Travis Barker and DJ AM concoct ‘crazy creature’

Two turntables and a full drum kit.

That’s the lean artillery deployed by the team of DJ AM and Travis Barker, who will bring their beat happening to the Roxy for a three-show residency starting Wednesday and continuing July 30 and Aug. 27.

The star turntablist and the former Blink-182 drummer have been doing their scratch 'n' bash for few years now, popping up at clubs around the country and attracting guest turns from the likes of Too $hort, Paul Wall, Fabolous and Lil’ Jon. L.A. being their home base, they’re expecting the roster of drop-ins to expand considerably.

DJ AM is tight-lipped on their identities, but says he's expecting some "beyond-legends that I’m amazed I’m going to get to share the stage with…. We both have a lot of friends who are musicians who are gonna be around, so we’re just gonna kind of wing it and see how it goes. Whoever comes, just put 'em on blast, basically, and throw 'em onstage."

The collaboration began when Barker contacted AM after Blink broke up three years ago.

"I was like, 'You know what, I want to do something different. I don’t want to play with four people where we all have to get to practice on time,' " says the drummer, who was inspired by a percussionist-DJ pairing he had seen in a New York club.

"I wanted to do something that I hadn’t seen done either, like a full kit and a DJ -- it was just a different approach, something fresh."

There are tastes of their teaming on You Tube, indicating a dynamic, improvisational spirit.

"AM is kind of like a guitar player, the way he has to throw things. It’s like he’s throwing riffs at me," says Barker. "I have a couple of Roland triggers on my left ... so I have the ability to sound like a live drummer and a drum machine real quick. It’s been so fun, and just endless our options of things we can play."

"The music kind of takes direction on its own," says AM. "We literally look at tempos or a few key songs we want to play and that’s like the skeleton, and then we kind of dress it up with all kinds of clothes and a hat and accessories and next thing you know it’s a whole crazy creature."

Barker also says that +44, his group with Blink bandmate Mark Hoppus, will do a second album, but first comes Barker’s own collection, combining some of his remixes (Soulja Boy, Flo Rida, the Game, et al.) with original collaborations with Mickey Avalon, Pharrell Williams and others.

-- Richard Cromelin

Comments

[ronnie]

How can I get a schedule where I know where and how to purchase tickets to Too $hort appearances?

I understand that he is now headquartered in Oakland, and would like to know what he is doing?

Any suggestions by anyone.

[stanley]

You "undertsand" that Too Short is "now headquartered in Oakland"?

Um, since when has Short NOT been in the Bay?

Also if that youtbe clip is any indication of what AM an Travis sounds like, Too Short should stay in Oakland. The trip down south would not be worthwhile. That sounded like garbage.