Nocando, D-Styles highlight Low End Theory

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Author: Keegan McChesney

The Airliner Bar is transformed every Wednesday night into an eclectic musical madhouse called Low End Theory. A $10 cover fee grants access to the Lincoln Heights venue. The ambiance is entirely authentic with limited space, a low-set stage and a powerful sound system encourage a unique face-to-face, dance hall climate.

Many Los Angeles greats, such as Flying Lotus, Glitch Mob, Dntel and Daedelus, have performed at Low End Theory on their road to stardom. Performers rave about the purity of the crowd-artist relationship. The over-the-top show-boating and commercial pressure of performance is tossed out and replaced by artistic expression and musical enjoyment.

Low End Theory was founded by Daddy Kev, the label head of Alpha Pup Records, and a group of similarly-minded individuals. It has now been recognized by publications such as The Los Angeles Times as an epicenter of instrumental hip-hop. Seven years after its inception, Low End Theory has been an influential player in the emerging beat music and electronica scenes. Residents include Daddy Kev, Nocando, (DJ) Nobody, The Gaslamp Killer and D-Styles.

“The constant supply of up-and-coming artists is the most luring aspect of Low End Theory,” UEP major Lauren Breynaert (sophomore) said. “I can’t wait to go back next Wednesday and see a whole new set of local, talented musicians.”

Rather than driving for maximum profit and fame, Low End Theory simply provides a space for musicians to share their talents. No matter who is performing or when, the cover fee remains the same. This commitment to artistry, instead of profit, has been key to Low End’s success. They have now expanded to New York, Japan and San Francisco, giving talented artists from all over the world a chance to get noticed.

James McCall, better known by his rap name Nocando, is a resident emcee and part of the Low End Theory creation team. With his cool, energetic charisma, Nocando spends many of his Wednesday nights free-styling and hyping up the crowd on stage in front of the Low End Theory audience.

“The beauty of this place is that you can do exactly what you want to, when you want to,” Nocando said. “It’s all in the name of jazz and freestyle. It’s pure. We want to continue to give people a chance to show what they got. We bring in a variety of musicians, and it’s cool because everyone has a mutual respect for each others’ craft.”

Low End Theory’s music ranges from hard-hitting base to glitch-hop instrumentals to freestyle rap. It was created to bring the Angeleno music scene together, and it has done exactly that.

“It underscores the way challenging, inventive music can bridge larger cultural gaps and bring together Latino, Asian, African-America and white music listeners,” the LA Times wrote in an Oct. 2009 review.

There is no particular criteria for a Low End Theory performer. While the majority are up-and-coming artists, occasional stars will come by to ground themselves in an environment free of pretension. “You could tell the artists were their purely for the love of music, and that vibe flowed throughout the crowd,” Will Pottenger (sophomore) said.

Each act possesses its own sense of savoir-faire. Without any excess flair or sense of obligation, the performer is a part of the crowd, rather than the epicenter.

“[The performers] just have to be doing something that we value, and they have to value our platform as well,” Nocando said. This philosophy allows Low End to be a stage for a range of musical genres. Regardless of the diversity, transitions flow naturally and heads bob for the duration of the night.

Low End Theory epitomizes the Los Angeles dream: if an individual pursues their dreams and develops their talent, someone will be there to notice.

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