KTUH disc jockeys Mike "Haboh" Jacobsen, front, Malia "Ms. Angel" Lyons and production assistant Chris "Bubbles" Albert introduce listeners to different sounds.
House rules
UH radio trio keeps house
music alive in isles
LOCAL promoters have done a good job recently of bringing in talented house disc jockeys from the mainland to spin at area nightclubs, but are there any other options locally for house music besides those occasional special guest appearances?
"The scene is so small here, they have to play different types of music, otherwise it's going to be a small party," says Mike "Haboh" Jacobsen, co-host of the "So Very" Show on KTUH 90.3 FM. Along with Malia "Ms. Angel" Lyons and production assistant Chris "Bubbles" Albert, the three help carry the torch for house on Honolulu's radio airwaves.
The "So Very" Show @ Indigo
Where: IndigoWhen: 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. May 22
Cost: $5
Call: 956-7261
"We try to introduce people to all different kinds of sounds," said Lyons last Thursday as she lounged outside Hemenway Hall a few minutes before going on the air. "Local kids, they think that house music is just rave (music), and that's all it is.
"When they stopped going to raves, they stopped listening to house music."
IN THE late '90s, dance music in general enjoyed a surge in popularity among clubgoers in the islands, but has faded away somewhat the past few years as hip-hop regained its grip on mainstream audiences.
For a while, it was possible to go out every weekend and find a venue that catered to house fans. Raves were popular among younger listeners, who couldn't get into spots like the Wave Waikiki or Venus Nightclub, but still wanted to get out and dance the night away.
These days, the only true house night left is the monthly "Nitelite" party; most other clubs tend to mix different types of music, placing DJs in different rooms in order to cater to a wider audience.
But when you "promote stuff like that, kind of a mixed plate," according to Lyons, house music "kind of gets lost in the shuffle."
"It's all for promotion reasons, trying to bring everybody," adds Jacobsen.
SO TO try and bring some buzz back to the local house scene, the "So Very" Show turns its attention to Indigo tomorrow night, where DJs Dawn, Eugene, Missy, Monkey and Jason Silingo will join Lyons and Jacobsen on the decks for an evening of fun.
"The point of the party is to try to bring more people to listen to the show," Lyons explains. "If you're a fan of soul music, you can like house. If you're a fan of R&B, funk ... all those kinds of things, you can be into house music."
If all goes well, the three look forward to seeing a mix of both familiar and unfamiliar faces at the restaurant, with everyone drawn together by the power of a musical genre they love so much.
"Music is supposed to be fun," said Lyons. "I really like to use the show as an intro for people (to house music)."
Jacobsen agrees.
"We devote our lives to this music," he said. "It's a good way to express ourselves, but also to share and educate."
The "So Very" Show airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. on KTUH 90.3 FM. Visit www.ktuh.org/sovery for more information.
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