In SOUND CHECK, we check in with some of our favorite musicians.
Los Angeles-based producer Jerome LOL has been making the old new again by reworking classic pop songs (think Miley Cyrus and Justin Timberlake) into synthesized and emotional tracks that make you forget they were ever in the Top 40 to begin with. When not twisting Coldplay into a haunting robo-ballad, Jerome runs the label Body High with OC friend SAMO SOUND BOY, and has a hand in curating the collective's roster of distinctly unique artists. We managed to grab a moment of his time from his hectic SXSW schedule to talk about life, the Internet, and his festival essentials.
Dalya Benor: What's in your SXSW survival kit?
Jerome LOL: Cucumber-Lime Gatorade, breakfast tacos, water, sunscreen, a phone charger, and sanity
Would you say that LA influences your label's sound or are you guys a product of LA?
That's something that came naturally for us. It's part of the sound and the vibes that we're working with. We have our studio downtown, Sam (Samo Sound Boy) lives in K-town, and we'd meet in the middle. It feels very Los Angeles and the imagery we show tries to showcase LA. It definitely influences how you live your life and what you create.
There's a distinct LA sound kind of happening with Wedidit, Body High, Fade to Mind... What do you have to say about the power of a collective? Is there a secret handshake or code that happens in terms of collaborating?
It's nice to be able to run ideas off everyone. Something like SXSW is fun because we all live in LA and we're on the road a lot. It's kind of this weird summer camp thing where we get to see each other again, but no secret handshake. It's nice to be part of a creative community where people are making stuff and helping each other out.
How do you go about finding artists for your label? Are they friends or do you seek them out?
The people on Body High now are people that we've been working with and built relationships with over the years. We are definitely working with new artists all the time but it's fun to build those relationships and keep them alive.
What was your style like as a teenager?
I played basketball so there were a lot of basketball shirts and jerseys.
What was your first album?
Return to Innocence by Enigma
What's your favorite internet slang word?
"Hey"
Do you think downtown LA is going to be moving up in the next few years?
Yeah, definitely. When I moved there I heard construction sounds every morning and now I live next door to the Ace Hotel and there's an Acne Studios [store]. It's pretty crazy, because it happened over a year and there's all these stores selling high-end clothing next to ones selling dresses for quinceñeras. It's been changing very rapidly. It's the next Santa Monica [
Los Angeles-based producer Jerome LOL has been making the old new again by reworking classic pop songs (think Miley Cyrus and Justin Timberlake) into synthesized and emotional tracks that make you forget they were ever in the Top 40 to begin with. When not twisting Coldplay into a haunting robo-ballad, Jerome runs the label Body High with OC friend SAMO SOUND BOY, and has a hand in curating the collective's roster of distinctly unique artists. We managed to grab a moment of his time from his hectic SXSW schedule to talk about life, the Internet, and his festival essentials.
Dalya Benor: What's in your SXSW survival kit?
Jerome LOL: Cucumber-Lime Gatorade, breakfast tacos, water, sunscreen, a phone charger, and sanity
Would you say that LA influences your label's sound or are you guys a product of LA?
That's something that came naturally for us. It's part of the sound and the vibes that we're working with. We have our studio downtown, Sam (Samo Sound Boy) lives in K-town, and we'd meet in the middle. It feels very Los Angeles and the imagery we show tries to showcase LA. It definitely influences how you live your life and what you create.
There's a distinct LA sound kind of happening with Wedidit, Body High, Fade to Mind... What do you have to say about the power of a collective? Is there a secret handshake or code that happens in terms of collaborating?
It's nice to be able to run ideas off everyone. Something like SXSW is fun because we all live in LA and we're on the road a lot. It's kind of this weird summer camp thing where we get to see each other again, but no secret handshake. It's nice to be part of a creative community where people are making stuff and helping each other out.
How do you go about finding artists for your label? Are they friends or do you seek them out?
The people on Body High now are people that we've been working with and built relationships with over the years. We are definitely working with new artists all the time but it's fun to build those relationships and keep them alive.
What was your style like as a teenager?
I played basketball so there were a lot of basketball shirts and jerseys.
What was your first album?
Return to Innocence by Enigma
What's your favorite internet slang word?
"Hey"
Do you think downtown LA is going to be moving up in the next few years?
Yeah, definitely. When I moved there I heard construction sounds every morning and now I live next door to the Ace Hotel and there's an Acne Studios [store]. It's pretty crazy, because it happened over a year and there's all these stores selling high-end clothing next to ones selling dresses for quinceñeras. It's been changing very rapidly. It's the next Santa Monica [