08.07.2020
This week’s mix is one made by Brent Scudder, the host of Planet Funk on 313.fm every Wednesday (usually broadcasted at Urban Bean, however that has changed due to COVID-19). He is a dear friend of mine, and loved by many in the electronic music scene here in Detroit. He has been DJing for around seventeen years, and is known for his talent on vinyl, more specifically 45’s.
The mix he has created for detroit.dance progresses through the genres of 80s/90s, Jackin House, and Baltimore/Bmore House (a fusion of breakbeat and house music). One that will definitely get your feet moving to the funky beats!
I sat down with Brent for an interview, and we talked about things including his role in 313.fm, where he sees his show Planet Funk going after COVID, gig memories, and personal hobbies.
I hope you enjoy his mix, now on SoundCloud.
detroit.dance: How long have you been hosting 313.fm?
Scudder: We started off as burstradio.net and after a few years of that, almost 10 years, in 2017 we switched to 313.fm.
detroit.dance: How do you choose who you invite on your show? Do you have any method or certain way of doing that?
Scudder: In the beginning, it was mostly me reaching out to my friends or other DJs who I had seen play live. But, later on it became where people would reach out to me either via the 313.fm Instagram page, or the Facebook page, or through email. Also, lately I’ve had record labels and people that run PR for a couple bigger name artists who were going to be in town reach out to me and see if they can get their artists on the show.
detroit.dance: With this current situation of COVID-19, I know that has impacted your radio show at Urban Bean a little bit. So, how have you adapted to this and how do you see the future of the show coming back after the COVID situation?
Scudder: Well, right now I am just doing mixes [for the show] in my basement, so nothing spectacular. I’m not even doing video right now because my internet sucks out in the middle of nowhere, and I don’t have fast enough internet to do video. Which is surprising, because your phone can send 720p internet video and my connection at home cannot. But, to keep things interesting I am doing a different genre every week, so it is not just me making mixes over and over and getting boring. I don’t know when we will return to Urban Bean… I don’t know if it’s public yet, but they are getting remodeled. So who knows, we may be ready to come back and they may not be ready to open, so I honestly don’t know. I don’t know what is going to happen in the future. I would like to open it to guests only soon, but realistically I unfortunately do not have a date for that.
detroit.dance: That kind of sucks, I know everyone likes to go hang out at Urban Bean and listen to the broadcasts, even if they weren’t necessarily the DJ playing. I know I’ve had fun at Urban Bean, and I remember bringing you some Laika Dog hot dogs since they have half off food on Wednesdays at UFO Factory…
Scudder: It took me a second to remember what that was! Those vegan hot dogs?
detroit.dance: Yes, and I brought you the kimchi one.
Scudder: The vegan kimchi hot dog was actually amazing.
detroit.dance: Hosting the 313.fm radio show, you’ve come across a lot of artists, tracks, and labels, is there any particular label that you prefer, some genre that you like the most, or do you just kind of like everything from hosting the radio show?
Scudder: Well, the original idea behind the show, it was called Planet Funk. And this isn’t all of 313.fm, this is specifically my show on Wednesdays… it was called Planet Funk because the original idea was “anything funky”. Whether that be funky house, funky drum and bass… the very first show, I had someone who actually ended up being one of my roommates which was kind of funny, he came on and played some funky house. But, I had been happening to hang out with DJ Psycho earlier that day, and I was like [to DJ Psycho], “I was going to play the other half of the show, but would you like to play?” and he goes, “What would you like me to play?” and I say, “Anything funky. So funky house, funky ghettotech…” and he goes, “Well how about some funky funk?” and I said, “Alright! If you just want to play a bunch of funk records, go for it!”. So the very first show was funk, and funky house. That was the original plan. Um, but then after I got to know so many DJs and they all play whatever…
detroit.dance: It just kind of became open format?
Scudder: Yeah, as long as its electronic music. And it’s not garbage [laughs]. But it is nice every once in a while, if I have like a special show, you’ll see it in the bookings, the people I book have more of a funky style.
detroit.dance: Do you have any favorite gig memories?
Scudder: From the radio show specifically or?
detroit.dance: Either the radio show or you playing out regular gigs, either or. Maybe an example of one of them being Garden Bowl/Magic Stick playing at Grant [Jackson]’s event?
Scudder: That’s actually one of them that I was going to mention, because I have never made a “wardrobe” for an event before, but we [I made him a handmade t-shirt with sharpie] did that t-shirt exchange and that was fun and perfect for the event, a “Will DJ 4 Soup” t-shirt.
Then also, one thing I thought was kind of cool, and I’ll always have respect for the Ghita Sisters for, was one time I was playing at The Works, and I think they were playing right after me but in the back room. I was playing in the front room, and, god, the dance floor was dead. There was no one there. It was literally my friend Warren, and both of them – Andrea and Monica. And they were both on the dance floor from when I started until literally one minute before they had to go start their set. I always thought that that was really cool [of them]. And Monica and I actually did a tag set at The Works that was super fun, and Dav was there and he still talks about how awesome it was.
detroit.dance: I love Dav!
Scudder: There’s probably some other moments that I can’t think of right now.
detroit.dance: Going to you personally, what do you do in your downtime?
Scudder: Well, I am obsessed with Rally, that’s kind of weird I guess.
detroit.dance: Rally’s not weird! Explain what that is for everyone.
Scudder: Basically, it’s a type of racing, but instead of going around a paved track in a circle a bunch of times, you’re flying at 200 mph between trails that aren’t much wider than the car itself. With trees, and drop-offs, and jumps, over snow and ice, basically any other hazard that can pop up.
Be sure to check out Brent’s Destination Detroit & Recipe by Request for Kangaroo Sliders on Friday. His mix is now on SoundCloud!