Jookin can be as difficult as the most intricate ballet, where calves are burning and toes are cracking, or it can look as effortless as a crashing wave. It can be just a few people dancing in a park, or it can sell out a concert hall.

Charles Riley began jookin when he was just 12 years old, after moving to Memphis from his childhood home in Chicago. Soon after he began dancing, he took on the name Lil Buck.

“It was a special thing that was happening in Memphis musically,” he says. “And that’s what helped us first bounce. It made us bounce a certain way, and then it made us get buck. It made us get buck and crunk.”

Buck is a direct product of underground rap music from the late 1980s, all of the ’90s and some of the early 2000s that came from the urban and violent streets of Memphis. When his sister brought some moves home and showed them off, Buck was hooked. At the time, she was a senior in high school and he was just a freshman.

“When I was younger, I think I used to move too fast,” Buck says. “I just tried to do everything too fast. My waves were too fast, everything was just too fast because I was so excited.”

Soon, his mother took him out of public school and enrolled him in a private performing arts school, the former Yo! Academy in Memphis. There Buck says he was able to merge his street style of dance with a different skill set. He took up ballet and stuck classical dance right next to the gangsta walk.

“It’s just as much training in the street dancing world that we need as the classical world,” Buck says. “I just want people to see how artful it is in this raw form.”

Memphis has birthed some of the country’s most prominent musicians and artists, like Aretha Franklin and Maurice White, as well as some of rap’s newest superstars, like Moneybagg Yo and Pooh Shiesty. But Memphis is also one of America’s most deadly cities, where gun violence and drugs have tainted the city’s history with blood.

Dancing to this music, people jerk and twist in quick, smooth motions that contort the dancer’s arms, legs, neck, head and torso into a form of explosive art. Think heavy-bass, synthesizers, fast hi-hats and cracking snares.

“This is the natural sound that the style of jookin was birthed from,” Buck says. “A lot of people didn’t like it because of the lyrics and what was being talked about in these songs, but that was just the times growing up in Memphis. … They’re not from that environment, and they don’t know about the struggles and traumas.”

The dance started with the legendary sounds of these artists and that of the illustrious Memphis all-star team Three 6 Mafia, a platinum-selling group who rapped about what it’s like growing up in a mostly-Black city in America’s landlocked South. Three 6 Mafia music is all about making money, dodging bullets and staying fly. In short: it’s about life in Memphis from 1991 to now.

Buck heard DJs like Spanish Fly, Squeaky, Zerk and others in clubs around Memphis playing their own mixes. From there, he started his dancing career moving to the sounds he knew from Memphis.

“My experience is so different because I grew up in the streets, so I understand it. The hood. I understand it. And I understand the approach and beauty of it,” Buck says. “I wanted to be the best mover growing up, not just a street dancer.”

Now at 33 years old, Buck has worked with world-famous superstars such as Michael Jackson, Madonna and Yo-Yo Ma, and been the face of high-dollar ad campaigns for Nike, Jordan, Apple and Lexus. He’s also one of the main choreographers for the new Starz series Blindspotting.

“It might definitely be a culture shock for some people but we’re going to have a lot of fun,” Buck says. “I just want people to come out to the show. Come out and get some culture about you, learn something. It’s going to be one of your most fun learning experiences.”

Lil Buck
Mon, 7:30pm, $32+
Bing Concert Hall, Stanford

In an age where too many DJ “performances” amount to little more than the pressing of buttons to initiate pre-recorded tracks, Los Angeles-based MAKJ stands out as a craftsman of the turntable. He scratches, beat-matches and improvises on actual vinyl. And he laments that these most elemental of DJ-ing skills have apparently been discarded by the current electronic scene, which he says often values massive bass drops and gaudy stage production over technical ability.

“I really feel like it’s a lost art right now,” says Mackenzie Johnson, the man behind the MAKJ moniker.

Johnson is one of the hottest new electronic musicians in the country—boasting a quickly growing fan-base, popular collaborations with Bassjackers and Lil Jon, and appearances at electronic music festivals, such as Ultra and TomorrowWorld. What is less known is that Johnson spent his formative years as a professional racecar driver in Asia.

Born in San Luis Obispo, the 29-year-old Johnson says being a professional racecar driver isn’t all that different from being a musician or DJ, and he credits his former career with helping him succeed in his current profession.

