EVASIVE: OUR Q & A WITH NATIVE DJ EVI RED ELK
Electronic Dance Music (EDM) has a rich history and vibrance that draws the souls of its creative listeners. EDM has at its roots, electronic sounds of genres that are heavily influential and ever evolving, including house, techno, trance, electro, dubstep, and drum and bass. This predominantly underground music scene has especially in the past year been gaining more popularity. As I have been an avid listener of EDM since middle school I hope that the mainstream industry that is now trying to market this genre does not taint the allure, uniqueness and spirituality of what this genre means to me. Like other genres, music is a global language that has the power to heal the soul and as tribal peoples have known, is a vital way to instill important messages and lessons. It is a connection that is special to each individual. Numerous Natives have come across this genre and have used it as an outlet of their creativity.
Evi Red Elk is a multi talented musician who is a drum and bass DJ, as well as a drummer and singer for his group, Red Power. He is based in Colorado Springs, Colorado and for both genres of music has traveled around the country including Montana, Nevada, Florida, California, and South Dakota. Evasive, Evi’s DJ stage name, currently plays monthly at Sodo Nightclub and has also played at Blondie’s Ultra Lounge, and Subterranean Nightclub, all in Colorado Springs. Beta Nightclub, The Church, Bar Standard, Vinyl, and Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom are all Denver based hot spots that he has graced the dance floors for. Evasive is expanding his audience by playing at other prime locations across the U.S. including The Beauty Bar, in Las Vegas, Nevada and more. NM received the opportunity to catch up with Evi and ask him to share his story and current projects with Indian country.
NM:Where are you from? Nation?
I am Dakota/Lakota/Cahuilla (Ka-we-ah), My father was Dakota from the Fort Peck reservation, my mother is Cahuilla from the Agua Caliente tribe and Lakota from Pine Ridge.
NM:How did you first get involved in the electronic music scene?
I first got involved with the electronic music through my older sisters. They had a major influence on a large portion of the music I listened to growing up, from hip hop, punk, heavy metal, and of course electronic music. As a kid I always had an infatuation with the Dj because I thought the fact that they were scratching these records and making it sound dope, as I'm sure most kids did. I started listening to the old electronic cd's my sisters gave me from when they used to go to shows from the 90's. This electronic music ranged from house music, trance and even jungle. I went to my first show when I was about 13 and from then on I was hooked. I would always try and go to all the shows but being so young my moms always told me no. I did get chances to go when I would go stay the night at friends houses we would sneak out and go. A few of my friends had older brothers that knew the right people back in the day and that's how we would get in. Always being one of the tallest kids in school and out of my friends the door guys never questioned me because of how tall I was. Either way when I was about 17 is when my eyes were really starting to open.
From when I was about 14 or 15 I got really into beat boxing and underground hip hop and thought that was my calling, going to all the hip hop shows with one of my old friends from 6th grade. He introduced me to a guy that owned a local record/coffee shop called Soul Mechanics. It was a chill place to go and network and pick up records and watch b-boys practice and meet all sorts of artists from all walks of life and all elements of hip hop. Through Soul Mechanics is where I met DJ's Skip Ripkin, GHoST, and Osyris, who were junglists and Skip was a hip hop/junglist/bboy. Osyris was dating a girl I had known since we were kids and she invited my girlfriend and I to go with them to a show he was playing at some warehouse. It was the first time my girl had ever been and we had a blast. From then on we would become good friends. At that time I wasn't a huge fan of jungle. I was more into house music, it wasn't until I met the guys from SOB Productions in 2006 that I got into jungle, drum and bass, and break beats. The circumstances of our meeting weren't the greatest because we had met after a mutual friends funeral, but I guess it was a blessing in disguise. I had a long conversation with them and we clicked so we exchanged numbers and that next weekend they had invited me to go with them to see Disco D. and Bassnectar at The Root in Boulder. I then became part of the SOB street team promoting all over Colorado Springs and in Denver. Then I decided that year that I wanted to learn to do what they were doing. The music was becoming more real to me, so I asked them to teach me so they did. Roman spent a lot of time breaking everything down for me and really helped me understand. I'm pretty sure it was Christmas of 2006 that my mother got me my first pair of turntables. From then on I spent as much time as I could learning to perfect my mixing skills. So that's what brought me here today.
