Jon Pegnato aka Hot Mouth

Jon Pegnato has carried on by his DJ moniker Hot Mouth since he left the electro duo LA Riots almost a year and a half ago. But really, the project started about five years prior, before the LA native joined powerhouse EDM duo LA Riots and became the whirlwind success that he never saw coming.

Eager to continue his career as his own solo act and get back to the dream he originally created, Pegnato has been busy in the studio focusing on his own original productions and finding time to have fun as a touring DJ. Coming straight from his four gigs and 10 days of heavy partying at WMC, Pegnato is showcasing his skills as a taste-maker and all around hilarious dude at the Yost Theater in downtown Santa Ana for White Rabbit's "Havoc Thursdays." We got a chance to speak to Pegnato as he walked around his LA neighborhood and talked our ears off about his wild days as a kid, how he came up with Hot Mouth and where his music is headed.

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Things don't look so bad from the top.

If you've caught the lackluster Carell/Buscemi/Carrey comedy The Incredible Burt Wonderstone since it opened last weekend, you've quickly become well-acquainted with Imagine Dragons' "On Top of the World" if you didn't know the song already. The folky tune is utilized repeatedly in Burt Wonderstone as a go-to motif for when a sequence that's exuberant, uplifting and cathartic--maybe even schmaltzy--is about to unfold. The song is an apt choice for such use not only because it's truly joyful but also because it's about as zeitgeist-y as a musical cue in March 2013 can get.

"On Top of the World" comes from Night Visions, the 2012 debut full-length by the Las Vegas-rooted Dragons. All this talk of Dragons is convenient since Visions is practically some kind of mythological beast itself. The record is both the product of a young rock band and a dominant force on the Billboard charts; nowadays, albums get to be one but not the other.

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After falling in love with electro in his native Miami, Eric Estornel began deejaying in the early 90s. Like most EDM enthusiasts he later got into techno and began making house beats in 1996. He moved his family to Dallas where he made a name for himself as a local DJ, but it wasn't until he fled to the European dance music scene that things started to take off for him four years ago. He released an LP on the infamous Crosstown Rebels label and his appeal has since skyrocketed. Tonight, going by his DJ moniker Maceo Plex, the soulful, underground producer is headlining the official Insomniac Beyond Wonderland pre-party alongside Maya Jane Coles at Exchange LA and playing the Crosstown Rebels Rave stage at Beyond Wonderland Saturday only to make his way back to Miami for his Ultra Music Festival debut on Sunday!

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Shannon Nehls / OC Weekly

Dave Reed & Chad Cisneros of Tritonal backstage at White Wonderland

After making waves in the trance community the Texas based duo Dave Reedand Chad Cisneroswho form Tritonal are about to embark in the biggest year of their career. At least that's what MTV Clubland thinks as they named Tritonal one of their artists to watch in 2013 last month. We got to chat with the American EDM artist backstage at White Wonderland before their New Years Eve set in anticipation of their gig tonight at Sutra in Costa Mesa. They were more than enthusiastic to share with us their past successes as well as what to expect from the duo this year.

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Angelo Patino-Patroni and Josh Anaya of PeaceTreaty

It's hard to believe all that the Chino Hills duo PeaceTreaty has achieved in the mere couple of years they have been making electronic dance music together. Since we last spoke to Josh Anaya and Angelo Patino-Patroni they have continued their momentum on the OC native Steve Aoki's Dim Mak Record Label touring the world including at Insomniac's Nocturnal Wonderland in San Bernadino and Electric Zoo in New York. With remixes for artists like Robbie Rivera and Hot Mouth out now their primary focus is to finish their full length debut album which has been in the works since they released their EP in 2011. Tonight they are bringing their eclectic big room house sound to White Rabbit's Havoc Thursdays at the Yost Theater in Santa Ana. We caught up with Josh, Angelo and their cute pug Ziggy at their studio in Newport Beach where the two reside, to catch up on what life has been like for the OC duo as a part of the well known Dim Mak family.

See Also:
*Five EDM Artists We'd Like to See at Coachella This Year
*Pendulum DJ Set - Yost Theater - November 15, 2012
*PeaceTreaty's Name Was Coined as a Joke By an Ex-Girlfriend -- But It Suits Them Perfectly

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If there is one thing that no one is expecting at Christmas, it's to see the word Hitler anywhere.

If you don't know Kevin Smith by now you are either too old, too young, or you live under a fucking rock. For those of you who have been living under a rock, let us name drop Mallrats, Clerks, Jay and Silent Bob, Chasing Amy, Red State, Dogma, and Jersey Girl to help clue you in. OK, we won't talk about Jersey Girl but as you can see, his list of hit movies just goes on and on.

Kevin has made a career out of being awesomely creative, keeping busy, and these days he still shows no signs of stopping by hosting "Jay and Silent Bob Get Old" with long-time pal Jason Mewes on his Smodcast Internet Radio. With global popularity, the twosome often hit the road with their show and this Friday is your chance to check it out when "Jay and Silent Bob Go Down Under" premieres on EPIX at 10p.m. (EST). Luckily for us (and for you as well), Kevin took some time out of his schedule to chat it up before the premiere and to give us the low down on what's up and what's coming up. No dirty birds, not in that way.

