A local ensemble of electronic-music entrepreneurs wants to use its beats as a musical defibrillator in order to bring the Pullman electro-dance scene to life.
Students within a one-mile radius of a party they’ve played at, you’ve probably heard their interpretation of what it means to drop the beat: play electro-music at a volume of to-infinity and beyond, shoot laser light fractals that pierce through fog dense as diamond dust and keep the good times rolling until the sun arcs over the hills of the Palouse the next morning.
The group of electro-enthusiasts goes by the name LaserMob.
The concept of LaserMob was the emblematic light bulb that switched on over the head of musician, promoter and lighting specialist and junior psychology major Matt Collins when he returned to Pullman in spring of 2011 after living in the Netherlands in the fall of 2010. Collins traveled to the Netherlands with the intention of discovering more electronic music and came back with a vision of bringing the genre to light in Pullman.
Upon returning, he began constructing lighting schemes for shows put on by electronic music group Bad Pandas. Collins spent the money he earned during the summer of 2011 on sound and lighting equipment. In addition to a plethora of strobe lights and black lights, Collins’ lighting equipment includes a four-fixture Moon beam light and a four-headed planar laser.
“Visually, the shows are pretty dope,” Collins said. “We spend a couple hours at every venue setting up architectural lighting, even putting mirrors around the room for the lights to bounce off of.”
Lasers and lights are secondary, though, Collins noted. The sound equipment LaserMob uses is more important, he said, and may be the best portable sound equipment on campus.
A trio of DJs accompanies Collins in completing LaserMob’s musical mission. The turntable trifecta includes junior civil engineering major James Ellis junior computer science major Levi Herpel and DJ Dan Kulseth a junior political science major.
Ellis, who plays piano and percussion in addition to being a DJ, began composing electronic music a few years ago in Seattle after his longtime interest in the genre was further sparked while taking an electronic music course.
“I’ve been an electronic music junkie since I was a kid,” Ellis said. “I got started listening to trip-hop bands like the Gorillaz, Daft Punk, and it grew from there. Exploring ways to perform that kind of music in a live setting got me into DJing.”
Ellis said LaserMob’s focus on providing an open atmosphere and freedom of individual expression has garnered show attendances of more than 250 people.
A friend from Europe was DJ Herpel’s source for electronica inspiration after he showed the future DJ music he had never heard before years ago. Herpel was a disc-jockey at CJ’s Nightclub in Moscow for a year. While that allowed him to DJ, he said, he had a limited playlist.
“I only ever played top-40 songs,” Herpel said. “I’ve always loved house music way more. Finally, LaserMob came along, and now I can play my own stuff.”
DJ Kulseth, who played the trumpet as a kid, has been DJing for nearly four years and has played at Burning Man before. Although the music of LaserMob is primarily electronic, Kulseth said they are looking for any artists who would like to contribute to the group’s efforts. Collins said he would ideally like to see LaserMob put on shows featuring bands and other artists from early evening until midnight, then play electro-dance music until at least 4 a.m.
Futhermore, Collins said, LaserMob welcomes artists of any class, musical or visual.
DJ Kulseth’s girlfriend, alumna Heather Deardorff is a fire dancer when she isn’t boogying, bopping and pirouetting at LaserMob. She said she frequently dances with glowing hoola hoops at LaserMob events and would like to encourage more people to light up the dance floor in a similar fashion.
LaserMob recently moved their venue to the Thai Ginger Bar, Kulseth said, where there is a lounge area with a bar as well as a backroom where louder music can be and is played. The backroom is open to anybody 18 years and older to party in while the bar area provides a place for those older than 21 to grab a drink and possibly modify their dancing style.
The decision to move LaserMob’s shows to Thai Ginger was based off of previously limiting venue size as well as a liability issue concerning the consumption of alcohol, Collins said. Collins’ other considerations in moving LaserMob shows to Thai Ginger had to do with the cleanup after each show, he said, which really impacted the owners of homes where LaserMob house parties are hosted because of the necessity to rearrange furniture items and the wake of red Dixie cups, among other trash items, left by party-goers.
“Thai Ginger isn’t as far away as people think,” Ellis said. “The South-bus goes right to its door. Plus, Thai Ginger has the best Thai food in town.”
Entrance into the backroom of Thai Ginger costs $5 for guys and is free for girls, Collins said. The funds go toward buying better and more show equipment so LaserMob can keep growing. If you attend a LaserMob party, he said, chances are you’re going to enjoy it and feel like a member of a big, familial-dancing group.
“LaserMob is too much fun to not at least try out,” Collins said.
LaserMob tickets and information are on the group’s Facebook page as well as their website, www.lasermob.org.