Pensacola Independent News

MUSIC | Vol. 36, No. 5, July 29, 2010
(Fluoride Divide)
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DJ Quickie Mart

by Rob "Bubbs" Harris

PROUDLY SERVIN' SQUISHIES AND SUCKAS 24 HOURS A DAY

DJ Quickie Mart, A.K.A. Martin Arceneaux, lives in Los Angeles, but make no mistake, the Gulf Coast is his home. Born and raised in New Orleans, La., Quickie Mart met success after years on the grind in the late-night club and bar scene. Forced to find a place to live after Hurricane Katrina, the young artist opted for California, which is as good a place as you can get if you're a musician on the rise. Quickie Mart is now a well-known and respected name among those in the underground hip-hop and electronic community, having showcased his talents at festivals like Bonnaroo, Voodoo Fest and countless others, as well as having collaborated with plenty of big names in the music business.

However, Quickie Mart is still just Martin Arceneaux, a guy from the Gulf Coast who misses his home and can't wait to come down for a visit. Oh, and he's also going to rock it nonstop while he's there. IN had a little chat with Quickie Mart to talk about upcoming shows along the coast, including one at Suite in Pensacola, as well as the heavy weight on his heart due to the tragedy in the Gulf of Mexico.

IN: For those unfamiliar, give us a rundown on how Martin Arceneaux became the legendary DJ Quickie Mart.
QM: I was always into music. It's hard to grow up in New Orleans and not be fascinated by it. As a child, I liked the zydeco bands and all of the blues stuff that was all over the region. I first got into doing what I do when I was a teenager, going to parties and seeing the DJs up there spinning and being enthralled with it. I started out doing a lot of simple drum and bass stuff, but then I just began mixing up all kinds of different genres and seeing what I could come up with.

IN: You do mix it up a good bit. You still do the solo DJ thing, but you also collaborate a lot and work within the underground hip-hop scene. Do you have a preference of what style you like to present the most?
QM: Well, hip hop helps a lot with paying the bills, but I struggle to declassify myself as a hip-hop artist. I consider myself an artist in general. I don't just mix up and sample other things -- I also compose music. People ask me all the time what kind of music I play, and I say everything. Go to my website and you'll hear techno, hip-hop, funk, soul, rock, whatever.

IN: I've noticed a steady decline in the scene, as far as techno or "raves" go, since the late 90's explosion. Can you elaborate on that?
QM: Things are a lot different now than they were when I first started spinning and doing the party thing. The dub step style is rising up and becoming a pretty good force unto itself, but the rave scene has definitely become more of an underground thing. All of the major annual festivals are still around and do well every time. It's all out there, but it's just not as in your face as it was for awhile.

IN: You have a lot going on out in California and Vegas these days, not to mention all the big fests and all you've been playing. What brings you to our quaint little city? Are you on a tour or something, or is this just a special one along the coast?
QM: I'm doing a small tour. It starts this weekend in Vegas. Then, it's off to New Orleans and Pensacola, followed by Texas and then back out this way. I'm no stranger to Pensacola, though. Growing up in New Orleans, Pensacola was the vacation spot for the family because they had the prettiest beaches.

IN: Yes, our beaches are indeed beautiful. This BP oil nonsense is very scary though. What are your thoughts on that? I understand you did some kind of benefit thing to raise money for cleanup efforts.
QM: It's terrible, man. I'm down in Louisiana about once a month, and I've seen what this stuff is doing to our wetlands and our wildlife. It's also doing a number on an already unstable economy. The Coast to Coast benefit was pretty cool. It was kind of thrown together last minute, but I was surprised how quickly the word was spread and people joined in. It was originally supposed to be a bunch of shows going on in several different cities at once. But once the word got out, people and artists from outside of the U.S. were interested in joining in, so it was like one big show all over the world. All the musicians played for free, and we raised a couple million bucks for the charities.

IN: Between doing those major festivals and big shows and doing smaller club joints like Suite in Pensacola, which is more your cup of tea? Also, have you done any international touring?
QM: I'm actually going to do my first European jaunt in September. I'll be in Germany, Holland and France. I'm excited. As far as fests and clubs go, it's hard to say. Each has its own vibe. Playing big festivals and shows is rewarding in its own way, because you get to meet a lot of other artists and make connections. It's also flooring to see those huge crowds all bouncing to your tunes. Clubs are cool, too. I like to just get in the zone and have that feeling like I'm just spinning at a party. A smaller crowd can rock it out just as well as a huge one.

info@inweekly.net

DJ QUICKIE MART
WHEN: 9 p.m. Friday, July 30
WHERE: Suite Ultra Lounge, 21 W. Romana St.
COST: $10
DETAILS: djquickiemart.com

InWeekly

DJ Quickie Mart