Just the 10 of Us
ItNs amazing what can be accomplished in a short amount of time when youNve got the right people—or the right number of people. In the case of multicounty DJ collective My Hollow Drum, both are true. For the past two years, My Hollow Drum (whose 10 members are scattered across Costa Mesa, Chino Hills and LA) have earned their stripes behind the turntables in hip-hop clubs such as Dublab, Low End Theory and the Crosby in Santa Ana—the latter at their “Geekdown” residency, the last Thursday of each month. As time sharpens their ability to integrate homemade beat sets with raw turntable skills, My Hollow DrumNs sets take on widely eclectic tones. On any given night, youNll find them blending boom-bap backdrops with 8-bit digitalism, spacey atmospherics and kitschy keyboard sounds. The best examples come from collaborative tracks like “RADIXTXNESTXMP” (not a typo) and “one TRACKMIND,” both currently streaming on MySpace.
Although creating these kaleidoscopic hip-hop sounds is no easy task, itNs easier to take your music in 10 different directions when you have 10 people guiding it. Members Co. Fee, Teebs, Yuk, pLo, Drol, Swass, Arti, Kab, Marcus and Bahwee add individual slaps of color and style to the groupNs aurally fearless aesthetic. Simply put, theyNve got skills and they know how to use them. The group are poised for another chaotic set, officially commemorating their second anniversary at the Crosby. And as the beat goes on for this talented crew, it looks like My Hollow Drum have a future full of surprises.
My Hollow Drum with Nosaj Thing, Free the Robots, Kutmah, NGHTPRWL and Matthew David at the Crosby, 400 N. Broadway, Santa Ana, (714) 543-3543; www.thisisthecrosby.com. Thurs., Aug. 27, 9 p.m. Free. 21+. Visit My Hollow Drum online at www.myspace.com/myhollowdrum.
Hey, Orange County/Long Beach musicians and bands! Mail your music, contact info, high-res photos and upcoming show dates for possible review to: Locals Only, OC Weekly, 2975 Red Hill Ave., Ste 150, Costa Mesa, CA 92626. Or e-mail your link to
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