Image via Complex Original
When it comes to EDM acts that are huge on the Internets, Flosstradamus are kings of the castle. They've been bubbling since the MySpace days, and have built the majority of their career on connecting with their fans digitally, then having them turn up at their live gigs. Pun intended. Their name rose to prominence last year when they brought forth the sound we know and love as "trap" to the forefront with their "Original Don" remix.
The question is, how much do you really know about the duo?
It's always good to see a groups rise, and the interesting tidbits that help color in their story. Like who J2K's sister is, or which children's TV show they worked with. Or how one of their releases almost shut twitter down the day it dropped. All of that and more will be found in these 10 things you didn't know about Flosstradamus.
Autobot Engineered, Mixed, and Mastered "Harlem Shake"
While it's dope to have a sick track, you need to balance things out. That's where mixing, mastering, and engineering tracks comes in. The ability to make something hit as hard as it can without murdering speakers is an art (just ask any engineer worth their weight in the drum & bass scene how important mastering tracks can be). That said, while we'd love Baauer's "Harlem Shake" on its own, you have to give Autobot (aka Curt from Flosstradamus) props on mixing, mastering and engineering the track.
Sigur Ros Thought Their "Overnight Star" Mash-Up Was "Really, Really Weird"
"Overnight Star," the Flosstradamus mash-up of Twista and Kaye West's "Overnight Celebrity" and Sigur Ros' “Starálfur," has actually been heard by Twista, Kanye, and Sigur Ros. While none of them hated it (or, even worse, tried to sue), Josh did mention that they thought it was "really, really weird." Odd comment, considering we thought it was really dope nod to the Baltimore club sound. It works.
Kid Sister is J2K's Older Sister
Sure, she's known to us as Kid Sister, but to Josh (J2K) of Flosstradamus, he knows her as his big sister. Oddly enough, Josh is the one who gave her the name "Kid Sister." Kid Sister said there's no real story behind it, he just came up with it (which is the same way Flosstradamus was given their name).
Flosstradamus Performed on Jimmy Fallon with Kid Sister
For her TV debut from back in November of 2009, Kid Sister called in Flosstradamus to back her up for her Late Night with Jimmy Fallon performance; Curt was on the decks, while little brother Josh jumped on the mic and played hype man.
Flosstradamus Made a De La Soul Mix for NIKE+
Back in 2009, De La Soul hit Nike with a batch of their latest tracks; Nike loved the tunes, and called in Flosstradamus to throw them into a 45-minute mix for their Nike+ running/exercise series. That put Flosstradamus and De La in a dope group of artists who'd worked on Nike+ projects, including A-Trak, LCD Soundsystem, and Aesop Rock.
Flosstradamus Taught Themselves How to Produce Using YouTube
For Flosstradamus, using the Internet isn't just a great way to spread the word on their careers; they know you can learn something as well. These self-taught DJs, when it came time to start producing, actually learned from YouTube tutorials and production forums. Judging by the way their tracks have come together over the years, formal training was NOT necessary.
Flosstradamus Danced With "Yo Gabba Gabba"... LIVE
The producers Yo Gabba Gabba must have an impressive rolodex; any show that has Biz Markie on staff is OK in our book. We've seen video of their live shows, and they go in (plus, DJ Lance Rock brings the ruckus on the turntables). Did you know that, during one live show, the Yo Gabba Gabba crew brought out Flosstradamus to perform the "Peanut Butter Stomp" dance? Not sure if you can turn up with this, but you can try!
They Would Like to Collaborate with Andre3000 and Mystikal
Flosstradamus are seen as the producers to really bring the "trap" to EDM, so it'd make sense that they'd want to collaborate with dope southern MCs, right? While Autobot wants to work with Andre3000 (and really, who wouldn't?!), J2K wants to get Mystikal in the studio. Mystikal is actually a pretty interesting choice, and an MC who, while he might not necessarily mess with EDM, could certainly twist his vocals around some Flosstradamus beats.
The First "X" EP Was Getting Nearly 100 Downloads A Second
When Flosstradamus announced the release of the first EP in their X series, they advised followers to hit them with a DM to get the download link. Being that their Internets game has been strong for the last eight years, their twitter followers proceeded to go HAM, to the point where the Twitter gods sent Flosstradamus some angrygrams. Word is the EP was getting downloaded 100 times per second, which makes sense.
Autobot & Diplo Didn't Want the "Damn Son" Sample on the "Original Don" remix
Flosstradamus' "Original Don" remix set off a lot of things within the EDM movement, most importantly the SOUND of trap, from the 808s to the Trap-A-Holics samples. Imagine what that remix would've been without the "DAMN SON" drops though? It almost happened, if Josh had listened to Diplo and Curt and taken it out of the mix. He left it in (although Diplo reportedly plays a "damn son"-less version that Josh said he made specifically for him), and the rest is history.
