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Tag: Salt Box Records

  • Minoru “Hoodoo” Fushimi, XL Middleton and Milk Talk Appear on Tokyo Love Song’s First 7″ Release

    "In Praise of Mitochondria" "Funkin' Me Up" 7" on display at Salt Box Records
    Tokyo Love Song’s first 7″ release features Minoru”Hoodoo” Fushimi on the A-Side and a collab between XL Middleton and Milk Talk on the B-Side. Seen here at Salt Box Records. (Pic: Liz O.)

    Tokyo Love Song, the L.A.-based party that focuses on Japanese funk and city pop, dropped their first vinyl release earlier this month and it’s a good one. The 7” split single features “In Praise of Mitochondria,” the cult classic cut from Minoru “Hoodoo” Fushimi, on the A-side. For the B-side, modern funk musician and producer XL Middleton joins forces with Japan-based duo Milk Talk for their take on Fushimi’s song, which they’ve titled “Funkin’ Me Up.” I bought a copy of the single last time I stopped by Salt Box Records, Middleton’s shop in Little Tokyo, and was instantly smitten with it. 

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  • The Smell Anniversary, L.A. Fights Back and More Happening in L.A. This Weekend

    HLLLYH live at The Smell on Saturday, August 9, 2025 (Photo: Liz Ohanesian)
    HLLLYH plays The Smell’s 28th Anniversary party on Friday, January 2, 2026. (Photo: Liz O.)

    If your New Year’s Resolution is to get out of the house more often, you might as well start now because there are some very cool events happening in Los Angeles for this first weekend of 2026, including The Smell’s weekend-long anniversary bash, the L.A. Fights Back benefit show with Sextile, Automatic and Choir Boy, a David Bowie-themed skate party, film tributes to Bowie, David Lynch, Rob Reiner and Udo Kier, plus lots more. Keep reading for the breakdown. 

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  • “Les Yeux de Laura” and More of What You Heard at Salt Box Sessions on 10/19/25

    Vinyl 45 single for "Les Yeux de Laura" by Gouts de Luxe
    The 45 for “Les Yeux de Laura” by Goûts de Luxe

    It was an ordinary Sunday in Los Angeles. I heard one driver blasting Zapp while walking from the Metro station to Salt Box Records, another blasting Debbie Deb as I walked back. Second Street was packed with teenagers dressed in goth garb and anime gear and indie sleaze vintage with Labubus hanging off their bags. 

    Salt Box Sessions was a blast. Did some digging through the vinyl bins. The Miracles 45 that I got made it into the set. I went more soul than disco in the set, but the song that got the biggest reaction was “Les Yeux de Laura” by Goût de Luxe. It really impressed a French guy, who took a photo of it. I don’t know anything about the band or the song and the only reason why I know the title means “The Eyes of Laura” is because I Googled it and the movie The Eyes of Laura Mars (which is amazing, see it, if you haven’t) was one of the results. It is, however, a 45 that I found in the bins at Salt Box not too long ago. 

    Anyhow, here’s the set list. 

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  • French Police, Salt Box Sessions + More Happening in L.A., 10/15-10/22/25

    French Police live at Glass House in Pomona, CA, on May 1, 2025 (Photo: Liz Ohanesian)
    French Police live at the Glass House back in May. (Pic: Liz O.)

    Are you going to see French Police at The Novo on Thursday? Not only is Riki playing, but I’ll be on hand DJing as part of Klub Nocturno’s support set. I got to play with Klub Nocturno for the French Police shows at the Glass House and El Rey earlier this year and they were fantastic, so I’m psyched to be doing it again. See you at the club this Thursday night. 

    Then, on Sunday, October 19,  I’ll be playing and all-vinyl set with XL Middleton, Moniquea and more as part of Salt Box Sessions inside Hello Stranger. Come through between 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. to dig through the Salt Box’s vinyl selection, hang out and dance a bit. For the record, I have no idea what I’ll be playing. It could be Italo disco or minimal synth or norther soul or all of the above, so you really have to stop by to find out. 

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  • Heaven 17 Was Right, ‘(We Don’t Need This) Fascist Groove Thang’

    Heaven 17 "(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang" 45 RPM vinyl single (Photo: Liz Ohanesian)
    Heaven 17 “(We Don’t Need This) Fascist Groove Thang”

    The right record will always find you at the right time. Take last Saturday afternoon as an example. I was in Little Tokyo, flipping through 45s at Salt Box and just happened to come across “(We Don’t Need This) Fascist Groove Thang,” the 1981 single from Heaven 17. Did I have this? Did it matter? Even if I did have a copy, I could use another one because this nearly 45-year-old song is the jam for right now. Or, rather, it should be the jam for right now. 

    I didn’t even have to listen to the song for the earworm to bury itself in my brain. “Have you heard it on the news?” it goes,  “About this fascist groove thang.” 

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  • Klub Nocturno Is April 11 + More Events In L.A. This Weekend

    Flyer for Klub Nocturno at Catch One in Los Angeles on April 11, 2025

    This Friday, April 11, I’ll be back at Catch One for Klub Nocturno. Find me in the Boy Harsher Night room, playing darkwave and new wave for you. (And, obviously, expect to hear a lot of Boy Harsher in the set.) As of the time of writing this, there are still tickets available, so click this link and get yours asap. This is a full venue takeover, so there are five rooms to explore all for one cover charge. Party starts at 9:30 p.m. This is a 21+ event. 

    As for the rest of the weekend, Saturday is jam-packed with events taking you from day to night. So, even if you didn’t get tickets to see Ultra Sunn at 1720, which is sold out now, there’s still a lot to do. 

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  • Salt Box Records Is Now Open in Little Tokyo

    Inside Salt Box Records at Hello Stranger in Little Tokyo
    Inside Salt Box Records at Hello Stranger in Little Tokyo.

    There’s some good news for L.A. crate diggers. Salt Box Records is back IRL. The record shop operated by modern funk musician and DJ XL Middleton recently reopened inside Little Tokyo venue Hello Stranger after focusing on Instagram drops and pop-up events for the past few years. The soft open was last week. I stopped by on Friday afternoon and left with some heat. 

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  • Digging for Heat at On the Record Vinyl Fair

    The Music Center in downtown Los Angeles on Saturday, May 4, 2024 for On the Record Vinyl Fair (Photo: Liz Ohanesian)
    On the Record Vinyl Fair at The Music Center on May 4, 2024 (Pic: Liz O.)

    Salt Box Records has never steered me wrong. So, when I saw a 7” with a tag on cover the sleeve that read “Italo-style Spanish synth pop,” I grabbed it. I had never heard of the band Tango?— or, at least, in that moment, I thought that I hadn’t heard them— and the song title “Breve Síntesis de los Huecos,” sounded completely unfamiliar to me. I bought it strictly because that descriptive tag, written in Sharpie by an actual human, said, “Listen to me, Liz” in a way that algorithmic suggestions never do. 

    Later on, I would realize that I had previously heard Tango?, who were based in Barcelona and active in the mid-1980s. They had a self-titled song that was included on the stellar compilation, Ritmo Fantasía: Balearic Spanish Synth-Pop, Boogie and House. The two songs couldn’t be more different, though. “Tango?,” the song, is a slow groovy piece suited for pool parties and bars where they serve tapas on shady, outdoor patios. “Breve Síntesis de los Huecos” should have accompanied a montage in an ‘80s movie. It’s a vibe.

    But, back to the record shopping. 

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