Ian Witlen

Let's face it, doing cubicle work or any other type of mundane activity -- like dusting, laundry, writing blogs -- really sucks. It's one of those things where Facebook-creeping feels like a better option (it's not, btw).

But when it's time crunch at your job, you need creative energy to fuel you through whatever boring shit it is that you're doing. And Facebook ain't cutting it. What better genre of music to fill you with life than the mashup? These are artists in a constant state of movement. What follows are a couple of mashup musicians that will make your grind that much easier to endure.

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Public domain photo via Wikimedia Commons

Arriving in a DeLorean is optional.

Last month, we introduced you to Subculture, a company of community organizers and music enthusiasts led by Phillip Roffman. In our interview with Roffman, he expressed a desire to band together likeminded locals from various artistic scenes, and mount cross-disciplinary events. Now, the first of these is coming. Mark your calendars for Sincerely Yours, Marty McFly, which takes place on Saturday, July 14.

For the evening, Subculture is transforming the Classic Gateway Theater in Fort Lauderdale, a South Florida cultural staple, into the '80s. The evening centers around a double feature of iconic movies from that decade: the teen-angst anthem The Breakfast Club, and everyone's favorite time-traveling, freaky-friday-esque cult favorite, Back to the Future.

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Read interview with 305 Fest organizer and Speedfreek's Roger Forbes 

305 FEST is rapidly gaining status across the land (and in the international underground) as the hallmark festival of all things heavy. With big thanks to the savvy promoters behind Speedfreek productions, this weekend's going down in the history books.

It's reminiscent of long-gone festivals like the Slap-a-Ham fest in California and the Twin Cities hardcore extravaganza that I believe was orchestrated by Profane Existence and Exteme Noise Records.

Not that Florida is short on massive punk rock gatherings, there's still the legendary No Idea gala known simply as "The Fest" which is always a good bet and not too far of a drive, but now... Now we can claim one of our own.

Since I've been loosened on the short leash and we're actually encouraged to share our tastes here, why not post a little appetizer for this weekend's musical mayhem? That's right, it's VJ time!

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This past May 18, I was invited by the hep cats over at Discosoma and Roofless Records to partake in their Singles Night vol. 4 over at Lester's in Wynwood. I am in no way shape or form a DJ, but I do have an extensive love of vinyl records that dates itself back to the late '80s when I was old enough to appreciate their beauty and subtle elegance.

If you've ever been the recipient of one of my cassette mix tapes and/or have had the unfortunate pleasure of teetering over my turntable late at night and aided by Irish whiskey, you'll know that I am a casual purveyor of bleeps and bloops and more snap, crackles, and pops than a bowl of Rice Krispies on PCP.

My sheriffs here have been kind enough to indulge my whims and I present to you here an approximation of my set that night through the miracle o YouTube. Hats off to fellow DJs New Times writer Arielle Castillo, University of Wynwood's P. Scott Cunningham, Matt Preira of Roofless and Jared McKay of Discosoma for overlooking my terrible transitions and indulging my quick eye to the bar that night. These dudes and gal spun some serious magic and I recommend you keep an eye out for them if laptops make you cringe.

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DJ Rob Riggs at his smoothest

​Somehow between resident gigs at Vagabond, Playwright, and the Ritz-Carlton plus being head instructor at Miami's Scratch DJ Academy, longtime FTLien turntablist Rob Riggs finds time to compile mixes of music he can't play at any of his gigs. True to its name, Don't Disturb This Smooth serves up 80 uninterrupted minutes of "experimental-down-tempo-hip-hop-electro-soul-beats" with a heavy emphasis on smooth throughout. With notable attention to detail evident in the solid blends and numerous custom edits, Riggs offers precision as well as style and keeps the lineup eclectic without sacrificing theme. Even the customary, annoying voice-over actor DJ drops are kept to a minimum and at a reasonable volume. 
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Broward County dance aficionados will be familiar with the gyrating work of Broward-based DJ crew On Til Dawn. These three beatsmiths, Anthony Mazzeo, Mike Romero, and Eric Dupri, have been on the grind the past few years; beginning with raves out in the swampy Everglades just a few years back these mix-masters have grown up and are currently heading up three successful dance parties in South Florida. Some would argue that the On Til Dawn crew practically reinvigorating Fort Lauderdale Beach's infamous scantily-clad debauch spring break vibe of 80s with its two successful bikini laden parties --Mas Carne and Second Sunday. More »

via facebook.com/depressedbuttons

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​Back in January we announced the launch of the local Musical Missionary label with a debut record release by Austin-based producer Darren DuVall. The label has since continued to expand with a growing lineup of forward-thinking EDM artists.

Musical Missionary itself continues to cultivate an unprecedented philanthropistic approach to music business. The label actually serves as a nonprofit charity dedicated to providing music and arts education to underprivileged youth, and donates all proceeds of its record sales and events to the cause. As such, it stands as a bastion of virtue and good faith in a city and music scene more often than not dominated by big egos and commercial interests.

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