Before The Bloody Beetroots brought their mayhem to a late night show at the House of Blues this past Friday night, I showed up early to do some press with the duo from Italy. As the guys brought me back to watch their sound check, my mind raced with questions I'd like to ask them.
I wondered if their new incorporation of live drums and the increase in instrumentation was brought on by a specific need or desire that the band faced. Bob Rifo, one of the two co-founders of the band, explained that as a musician, he wanted to break the idea of a show and destroy the idea of what people expected. Rifo elaborated by expressing his belief that so many people are now doing live shows, but no one really seems to know what a live show is. As he works with this live show, he's added good friend Edward Grinch on drums, and it appears as though he's spending more time using other instruments as well.
My time with the guys also caused me to realize that The Bloody Beetroots shouldn't be quickly written off as just another DJ group. Their music is eclectic with minimal synth lines that find peace within the group's created chaos. I'd imagine that this influence comes from Rifo's initial work with music, studying classical music for five years. Later works in trip-hop, punk and hardcore music are also evident within the sounds heard in their live shows.
It's without a doubt that The Bloody Beetroots are quickly redefining the music scene and how everything works. The cultural norms and values are changing, and to stand out artists must be unique. For Rifo, a combination of cinema, photo, music and fashion work together to define the culture that The Bloody Beetroots are helping to foster. This builds a story and works toward something that, in Rifo's eyes, will improve culture.
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When your songs are being sampled by Tiesto at Coachella, you know you are probably doing something right. The Bloody Beetroots performed at the House of Blues in San Diego on April 23. Aside from all the children who thought it would be a good idea to give light shows at a hardcore electronic show, the crowd was overwhelmingly enthusiastic.
This was not the typical Beetroots show that one would encounter. Having no prior knowledge as to what The Bloody Beetroots had been up to, one would expect to see the standard DJ set. However attendees were treated to an experience infused with the energy of something called Death Crew 77.
As most DJs tend to collaborate, The Bloody Beetroots are no different. They have worked with big names such as Steve Aoki, Crookers and MSTRKRFT. On Friday night they were in full mask as usual but no longer just a duo. A live drummer was present by the name of Edward Grinch. The drums were just one of the added instruments to their live performance.
Rather than a typical DJ set, which is often quite displeasing and boring to the eye, Bob Rifo pulled out his bass numerous times, often giving the feel of a hardcore performance. This feeling was especially present when Rifo would grab the mic, fall to his knees and scream "F**k you."
Rifo was the ultimate multitasker onstage. Aside from chain-smoking, Rifo moved his multi-talented fingers from a soundboard, bass, microphone and four keyboards. At one point he even played two keyboards at the same time.
The vitality through the trio made for energy that kept a never-ending stream of movement from ever letting up. With the success of this decision to incorporate more instruments, it is safe to assume Death Crew 77 is here to stay make waves by combining electronic with hardcore.
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