Behind the Beat with DJ Bogl (Soundpieces)

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Griffin March understands the power of mellowed-out music. As DJ Bogl, he delves into next-level dance music to unearth the understated, beat-heavy tracks that color his eclectic mixes--although he'll also drop a massive, dirty rhythm on a sweaty crowd when the time is right. 

You can experience the work of the fledgling producer and grade-A DJ every Wednesday when his weekly music/art party, Soundpieces, goes down at Paradise Lounge, or next Thursday, April 29, when he plays alongside Lazer Sword, Alex B, Shlohmo, and Eprom at Mighty.

We chatted with Bogl recently to get his take on playing at nudist colony, the best way to work bathroom breaks into DJ sets, and how he keeps it sexy.

Tell us some of the producers/bands that you've been playing lately.  

I've been playing a lot of Lazer Sword, Joker, Rob Sparx, Flying Lotus, Take, Mimosa, [producers on the] LuckyMe [label], NastyNasty, Shlohmo, Eprom, Starkey, and Slugabed.

What sorts of sounds draw you to the songs that make it in your mixes? 

I grew up listening to and DJing hip-hop, so I like the beats that aren't all in your face. Smooth and jazzy synths catch my ear, and of course the bassline has to make you feel warm inside. I always liked the bass in drum 'n' bass, just didn't like the high-energy repetitive drum patterns. I like it chill.

Do you do much original production work? Any edits or remixes?

I do a little production, but not too much. I focus more on ordering records, listening to other people's sounds, and spreading [those] out to the people. Right now, I'm working in LA on some new original productions with Mimosa. I'm also working on a few bootleg remixes of random hyphy songs and old-school anthems.

What's one the weirdest places you've played?
A few weeks ago, I played at a nudist colony in the Santa Cruz redwoods. That was weird. I've also played in a metal shack at Burning Man that shot fire over a crowd of thousands of crazy people. I dont know. They were both pretty weird

Are you any good at Boggle?
Ha! Yes, I am. I play it often.