See Also:

*Jason Mewes Talks About Sobriety, Strange Sexual Positions and Going Down Under.
* Hollywood Babble-On with Kevin Smith and Ralph Garmin
*Jay and Silent Bob Get Old

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Courtesy of Ben Rugers / Xsight

Tyson Illingworth

After making waves Down Under as one of Australia's youngest and most popular DJs, tyDi garnered global attention from legends like Tiësto and Markus Schulz with his original tracks like "Meet Me in Kyoto." He shared the stage with the likes of Armin Van Buuren, Pal Van Dyk and John O'Callaghan at the mega Dutch festival Trance Energy in 2009 and the doors opened for him globally. Born Tyson Illingworth, the Aussie was honored as the International Dance Music Awards' "Best Breakthrough DJ" during WMC in 2010 and his success has since skyrocketed. Tonight the 25-year-old producer makes his OC debut at Sutra in Costa Mesa. We chatted him up and talked about his musical background, how his sound has progressed and why he plans to join the DJ elite who live in Los Angeles.

At the young age of 15, Illingworth ditched his drum kit and began learning to DJ and write songs. Just a year later he had won his first DJ competition in the Brisbane DJ Wars and was holding down residencies at the most premiere nightclubs in Australia. Juggling more traditional studies at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music while releasing his debut album Look Closer at 19 shows his determination and passion for electronic dance music. "I wouldn't say a degree is essential, but my Bachelor of Music and Technology has absolutely influenced my music," Illingworth says. He studied everything from song writing, playing classical orchestra music and production at the Conservatorium. "I think it was an advantage for me because I learned how to write a complex song properly and can conceptualize music in the studio well."

See Also:
*Free Ticket Tuesday Wednesday: tyDi at Sutra
*Markus Schulz - Sutra - October 30, 2012
*Kristina Sky Was Dragged To Her First EDM Rave in the '90s, She Hasn't Looked Back Since

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Jason Lew

Vân-Ánh Vanessa Võ

It doesn't take much to search out certain parts of Vietnamese culture in Orange County. Take a spin around Garden Grove, Fountain Valley or Westminster and it's impossible to go more than a few blocks without a pho restaurant, a Korean church or Asian market staring you in the face. But when was the last time you stumbled upon a traditional celebration of Vietnamese music? That's exactly what Cathy Lam was trying to remedy when she started Fire and Bronze, an event dedicating to bridging the gap between traditional Vietnamese folk music, jazz, classical and other western sounds. The centerpiece of the event is the replica of a traditional bronze drum (known as a Đông Sơn drum), an important ceremonial instrument in ancient Vietnamese culture.


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Courtesy of Identity Management Group

Beefam at the Sutra Masquerade

Halloween is less than a week away, but as you know the EDM scene can stretch out a holiday like nobody's business. And with the potential for slutty costumes and thematic whimsey being at an all time high in October, it's obvious that this is one of the biggest party weekends of the year.  No doubt you and your friends have already staked out the parties happening in the most exclusive (i.e. expensive) clubs and events in Los Angeles to San Diego, but why waste your money on gas? You're smarter than that. We broke down a list of the best Halloween parties for our avid electronic music fans right here in Orange County.

See Also:
*Sutra Throws a Seven Day Halloween Party
*Top Five Worst Places to Get Your EDM News
*Slander: Two Former OC Frat Boys Help Take TrapStyle Worldwide

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R3HAB---See him at Sutra tonight

See Also:
Top Five Worst Places to Get Your EDM News
Nocturnal Wonderland: Our Recap From A to Z
Identity Management Group and Insomniac Events Create an EDM Power Merger in OC

Halloween is another excuse to dress up as your favorite characters while sneaking in an extra concert, festival or club night of partying to your favorite music. It seems like venues and promoters are using holidays these days to turn it into a week-long of festivities rather than the typical long weekend a la Memorial and Labor Day. Las Vegas has been doing it in the EDM scene and now it looks like OC is following suit. Identity Management has teamed up with Insomniac Events (founders of EDC) and other local promoters to bring you seven days of spooky celebrations at Sutra in Costa Mesa.

Halloween isn't until next Wednesday, but the celebrations begin tonight with a line-up for every night of the week until All Hallows Eve that is sure to satisfy your EDM needs without even having to ponder attending Monster Massive. The posh lounge will be transformed by various haunted themes and fantasies as some of the world's best DJs provide the soundtrack. Even DJ R3hab's Facebook profile picture announces his "USA Halloween Tour" which includes stops in Vegas, Hallofreaknween Festival in Denver and Sutra tonight. R3hab is sure to kick-start the chainsaw madness of hard-hitting electro and progressive house which out-shined Afrojack on many of their tour dates this year. For house addicts tonight will be the perfect rehab as the DJ fittingly born Fadil El Ghoul kicks off the festivities with opening sounds by Adam Auburn & Darwin Paul, Darreen Correa and Audiostache.

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