brooke dulien

Sam Velde plays records at Hairbrain and at various wild dives and also keeps Cold Sweat records healthy and heavy.

Where are you from?
I was born in New York. I moved to Southern California—Newport Beach and Corona Del Mar area—when I was 3 so my mom could resume her surfing career.
Where do you live now?
I live in Silverlake. By the way, where is the actual lake? All I see is a reservoir.
Are you digital or vinyl?
I prefer to play vinyl records when rocking the house if that’s the question?
What mixer are you using?
I prefer tonic or soda. You?
What needles are you using?
I stay away from the hard stuff. A stiff Stoli with lime and either aforementioned mixer will do. Are you buyin’?
What are your turntables of choice?
Any Technics will increase the chance of rocking. The 1200 series seems to do the job quite nicely, though.
First time you ever DJed?
1996? I had a friend named DJ Frank or at least that’s what we called him—he was the first guy my friends and I had met with two turntables and a mixer. He was from the South Bay—a real character. Think I met him at the Jabberjaw? Can’t remember. Anyway he would bring his turntables over and we would have dance parties in my apartment. I was usually busy doin’ ‘The Cold Rice,’ headbanging, or just plain acting like a ‘wild moron’, but at times I would relieve him from his ‘DJ’ duties so he could do the same. I believe my first fade was Dio’s ‘Holy Diver’ into the Stooges’ ‘Penetration’—Lord have mercy!
Weirdest DJ gig?
The L.A. Times did a piece on a night I was doing years ago, so I started getting calls and emails from random people. I was asked to DJ—even though I just play records; DJs are guys like Peanut Butter Wolf and Mix Master Mike—a private party, but unbeknownst to me, they expected me to go one-for-one with another DJ and play strictly dance music. The Rapture’s “House Of Jealous Lovers” 12-inch had just came out and luckily I had it with me, so I just played the A and B side over and over, mixed with every song off of Primal Scream’s XTRMNTR for hours and hours. No one even noticed. NO ONE. $700 later I threw that Rapture single in the trash. After 30-plus times of playing and hearing it in a row, I never need to hear it again. Total side note, I did have Moby in my apartment once—uninvited. Going through my records. Total random encounter.
What are you playing in your set right now?
Really just depends on ‘the who and the where.’ I try and keep things fresh—not only for myself but for people that have heard me play records in the past. I try and mix it up from hard rock, hardcore, psych, punk, metal, whatever, etc., etc. Depending on what the night or event calls for. I was recently playing records in NYC at Motorcity for one of Jonathan Taubin’s New York Nighttrain events and had a kid come up to me and tell me, ‘I really dig this whole “death rock” thing you’re going for.’ Probably one of the best, random and funniest things anyone’s ever said to me in context. I will officially accept the moniker of a ‘Death Rock DJ’ anytime. The set had a mixed bag of stuff including the Chrome Cranks, Dream Syndicate, Monorchid, TSOL, Christian Death, 45 Grave, JFA, Brainiac, the Red Aunts, etc. Pretty random, and not so death rock—so it was a pretty funny call.
What are you listening to in your car?
Hmm—aside from the random iPod party, I’ve got these CDs in there: Bob Dylan and the Band Basement Tapes, Goatsnake 1, Stephen Stills 2, Loop Heaven’s End, and Allman Brothers Brothers and Sisters.
Last record you bought and where?
I bought these gems at Atomic Records in Burbank, and Amoeba in Hollywood last week: Flower Traveling Band Satori, Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac Mr. Wonderful, Government Issue You, Hard-Ons Dick Cheese, New Model Army self-titled, Tom Rush best-of.
Best record you scored for $1?
Television Marquee Moon—sealed!

For more shows check out: larecord.com/radio

SAM VELDE DJS WITH MAGIC MIRROR AND DJ SHORT SHORTS ON FRI., JUNE 13, AT TEMPORARY SPACES, 5100 FOUNTAIN AVE., LOS ANGELES. 10 PM / FREE / 21+. COLDSWEATRECORDS.BLOGSPOT.COM.