Myself, Nate Sampson, Mikeytown, Dj Ala, Mister Buddha, Monch Berger, Brian "Bmoves" Salazar, Jose "Nonfiction" Tobar
Influences
Housemen/Housewives SF, David Harness, Louie Vega, Quentin Harris, Karizma, Marques Wyatt, Mark Farina, Franck Roger, Alix Alvarez, Mr. V. Scott Wozniak, Yass, Kerri Chandler, Dennis Ferrer, Jimpster, your mom.
The Early Years
At age 13 Brian started learning how to beat match Freestyle and Miami Bass on his father’s Pioneer turntable. His only outlet for music at that age was subscribing to Columbia House and BMG Music where he anxiously took advances on his weekly allowance to hustle records. It was 8 LPs for singing up, 7 LPs at club price, 4 free LPs for fulfilling his membership requirements. It wasn’t long before he signed up his 6 year old brother Harold, and 3 year old sister Sarah with memberships just to reap those benefits as well. “I was a vinyl junkie at a very young age…and that was the only way I knew how to get records. If we had a dog I would have signed it up with a membership also”.
It wasn’t long before 12” singles made their way into his crates and Brian started pushing out mix tapes as well as DJing for house parties and school dances. Frequent trips to San Francisco exposed him to music that he couldn’t even find in San Diego. “I would go shopping at Rainbow Records in Serramonte, then my cousins and I would take the bus to Stonestown and I would raid the bins at Tower Records. Back in San Diego we had Lou’s records…but they never stocked anything as fresh as the Bay Area. I had L’Trimm -Cars that go boom 2 months before anyone did in San Diego, even the radio stations. I had this obscure record called Get Retarded that I never really heard anyone else play”
When high school hit, Brian’s love for sports took over, and he put his passion for music aside. After college Brian entertained the idea of becoming a DJ again. “I heard a rumor of how much Armand Van Helden made for a set that I thought was less than impressive. I thought if he could make that much, I could do twice as good for half the price. Of course, it wasn’t about money…. But the idea that you could rock a crowd that large was pretty damn exhilarating.”
The San Diego Scene
In November 2001 Brian found himself a nice used set of 1200s and the quest began. Along with Nate Sampson, they established iLoveHouseMusic.com as home base on the Internet. The club scene was an entirely different animal than house parties. “My first IN was through a good friend of mine DJ Marlino, who set me up with some gigs in San Diego through a promotion company that threw parties with a Hip Hop and House room. The house room never got too much love, but I was playing music and I was making connections. That’s really where it started. My first legit House gig was through Erick Diaz of Siesta Records, opening for Eddie Amador. From there things went really well.”
Early residencies with DJs Nate Sampson and Mikeytown at spots like E-Street Alley, Ole Madrid, Red C Lounge, and a several appearances at Bar Dynamite, Ole Madrid, THIN, Juke Joint, Kava Lounge helped bring Brian Cabalic to the forefront of the San Diego house scene. Later, in 2005 Brian teamed up with DJ Ala (Dive-SD) and held a Thursday residency at the legendary Rich's Nightclub and later moved their operation to Candelas, which is still one of San Diego's main staples for Deep and Soulful house music.
The Los Angeles Scene
After only 2 years playing house music, Brian found himself behind the decks of Marques Wyatt’s home court – DEEP @ 1650 Schrader. “The old DEEP …. *sigh*. You had to be there. I really can’t describe the feeling of that club other than HOME. I owe that night to Frank Lara, Big-Cee and Richard ‘Slick’ Lopez.” April 2003 was a good month as Brian also found himself spinning a headline set for Sue Dred’s Balance @ King King. “I feel like I had conquered LA, but the more I traveled up there to gig the more I realized I was only scratching the surface of what house music had to offer”. It was Los Angeles that exposed Brian to the darker and stompier side of house music. Guest appearances for parties like Focus, Gravy, Dirty Dirty House Club (Tony Powell) and Higher helped Brian broaden his sound to cater to a wider range of audiences.
The San Francisco Scene
Early 2006, Brian made connections with Teejay Walton and Brian Salazar of the Housemen and started playing in various clubs in the Bay Area. It wasn’t long before Brian set his sights on relocating to San Francisco. In 2008 that dream became a reality and the change of environment breathed new life into Brian’s quest to become a more complete DJ. “In San Francisco I’m surrounded by an entire culture of art, music, fashion... All these influences motivate me to put the game into overdrive. I’m where I want to be.” With guest appearances at spots like DNA Lounge, The End Up, Temple, and Cardiff Lounge, Brian proved he is worthy of stepping to the plate in a scene filled with competition at all levels, behind the DJ booth and the studio.
What’s Next?
Over the past 9 years, Brian Cabalic has established himself as one of California’s premier house deejays. Having graced the decks in some of San Diego’s, Los Angeles’ and San Francisco’s most famous venues, Brian continues to share his vibe from one dance floor to the next becoming a key purveyor of deep, funky, soulful, and uplifting grooves in California.
Awww thanks boo! :P I'm also going to the gym 3-4 days a week AND takin Pilates...Take THAT bitchesssss! Haha! I honestly can't remember the last time I felt this healthy. :) :) :)
good good. just started the new job. so adjusting kinda. had another interview today as well, did well but wanted a senior developer. hopefully i get hired there in the near future cause they are an ill company, 'Mindgruve'. working a lot on my music. gonna put all my energy there. how are u? when are u visiting?
