Feature: Wasted Youth start Chicago’s house revolution

Feature: Wasted Youth start Chicago’s house revolution

22 October, 2008 | 6.42AM

• Written by: Sarah Olson
• Filed under: Music News: audio soul project, dotbleep, fresh meat, justin long, mazi, wasted chicago youth

Everybody knows about Chicago’s rich history of house music, but Chi-town has been relatively quiet as of late. 

All that is set to change, thanks to Wasted Chicago Youth, who are promising no less than a revolution.

They aim to “fight crime in the audio community”, and despite their comic book superhero approach to the subject of rejuvenating Chicago’s house scene, they’re taking it damn seriously. 

Beatportal decided to grab Mazi and Justin Long to discuss the impetus for this new collaboration, how they’re starting to unify the Chi-town scene once again, and why house music is like the Yiddish language.

You two have been moving from strength to strength with the recent launch of Wasted Chicago Youth and both releases ‘I-Speak’ and ‘Cuckoo Clocked’ under that moniker garnering support from across the board.  What was your inspiration for creating Wasted Chicago Youth?

Mazi: Wasted Chicago Youth is a back to the future concept. It’s been a way to turn our friendship into a professional and creative relationship.

We’ve known each other for years and like so many people in this city, we talked forever about getting together and doing something, and here we finally are.

Justin: The inspiration for WCY is a collage of ideas. It’s part anti hero, part super villain, part house and part techno.

Mazi and I, both being fans of the sci-fi world and comic books, drew a lot of inspiration from these things along with many of our musical inspirations that go from Velvet Underground to E.S.G. and King Tubby to Nitzer Ebb.

We feel that there is something missing in the American dance music scene; and for too long there have been people trying to fit square pegs into round holes.

It sounds like you have a firm vision, but what is it exactly?

Mazi: The idea is to take what Chicago has given us musically and combine it with our global inspirations; we want to take our Chicago heritage into the future.

The name of the group WCY is a statement about the years we’ve spent partying, DJing, dancing and being lost in the music of our home town.

WCY is a way to tell our common musical story.

Justin: This and the state of affairs that the world finds itself in today is what WCY is a reaction to.. it’s a revolution in sound!

A revolution? How did you two rebels develop this alliance?

Justin: Mazi and I go back like rocking chairs.... We grew up in the scene together here in Chicago and we have watched the scene go from where it once was to where it is now.

About a year ago we were at a night named Mamby that a mutual friend puts on here in the city and we were talking about where the scene is going and where the Chicago sound is.

We then came up with the idea of us forming a super team kinda like the Avengers but it became more of a Batman and Robin duo, and we have been fighting crime in the audio community ever since.

Mazi: Yeah, we go back 15 years or more. Justin had a residency at a club about half a block away from a loft I lived in back in ‘96 or so.

Last year when we originally talked about collaborating, the idea was to spark a Chicago renaissance; the long term goal is still the same.

We want to get as many local heads involved as we can.

When we finally did get together and started working in the studio, we waited until we had eight tracks completely finished before deciding what to release, where and when.

We try to be very conscious and deliberate about the music we write and how it’s presented to the public.

You’ve both been in the game for quite some time and have seen the Chicago house scene go through several changes. Some people say that Chicago reached its heyday and is no longer the thriving mecca that it was back in the day. What’s your take on this?

Mazi: Our local music scene enjoyed quick and easy success for many years and the people at the helm in many instances took advantage of the artists they worked with.

That harbored lots of mistrust among local producers and DJs. In effect, everyone was out for themselves.

As I’m sure you can imagine, even if you have lots of talented, creative people in a scene like we do here in Chicago, if there’s no cooperation the thing as a whole eventually suffers.

Any successful creative scene has to come from a group either directly or tangentially working together.

At least we have to be aware of what others are doing in our own city. The Chicago scene for too long has been a large collection of incredibly talented individuals who want nothing to do with each other in a substantial way.

Our goal is to change that. Get people out of their cocoons. At least in talking with our cohorts it seems they feel the same way. Now we’re starting to see the beginnings of this like-mindedness turning into action.

Justin: History will always repeat itself. If you look at some of the music that is on the shelves today there is a very heavy Chicago influence around.

There are some wicked producers that have caught our attention lately like Agnes and Nick Curly who have this awesome house sound that takes a heavy influence from the old Chez Damier and Ron Trent days, which we see as the foundations of what we call tech house today.

As long as this sound lives on the airwaves it will never die and it will always change form like a chameleon. House is a shape-shifting form.

Evolution is understandable, but what shade is Chicago’s scene in now?

Justin: Right now I feel like Chicago house stands as strong as it ever did...like the track that says, “It’s a feeling” and it’s only as strong as you make it in your own heart and it draws influence from all over the world and beyond.

As long as the Smart Bar stands and the community spreads the word, it will always live strong.

Since you sowed the seeds of your revolution, what changes have you seen to the Chicago house scene?

Justin: Like I said before, the house sound is a shape-shifter.

