Lowpro Lounge has been featured in many publications, both print and online such as The San Francisco Chronicle, The SF Bay Guardian, SF Station, and Nitevibe.
11/09/07 24 Hours Music Blog The five-piece American band Lotus have been around for eight years and their sound is best described as a fusion between experimental post-rock (think Trans Am and Tortoise), with an indie touch to it, and electronic dance music. They've built up a following through massive touring of the US, Canada, and Japan and have become famous for their energetic live sets, that always provide the crowd with an extraordinary audio visual experience.
November 6th saw the release of the new album from the band, entitled Copy Paste Repeat: Lotus Remixed, that´s actually a remix album where people like Juan Maclean (of DFA fame), Pnuma Trio, Lotus´own J Miller, and Lymbyc Systym, among others, reconstructed the original Lotus material.
After a few listens, the mixes that stand out for me are the ones that you´ll find below, namely, the Juan Maclean one and the one from J. Tonal (from the San Fransisco based Lowpro Lounge collective). While Maclean turns Bubonic Tonic into a fired up NY disco-rock track, J. Tonal chooses a darker and more experimental path for When H Binds To O, leaving us with a remix that actually reminds me of some of Kelpe´s productions for DC Recordings. The album is released by the band themselves and you can get your copy over at the Lotus site. Enjoy these tracks and be sure to support the band and the label.
4/10/07 Nitevibe Lowpro Presents The How Weird Street Faire Benefit Venue: Madrone Lounge
DJs: J.Tonal, Ribotto, Sleeping Dogs (James Christopher & Citizen Ten), Ben Maybe, Lifeone
Music: hip-hop, downtempo, d'n'b
It's April and time to start raising money for stages at the How Weird Street Faire! Lowpro Lounge founders J. Tonal and DJ James Christopher from Sleeping Dogs rock out with their respective groups, displaying lyrical prowess, turntable techniques, and electronic and acoustic fusion. J.Tonal of course, is joined by Ribotto, while DJ James is joined by fellow sleeping dogs Citizen Ten and Bender. Help these guys meet their goal! (CQ)
Lowpro celebrates five years of representing the underground, by bringing all of their favorite acts together for one giant party. Catch local lady-killer Laird in an all-star lineup, including Grammy winner Medusa and producer-to-watch Mochipet. It's a night of deep grooves, big bass, sonic exploration, and the best underground music in NorCal! (JH)
6/30/06 Tahoe World Lowpro World Tour You’ve got to dig pretty deep to get under the underground, but that’s the space San Francisco collective Lowpro Lounge has explored for more than four years. In a city that’s known for its creative edge, the Lowpro crew — comprised of DJs, VJs, MCs, producers, instrumentalists, and vocalists — stays razor sharp, honing its performance style into a unique synthesis of live and electronic elements. A typical Lowpro event features off-the-cuff experimentation, tight composition, and nu-skool electronic fusion complete with fans savvy enough to enjoy the unexpected.
Though the Lounge has produced one-offs outside San Francisco, the Lowpro Lounge World Tour is the first time the crew has organized a traveling showcase especially for the road. “The idea behind the tour is to show people outside of San Francisco that there’s a flourishing, post-rave, electronic music scene happening on the West Coast,” says Lowpro co-founder DJ James Christopher.
Christopher and partner J.Tonal have put together a roster that is guaranteed to arouse any fan of hip-hop, D&B, breaks, or experimental music. J.Tonal is a live-PA maestro whose sets veer from downtempo to glitch to funk with the twist of a knob. His self-produced, self-distributed mixtapes have long been a hot commodity in the San Francisco electronic community. James Christopher rocks some truly searing drum n’ bass epics.
The San Francisco Bay Guardian newspaper recently said, “If you’re looking for mind-twisting innovation and a grin-inducing vibe, one crew who consistently brings it hard is the Lowpro Lounge. For over four years the collective has broken barriers and moved asses in an effort to build a unique and enduring musical community. Combining on-the-fly P.A. production, turntablism, and instrumental improvisation, the Lowpro experience is never predictable and always stimulating.”
4/30/06 SF Chronicle Pop Beat Congratulations to DJ-producers J. Tonal and James Christopher, founders of San Francisco's Lowpro Lounge collective. The duo's remix of Sound Tribe Sector Nine's "Peoples," which appeared on STS9's "Artifact" album last year, was featured in a recent episode of the CBS show "CSI: New York." The track features vocals by Audio Angel, lyrics by ill45 and scratching by Citizen Ten. Catch J. Tonal and Christopher at the Lowpro Lounge Stage at next Sunday's seventh annual How Weird Street Faire. Go to www.howweird.org for details.
