The HAWT crew in Los Angeles, CA

Easily Influenced (Mikey Velazquez & Gelly Kusuma) / HAWT LA

Together, Mikey and Gelly both launched THE HAWT MOVEMENT in February of 2006 in Los Angeles, California. Best friends united by their relentless passion for music, they set out to change the way that people looked at electronic music, parties, and just having fun in general.

"At first we just wanted to start our own record label in order to showcase our own music, also having the opportunity to sign our favorite artists that we admired," says Mikey. "Along with that came the party, and that's what put us on the map and opened up doors to gradually build relationships that will forever change our lives."

In May of 2006, HAWT Afterhours was born. On every 1st and 3rd Friday, HAWT's underground parties not only showcased the DJ talent of various quality acts from all over the world such as Inland Knights, Derrick Carter, Justin Long, Johnny Fiasco, DJ Mes and many more, but they have also displayed the talent of so many of the great DJ's in the thriving Los Angeles scene, something very important. Their main focus has always been on bringing back that old school house vibe at parties, bringing friends together with music, dancing, breaking boundaries, giving back to the community and HAVING FUN. After all, HAWT is an acronym for "Having A Wonderful Time", and they have done just that with the help of Eddie Barajas, Mike Magana, Neil Goodman, Luke Alan and many many more along the way.

"If it's HAWT it's HAWT, that is the vision behind it all."

These two really do love it all, their versatility will surprise people. That's something that will become evident in their music the longer they are in the game. "We'd like to be known for pushing the envelope, finding our own sound and never holding anything back. If we're feeling something, whatever sound or style that may be, we make it, we play it. There's a time a place for almost anything!"

In 2007, their debut production release was signed to ROBSOUL RECORDINGS, Phil Weeks' respected label out of Paris, France. Since then, the two have put music out on DJ Mes’ GUESTHOUSE MUSIC, Raoul Belmans’ A SECOND SMELL, UNION, and now finally showcasing it on their own label, HAWT MUSIC. After years of blood, sweat and tears, the debut HAWT Music release is finally ready to drop on both vinyl and digital on April 4, 2009, so lookout for Easily Influenced's original track "ROCKIT" featuring "reheaters" by their biggest inspiration, DERRICK CARTER, as well as fellow Southern California natives JOSHUA HEATH, and THOMAS WHITE of NATURAL RHYTHM. It has been making noise on dancefloors worldwide and supported by DJ's such as INLAND KNIGHTS, MARK FARINA, MIGUEL MIGS, DJ HEATHER, DERRICK CARTER and many more.

Lookout for much more original EASILY INFLUENCED music and remixes to come in 2009 and beyond!

www.myspace.com/2easilyinfluenced

Eddie Barajas / HAWT LA

With nearly a decade of DJ experience, Eddie knows what it takes to set the groove for any occasion. He is a gem in LA’s underground dance scene where he has been working dance floors and thrilling audiences for nearly a decade. But his experience doesn’t stop with Los Angeles. Eddie has been booked to play in urban hubs across the country including New York, Miami, San Diego, San Francisco and Honolulu.

Whether it's an after-hours warehouse dance party, an ultra-VIP lounge in the Kodak Theater, or anything in between, Eddie will set the perfect rhythm for the occasion. His broad appreciation for music reflects in his unique versatility as a DJ, touching on Deep,Techy, Funky, Jackin' – in a word, all things HOUSE. He also dives deep into the realm of smoothed out downtempo much like Mark Farina's Mushroom Jazz.

Eddie has opened for Jurassic 5 and has also shared the stage with an eclectic mix of musicians: Bitter:Sweet, Shaun Escoffery, Lee "Scratch" Perry and West Indian Girl, just to name a few. In the DJ world, Eddie has graced the decks alongside world class talent such as: Doc Martin, DJ Heather, Lance Desardi, JT Donaldson, Chuck Daniels, Switch (UK), The Littlemen (UK), Special Interest (UK), Fries & Bridges (France, US), Marques Wyatt, Andrew Macari, Diz, Jason Hodges, The Rurals, Q-Burns Abstract Message, and Slater Hogan & John Larner.

