The final installment of our DJ Education series (conceived, researched, and written by the incomparable Tolly Moseley) has arrived! Today you get a close look at Learning Secrets…enjoy…
DJ Education: Learning Secrets
If you are at all familiar with the DJ/music PR/party-throwing duo that is Learning Secrets, then you, my friend, are a fortunate individual.
Here in Austin, Jeramy Neugent and Ian Orth – the faces behind LS – are kind of like nightlife royalty. They book sold-out events. They are innovative mixers of music. Their roll call of national acts include names like Phoenix, OPTIMO, Hercules & Love Affair, and Juan Maclean. And they also happen to be really, really nice guys.
Learning Secrets epitomizes a type of business model that is familiar to Austinites, but I often wonder whether the model is (mostly) indigenous to this city. The DIY, independent label-friendly, music presentation and representation model that you see from Todd P. and the like. Now, I’m sure San Francisco/pockets of LA/Brooklyn (see Todd P.) have this thing going on too – but in Austin, you tend to see the same faces over and over at these events, and the Learning Secrets guys have been some of the principle architects of this dance party community.
Highly respected abroad and beloved at home, the company just turned six years old last week, and threw – in typical fashion – an epic birthday party. Below, Jeramy and Ian discuss their humble beginnings, going from skateboarding rowdies to music event titans.
First of all, how did you two meet?
Ian: The way I remember it, I was a huge fan of Jeramy’s band, Fourth Grade Nothing back in 1996 and used to follow them around. We both ran in the same massive skateboard crew, and I ended up moving upstairs from him at the infamous 16th and Nueces house in 1997, where we ended up skateboarding together. Then one day he needed help with his car, and needed a lift somewhere. I was listening to a band called Christie Front Drive in my stereo, and Jeramy freaked out because he was a fan too. We bonded that day, and have been bound together ever since. He’s my best friend, I couldn’t imagine doing anything with out him!
Jeramy: Geeze Ian, thanks for calling me out and letting everyone know that I used to be in a poppy punk band that had songs in your favorite Pauly Shore movie, Bio-dome. Oh wait, you didn’t say that did you? But yeah, apparently that is how we met, but I have no recollection of any of that other than Ian living above me and us skateboarding around town together… I must have been too busy "slappin’ da bass" and doing big gnar gnar kickflips over houses to remember the Christie Front Drive moment…
What was your original thinking behind Learning Secrets, six years ago? Were you intending to become a full-fledged music PR firm?
Ian: The original thought for Learning Secrets was a way to do cool shows using Rutgers University’s money they set aside for the college radio station each semester. The original idea back in 2003, and the one that still drives us as a company now, is being genuine in our desire to share music that we love with a bigger audience.
Once Learning Secrets started to get some footing at the Whiskey Bar way back when, there was always the desire to do more with it. To expand on the original idea, and move it from being something that existed purely in the night time world, to something that was actually benefiting the bands and music we like. Once Jeramy moved back to Austin from Los Angeles, and we were lucky enough to hook up with Grupo Fantasma, that’s when things really began to shape.
Jeramy: Yeah, basically, Ian brought the nighttime/fun/party-time/DJ element to LS, and I brought the daytime/9-6/sitting at a computer all day ripping your eyes out element… But it’s all in the name of rock-n-roll! Haha, just kidding. The latter of those pays our bills and the DJing feeds our chubby bellies… as you can see, our bodies are lacking vital nutrients. We call it team work!
Graham Williams of Transmission Entertainment and David Lobel, Grupo Fantasma’s manager, are to thank for setting the tone for the PR side of things. Once Graham told David that I was moving back to Austin from L.A. and continuing to do music PR, the rest was History. Now Grupo is Grammy Nominated and we’ve been able to work with incredible bands like The Antlers, UME, Ocote Soul Sounds, and work events like the 3rd annual Fun Fun Fun Fest, and Dell / Austin City Limit’s Sound and The Jury Competition. Thanks to Giant Media for hooking that last one up and teaming up with us!
How have things changed over the past six years?
Ian: Well, we have an office and interns now!
