THE POWER OF THE DANCE SIDE

1 on 1 with BASS YARD'S KHAFARA RUDDER

If you are a follower of the REDM community you may have seen talks of BASS YARD on our Facebook and Twitter pages, or maybe you have just been hearing whispers of this awesome underground movement. To get a little deeper into the subject we tracked down the BASS YARD head honcho Khafra Rudder to find out exactly what thing is all about.

So what exactly is BASS YARD and how did it start out?

BASS YARD is a response to monotony really. Every party I went to was predictable, the same DJ’s playing the same billboard top 50 in their sets. My friends and I LOVE music and we would prefer hunting and digging for original music on the internet that we've never heard before rather than just taking what we got. We realized through the years that we weren't alone. I started heavily listening to electronic music in 2006. The first time I saw the possibilities of an actual future for this genre in Trinidad was after a rock concert believe it or not ("Lockdown" Prive Car Park) where they played EDM after the show. I just got so fed up and bored. There were cool things happening still like Studio on Ariapita Ave, Twisted Thursdays, Euphoria Sessions etc. and I’d go to those events or just house parties. I’m not a DJ but I got so fed up of what I was hearing I started to DJ, mainly to show people what de ass I was talking about. There was more danceable music out there than the norm and not just EDM.

DARTH VADER VOICE - "If they only knew the power of the dance side"

In your opinion where do you think the EDM/CDM culture is at right now in T&T?

I think when I drove through the ghetto and heard them blasting EDM from a bar and people were dancing on the corner I realized that things and times were changing. When I walk to my car and hear Jack U feat Justin Bieber blasting from the hills of Cocorite I knew there was a shift. I think the momentum is definitely there, with events like Life in Color etc., and loads of talented local producers and DJ’s like Bass Gang, Andy Himself, Jus Now, Colony Dubstep, System 32 etc., I think we're in good hands.

Do you think though that it’s a real appreciation for actual EDM music or “Trinis” just following the rest of the world?

I think it's a mix of both but if someone has never been into EDM and jumps on the bandwagon and enjoys themselves they become converted. The whole world is speaking, we're all following each other to the point where genres will be “douglarized” and mixed up in a crazy way. Mixed babies are the cutest “wink emoticon” But lemme stress on the more females need to start djing. Anybody who wants to walk up to DJ’s and tell them what to play should just buy some decks and start practicing instead of pulling out their phone and bothering the DJ.

What’s next for Bass Yard?

BASS YARD will be everywhere soon. We plan on moving it around the country and hopefully regionally if we get the opportunity. We will always come back to home base which is the Big Black Box. I like the idea of popping up in random places and creating havoc. Can I say that a big part of the BASS YARD experience is the visual element. Special thanks to our partners North Eleven for their wicked projections.

I’m really excited about the first anniversary on November 13th in collaboration with green screen, the environmental film series.MADMAX 2 then MAD BASS TO THE MAX. Oh can I also say that BASS YARD will never be pretty, there will always be an element of grime to it. An underground feel something you're not supposed to be doing.

Article by Sean Doobay-Worrell