When not DJ'ing, Eddie enjoys expanding his experience by scratching, spinning and sampling as a member of a band. He is a former member of the electronic band ELEPHONIC and is currently part of the triphop ensemble UNA, both of whom have music licensed to television and motion pictures.

Eddie's obsession with music was apparent even in childhood. A first generation Mexican-American, his earliest memories are infused with his family's love affair with mariachi. The youngest of three, Eddie’s musical tastes were also strongly influenced by his older brothers. The “baby brother” would listen in wonder as his siblings played records of greats such as the Rolling Stones, The Doors, Beatles, The Who, Pretenders, Clash, Police and countless others. He witnessed the birth of MTV, resulting in a deep-seeded fondness for all things 80's - Men at Work, The English Beat, The Human League, Simple Minds, Depeche Mode, The Cure, U2… and yes, even Madonna and Janet Jackson! In fact, one might even say especially Madonna and Janet Jackson as they offered Eddie a first taste of the world of dance music that would soon become Eddie's passionate addiction.

His high school years were blessed with the inception of an electronic music station known as MARS FM, more recently known as the famed (but sadly now extinct) Groove Radio. The station further broadened Eddie’s musical knowledge and tastes, treating him to the likes of Swedish Egil, Tony Largo and Holly Adams, amongst other on-air DJs. Another one of his favorite shows was 'The Illicit Groove' on KXLU radio hosted by DJ Sonic, now better known as Jason Bentley. These shows schooled him in the world of underground music and laid the foundation for his appreciation of the art of the DJ”and the life-changing music he came to know as HOUSE.

In his college years he served as music director of Occidental College's radio station KOXY, where he delivered a broad musical message to his audience. Melding new wave, ambient, jazz, rock, ska/reggae, drum and bass, punk, hip hop, Eddie artfully touched on just about every genre imaginable.

Currently residing in East LA, Eddie continues to bring his message of musical diversity to the masses, delighting all who are fortunate enough to hear it.

Mike Magana / HAWT LA

Obsession with vinyl house records can make one believe in otherwise unbelievable things, such as the ability to stretch time. When Mike Magaña caught the House Music bug, he was certain that his lunch break gave him plenty of time every day to dig 4 records @ Higher Source records and return to work on time. This was especially true, in Mike's mind, on Thursdays when Thomas White, 1/2 of Natural Rhythm would open @ 2:00PM with new releases. The fact that his employer, WB Networks, was located by LAX while Higher Source was on Santa Monica and Centinela, presented no obstacle to Mike's thinking. Until, of course, he crashed back to reality when he was terminated for taking too many long lunches.

While he may be much more realistic now, Mike never lost his passion for House and for DJing. Nor did he lose his sense of humor. Mike, some argue, is the most fun DJs to dance to in Los Angeles. As one club promoter puts its, "he played a techitie, bleepity, funkity kinda house ahead of most DJs. Now, that sound is everywhere". A Mike M. set is always drenched with a mixture of funk and playfulness, which is universally appreciated by dancers in LA. This type of sound landed him numerous guest DJ slots, and most importantly a residency at housesaladla's The Good Life party, now a staple of LA's house landscape.

But the "outgoing" Mike wasn't always so. At first, Mike spent hours upon hours @ his home spinning record after record, and recording mix after mix. He hardly ever went out. He was batman in a cave, Einstein in a lab, Bobby Fisher wherever that guy may dwell. His mixes were gloriously good, enough to land him slots @ some of Hollywood's most famous venues. "That was cool" reflects Mike, "except that us house djs were relegated to the side areas, while the main room had hip hop or top 40. I was itching to play at a true house club, and for a true househead crowd. until then, i prefered my home studio over anything else". Then one day, he was asked to fill in for Oliver Twist in 2003 @ INVITED, the short lived but legendary monthly in West Los Angeles. "the place was packed on a Tuesday! the venue was beautiful, and all DJs were invited to play 40 minutes of whatever they liked. I loved it!". After that experience, Mike no longer wanted to stay home, and, finally, yearn to play out for people.

