Digital Dharma Talks Organic Electronica

Digital Dharma is a four piece electro-jamband from Albany (and a lil Brooklyn) with Aaron on Drums, Eli on the Synth, Jesse on the guitar, and Steve on bass. I got to talk to the latter, Steve, on who Digital Dharma is and what they hope to bring to the EDM community.

Cannedass: How do you make all of those wild sounds with your conventional (non-computer) instruments? Steve: Yeah, it kinda sounds like a DJ, right?


Cannedass: It really does. Without revealing too much, how do exactly do you guys do that?


Steve: Well it’s ahh… talent, I guess. Haha


Cannedass: Haha. Talent. Works for me, I believe it!


Steve: I don’t know, I’m not hating on DJ’s, but everybody’s a DJ’s now and anyone can push a button. Not many people are playing in bands. We’re just trying to make an actual live electronica experience with instruments. A lot of people these days are doing a lot of computers. But right now we have no computers, no beat or drum machines, nothing electronic besides our synthesizer. Right now we’re more organic. Not putting much more into it. We have what we have and we make music with it.


Cannedass: And how long have you guys been playing together? Did you know each other before then? Steve: Actually it will be a year this March. Our drummer and our synth player have known each other for a few years, they got to SUNY Albany right now. They found me on Craigslist…


Cannedass: Oh wow, and you didn’t kill them… that’s a good start.


Steve: No, what I do kill is the bass! Haha I murder the bass!

Cannedass: The Craigslist Bass Murderer!


Steve: We found our guitar player on Craigslist as well. He was a good find, a key find. We really got lucky it doesn’t happen very often to find that kinda talent on Craigslist.

Cannedass: When you guys came together did you all have the same idea to make organic Electronic music? Steve: Yeah. We all came together for the same reasons.


Cannedass: Who are you influences?


Steve: We all have different backgrounds so we all have different input on everything. It’s a lot of genres put together. Live electronica dub fusion. But we’re into like, The Disco Biscuits, STS9, The New Deal, and The Guerillas. We’re trying to get a more Shpongle like sound kind of tribal. We put a lot of things together and make it work. It’s always a good time.

Cannedass:You play a lot of live shows I noticed.


Steve: Yeah, we’re working on getting in the studio, getting some stuff out, the sooner the better. We’re really looking forward to playing some festivals this season.


Cannedass: What can we expect Tonight at the Dry Dock?


Steve: A lot of energy. We bring a lot of energy and I like to dance so I’m pretty much dancing while I play. I may be in the crowd at some point just dancing with everyone while I play. We’re a good time. Hopefully everyone’s drinking and loosened up a bit nice and early. We’re going on at 8:30 so we’re getting it started!!

Cannedass: Do you have any shout outs upcoming shows?
 
Steve: ‘Yo Mom! What it is?!’… haha Um ...We’ve been working with Greg Bell out in Albany, he’s a big promoter and booking agent. He hooked us up with Biodiesel and that was a huge success! They’re a great band to play with just because they’re so developed and world renowned. I’m happy that Greg hooked us up with that. Also Deathwaltz Media Group from Philly hooked us up with a sweet 420 show at Triumph Brewery and we’re playing March 15th, next Thursday, with Psychedelphia.


Cannedass: Well that’s it folks. If you’re in the PA area check out one of the upcoming shows, If you’re Upstate get you’re ass out to Digital Friday at The Dry Dock in Newburgh! Check out the fb. Watch the blog. And as always…

  Feel Free to be Free! 
<3Cannedass

 Upstate Productions Presents: Electric Fridays 

 Where: Dry Dock 90 Broadway Newburgh NY 12550 

 When: March 9,2012 Time: 8:00pm-4:00am 

 18 TO ENTER (BEFORE 12am) YOU CAN STAY AFTER 12…

 21 TO DRINK MUST HAVE ID! 

Lineup: -Chris Bale- http://soundcloud.com/Livinthedream-records https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1453921075

 -Digital Dharma- http://digitaldharmalive.bandcamp.com/ https://www.facebook.com/ddddharma www.soundcloud.com/digitaldharma

 -J. Demonic- www.facebook.com/jasondemonic

-Digital Hot Sauce- http://soundcloud.com/search?q%5Bfulltext%5D=digital+hot+sauce 

 -M?M?- http://soundcloud.com/tim-sullivan-2 www.facebook.com/tonethedon www.twitter.com/timsullivan13

 -R.P.M.- www.soundcloud.com/RPMMUSIC http://www.facebook.com/rpmhypnosis 

-DJ Dueces- http://www.facebook.com/pages/DJ-Dueces/278686542185527?ref=ts https://twitter.com/#!/DaveyDefinition 

 -Heat Generator- http://soundcloud.com/dj-bronzejaker­ ­ 

 Body Paining will be there!!! Fore more info go to..... https://www.facebook.com/events/317878448270420/ 

 Partners/Sponsors -Dry Dock-

http://www.facebook.com/drydocknightclub