“I learned a lot: how to work with people, how to manage my money,” he says. “And how to be self-sufficient at age 14, which is a pretty hard thing to do nowadays.”

It was as at age 15, when he was already a veteran driver, that MAKJ first fell in love with DJ-ing. “I saw a DJ playing and was super interested in what he was doing,” he recalls—“just the way he was making the crowd react to certain songs was really amazing to me.”

After graduating from Cal Poly, where he played frat and house parties, MAKJ was mentored by the late and legendary DJ AM, before bursting onto the scene.

MAKJ mixes a variety of electronic music, incorporating contemporary EDM sounds, house, and trance influences with older DJ-ing techniques. “Everything I’ve taken from the past or everything I’ve learned, I use nowadays,” he says about his penchant for old-school flair. All of these threads combine into music that is absorbing, enticing—and most importantly—accessible. “It’s quick, DJ-friendly,” he says, “You can hear it anywhere from a college bar to a Vegas nightclub.”

While it may seem that MAKJ’s ability to manipulate the discs would give him a leg up, technically speaking, MAKJ says it doesn’t really make much difference to the audience. “The general public doesn’t really know what a DJ is doing,” he says. While he bemoans the dwindling art, he still sees it as an integral aspect to his sound. And, in hopes of remedying the apathy of crowds, MAKJ has begun to incorporate GoPro cameras in his performances, so that he can show the audience what he is actually doing. He plans to hire a full-time visual coordinator next year.

In the last two years Johnson has toured extensively in America, Asia and is wrapping up a recent jaunt in Mexico. His next stop is Sunnyvale’s Pure Lounge—a comparatively small venue for a MAKJ show, which Johnson welcomes.

“When you’re standing up there in front of God knows how many people, you kind of get lost,” he says. “EDC in Vegas was a perfect example—the stage was so big the audience didn’t really didn’t know where I was.”

While MAKJ now understands how to play to those giant crowds (relying more on showmanship than musical ability, he says with dismay), and despite the money such performances bring in, he still prefers intimate atmospheres.

“I came from playing house parties, so I really like the intimate vibe,” he says. “I like small parties where everyone’s watching what I’m doing on kind of a personal basis.”

However, you will be hard-pressed to find MAKJ at any house parties anytime soon. After this current hectic tour, he has another full tour planned for 2015. It kicks off in February.

MAKJ shows no sign of slowing down, no matter how excruciating the schedule. When it gets particularly hard on the road, MAKJ likes to remind himself of his fortunate position and how he got there.

“There’s definitely a lot worse places I could be in. I think about that every time I question this whole thing,” MAKJ says,  “I remind myself that I could always be doing a whole lot worse.”

MAKJ performs at Pure Lounge in Sunnyvale Dec 11 at 10pm. More info.

Talking to Roger Moorehouse, host and a resident DJ for Foxy Thursdays at the Cardiff Lounge, was like getting a sneak peek into some of the little rooms that make up the house of house music. He broke down the difference between filtered disco and soulful house—and even suggested that “EDM is like cheap liquor, while house music is like…

You started DJ-ing back in ’95. Did you start out with house music?
Well technically yes and no. I started out with buying house records, as well as freestyle/high energy music records.

What is it about that genre that interested you and who are some producers who inspired your technique?
Well I was a big hip-hop head, then I discovered freestyle and house music. I really liked it because it was positive and fun. People say that house music is a feeling and I took that to heart.

As for who inspires me, it’s been a wide range growing up. One is Roger Sanchez from New York. He is good because he can move from soulful house and big room electro house, to even more aggressive house. Another one is Miguel Migs. His album, Nude Tempo One, got me djing again after taking a short break from djing

Obviously, the genre has evolved since you started. What are you thoughts on the current state of house and dance music in general?
House music is in a weird spot right now, it’s a niche scene. Some people will say that it is dying out and not a lot of new people coming in.

House music is something that is not in your face. I think EDM is popular because it’s a harder sound. I feel like EDM is an intro to house music. With EDM you’re get hard bumps and faster beats, it is something you feel on the outside. With something like deep house you are feeling it on the inside.

EDM is like cheap liquor, house is more like red wine. Nothing wrong with it. It is important to remember we all came from the same place – the rave scene.