In explaining why he chose Mike as a resident dj for the Good Life, Imad states: " by 2003, every DJ i heard knew how to beat match. I wanted someone different. My idea was to have a dj who played a set of classic house tracks, and INTENTIONALLY train wreck every mix. When I heard Mike's CD, i knew I had my DJ!!"

It is that type of playful persona that Mike infuses into his sets. As one clubber and regular 'good lifer' explains: "Mike's sets are infectious and fun not simply because he carefully chooses certain tracks or because he has a pre-planned way of mixing them. Of course those things matter, but ultimately it is because he IS a fun and playful guy, and his friends, promoters and supporters are also that way. His sets are a natural and organic extension of his personality. Anyone who walks into the Good Life on a good night with Mike behind the decks, can immediately sense that atmosphere overwhelm them. That the music and the mixing is top notch is just icing on the cake. It makes a two hour Mike M. set wiz right by". In that respect, It appears Mike still has not figured out how to stretch time. But he's currently working on it in his lab.

Neil Goodman / HAWT LA

Neil's love affair with house music started at the age of 16 when he stumbled across the southern california rave scene. Amongst all the eccentric sounds, House music stood out the most and the rest is history. Scoring his first pair of turntables in 1998, Neil starting practicing and digging for music every day until he landed his first residency at the infamous Freethinkin in 2001. From there the gigs starting piling on and Neil found himself playing in socal on a regular basis, playing gigs all over town and getting the opportunity to play with dance music legends like Doc Martin, John Tejada, Diz, Dj Heather,Justin Long and many more. Fast forward to 2009 and Neil has had the pleasure of playing dancefloors all over from California to Brazil. From the legendary Dynagroove parties to Club 00 in Rio Dejaneiro, Neil has been lucky enough to share his main obsession with like minded people all over. Shifting his main focus to production, Neil has been relentless in the studio, landing his first solo EP on San Francisco's Motion Music Imprint, and forming the collaboration Proper Attire with long time friend and house music messiah Bobby Valentine. Needless to say Neil has been busy and now as the newest resident of HAWT, things are sure to get even busier!

Luke Alan / HAWT LA

Born and raised in the Los Angeles area, Luke Alan has been a lover of house music since he first met it at the age of 13. "House music was a savior for me. It was something I had never heard before but all I knew is that it made me smile at the hardest times in life." After buying a few of his all time favorite mix cd's, RHV and BBB's The House Connection, he began to fall in love with mixing. "I just wanted to know how the hell these guys were playing 52 songs in an hour haha" After days and days of mixing between his fathers turntable and cd player and dreaming that there was someone listening, he decided he needed a pair of turntables to his own; luckily his neighbor has just gotten some for Christmas and no longer wanted them. Seems like fate, right?

Luke bought these turntables for an easy 100 bucks and ever since then he has not left the decks. "Times got pretty rough with family issues throughout high school so I would just lock myself in my garage for about 6 hours a night and just mix. House truly is a spiritual thing and believe me, I could feel it." Even till this day you can see these feelings erupt from Luke when he’s spinning. He’s not shy at all when he’s up there and never afraid to close his eyes, sing along and dance to the track.

Luke's been mixing for a solid ten years but he is still rather new to the scene. He has been told he wears himself on his sleeve and people can truly tell the love for the music flows heavily in this one. You can expect one hell of journey when Luke plays; bringing you through all the different genres house music has to offer every time he’s up there. "I never plan out a set or even plan out what groove I want to be in. When I get up there I just basically look at the people and say 'ok, here we go'. All I know is that I play from straight from the heart and that's really where the track selection comes from." One thing is for certain though, you will leave that floor sweating, shaking, and with the biggest grin on your face.

Luke has also recently jumped in to the producing game. "I've come to the realization, as im sure we all have, that if you want to follow your dream of spinning, you gotta start making tracks yourself. I've completely fallen in love with it and I'm just hoping I can produce tracks as good as I'd like to haha." Hopefully we can all enjoy these tracks sooner than later.

Keep an eye out for Luke Alan in the upcoming months and even years. He is at the ripe age of 23 and ready to do whatever it takes to keep this movement going!