NM:What genres are you involved in within the electronic scene?
Currently the genres I'm involved with are drum and bass, break beats and lately I've been venturing off into a somewhat fairly new genre, well new to Colorado anyways, it's called footwork. I also spin juke music, but in all reality I can spin just about anything you hand me.
NM:How have your creative processes changed overtime?
My creative process's have changed due to my love for music, I went from being a pow wow and sun dance singer, to being a hip hop head/beat boxer, and now I mainly do EDM. I honestly don't think my creative process has changed that much besides genre's. I've always had an ear for quality music ever since a young age, the only thing that's changed now, I noticed, is my love for music. It's more real now.
NM:Do you think that there is a large community of Native’s that listen to
EDM?
There are a large number of Natives that I meet on the daily in person or on the internet that love EDM. There also numerous Native American producers that are popping up all over the place not only in the states but in Canada as well. Shout out to A Tribe Called Red. Those boys kill it.
NM:Do you have any themes that you portray in your work?
No themes in my music really, I like to keep an open mind and not limit myself to a theme or a label. I think my music speaks for itself. It's very upbeat and fast pace at about 174 BPM's, very in your face type of beats. Makes you want to jump and move your feet.
NM:Tell us about your drum group:
I've been raised around the drum since I was very young and have always been drawn to that drum and around 7 years old I decided to learn how to sing and drum properly. From then on I learned pow wow and ceremony songs as well. Currently my drum group the Red Power singers are very new still and I only have a couple other singers, but my EDM music career keeps me so busy that I rarely get to practice with them and I rarely get to go to powwows because I'm constantly playing shows on the weekends. But when we do get together we jam out.
NM:Have you ever merged or thought of merging the two genres together?
I have thought of merging the the two together, like with drum and bass and plan on producing some tracks like that soon so keep posted to my fan page for the release dates.
NM:Do you have any other outlets of artistry besides your music?
My children and my music are everything to me, I also have a passion for aggressive inline skating. That was my life before DJ’ing. I skated everyday of my life for about 6 years solid and then my dreams were shattered one day when I broke my left knee when I was 17. I was laid up for 9 months because I split my knee cap in half.
NM:How is being a musician and artist beneficial for the Native community?
Being an artist is beneficial for the Native American community because it shows and proves Natives are still here and are doing big things. It shows kids that are losing hope, that we are strong and can do anything. I was blessed to have learned when I did and actually found something that made me happy and that I loved to do. It’s a blessing to be able to do the things you love, especially as a career. There is no telling where I'd be if I hadn't committed to perfecting my skill when I did.
NM:Are there any particular quotes/ people/moments from the past that inspire you to keep producing music?
I have two little boys Sincier is 7 and Promise is 4. They inspire me everyday to keep progressing not only in my music, but in life. Another major inspiration in my life would have to be my mother, she's my biggest fan. The people that gave me that one shot that everyone needs to get there foot in the door, they definitely inspire me to stay positive and open minded when new talent steps up and asks for a chance. Also my fans here and my peers that believed in me from the beginning and the people that still do believe in me. Those people drive me to be the greatest I can be.
Quotes that inspire me:
"Music is my life, my occupation and my tool." - Darrison -2008
"Good music is good music no matter what kind of music it is" - Miles Davis
"If music be the food of love, play on" - William Shakespeare
"Music can change the world" - Ludwig Van Beethoven
NM: What is a positive message that you would want to encourage youth who are struggling to keep connections to their culture and their community?
The best advice I could give anyone struggling with keeping connections to their culture and people is, stay positive and open minded, reach out to your elders, take them an offering, ask them what you want to know. Don't be afraid of learning about who you are and where you come from and never be ashamed of our Native American people, we've done many great things for our people and this land; we will always be strong and honorable people. Always remember that oral tradition is the strongest source to our history, our traditions and our ceremonies we have. Love yourself and love your family and make great use of your time here on this earth, never limit yourself to the endless possibilities one person can achieve in one's lifetime.
We can expect to see Evi continually grow as an artist and travel more across the country to share his gifts with people of all walks of life. I’ll be listening and EDM fans will be listening to the evolving sounds of Evasive and be bumping our way to the beats that make drum and bass so exciting!
[Image credit: EVI RED ELK - COPYRIGHT TEKPHOTOS.ORG]