Jeramy: We have the most awesomest office in all of the universe thanks to Emily and Shanti, two wonderful ladies behind Emerald City Press. And now that they sell beer and wine, well, let’s just say we don’t have to make an extra trip to the store. It really was the missing element to our work for the longest time.
I was working at the Transmission Entertainment Office when I moved back here from L.A. thanks to Graham, Michael, and Moody, but there’s just something to say about having your own space. Working from home sounds nice, but it’s a lot like doing homework at home; you just end up with a much cleaner house and become addicted to shows like Ellen and The View… I fucking love me some Whoopi and Joy! I wish they were my lesbian moms.
If you could pick one all-time amazing show that you could go back and relive (one that you two booked, I mean), which one would it be?
Ian: For me it would either be the first time we brought in JD Twitch from OPTIMO, or the tag team set between Tim Sweeney and Juan Maclean.
Jeramy: I’d go back in time to last month when we brought J.G Wilkes of OPTIMO from Glasgow, and send interns to the Vice Magazine party to remind everyone there that rare DJ sets by the masters and creators for 5 bucks should take precedence over free booze. Haha! No, but really, his set was probably my favorite so far. Last year’s anniversary with Hercules & Love Affair and Pat from LCD was probably the tastiest to me. I’d go back and take a Xanex so I’d enjoy myself and give Ian three so he’d chill the fuck out. Just kidding, Ian. Throwing events can be stressful… I’m sure you know, Tolly.
On the DJ side: How would each of you describe your spinning style?
Ian: Trying. Really. Hard. To. Not. Mess. Up. This. Mixxxxxxxxxxx. Damn!
Jeramy: Smooth like a baby’s bottom and wet like a soiled diaper…the adult kind.
Why do you think Austin is a mecca of DJ talent these days?
Ian: These days? I think there has always been an amazing number of DJs in Austin for years. I think it has less to do with a growing number of DJs and more to do with Austinites being more friendly and adventurous towards the DJs in this town. Dance floors have definitely become friendlier in the past few years. Maybe soon things like HAAM and SIMS will start to recognize all the hard work the DJs and promoters do for the Austin music scene and its history, and expand their health care, housing, and grant services. My hope is that in the coming years the DJ will stop being written off as a second class citizen , or "hipster fad" in Austin, and be viewed as an artist and musician in their own right. Ok stepping off my soap box now.
Jeramy: I have to agree with Ian, wholeheartedly. Also, Austin deservingly achieved it’s DJ "meccaness" through DJ’s like the Peligrosa All-Stars, Orion, Hobo D, Trey Lopez, and other locals like Prince Klassen, DJ Mel, Markus, Dj Mani, Richard Gear, Billy Converse, DJ Honeycomb, Tweedy and many others. How could it not become a mecca!? Plus if you look at the last three or four SXSW’s where parties have been thrown with some of the biggest DJ’s in the world at tiny houses, for free; in a small town like Austin, that shit makes a huge impact!
Tell us a little about Woolfy and Classixx, your musical guests at the birthday party last Friday.
Jeramy: Classixx are two DJ/producers out of LA, Michael David and Tyler Blake, on the Kitsune record label. They’re probably most know for remixing huge groups such as Phoenix, Yacht, Holy Ghost, Ladyhawke, Fischerspooner, and others, as well as producing their own great tracks. Their Phoenix remix of "Lisztomania" stole my heart last year and I ended up listening to it more than Phoenix’s version, which should say enough…
Woolfy on the other hand is one guy also out of Los Angeles, on the labels DFA/Rong. He put out two of our favorite albums last year. But it was really the track "Odyssey" he did that made me crumble into little bits, it was so good. His music has this perfect blend of Cosmic Disco and 70’s funk. If you’ve been to one of our nights, you’ve heard Woolfy. The mix he did that we sent out is absolutely bonkers good! If people didn’t get it in our newsletter, they should email us and we’ll hook ’em up.
Anything else you’d like to tell our esteemed Deli readers?
Jeramy: I’d just like to say that what’s happened in Haiti is truly devastating and heartbreaking. I speak for both of us when I say, our hearts go out to all those affected and a massive thank you to all those assisting in rescue, medical aid, and those giving donations.
–Tolly Moseley