We will be speaking with Sophie Lippert about Vibrant Studios and Jon H about Fort Knox Five

This Week we feature Vibrant Studios and Fort Knox Five will be our featured artist. Vibrant Studios is expanding as a community space and you can now share your slills there.We will be speaking with Sophie Lippert about Vibrant Studios space andcatching up with Jon H from Fort Knox Five about the new release Presurize the Cabin and their upcoming performance at What The Festival 2015

FORT KNOX FIVE has spent the past decade as a leading force in the international funk and breaks scene. Having released an arsenal of floor-rocking original music and remixes, it’s clear that FORT KNOX FIVE has the midas touch for producing heavy-hitting records.

FORT KNOX FIVE is masterminded by Steve Raskin, Rob Myers, Jon Horvath, and Sid Barcelona. They established Fort Knox Recordings in 2003 to release party-rocking music that crosses tempos and defies genres. Their world-renowned “Fort Knox Sound” has overtaken dance floors with its infectious interweaving of live instrumentation and funky electronic breakbeats.

FK5’s talent for organic hooks has made them highly sought after producers and remixers, and landed them in URB Magazine’s prestigious “Next 100.” They have dozens of remixes to their credit, including monster remixes for the legendary Tito Puente, Louis Armstrong, and Bob Marley. Further cementing the reputation of FORT KNOX FIVE, Afrika Bambaataa—the godfather of hip-hop—has recruited them numerous times to produce tracks. Their video for the song Shift featuring Afrika Bambaataa & Mustafa Akbar was declared “groundbreaking” by Spinner Magazine. Their songs have consistently broken the iTunes and  Beatport Top 10 Charts in multiple genres, reaching Number One positions in Breaks, Reggae, and Chillout on Beatport.

FORT KNOX FIVE’S music has been featured predominately in high-profile films, television shows, ad campaigns, and video games. FK5 music can be found in hit TV shows like Fox’s Fringe and the Oscar Winning Documentary The Cove. Their music has been featured in dozens of enormously popular video games like Electronic Art’s Need For Speed, Tiger Woods PGA Tour, and EA Sports’ NBA Live. Recently they completed a new original FORT KNOX FIVE music composition for the feature film Stand Up Guys, staring Al Pacino, Christopher Walken, and Alan Arkin. They have also remixed titles from Bruno Mars, Peter Gabriel, Queen, and The Cure for Disney Interactive’s Fantasia Music Evolved video game.

As DJs, Jon H & Steve ‘Raskal’ know how to rock parties with infectious grooves that effortlessly move from funk, reggae, and hip-hop to prime time 4/4 beats and breaks. Their unique 4 Turntable DJ sets have proven irresistible to clubgoers worldwide. They have performed on 5 continents and in over 30 different countries, playing some of the largest festivals and club nights around the globe, including Shambhala Music Festival in BC, Fabric Nightclub in London, Hollywood Bowl in LA, Madison Square Gardens in NYC, 930 Club in DC, and Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado.

Fort Knox Five has toured and performed alongside major artists like The Beastie Boys, Snoop Dogg, Public Enemy, James Brown, Jurassic 5, Z Trip, Diplo, A Trak, Craze, Gwen Stefani, the Black Eyed Peas, A Skillz, Krafty Kuts, Stanton Warriors, Bassnectar, Skrillex, and London Electricity. Forget about tempos and genres—let Fort Knox Five take you back to the roots and unite all music from the funk, soul, jazz, dub, hip hop, reggae, and electronic generations.

FORT KNOX FIVE occasionally tours as a full-on live band. During their live shows, FORT KNOX FIVE brings many of the artists featured on their projects to perform songs that will inspire, incite, and unite audiences to “Funk 4 Peace!”

Vibrant Studios is a unique and innovative space for cultivating community through yoga, dance, music, and food. Located in downtown Portland, Vibrant Studios features daily movement classes, weekly musical offerings, and bi-monthly plant-based dinners, all with the intention of creating safe and supportive space for people to connect with each other and find optimal health and happiness.

Since opening in October 2012, Vibrant Studios has grown steadily, and is now officially available to the public for rent! So, a message to all amazing Portlanders: are you part of an organization looking for a beautiful, safe, supportive space to meet on a regular (several times weekly/ monthly) basis? Or are you a yoga teacher or wellness facilitator who'd like to expand your practice (with classes, workshops, etc) and find a new home in the downtown Portland area? Several different rooms are available on site, to customize the type of experience you'd like to create. Contact the studio at vibrantstudiospdx@gmail.com for more details and rental rates!

UPCOMING EVENTS WORTH FEATURING:

2. "Flow into Balance" - a Yoga and Nutrition Workshop with Jennifer Oechsner, Friday June 5 from 5-7pm. Yoga from 5-6pm. First, Jennifer will guide you through a series of poses to help balance the body, focus the mind, and challenge the spirit. You will twist, turn and breathe to stimulate the body’s detoxification pathways. Next, learn about the importance of digestive health to promote balance in the body’s systems, something that easily falls to the wayside in our busy lives. Jennifer will discuss how you can avoid common pitfalls as well as simple solutions you can use to improve overall health for you and your family. The workshop includes light snacks and local wine to enjoy during the discussion.

3. House concert with Portland's own FABULOUS Moody Little Sister! Sunday, June 14. Doors at 7, show at 8pm.

BRIEF BIO: When Naomi Hooley moved 3000 miles, from a small town in Alaska, the chances meeting Rob Stroup from a small town in Oregon were pretty slim, but it happened... and from the moment they met there was musical chemistry.

Naomi is a prolific song writer with a unique style and vocal signature. The local press has called her voice “cool and powerful” and her songwriting “masterful”.
Rob's musical background brings a whole other set of sounds and influences. A founding member of Portland's beloved roots rock combo The Baseboard Heaters – Rob draws on 60's rock and classic country influences. Also informed by the “Oklahoma sound” of JJ Cale and the bluesy sides of Dylan.

You'll experience a show delivered with powerful piano and acoustic guitar, combined with foot percussion and amazing harmonies, with a side of story telling. Naomi and Rob have taken this act all up and down the West Coast and continue to be very well received by a very diverse group of audiences.

Check them out at www.moodylittlesister.com, or see them at the studio June 14!


4. Midsummer Night's Dream Open House & Yoga Rave. Second annual! Date TBA. Featuring a festive bazaar of artists, jewelry makers, and performers throughout the afternoon. Food, face paints, music, and more. Once night falls, Stephen Brown aka DJ Ujjayi will spin a killer set to accompany a soul-filled fusion yoga & dance party. Honor the summer and celebrate yourself and your body in this unique opportunity! Link: soundcloud.com/ujjayi-soundsystem.