-Bill Picture
2/12/06 Nitevibe Keep the Feel Been thinkin' back to the good times? Lowpro Lounge wants to remind you of the golden days with a proper, old school, two-day DJ party. Day 1 brings the love to Weed, CA; Day 2 migrates to SF for a no-holds-barred blowout. The music varies-- from Abstract Rude's hyper-conscious rap, to sonic dreamscapes by members of STS9, to cutting-n-dicing from Sleepin Dogs, you'll get your fill of the best sounds in progressive underground hip-hop and electronica. Mear One will be on hand (SF only) to capture the evening in a live painting – but as we all know, paintings pale next to beautiful memories. So come out and create a few of your own… Date: Friday 12/15 and Saturday 12/16; Time: 9pm-3am (Fri), 10pm-3am (Sat); Place: The Village Oracle, Weed (Fri), Poleng Lounge, SF (Sat); Cover: $8-12; More Info. (JH)
12/27/05 Nitevibe Return of the Comeback
DJs: Myka Nyne & Abstract Rude, BLVD, Laird, James Christopher w/ Audio Angel, B Smiley + Late Night Sneaky, Willow the Gaslamp Killa + Mike Reed, Majitope, Mochipet, J.Tonal, Ben Ezra, Mike Reed, Citizen Ten, Maxamillion
Music: live house, hip-hop, drum and bass, breaks
You know the Lowpro Lounge crew is gonna have some tricks up their sleeves for the new year's festivities. This year, the party gets started post-ball-drop, when the Gingerbread warehouse becomes the venue for an all star line-up of hip-hop, house, funk, breaks and drum and bass. Featured guests this year are Myka Nyne and Abstract Rude on the mic, the live house-jam stylings of BLVD, and the unstoppable duo Christopher James and Audio Angel, with a drum-and-bass diva stilo that will get you movin'. With so many different music styles to get down to, the Lowpro Camp proves once again that they've got the depth and scope in beat appreciation that others lack. Goin till 7am, if you've got enough steam...(AC).
11/1/05 North County Times Album Review
"Artifact: Perspectives"
Sound Tribe Sector 9
A dub jam band with psychedelic overtones, Sound Tribe Sector 9 is like nothing you've ever heard before, drawing on everything from the latest house sounds and electronica to Pink Floyd. An upcoming remix interpretation of their last album, "Artifact," shines the light on yet more facets of their music, although it sometimes strays too far afield. Where STS9 has an electronic sheen to its music, the fact that the band is, above all, a live band ---- a jam band ---- keeps their music from ever falling into a robotic, inorganic sound.
But on this collection of remixes by various DJs, much of that "live" quality is lost, giving the band's melodies a rather formulaic sound at times.The cuts that work best here include a rap/hip-hop remake of "Possibilities" credited to Collective Efforts, and another similar reworking of "Peoples, Cause and FX" by Lowpro Lounge.
Still, listening to "Artifact" and "Artifact: Perspectives" back to back reinforces the notion that STS9's own vision of their music remains the most moving and memorable.
Jim Trageser / Staff Writer
North County Times San Diego / Riverside
5/26/05 Press Release Prelude Du Xingolati Afterparty After you've rocked Prelude Du Xingolati on the battleship, get ready for an all-night multimedia dance fest featuring SF's nu school all-stars of electronic music hosted by Lowpro Lounge. This late night rage-a-thon is going to take place at The Pound SF, and with two stage going until after dawn, you know it's going to get freaky. The bar will reopen at 6am for your morning Mimosas of course!
Guiding the audio portion of this multimedia experience will be DJ Dream Team members Laird the cowboy hatted master of funky breakbeats, and the NewsBreakz ambassador himself: Smoove. Also appearing behind the decks will be DJ Logic, with an exclusive set that is not-to-be-missed. Bringing his beats to the Bay yet again, is LA superstar edIT! This freak has been tearing up the West Coast, and it seems that in 2006 he's on everybody's list. Bringing the definitively San Francisco sound to the event are Bay Area breaks heros BLVD. You know they will be funking up the dancefloor with their infectious groove. Also on deck are a duo that always bring the illest uptempo hiphop beats with the dirtiest cuts, J.Tonal shredding the mix with Citizen Ten guesting on the scratch! Also guaranteed to blow the roof off are James Christopher and Audio Angel. These two drum n bass headz are just completing an album together, so expect some off-the-wall collaboration. B.Smiley always comes with the freshest sounds and thanks to his regular gig at the Supperclub, he skills are tightly honed. He will be laying down a set, as well as TFEP veteran Maximillian, Garden House operator Majitope, LA beatsmith Billy Mitsakos, international sensation Mochipet, and West Coast impresario Rjams, expect a barn burner.
