Looking at Robert DeLong, one sees a painted up blond California kid. On the surface, his music is fun, and so is his act. Pulsing with electric dance loops and intrepid rhythms, DeLong is the picture of carefree fun with his orange lightning bolted cheeks. On superfi ciali- ties alone, he takes the perception of the one-man band to a new, updated level. He alters the stereotype from slightly creepy guy in his 50s sporting an accordion/cymbal/harmonica contraption, who’s trying just way too hard to impress us, to a much more fashionable and appealing place.
Despite the surface appearance of DeLong and his work, underneath the veil is something much deeper. Despite the Wii remotes and gaming joysticks with prominent placement in his set-up, his music has a message. Just Movement.
In his debut album, aptly titled the same as the theme, DeLong explores his personal journey. As a brand new university gradu- ate, DeLong felt the overwhelming compulsion of being lost in the throng; that the universe was a force greater than any of us know. Always moving, the only constant in our lives would be change. The result of these years of thought and expression is Just Movement, a dance party for the philosopher inside all of us.
DeLong has been touring heavily in support of his album, but took the time for a chat with DJ Mag Canada. We discussed his philoso- phies, his multi-instrument set up, and how anyone can be suc- cessful. DeLong is as well spoken as he is musically talented, a deep thinker in a dance music landscape.
I know you’re a multi-instrument guy, but I think you started with drums. I was wondering what drew you to the drums as a kid?
My dad was a drummer so it was just kind of a natural progression. I had a drum kit around the house, so that’s kind of the fi rst thing I started on. We also had a piano lying around, and a guitar, so I was also working on those things kind of simultaneously.
My dad’s also a drummer. Do you have a favourite drummer? Growing up I listened to a lot of Art Blakey, he was kind of my dude. I
listened to a lot of jazz, but yeah there’s some drummers I like.
You’ve got quite the crazy set up tronic music community a long t more elaborate ones I’ve seen. you give me a brief rundown on
Yeah, my set up is pretty constant bigger. I have drum pads, a midi c gamepads, a joystick, a midi slide are connected by two computers. percussion, plus some microphon elaborate. It’s a lot of stuff.
That must be a lot to lug around Yeah I have to have a crew that co
and out of shows.
Back to being a multi-instrumen a piano in your house as well. I’m “traditional” instruments you p
Yeah, kinda the acoustic instrume set, timbale, percussion like shak stuff there. Sometimes I bring ou a longer set, but for the most par the show.
I think you’ve played in some ba sort of electronic music vein, or before?
Pretty much all the bands I played rock or kinda folk rock. So I was k world. I was always into electroni things. I had a couple bands wher stuff here and there, but my proje project for me.
Was there an artist that sort of i electronic music vs. the indie ro
No one specifi cally. In high schoo
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