 "Photo: Photo courtesy of WOnk")
In case you haven’t noticed by now, fidgetfidget is getting big in Austin’s clubs and DJ scene.
For those of you who haven’t experienced fidget’s chaotic deliciousness yet, think big, in-your-face beats, crunchy tones and super-wobbly basslines.
Future Music Productions, co-managed by Colin Doney (DJ Ohno), is hosting the event. The production group swears this weekend is going to bring it hard, and you’d be a fool to miss it.
One particular purveyor of the fidget scene, WoNK, hails from the Midlands in the United Kingdom and is set to destroy subwoofers this weekend at Club Mixx.
Mysteriously, the artist, who also goes by Young Nutz, wouldn’t reveal her full name, but the blonde Briton is nevertheless stoked to come to Austin and bring her fast-paced, dance-inducing mixes to a fidget-hungry crowd.
DT Weekend chatted with WoNK about party playlists, the wobble/fidget scene in England and her addiction to a certain kind of nerd.
DT Weekend: Hi! How are you doing? Thanks so much for interviewing with me. I’m excited to see you do your thing here in Austin. I’d like to know where you’re typing from right now — describe the setting for me.
WoNK: Right now, I’m typing from my hotel room in Whistler [Canada]. Sadly, its not the snow season, but the crowds here are great. I just got back from the gig at Tommie Africas, and it rocked. Lovely mountains with great views. I could sooo live here.
DTW: What’s the significance of your name “WoNK”? I’m guessing it’s because fidget has such wonky basslines?
WoNK: Yeah, its mainly because of the style of music I make and mix up, but people say it’s also ’cause I’m addicted to Wonk Nerds [laughs].
DTW: Your work is incredibly bass-heavy, super-hot stuff. Besides a heavy bassline, what current trends are you seeing in fidget, and do you incorporate them into your own stuff?
WoNK: What I like to do with my music is push things a bit further, to try and work out what may be the next big thing. I don’t like to make all my tunes with the same sound, and I look at things such as the dubstep sound that’s coming out and use bits of that and breaks in my tunes. Plus, of course, the bootlegs of tracks that everyone knows so they have something to connect with.
DTW: Ten years ago, what were you listening to?
WoNK: Garage music mainly and rock, although I still listen to it.
DTW: Who are you drawing inspiration from, musically?
WoNK: I’m currently loving people like Krafty Cuts for the style, and production-wise I have to say Gigi Barocco. I also like to use my garage background and try and add some garage style into tunes to generally just keep things fresh.
DTW: Tell me about the electronic scene in the Midlands — I’ve been researching regional subgenres of music and was really interested in the donk/scouse/bounce scene in the North UK — really corny sometimes, but still interesting nonetheless. Are there any underground scenes the States haven’t been exposed to yet?
WoNK: The Midlands scene is a big mixture of fidget and wobble, and it works really well, but you also have a big trance following and a lot of people are getting into tech house around there. I think the States has all the scenes as far as I’m aware. Fidget is the newest one for people to start understanding and letting in, but as times change there will always be more.
DTW: What equipment/software are you working with?
WoNK: DJ-wise, CDJ-1000s and a DJM-600, and production-wise Logic 9 on my iMac and Macbook Pro, and some tasty KRK monitor speakers.
DTW: What are three tracks every person should have on their playlist for throwing a wild party?
WoNK: It’s a hard one not to say one of mine without sounding big-headed but Young Nutz — “Mixed Nutz” goes down a storm. It’s a mashup booty of six different songs and it just gets people going. I find Defuncts’ remix of “Informer” still smashes it — people love to sing along to that and get down with the dirt. Gigi Barocco’s remix of “Play With It” is another that gets a party started.
DTW: What’s your favorite medium to listen to music in (vinyl, digital, cassette, CD) and why?
WoNK: My iPod, mainly because I move around so much so that’s the one I use most often and I can hook it up to my car. It’s nice listening to vinyl, but there isn’t much fidget on it.
DTW: What’s your Austin agenda?
WonK: I’m down on the 18th, but only for a day just to party with you guys, and then I’m heading off to another place on my tour. I haven’t been before, so I plan to make the most of the party and just get wonky with you guys and girls.
DTW: That’s it! I look forward to seeing you.
WoNK: Can’t wait to be there. Thanks so much for the interview!
WHAT: WoNK w/ Ram-Z, Nate B, Nick EZ, Process
and DJ Ohno
WHEN: Friday, 9 p.m.
WHERE: Clubb Mixx, 612 E. Sixth St.
MORE INFO: www.myspace.com/fmpers
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