Flosstradamus
Interview with Josh Young
Words: Becca Nelson, Maynard Del Mar, Ryan Borras

Appearing:
August 16 , 2007
Club Firestone, Orlando

August 17, 2007
Czar, Ybor City

August 18, 2007
Studio A, Miami

Flosstradamus, AKA Chicagoans Josh Young and Curt Cameruci, began throwing monthly dance parties in 2005.  Originally intended as an excuse to play music for their friends, “Get Outta The Hood” (the moniker given to their night) has blown up, and they’ve seen their list of close acquaintances grow to include MTV execs, Pitchfork writers, and A&R folks from Vice Records, all waiting outside like everyone else trying to elbow in to what has become Chicago’s hottest party.  Young and Cameruci (or J2K and Autobot if you’re savvy) are working with a prize list of producers and artists including A-Trak and Chromeo.  They are also on a seemingly non-stop tour circuit playing dance parties across the country and hitting all the necessary summer tours in between, including their hometown’s finest, Lollapalooza and Pitchfork.  Josh took some time out of a 13-hour jag from Baltimore to Montreal via New York to chat about playing “dirty club records to dirty art kids.”

REAX:  As I understand it, you've pretty much blown up the Chicago club scene since this past fall when you the two of you started throwing parties.  Why the decision to team up as Flosstradamus?
Josh Young:  Honestly, we thought it was funny.  The whole thing was just a big joke at first, an excuse for our friends to come get drunk with us on a Wednesday night.  We met through mutual friends, just being in the same place at the same time.  People had seen us play separately around town and we were basically doing the same thing, and I was already looking for someone to team up with so it just worked out that way.

REAX:  Tell me more about the events you've been throwing in Chicago, and about the party scene in general there.  Is it different from “Life During Wartime” where Josh started out?
JY:  Around the time we started playing together most of the parties going on were dirty house parties; "art shows" which were basically a ton of kids packed into a gallery getting wasted while some weird bands played.  We brought the DJ aspect to this scene, playing dirty club records to dirty art kids.  It worked out all right.  LDW is similar to what we're doing, but more geared towards a late 20's early 30's crowd.  We were playing gnarlier records to a more “fake ID's and show-up-to-the-party-completely-wasted” crowd.

REAX:  Dance party crowds are totally different across the country, but the lines that are normally drawn between hip-hip, rock, punk and indie crowds are increasingly being blurred.  What are your crowds like, both in town and on tour?
JY:  In Chicago we've broken down a ton of barriers.  It’s very segregated, and a total neighborhood city. To draw people from all different neighborhoods and races to come out to party together may seem like a difficult task.  That's why we dubbed the party Get Outta The Hood.  Our party was being thrown in a gay neighborhood on the north side of Chicago, away from the artsy & young music scene.  People literally came from all directions to that night.  It was amazing!  We bring that vibe with us wherever we go & I believe it translates through our music and overall attitudes toward everyone we come in contact with on the road.

REAX:  Elaborate on the regional thing a bit.  You're from the Midwest, but I know you've hooked up some parties in Atlanta and you've toured through Florida a bit, too.  How’s the scene down here?
JY:  God, Atlanta is AMAZING!  We love it down there.  The closest thing to playing at home we've ever experienced.  We've had some really great parties in the South in general.  Miami and Orlando both go off.  I'm not going to say which does it better, but you would be surprised.

REAX:  Coming from a town known for house music, you’ve brought it into the spotlight for another genre entirely.  Was this on purpose?
JY:  Most definitely.  The scene here got really stale.  Everyone is trying to make it big here and usually when they do, they leave.  Honestly, I can't blame them.  Don't get me wrong, I love my city, but we have a goal of trying to bring Chicago up on a larger scale.  We want to make the whole scene better instead of just taking our little bit of shine we have now and running with that.  We want to create something bigger here… something people will remember.

www.myspace.com/flosstradamus