Fireside Chat

The Gaslamp Killer

Brainfeeder, Low End Theory, LA

Hailing from sunny San Diego, William Benjamin Bensussen aka The "Mutherf@@kin'" Gaslamp Killer as he likes to call himself has quickly become a highly sought after beat maestro. Relocating to Los Angeles in 2005, he became the resident DJ at Daddy Kev's infamous Low End Theory parties and a cohort of Flying Lotus and the Brainfeeder crew, which should give you an idea of his cerebral sound - a master of dark, swampy funk, with murderous drums and sounds from beyond. The scourge of gaslamps everywhere is an integral part of the burgeoning LA beat scene alongside the likes of Daedelus, Nobody, Samiyam and Flying Lotus. Once let lose on two turntables and a mic, The Gaslamp Killer gets wild and nutty, wrecking the decks like animal minus the soft Muppet facade. Un-easy listening, like wax torture full of bass and rib rattling energy. The term next level shit has rarely been more fitting as the man has definitely created a muscial niche for himself. His mindblowing mix CD 'I Spit on Your Grave' covers everything from wonky breaks, twisted funk, neck breaking hip hop, evil dubstep, psychedelic world sounds, and dope beats from outer space - also released as a box set on Obey Records with artwork from label boss and street-art phenomenon Shepard Fairey. Watch out for further collaborations with Flying Lotus and new releases on Brainfeeder and Warp. In this Fireside Chat Will talks about the extended LA scene and its various offsprings, how Cali's rave scene mingled with hip hop on desert ground and how battlemixing made him ready to face the crowd judging every DJ like real judges do. Witness the wonky wunderkind.