As one of the founding members of the beloved NYC party and label, Trouble & Bass (RIP!), Star Eyes' roots sink deep in the rave. The DJ, producer, radio-host, and longtime journalist (as well as former THUMP Editor-In-Chief), recently launched her brand new bass and grime-focused imprint and party, the aptly-named Chaos Clan, back in September with a night featuring the thundering sounds of Kahn, Neek, and RP Boo. Now, she's back at it with another evening-to-morning throw down of floor-shaking sounds with a party at Queens nightclub, Trans-Pecos, this Saturday, March 5.
The party will feature Chicago Dance Mania legend, DJ Deeon, London grime artist Slackk, as well as local talent from the likes of Doctor Jeep, and Star Eyes herself. To get everyone's brainwaves properly freaked out for the forthcoming blowout, Star Eyes sent us over a mix featuring some unreleased tracks from Chaos Clan, as well as some more wild beats people can expect to go crazy to at the party.
We also caught up with Star Eyes below for a short interview.
THUMP: What made you want to start a label, and why the name "Chaos Clan"?
Star Eyes
: I like to create my own little universe to live in, my own kingdom where I listen to the music I like and everything looks just how I want it. I ran the Trouble & Bass label for the last couple of years before it ended in April 2015 (after 9 years) so I got a taste of what that was like. I needed a home for my new music, and it just felt right, plus it is so fun to collaborate with other artists (especially Low Limit from L.A., who does the all the graphics) and create a vision and a community around what you're doing. You can complain about things or you can do something and this is me doing something.
Chaos: "confusion and disorder : a state in which behavior and events are not controlled by anything"
Clan: "a group of people tracing descent from a common ancestor"
See also: chaos magick, Wu-Tang clan, chaos emeralds, clan of xymox, RPGs, Ylfings, Fantazia crew, the primeval void
How does this mix capture the spirit of the label? What kinds of moods or themes were you exploring with it?
This mix is all tunes I really like, some new Chaos Clan stuff you haven't heard yet, some old-skool hardcore tracks that make me wildly happy, some tracks that sample old jungle records, big crazy rave breaks, a lot of mixing of happy and light elements with dark and melancholy elements. It ends with a handful of tracks—Nookie "Shining in the Darkness," a remix of Lennie D's "We are IE," and Polygon Window "Quixote"—that were special to me when I was 15. Its hectic, its fun, its my party in the pyramids. Making it was a bit chaotic - one of the CDJs started glitching halfway through - but that keeps it extra real for the ravers.
Can you give us an idea what to expect from the label going into the future?
More raw rave waves forthcoming from myself, Doctor Jeep, Dark Ages and others, plus darkcore cassettes, blacklight posters, events with sick DJs, and things that make you go hmmm. I'm really trying to get away from the tyranny of release schedules and press cycles and holding onto music so long you suck the life out of it to keep things fun and exciting and mysterious and unpredictable the way I think music should be.
Grab Star Eyes' New EP on iTunes
This mix is all tunes I really like, some new Chaos Clan stuff you haven't heard yet, some old-skool hardcore tracks that make me wildly happy, some tracks that sample old jungle records, big crazy rave breaks, a lot of mixing of happy and light elements with dark and melancholy elements. It ends with a handful of tracks—Nookie "Shining in the Darkness," a remix of Lennie D's "We are IE," and Polygon Window "Quixote"—that were special to me when I was 15. Its hectic, its fun, its my party in the pyramids. Making it was a bit chaotic - one of the CDJs started glitching halfway through - but that keeps it extra real for the ravers.Can you give us an idea what to expect from the label going into the future?
More raw rave waves forthcoming from myself, Doctor Jeep, Dark Ages and others, plus darkcore cassettes, blacklight posters, events with sick DJs, and things that make you go hmmm. I'm really trying to get away from the tyranny of release schedules and press cycles and holding onto music so long you suck the life out of it to keep things fun and exciting and mysterious and unpredictable the way I think music should be.Grab Star Eyes' New EP on iTunes