Gracing the lights and projections will be the creme of the bay area VJ scene. Straight out of California's melting pot of digital producer/performers comes Emmy Award winning visualist, and Light Rhythms alum Control Machine. Master of the multiple screens, C. Machine will be shredding photons with his mind melting, all-original psychedelic video. Also on the bill, STS9's go-to-girl Kaia exciting the lighting and flipping the synchronized eye candy. Suryummy has granted us a rare appearance for this afterparty. Another producer on the Light Rhythms label, this prophetic producer of parallel dimensions is defending his 2005 win at the SF VJ battle. Rounding out the fearsome foursome is motion graphics legend, and VJ connoisseur Kevlar, all-original, all bad ass.
4/27/05 Nitevibe Ribotto and J.Tonal Music: electro-acoustics, live downtempo
If you're feeling a bit more chill than the club, head to the Last Day Saloon for the live PA electronic-acoustic stylings from Bay Area producer and Lowpro Lounge stalwart J.Tonal, with his LA/Canadian guest Ribotto. Since 1998, J.Tonal has been producing electronic/acoustic fusions, mixing live instruments like flutes, sitars, and bass with decks and samplers recording for labels like Sire and Columbia. Ribotto brings a taste of blues-infused trip-hop beats, and a unique sound out of LA. In case you're not in Venice or Santa Monica anytime soon, catch him while you can. (AC)
11/29/04 Nitevibe Sight+Sound 2 The Lowpro crew is at it again with Sight + Sound 2, the official record release party for their new album The Most Hi-Fi, along with Lightrhythm Visuals new DVD release, The Hidden Partition, making for double the fun. This self-proclaimed musical and visual get-downathon will be at a hot new venue, featuring performances from the best of the Bay's laptop and experimental producers in one room, and SF's finest dance floor technicians in another. Also on hand is an all-star lineup of Lightrhythm's biggest names, recently named America's number-one visual collective by VJ Magazine. (JP)
3/17/04 SF Station Arts Review
As San Francisco's electronic music scene explodes in popularity, it becomes harder and harder to find original, innovative dance music at intimate offbeat venues. The city's trademark soulful and sexy House moved the megaclub masses from coast to coast with a classic sound embedded in the styles and standards it established years ago. Recently Electro-Clash came and went through the city's smaller clubs but its cheeky amalgam of retread 80's rock and dirty beats retreated back to Brooklyn. Some may think that local Electronica, and perhaps even the community it fosters, seem to have lost their momentum; however, in a city as culturally caffeinated as San Francisco there's always a jumpstart waiting to happen.
As usual, visionary music leads the way into fresh, untested directions of cultural synthesis. If you want a deep immersion into the latest local artistic underground, dive into the currents of San Francisco's Lowpro Lounge.
In the two years since the Lowpro collective first originated, word-of-mouth promotion coupled with a tight-knit fan base have carried the club night from one unorthodox venue to the next, always bringing mind-twisting innovation and a grin-inducing vibe. From the outer Mission tapas bar Lorca to the now-defunct Blue Light Gallery in SoMa, from the unlicensed basement-style Arena on Oak and Fillmore to the Hunter's Point Winery, the Lowpro unit has sought out offbeat venues to match their truly alternative outlook. Lowpro masterminds Jeff Wareham (J.Tonal) and Chris Lacek (DJ James Christopher) are two young Electronic music impresarios intent on mining the rich talent reserves amassed throughout Northern California. By combining exotic forms of dance music and visual art in an all-inclusive setting, these two have developed a loyal following of devotees more akin to a family than fans.
