The Red Bull Music Academy is a multi-layered conference / marathon studio session / festival / all-out musical extravaganza, celebrating the pioneers of what we call club culture today – and showcase those who will be soundtracking our summer nights in years to come. With the 15th edition currently underway in New York City, we teamed up with them for a series of exclusive mixes by artists from their stellar roster of graduates, covering the full spectrum of electronic dance music and beyond. For this sixth edition we present a mix from Bay Area boogie master and Frite Nite crew member B. Bravo.
Syl Johnson - "Is it Because I'm Black". An amazing album. I only bought a reissue though.First concert you went to?
Tower Of Power at Monterey Jazz Festival in like '97. I was blown away. Everybody was dancing instead of sitting down like they did for the other groups.What did you want to be as a child?An artist. I loved painting and drawing. I remember our 3rd grade teacher asking us this question and I said I wanted to be an artist because then I could do anything I wanted, travel anywhere, be anyone - by painting it.3 words that describe the sound of the West Coast?
Colorful, Sensual, Cool.Your favorite piece of equipment and why?
I gotta say my Arp Odyssey. It's a vintage analog synth from 1976. It just has a sound that is very expressive for me. It's like my voice. I use it on almost every track in one way or another.Favorite cartoon character?
Bugs Bunny. He's a G. Always cool, sidesteppin' Elmer Fudd and munchin' on a carrot like it's no thang.Who's your number one dream collaborator, dead or alive?
Steve Spacek. He's my favorite vocalist. If I could go back in time, I'd say Marvin Gaye. Best voice of all time in my opinion.Star Trek or Star Wars?
Wars. No question. I used to think I was Luke Skywalker as a kid. Re-enacting scenes from the movies.What would your ideal tour bus look like?
Pinky's Limo from Next Friday.You've had your worst hangover from drinking…?
…and smoking till 8am in Berlin. Oh man. That was a rough morning. Had to get to the train station off of 1 hour of sleep. Didn't think I was gonna make it through that one.What song would soundtrack your liftoff into space?
Either "Soul Kitchen" by The Doors or "Fame" by David Bowie.Any last words?
Big shouts to RBMA for always keeping it fresh and doing great things. Best wishes to all the 2013 Academy folks!
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If you're looking for the funk, the Bay Area is generally a good place to start your search. And if you're looking for the funk in the Bay Area, chances are you will stumble across the music of B. Bravo - Red Bull Music Academy graduate, Frite Nite crew-member, and professional synth-enthusiast. The off-beat warble of his weapon will have you bobbing to his beat before you can even give it a thought. A handful of frantically funky EPs since 2009 shall serve as your evidence base. At this moment, the man born as Adam Mori is probably riding his beach buggy somewhere close to the Golden Gate Bridge. Or he might be in the studio, finishing up his very first solo LP. Or he might be in Los Angeles, putting in some work on Salva's album. Wherever he may be, you can bet that B. Bravo is definitely rocking some funky-ass shades as you're reading this. Get into the groove with this mix and look out for Adam's new release on London's Eglo Records dropping soon.What's the first record you remember buying?
Syl Johnson - "Is it Because I'm Black". An amazing album. I only bought a reissue though.First concert you went to?
Tower Of Power at Monterey Jazz Festival in like '97. I was blown away. Everybody was dancing instead of sitting down like they did for the other groups.What did you want to be as a child?An artist. I loved painting and drawing. I remember our 3rd grade teacher asking us this question and I said I wanted to be an artist because then I could do anything I wanted, travel anywhere, be anyone - by painting it.
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Colorful, Sensual, Cool.Your favorite piece of equipment and why?
I gotta say my Arp Odyssey. It's a vintage analog synth from 1976. It just has a sound that is very expressive for me. It's like my voice. I use it on almost every track in one way or another.Favorite cartoon character?
Bugs Bunny. He's a G. Always cool, sidesteppin' Elmer Fudd and munchin' on a carrot like it's no thang.Who's your number one dream collaborator, dead or alive?
Steve Spacek. He's my favorite vocalist. If I could go back in time, I'd say Marvin Gaye. Best voice of all time in my opinion.Star Trek or Star Wars?
Wars. No question. I used to think I was Luke Skywalker as a kid. Re-enacting scenes from the movies.What would your ideal tour bus look like?
Pinky's Limo from Next Friday.You've had your worst hangover from drinking…?
…and smoking till 8am in Berlin. Oh man. That was a rough morning. Had to get to the train station off of 1 hour of sleep. Didn't think I was gonna make it through that one.What song would soundtrack your liftoff into space?
Either "Soul Kitchen" by The Doors or "Fame" by David Bowie.Any last words?
Big shouts to RBMA for always keeping it fresh and doing great things. Best wishes to all the 2013 Academy folks!