Don’t call Franki Chan a hipster. The DJ-cum-illustrator-cum-label-head has been forging LA’s indie dance scene for the past five years, so at least entitle him to downtown’s arbiter of cool. It was Chan’s record label, IHEARTCOMIX that ignited the careers of indie faves like Matt & Kim and PROTOKOLL while his scenester-laden parties like Fucking Awesome and Check Yo’ Ponytail! brought electro phenoms MSTRKRFT and Justice to the American forefront.
But alas, how about that other Asiatic, mustachioed man of the hour, Steve Aoki? It’s true the two hipster kings were partners before a bitter split back in 2005, but the past two years has seen their hushed rivalry hasten the indie dance world to new heights. One could liken the feud to Jay-Z vs. Nas back in ‘01, except now it’s Chan and Aoki vying to see who reigns supreme on the tight-jeaned, rainbow-hoodied scene. But who’s really winning this battle of the indie b(r)ands? The city of LA, of course.
We suckered Franki Chan into spilling the beans on Aoki, punk rock and tricking unsuspecting hipsters into liking and (gasp) dancing to dance music.
Clubplanet: So it seems like LA is really leading the charge in the US when it comes to this new electro and dance-rock phenomenon. Why so?
Franki Chan: I’m not really sure why the electronic thing blew up in the way that it did. It is kinda odd. I know that we, along with others in town, have been throwing these big dance parties focusing more on punk or indie-rock kids. And we were playing to a crowd that, in the past, would not normally go to dance clubs. From 2003 onward, it’s been building. We brought MSTRKRFT for a show here back in June 2006, and the kids that attended that show came with the idea that they’d be watching a band.
Clubplanet: Ah, because MSTRKRFT’s Jesse F Keeler was from the band, Death from Above 1979?
Franki Chan: Yeah, and because going to see an electronic DJ has never happened here for this scene. On a certain level, no one really liked it. So when MSTRKRFT came for that show, the audience wasn’t really dancing, but watching and thinking, “What is this?” There was a small group of kids in that crowd that loved it, while the rest had no idea what was going on. In October of ‘06, we had the first LA show for Justice, with MSTRKRFT also on the bill. That was the night I think electronic music in Los Angeles really blew up. We had booked that show thinking Justice was really cool, but at the same time we were worried because it was an expensive show and we couldn’t really tell if it was going to work. And when tickets first went on sale, it was pretty slow, then eventually everyone wanted to be at that show. After that, you’d hear Justice and MSTRKRFT everywhere, and we could bring over almost anyone.
Clubplanet: Speaking of MSTRKRFT, I spoke with Jesse, and he’s pretty excited about how technology is changing the industry landscape, making music more accessible to everyone. Where do you want to see this bourgeoning scene heading?
Franki Chan: I’m pretty much in the same frame of mind as he is. For me, I’ve never had any fear of exposing music to a new audience. I’ve only had a fear of doing things that were wrong. We try to do our shows and record label in a way that’s both open to everyone and morally just to the underground. But I have no qualms with an artist going mainstream—I’m also a fan of Jay-Z and Justin and all that stuff. I think over the past year, you’ve really seen the internet and blogs bringing the music and the choice to the masses. And over time, you’ll see those artists rise to the top—I think that that’s great.
Clubplanet: Not to dig up drama, but what’s the real reason you and Steve Aoki parted ways?
Franki Chan: I wish I could say it was a really grand thing, like somebody doing one thing to end it. But in reality, when we began throwing parties, it was a very a new thing here in Los Angeles that grew faster than we expected it to. I don’t think we were quite ready as a team to handle everything going on, so we began fighting, and it just got to a point where we weren’t friends. Unfortunately, since we broke up, we haven’t really had the opportunity to ever really make up, so it keeps going down a darker and darker road.
But I think for everybody else in Los Angeles, they’re the ones that win since he and I are always trying to outdo one another with bigger and better things.
Clubplanet: That’s a positive way to spin it.
Franki Chan: As much as we did really cool things as a team, over the last two years, this war has probably helped to make LA the crazy scene it is now. There has always been this energy and motivation for us like, “He’s doing that shit? Well, fuck that. We have to do this other thing and make it bigger.” I know I always work harder when I feel like I’m threatened or feel like someone else is trying to be number one. Fighting for it makes it better. And you see all these DJs and all these people wanting to come to LA and play because they have so much fun here compared to everywhere else.
Clubplanet: You guys are like Jay-Z and Nas of Los Angeles.
Franki Chan: Yeah exactly. You know, in LA, a lot of kids don’t want to discuss this feud, but I think it’s fun to talk about because it gets people interested. We’ve gotten so much more press on these festivals and shows just because Steve is doing one thing and I’m doing another. So I try and make it loud. Life is short, why not?
Clubplanet: Maybe that’s what cities like New York need, some drama.
Franki Chan: Yeah, New York just needs someone to go there and stir things up. As many cool people and parties are there, it’s been the same people doing it for a long time. Whereas Los Angeles has this craziness about it because electronic music is really new here. No one here has really heard it before, so they’re excited about it and that feeds its energy. In New York, there has always been those parties where people have been exposed to this music and today’s sound is not that different from what’s already been going on there. You need something or someone to say, “Here’s this new exciting thing, c’mon!”
Clubplanet: So where do you see the LA scene heading?
Franki Chan: I would say probably in 2008, you’ll see Los Angeles blow up and die out. And you’ll see the energy shift back to the East Coast. It always goes in waves. I guarantee over this next year, it will eventually wear itself out because it can’t keep this same level.
Clubplanet: If not LA, where would you be?
Franki Chan: Well, the next place I want to go to is New York. I think that for the same reasons I was saying, it’s the one place I’ve always dre