Musically Wareham and Lacek keep things fresh by combining cutting-edge DJ sets with live instrumentation, on-the-fly PA production and dancehall and hip-hop vocals. Wareham is a musician's knob-twiddler, working a complex set of laptops and sequencers to lay a foundation for Lacek's scorching DJ sets. Dub, Drum n' Bass, Roots Reggae and Hip-Hop are all fair game, but are usually preceded by a more experimental brand of glitch-tech that might catch listeners off guard. "We feel the experimental stuff creates more of a show-like element," says Lacek. "An hour set of more obscure or experimental music grabs their ears and gives listeners more of an option." Musical collaborations are regular coincidences at the Lounge. When scratchmaster Citizen Ten caught a J Tonal set featuring guitarist Peter D'elia, he asked to sit in on the following week. The result: a completely improvised, tweak-jazz guitar breakbeat scratchfest that was totally unprecedented and absolutely brilliant.
Lowpro Lounge serves as a platform for local artists of all kinds including jewelry and fashion designers, visual and culinary artists and dancers. Live painting by muralist phenom J. Garcia is regularly featured, as are alternative beverages like Guayaki yerba maté cocktails and fresh-squeezed screwdrivers by Guerilla Organics. Most recently, Lowpro's collaboration with legendary San Francisco visual art collective Dimension 7 has added a truly psychedelic element. Using multiple video projections, special effects, live camera feeds and laser animation, the video crew matches the depth of the music with the complexity of the visuals. Says Wareham, "The idea is to create an entire multimedia environment, something that overwhelms your senses and heightens your awareness. Dimension 7 is an internationally respected name; they're definitely on the cusp of an expanding art form."
In the long run, the Lowpro mission is to build a unique and enduring musical community through continued artistic collaboration. At the end of March, Lowpro will team up with longtime SF House hotshots Looq records for a multimedia blowout at the new club Mighty in Potrero Hill. With internationally-respected VJs like Ben Sheppee and Control Machine providing state-of-the-art projections on three-dimensional surfaces and live painting by J. Garcia fused into the visuals, "Sight + Sound" will break into new realms of live video mixing. Music by live breakbeat trio BLVD, DJ James Christopher and dance floor diva Audio Angel, and a set by Looq's own Spesh elevate the adventurous Lowpro ethic.
- Jonathan Zwickle
3/27/04 Nitevibe Feast for Eyes and Ears A merging of sights and sounds takes place tonight thanks to the art lovers at Lowpro Lounge. Local DJs play alongside some special guests that include very talented visual masters like Nathan Janos, Control Machine (an Emmy winner), VJ Culture (founder of the "Dimension 7" label), Ben Sheppee and J. Garcia (who paints live onstage for DJs nationwide.) These mega talented visualists create sounds alongside music stylings by Frequency 3 -- a guitar-DJ drummer three piece band bringing house and breaks together with rock. James Christopher with the siren stylings of Audio Angel singing over 2-step/garage beats, house star Spesh, and Blvd. Prepare to be wow-ed! Event: Sight + Sound, Date: Saturday, March 27, Time: 9pm-3am, Place: Mighty (119 Utah), Cover: $12 @ the door, $8 presale, More Info (GR)
2/15/04 Nitevibe Lowpro Lounge Weekly Dj's: M23, Jtonal, Majitope, Citizen Ten, James Christopher, plus special guests
Music: drum n bass, experimental hip-hop, house, 2-step
Experience experimental beats with a cool assortment of local DJs including M23 and Jtonal and visuals brought to you by Ben Sheppe and 8ate. For those interested in lounge sounds and a lowkey time, get down to this new hotspot for those of a different musical mindset. (GR)
1/14/04 San Francisco Bay Guardian Eight Days a Week editor pick
Subterranean homesickness Where did the underground go? Seems like as electronic music drifts further into the mainstream, it gets harder to find that inspired edge the San Francisco scene once straddled. If you're looking for mind-twisting innovation and a grin-inducing vibe, one place where you can consistently kick your feet up is the Lowpro Lounge. For over two years the club night has broken barriers and moved asses in an effort to build a unique and enduring musical community. Combining on-the-fly P.A. production, turntablism, and instrumental improvisation, the Lowpro experience is never predictable and always stimulating. This is the only free electronic music weekly in the Richmond District, and it offers alternative beverages (organic juices and yerba maté) and tech-heavy live video mixing. Tonight's gig features Jtonal, scratchmaster Citizen Ten, and guitarist Peter D'Elia dropping experimental hip-hop, James Christopher mixing dub and drum 'n' bass, Majitope blending house and breakbeat, and D7's Ben Sheppee on visual design. 9:30 p.m., 540 Club, 540 Clement, S.F. Free. (415) 414-4795, www.lowprolounge.com.
