Interview : Franki Chan

Franki Chan is a popular American DJ who started IHEARTCOMIX, a brand that is a record label, event production company, blog, and a marketing company based in LA. Last year at SXSW, IHEARTCOMIX paired with Philly-based record label Mad Decent to put on a free three-day showcase that many considered to be the best of the festival. This year, in addition to its own showcase, IHEARTCOMIX put on a two night after party with NYC-based record label, Fool’s Gold, called PAST YO’ BEDTIME. Music-News.com caught Franki Chan after his March 18th DJ set there.

Music-News.com: IHEARTCOMIX events at SXSW, and its parties in LA, have a reputation for assembling bills with the best up and coming talent. What informs your booking decisions?

Franki Chan: It’s always been about positive music, fun music. It doesn’t matter what genre an artist is. It has more to do with what they are about.

MN: What UK and European artists have you booked early on?

FC: Switch, Metronomy, Futurecop!, Ocelot, Simian Mobile Disco, to name a few.

MN: How has your current party in LA been going compared to others in the past, and do you see that going further in to the future?

FC: Check Yo’ Ponytail has been going great. The original Check Yo’ Ponytail ran from 2006 to 2008, and then stopped, and we brought it back in late 2010. So far we’ve had seven shows, most of which have been sold out, and we’re planning on expanding it. We’re going to do a Check Yo’ Ponytail tour in the fall, and from there we eventually hope to bring it to other countries.

MN: Which music scene you’ve experienced has been your favorite, and why?

FC: I think my favorite, honestly, is this current scene (in LA), because it’s not currently any one thing. It’s not just a punk scene, or dance scene. Everything is mixing. I’m able to draw from different groups of people that are doing like-minded things but in different genres, and bounce around and bring them together, which is why this current scene is the most fun.

MN: As a tastemaker, what are some acts you think our UK readership would enjoy discovering?

FC: TheDeathSet (Australia) are amazing. Teen Girl Fantasy (Ohio). Big Freedia (New Orleans). Pictureplane (Colorado).

MN: How would you compare the American and European electronic scenes?

FC: The whole European dance music scene is a built-in industry and artists that are in that scene are making music that is building on established things. In the US, it’s very different in the sense that to really make it here as an artist you have to make your own sound and build it.

MN: How would you define IHEARTCOMIX for someone who is unfamiliar?

FC: The main purpose of IHEARTCOMIX is to find new, cool things, whether it’s music, movies, stuff, people, and try and push them.

www.iheartcomix.com/
www.youtube.com/user/frankichan
twitter.com/frankichan
http://www.facebook.com/pages/IHEARTCOMIX-RECORDS/23713874733

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