Life In Color is the world’s largest Paint Party. It is Global Dance Fest meets Holi with lots of people, awesome music, and most importantly– paint canons. This Saturday Feb. 7th the epic dance party will be held at the Denver Mart. Life In Color boasts a lineup featuring Basscrooks, Big Makk, Brillz, and DVBBS. We are thrilled to see locals BassCrooks playing at Life In Color for the second year in a row. This is an event you cannot miss.
Bass reverberates and splashes against the additive-free, water soluble paint spraying onto the crowd. The madness counts down like a clock and hoses, canons sit at the front of the stage. By the end of the night, there will be veritable inches of paint on the ground. Wear white, wear shoes you aren’t super attached to, and buy tickets here.
303 Magazine was lucky enough to sit down with the two members of BassCrooks, Elliot Oveson & Akbar Mohabbat. The duo decided to base their band out of Denver, formed in 2012, and have spent the part of their lives obsessed with music. DJing across the country, BassCrooks opened for Zed’s Dead this past year at Red Rocks, plus were a part of the roster of Global Dance Fest on the rocks.
Now, Life In Color will explode in Denver again this weekend! I don’t know if I’m mentally prepared for the paint explosion that will be this performance. To help brace me, I chatted with Elliot & Akbar about music, color, and the hustle.
303 Magazine: Thanks so much for sitting down with us. For those who don’t know, what is Life In Color?
Elliot Oveson: It is a huge show, where people come to get lit. Literally, covered in paint. They have these mini canons set up along the front of the stage operated by this thing you lift up, with a serious red button. Like you’re lighting a bomb off. Those just explode with paint. Then they have 2 off these big fire hoses. They’re really good at keeping it away from the artists. All the DJ gear is theirs, all the stage set up. If they get paint all over it, they’re gonna have to just deal. If you’re in the front 20 rows, you’re gonna be absolutely drenched in paint. It’s unreal. The show is really unique, it’s a destination. Last year Carnage headlined.
Tell me about that experience?
Elliot: People go there knowing and wanting to just get covered in paint and wild out. Last year was like 20 below, and there was a line out the door. About 7,000 people. It was amazing. This weekend is going to be sick. If it hasn’t sold out already, it’s close.
I just want to have fun and DJ and try to make good music. That’s all I want to do. We are out here grinding, it’s hard work. Nothing is handed to you.
What does Basscrooks means? Are you “stealing bass”?
I understand BassCrooks is made up of DJ Empir3 (Akbar) and DJ Wushu (Elliot). Tell me about your DJ history or origin?
Akbar: Dj Empir3 is what I used to go by when I played open format clubs, prior to Dj Empir3 I was “Dj Parents basement”. I’ve had turntables since I was 16, I was a heavily devoted warehouse raver. But I became Dj Empir3 around 2005. I was walking through downtown St. Louis and out of no where a club owner walked out of his club and said, “You’re Akbar right?” I was like, “Yeah,” he then said that he has heard me DJ and his DJ was about to get fired and he asked if I thought I could handle the job. Top 40 wasn’t really my scene, but I was into clubs. Empir3 is my way of saying when I’m on the decks I’m the ruler, if you’re on the dance floor then you are in my rule. I control this vibe it is MY Empir3.