankful to have gotten a few minutes of his time.

Tony Coke: I was up in Brooklyn at CMJ a few years ago and it seems like a cool scene. Has that been growing or evolving lately?

Ariel De Lion: Yup, things have changed dramatically in the past 2 years of 2013-2014. With a massive gentrification going on in Bushwick and Bed stuy. The good part about it is that we basically almost never go to Manhattan anymore, its all here.

Tony Coke: For other musicians out there, what would you say is the #1 most effective marketing technique you’ve utilized to spread the word about She-Lion?

Ariel De Lion:She Lion will be my 7 studio album and maybe the 10th Musical project im leading in the past 20 years of doing Music. Each project have different marketing approach, if its an underground Piece like “Hostel Ayalon”, its goes best by email lists and mouth to ear. If its Hard Rock like De Lion’s “Trash, Birds? Rats. Idea!” it goes best with a Label so most of the effort goes to find one. Here’s in She Lion its EDM with live instrument which probably will go best with good youtube video and lots of shows… will see…

Tony Coke: What is it in music that you just couldn’t live without?

Ariel De Lion: Good one, I have no idea… I’m doing Music since I’m 8 years old. Seriously I think I just have to do it, like eating, sleeping and fucking… making music and writing stories. Make me wanna live a lil bit more…

Tony Coke: Do you handle the website and social media yourself? It looks great, someone in the band must be a graphic artist.

Ariel De Lion: We have an amazing Graphic designer, Jason Naylor that came up with all the amazing graphics for She Lion, also Naty Tea took amazing Photoshoots for the cover with the first She Lion, Victoria Elizabeth, @Gypsyfoot, modeling and body painted by Badder Israel. So for your question, good stuff are never one person mindset, its a team.

Tony Coke: What’s coming up and what goals are set to be accomplished the second half of 2015?
Ariel De Lion: Apart from She Lion, I am working now on a collection documentary and a Record, that will sum up the 2-3 years we lived in The Music Wagon StART up collective in Bushwick 2011-2013, 150 people, artists, DJ’s, visionary preachers were living there along those 2 magical years and the Blue Bus. Emerging from the Lower East Side, The Living Theatre, LES.FM radio, the Ludlow studio, Mr. Bugsly present and the Rainbow gathering along with the House Of Yes across the street, Aldorado Afters with Burymeinbrooklyn under our shaking asses. I got so much materials and finally i got the time to work on something to remember, super excited. Gonna be super real s**t!

Tony Coke: Sounds like you’ve got your plate full! Best of luck and we’ll look for some cool shit coming out of Brooklyn this year.

Ariel de Lion is an Israeli-American, Brooklyn based Artist, Musician and Entrepreneur. As both a conceptualist, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist, Ariel has led several musical and Art projects most known by DE///LION, Punk hapoalim, Casino Ayalon, She Lion and Hostel Ayalon. Best known for his Multidisciplinary approach, He is also the creative force and founder of the Start-up company and Brooklyn Art collective, Music Wagon. The founder of the Lower East Side radio station, LES.FM at the Ludlow Studio and The founder of Hostel Ayalon, non-for-profit venue in Tel Aviv, Israel.

http://she-lion.com
facebook.com/shelioninbed