Preview: Rollergirl, DJ Barticus / October 2 / Casa Nueva
By Xavier Veccia, Managing Editor
Casa Nueva / Thursday, October 2, 2014
Somehow, Athens has become a regular Funky Town, embracing the incredibly retro genre of disco to the point that Casa decided to throw a disco night for all the super freaks and dancing queens of A-Town. One of the biggest reasons Athens has “Night Fever” is one of the acts set to grace Casa--Rollergirl--and the DJ could not be more thrilled.
"It’s very exciting that people are loosening up, moving and shaking their butts,” said Adam Rich, the mastermind behind Rollergirl.
Rich has been a fan of disco since around 2009, when started discovering the likes of Daft Punk and Louis la Roche, along with Frech house and French house revival. “I was instantly drawn to the energy in the sound, four-on-the-floor-type dance stuff,” he said.
It’s that exact energy that led him to making disco music in the first place, saying, “It’s how it makes you feel. It’s the sound. It’s the quality of the sound, everything.”
He did mention, though, that it was “only natural” that he found disco, saying that he was “always drawn to sampling, the sound of sampled music and the music that gets sampled.”
It’s not often one finds a DJ involved in a genre besides EDM. For Rich, though, that’s a perk.
“It’s just nice to be a legitimate contrast to the EDM scene,” Rich said, citing his respect for the aforementioned scene.
“It’s a difference in opinion on what I want to accomplish with the music I play,” said Rich. “EDM is all about the drop--that massive buildup of energy and a quick release. While I do have to take into account the short attention span that people have nowadays, I’m more interested in the ebb and flow of the energy, dancing all night and not a fuck and run.”
While Rich is excited about the disco night at Casa, he’s not preparing for it any differently than any other show, sporting a “gig is a gig is a gig is a gig” attitude.
He takes that mantra to heart, too, performing the same way for every show, ranging from a show in front of three people--including his cousin--to his October 15 show opening for OK Go in Cleveland, which will be his biggest show to date.
“I guess there is an ideal crowd, size and stage formation that I’m comfortable with,” he said. Despite that, though, he naturally prepares and performs the same way.
Rich’s performances are usually energetic to match the funky beats he’s playing. Rich describes it as “being a dingus.”
“It’s what I do, groove with the music,” he further explained. “I’m definitely not a stuffy DJ sitting behind his gear.
If you want to groove to Rich, along with Athens-based mixmaster DJ Barticus, rock their disco beats, come to Casa on Thursday, where doors open at 10 p.m. and the charge is nonexistent for those of age.