The five-piece American band Lotus have been around for eight years and their sound is best described as a fusion between experimental post-rock (think Trans Am and Tortoise), with an indie touch to it, and electronic dance music. They've built up a following through massive touring of the US, Canada, and Japan and have become famous for their energetic live sets, that always provide the crowd with an extraordinary audio visual experience.
Dj's: Medusa w/ Drez, UFO!, Abstract Rude, Mochipet, J. Tonal w/Ribotto, Sleeping Dogs, Citizen Ten, Majitope, Kaptain Harris, Laird, Jerome Forney, Rjams
You’ve got to dig pretty deep to get under the underground, but that’s the space San Francisco collective Lowpro Lounge has explored for more than four years. In a city that’s known for its creative edge, the Lowpro crew — comprised of DJs, VJs, MCs, producers, instrumentalists, and vocalists — stays razor sharp, honing its performance style into a unique synthesis of live and electronic elements. A typical Lowpro event features off-the-cuff experimentation, tight composition, and nu-skool electronic fusion complete with fans savvy enough to enjoy the unexpected.
SF Chronicle
You know the Lowpro Lounge crew is gonna have some tricks up their sleeves for the new year's festivities. This year, the party gets started post-ball-drop, when the Gingerbread warehouse becomes the venue for an all star line-up of hip-hop, house, funk, breaks and drum and bass. Featured guests this year are Myka Nyne and Abstract Rude on the mic, the live house-jam stylings of BLVD, and the unstoppable duo Christopher James and Audio Angel, with a drum-and-bass diva stilo that will get you movin'. With so many different music styles to get down to, the Lowpro Camp proves once again that they've got the depth and scope in beat appreciation that others lack. Goin till 7am, if you've got enough steam...(AC).
A dub jam band with psychedelic overtones, Sound Tribe Sector 9 is like nothing you've ever heard before, drawing on everything from the latest house sounds and electronica to Pink Floyd. An upcoming remix interpretation of their last album, "Artifact," shines the light on yet more facets of their music, although it sometimes strays too far afield. Where STS9 has an electronic sheen to its music, the fact that the band is, above all, a live band ---- a jam band ---- keeps their music from ever falling into a robotic, inorganic sound.
After you've rocked Prelude Du Xingolati on the battleship, get ready for an all-night multimedia dance fest featuring SF's nu school all-stars of electronic music hosted by Lowpro Lounge. This late night rage-a-thon is going to take place at The Pound SF, and with two stage going until after dawn, you know it's going to get freaky. The bar will reopen at 6am for your morning Mimosas of course!
Music: electro-acoustics, live downtempo
A merging of sights and sounds takes place tonight thanks to the art lovers at Lowpro Lounge. Local DJs play alongside some special guests that include very talented visual masters like Nathan Janos, Control Machine (an Emmy winner), VJ Culture (founder of the "Dimension 7" label), Ben Sheppee and J. Garcia (who paints live onstage for DJs nationwide.) These mega talented visualists create sounds alongside music stylings by Frequency 3 -- a guitar-DJ drummer three piece band bringing house and breaks together with rock. James Christopher with the siren stylings of Audio Angel singing over 2-step/garage beats, house star Spesh, and Blvd. Prepare to be wow-ed! Event: Sight + Sound, Date: Saturday, March 27, Time: 9pm-3am, Place: Mighty (119 Utah), Cover: $12 @ the door, $8 presale, More Info (GR)
Dj's: M23, Jtonal, Majitope, Citizen Ten, James Christopher, plus special guests
Subterranean homesickness Where did the underground go? Seems like as electronic music drifts further into the mainstream, it gets harder to find that inspired edge the San Francisco scene once straddled. If you're looking for mind-twisting innovation and a grin-inducing vibe, one place where you can consistently kick your feet up is the Lowpro Lounge. For over two years the club night has broken barriers and moved asses in an effort to build a unique and enduring musical community. Combining on-the-fly P.A. production, turntablism, and instrumental improvisation, the Lowpro experience is never predictable and always stimulating. This is the only free electronic music weekly in the Richmond District, and it offers alternative beverages (organic juices and yerba maté) and tech-heavy live video mixing. Tonight's gig features Jtonal, scratchmaster Citizen Ten, and guitarist Peter D'Elia dropping experimental hip-hop, James Christopher mixing dub and drum 'n' bass, Majitope blending house and breakbeat, and D7's Ben Sheppee on visual design. 9:30 p.m., 540 Club, 540 Clement, S.F. Free. (415) 414-4795, www.lowprolounge.com.
