Afghan Raiders

Afghan Raiders open up their playlists for us in the exclusive ARTISTdirect.com feature…

A Taste:

Madlib, Animal Collective, Yelle, LCD Soundsystem

There’s about to be a revolution on the dance floor.

It’s going to come courtesy of two Las Vegas electro rock outlaws known as Afghan Raiders. This duo stirs up a flurry of electronic ecstasy, blending massive infectious hooks with warm sonic flourishes for a sound that’s both entrancing and hypnotic. Mikey and Beans elevate electronic music to a whole new plain, and they want to take you to outer space with them. Just crank “Admiral’s Doorbell”…

In order to get closer to their enigmatic sound, we spoke to Mikey and Beans about what they’re listening to. Check out their playlists below in this exclusive ARTISTdirect.com feature.

Don’t miss Afghan Raiders!

Mikey’s Playlist:

1. Madlib — “Distant Land”

Madlib is an artist who redefined the way I listen to music. He is all about the power of the mix and exploring the endless possibilities of mixing and messing with the listener’s ears. I find Madlib to be a truly creative, visionary producer, and he is definitely an artist I look to for inspiration when mixing and producing tracks. “Distant Land” is one of many gems on the album Shades of Blue, where Madlib sampled and reworked tracks from Blue Note’s catalog. His unique choice of loops and the organic feel and groove of the track take the listener to another universe.
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Sharlto Copley of “District 9″

The star of District 9 shares the music that he was listening to while filming in this ARTISTdirect.com playlist feature

A Taste:

Transformers Soundtrack, Black Hawk Down Soundtrack, Johnny Clegg

What’s the best way to unwind after a long day of running from the law and fighting hostile aliens?

Crank some tunes!

That’s exactly what District 9’s star Sharlto Copley did after filming some of the more intense action sequences in Neill Blomkamp’s new sci-fi epic. However, what he was spinning is a bit surprising.

“I was listening to the Transformers soundtrack a lot,” laughs Copley. “I don’t listen to music to get into character, but I do listen to it to zone out of things when I’m on the way to the set or sitting in my trailer—during the few brief moments that could happen [Laughs].”

Sharlto truly immersed himself in this world, becoming his character Wikus. He continues, “As a character actor in improvisation mode, you are the character or you’re not. There’s no in-between. There’s no thought involved in it. You really just switch it on or switch it off.”
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