Bobby Evans cuts up over 60 psyche out jams selected by Nick deWitt into a cosmic opus
Currently on tour in Tokyo with his synth-led, psychedelic band ESP (alongside Aska and Seiya Matsumiya), the Los Angeles drummer, producer, DJ and visual artist Bobby Evans presents his latest solo project. With a brilliantly throwback and somewhat wayward approach to creating the classic mixtape, this awesome selection of far out sounds and obscure beats celebrates the lost craft of the mix.
I've always loved a cut and paste style layered with samples, hand made interludes and contrasting elements. I also really like hearing the DJ working, maybe just a little scratch or backspin, something that let's me know someone is there
Digging deep and piecing together a surreal musical narrative, the epic Lizard Panic mixtape sees Bobby Evans collaborate with fellow LA musician, ex-Pretty Girls Make Graves and touring guitarist for Liars, Nick deWitt who selected the 60 plus, psyche out jams and experimental noise. From Demon Fuzz to Hot Butter, Space Art to Moondog, Bobby Evans (who is also one half of the future hip hop duo Widows with Jimmy Jams who also appears on the mix) re-imagines the tracks into a cinematic, rolling adventure, crushing the sleeve art too.
Dazed Digital: Can you introduce Lizard Panic?
Bobby Evans: 10 years ahead, behind. Tunes and ideas that won’t age for a few. Nick DeWitt always plays me strange tunes so I asked him to make a list that I scaled down to 60 or so of my faves. I completed the interludes and odd audio bits from digging around YouTube too.
Nick deWitt: The more I look, the more I find. It's kind of irritating in that it keeps me from listening to newer stuff. The mix has bands like Space Art, Magical Ring, Aphrodites Child.
DD: Were there any other mixtapes that came as inspiration for Lizard Panic?
Bobby Evans: I've always loved a cut and paste style layered with samples, hand made interludes and contrasting elements. I also really like hearing the DJ working, maybe just a little scratch or backspin, something that let's me know someone is there.
Nick deWitt: I've never been good at cataloguing my memories in this way but the Witch Hat mixes set the bar real high. They can all be found on the webster.
DD: Mixtapes are so linked to personal memories, which ones captured and documented your youth?
Bobby Evans: The first mix I really remember was given to me by someone that rode my bus in middle school. I was probably in 6th grade. It was all Black Flag and Dead Kennedys with Ice T, NWA, and 2Live Crew. Then Funkmaster Flex’s 60 Minutes of Funk Vol 1 is the high school mix. It reminds me of joyriding an Eagle Talon to Charlotte to go see Snapcase. Killyou Meyou’s Lead the Field a Southern Rap Mixtape - Hosted by Earl Nightingale was actually my first mixtape under my old un-memorisable rap name. I spent so much time on this thing, finding tunes, mixing, and then layering in Earl Nightingale samples. My old rap group Brother Reade had just gotten signed, LA was poppin’ with house parties and Thug Motivation 101 had just come out. It was a killer time. Listening to the mix kind of brings back a little tinge of that.
Nick deWitt: My brother made a tape in the 90s that contained a lot of the indie rock gold at the time, Pavement, Elastica... sprinkled with some stuff that was strange to me at the time. Bands like Earth and Jad Fair. It was a serious gateway mix that kicked off that summer in Bellingham, WA and it would be a while before I listened to Maiden, Slayer and Metallica again.