I have seen it go from just a simple drum machine loop like the old Virgo Trax days to the tweaks of acid house to the dawn of Detroit techno then into the raves then back to the clubs.

It leaves spawns wherever it goes and it’s a universal language that is bound to change from one creator’s view to another.

It’s like Yiddish in a way, it started out as Hebrew but as others from other countries spoke it, a little Russian was added, then a little Polish, then a little German, and before you knew it you had a whole new language that was still part of the father language but also its own thing.

Mazi: It’s interesting how my original Chicago house influences were so eclectic and open minded.

A typical DJ set from someone like Spencer Kincey back in 1990 would have as much techno or synth pop in it as it would tribal or soulful or vocal house, or even obscure disco tracks.

At some point in the late ‘90s that all changed. Boompty reigned supreme at one end and the other side, the scene was on lockdown with deep soulful house. 

I don’t understand how it was that DJs and producers who had for years kept an open mind all of the sudden became militant one sound later.

Maybe it was because the rest of the world was catching up creatively and people felt the need to specifically define themselves.

It’s just a strange sensation for me because I’ve always welcomed change and think it’s the only way to keep music fresh and relevant.

Still, Chicago house has been influenced from all over the world.

Where are those influences from regionally, do you think?

Mazi: The old school cats I think took as much inspiration from German and Japanese acts like Kraftwerk or YMO as they did from Larry Levan edits and Arthur Russell disco odysseys.

Those of us in the new school are still doing the same really.

The tracks Justin and I work on could be influenced by any point in time or space; a track might have remembrances of Planet E or KMS classics or it might contain some deep house shuffle hats ala Classic Man or Mood II Swing or clicks and pops subconsciously Herbert-inspired or a simple single note string-line like our brother-in-arms DJ Sneak would do.

It might be that a track we write has nothing in it from one of our influences except for our common vibe and energy.

Apart from you two, which other up-and-comers should we should keep an eye out for in carrying on the Chicago house legacy?

Justin: There is a lot of good noise going on...DJ Sativa, Santiago and Bushido and Brian Heath and Empathy Boxx are all on the up and up as DJs and producers. There are a few labels to keep an eye on like Siteholder or Traxx’s Nation or James Amato’s Potty Mouth.

Those are just a few examples of the direction this city is going in.

Mazi: I like Nathan Drew Larsen, Kyle Szmurlo, Billy Dalessandro, Brian Ffar, Slutbox, Angel Alanis, Frank Solano, and the boys Justin mentioned are doing it proper too.

Of course let’s not forget that people like Derrick Carter, Diz, Heather, Johnny Fiasco and Mark Grant are still here and going strong.

I think people need to keep an eye on Chicago ‘cause the sleeping giant is about to wake up!

Apart from the sleeping giant of Chicago, where in the world is doing it for you, these days?

Mazi: House music is more global than it’s ever been.

It’s really hard to pick a region but for example there are South American producers that are blowing me away.

A few Canadian producers are doing some incredible things.

There’s a whole new school of English producers defining and redefining futuristic house and tech sounds.

I love the back-to-roots movement in Germany right now; eschewing trickery for musicianship and technique.

I’m happy to say there are some old and new Americans that are making better music than they’ve done in years.

It’s an exciting time to play and love house music.

Justin: There are great places all over the world. I have been amazed everywhere I go to see different people come together for a common thirst of electronic revolution!

A place to go find peace in the noise…

What’s next for Wasted Chicago Youth?

Justin: We already have our next .dotbleep EP about finished up.

Then we are going to start work on a Nathan Drew Larsen remix on Fresh Meat and we also have a 12-inch in the bag for Gene Farris’ label Farris Wheel Recordings.

We’re also preparing for our first live show in December at Smart Bar here in Chicago.

Mazi: Lots of cool things on the horizon.

The .dotbleep follow-up is a concept EP pushing further our whole theme of musical and social revolution.

It’s going to be a three-tracker; two instrumental tracks and one featuring a speech by a certain civil rights activist we admire.

The remix we’re doing for Nathan is of a track called “Gotahavejor Love” which came out on Fresh Meat back in 2005.

Our version will be part of the ‘When Bad People Cook Good Food’ compilation album coming out on Fresh Meat next year.

I’m really charged up about the Farris Wheel release too.

I’ve loved Gene’s work and his label for years so it’s a real honor to join his camp.

More things are in the works but I think it would be a premature to spill the beans about them right now.

How about for Mazi and Justin individually?

Mazi: Well, I have several new Audio Soul Project and Mazi productions and remixes coming in the months ahead.

I also have an Audio Soul Project live show I’m taking on the road next year.

My latest bits will appear on NRK Sound Division, Circle Music, Dessous, Mood Music, Dieb Audio, OM Records and of course our labels .dotbleep and Fresh Meat.

No rest for the wicked, you know!

Justin: Right now I have my .dotbleep residency at Smart Bar that has been going over seven years strong.

Also preparing for the next year of .dotbleep recordings and some solo productions in ‘09 as well.

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