With the Las Vegas nightclubs boasting residencies by the world's top DJs, it's easy to forget that the city is home to a crop of local turntable talent that keep crowds dancing from Downtown to the Strip.
Luckily, this month's Life Is Beautiful Festival local music showcase is eschewing bands and singers in favor of a night of home-grown DJs, kicking off at 7 p.m. tonight at Insert Coin(s).
Just don't expect any button-pushers behind the decks -- the evening's lineup is all about the craft, with styles ranging from house to indie mashups to trap to open format. Take a break from the mainstream oontz-oontz and get to know these locals below:
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Totescity
Originally from: Las Vegas
The low-down: The indie dance duo of Doodle Do and Gables are so good at getting crowds moving, we awarded them our 2012 award for “Best Non-Nightclub Party” for their First Fridays throw-down at Artifice. They favor indie rock, funk, soul and electro in equal doses, ranging from sexy, pared-down Lana Del Rey remixes to fresh, thumping mash-ups blending the likes of Marvin Gaye and Theophilus London.
Where to catch them: In addition to their monthly First Fridays party “Loose Joints” at Artifice, the duo plays regularly at Downtown venues like Insert Coin(s) and the Commonwealth.
Track to hear: Marvin Gaye - "I Want You" feat. Theophilus London (Totescity Remix)
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DJ ZO
Originally from: Las Vegas
The low-down: ZO describes himself as a “high energy party rocker with a little underground flavor. Both basement hip-hop vibes and 128 bpm rave music,” and cites turntable kings like Mix Master Mike, DJ Premier, DJ AM and A-Trak as influences. His genre-bending style -- everything from hip-hop to electro-house to moombahton -- has lead to opening gigs for artists including Mayer Hawthorne, Dilated Peoples and Sage Francis.
Task master: With the goal of tackling “all genres in the game,” DJ ZO released 12 mixtapes in 2012 for his "12in2012" series.
Where to catch him: You may also know DJ ZO -- a.k.a. Alonzo Valencia -- as a co-founder of and acting talent buyer for Vegas StrEATS, where you’ll catch him spinning the second Saturday of every month as the Downtown festival’s resident DJ. Not one to be pinned down, he’s also played a slew of hot spots around town, including Bond at The Cosmopolitan, Ghostbar, Body English, Artifice and Beauty Bar.
Track to hear:"This Is My Club Demo (12 of 12)"
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Crykit
Originally from: Kenosha, Wisconsin
The low-down: Both a professional DJ and a professional dancer, Crykit is a party force to be reckoned with. The open format queen cut her teeth in San Francisco and L.A. before moving to Las Vegas, diving into the Bay Area’s up-and-coming EDM scene on the turntables and the B-Boy/B-Girl scene as a dancer.
Where to catch her: Today, the stylish mix-maven holds down residences at venues as diverse as her playlists, including Tao, Lavo, Insert Coin(s), SHe and Topshop at Fashion Square.
Track to hear:"Synthsual Seduction Mix"
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Phoreyz
Originally from: New York/Los Angeles
The low-down: Dividing his time between residencies in Las Vegas and Los Angeles, Phoreyz brings a distinctly rhythm-heavy edge to the turntables and isn’t afraid to leap around genres, remixing the likes of Beyonce, Lenny Kravitz, Amerie, Radiohead and more (he even manages to make a remix of “Creep” worth listening to).
Street cred: Phoreyz has served as a performance DJ for the likes of KRS ONE and Talib Kweli, the latter of whom he has also collaborated with as a producer.
Where to catch him: You can catch Phoreyz every week at Insert Coin(s) as their longtime resident DJ; he’s also the resident DJ for beloved funk and soul dance party The Get Back the first Friday of every month at Beauty Bar. Most recently, Phoreyz spun at Hakkasan’s grand opening last weekend alongside heavy hitters like Deadmau5 and Calvin Harris.
Track to hear:"Videotape (Phoreyz Mix)"
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Byra Tanks
Originally from: Las Vegas
The low-down: Formed in 2013, this solid trap duo features Mauricio Morales of local house troupe Midnight Affair and Eric "Wizdumb" Camacho of Griffin resident DJs The Uncrustables. Their already-robust slate of mixes runs the gamut from chill downtempo numbers like “The Island” to crowd-bumping bangers like “Wall Street;” if you can’t get down to their bass, get out of the club.
Where to catch them: Byra Tanks will play Collective Zoo’s “Fuku de Mayo” block party Downtown this Sunday May 5; keep an eye out for them at other CollectiveZoo events at Rumor, as well as stints at Insert Coin(s) and Vegas StrEATS.
Track to hear:"The Island (Original Mix)"
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Personal Touch
Originally from: Texas
The low-down: Personal Touch hails from deep house and disco backgrounds, citing influences like house pioneer Larry Levan and the New York City Paradise Garage nightclub scene. Says the duo: "Personal Touch will take you on a disco journey by using hard beats and funky rhythms to make you boogie on the dance-floor!”
Where to catch them: See them spin every third Saturday in the back room of the Griffin for their monthly party “A Touch of Disco,” a Downtown Saturday night staple since the they began playing together in 2010.
Track to hear:"Flight Facilities - Foreign Language ft. Jess (Personal Touch Remix)"
Follow Andrea Domanick on Twitter at @AndreaDomanick and fan her on Facebook at Facebook.com/AndreaDomanick.
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