What excites you most about music now?
Really, it’s seeing people respond to the music. Seeing the crowd react to certain songs. Sometimes it’s expected and sometimes and not, but it’s really seeing the reactions people have that excites me.

How would you describe the South Bay house scene?
That is a political question (laughs). Some people say that the  South Bay can be commercial, which can be true. I would say it’s commercial initially, it is definitely important to grab the crowd. Then as the night progresses, I can play something deeper and more underground. The DJ’s job is to grab the crowd and keep them there. We you get crowd then you can play whatever.

You’re the host and one of the resident DJs for Foxy Thursday’s at Cardiff Lounge. Tell us about that party.
I took over the party almost three years now. It has been going for a total of 11 years, coming up this September. I do most of the marketing flyers as well as play there.

It is a party that I am very proud and passionate about. Going on for 11 years, I think it is the most consistent weekly party in the Bay Area. I have seen it grow and go through different things, but it has always been about positive music and a positive environment. We have a good group of DJ’s like Julius Papp, Wen Davis, and Federico Zabala that focus on the quality.

Downtown Campbell has been developing much in that last year, with new restaurants opening up, such as Opa’s and El Guapo’s next door. Have you seen that directly impact the attendance at the Cardiff Lounge? How so?
Yeah I have. I thought it was going to bring a lot more people. But what I have noticed is that it will be packed early on. I do know that Friday and Saturdays it make a difference. It has helped in terms of the beginning of the night. Campbell is a weird spot, I have people asking me to play certain songs and when I say that I can’t, they actually don’t leave. They stay and hang out.

Where else can we find you?
I have residency at WISH Bar in San Francisco every first Friday .

Can you explain a few of your favorite styles of house music?
Filtered disco is disco records with the house floor to floor beat to it. It gives it a new energy.

Soulful house is very heavy on the vocals, kind of like R&B music sped up and with more energy.

Progressive house, or tribal house is dark and ambient. Something for 3 or 4 in the morning. Think repetitive and drawn out.

Groovy funky house is like hard house but more fun and with more familiar samples.

What else are you listening to?
Depending on my mood. Right now, I’m listening to a lot of deep house. I really like Disclosure

I also listen to rock, I like Rage Against the Machine. I also listen to R&B and other artists like Sam Smith and MNEK.

What is your best gig to date?
Wow there have been a lot. Several at the Cardiff Lounge. Most recently, I would have to say 2nd Sunday Party at Cocomo’s in San Francisco. I played the late slot.  It was a big crowd and lot of house heads and dancers getting down. It was nice to look out and see everyone grooving.

If you had free reign to select a venue and line-up of DJ’s, what would you pick?
For DJ’s I would pick Disclosure, Tortured Soul, Miguel Migs, Mark Farina, Louie Vega, Kenny Dope, and Mr. V. The all connect well with the crowd and get the vibe going for a venue I would pick the DNA Lounge in San Francisco.

What do you do when you are not DJ’ing?
Graphic and website design. Watch movies and want to go vacation more.

What are you favorite spots for a late night bite after a gig?
There aren’t many to choose from here, that are open really late. So I would say Denny’s or Jack in the Box. In San Francisco, I would go to Crepes-a-Go Go.

Three places everyone should visit in the South Bay:
Cardiff Lounge, San Pedro Square, Willow Glen

Where is your favorite spot to eat in downtown Campbell? What would you order?
I like El Guapos. I usually get the grilled chicken burrito, black beans. the Tabique is pretty good at Guapos. It has beef, chicken, chorizo, bacon, pastor, bell peppers, onions and cheese.

I also like Sushi Confidential’s, Surf’s Up. It has steak and shrimp tempura. The Edamame Trio is good too.

You could fill a rolodex with adjectives to use when describing Wave Racer’s music—a high-energy mix of bright, shimmery synths and samples that wouldn’t sound out of place in the Nintendo 64 game from which Tom Purcell borrowed his stage name. One fan took to Twitter to proclaim that “listening to Wave Racer, is like looking at Lisa Frank stickers,” which also makes sense. It’s easy to imagine the Australian DJ and producer’s music evoking searing magentas, purples and neon pinks in the minds eye of a synesthete.

Purcell, who brings Wave Racer to SP2 Communal Bar + Restaurant next Tuesday, defers to his fans when it comes to explaining his tunes. “Everyone comes up with better adjectives than I do when describing my music,” he says. Wave Racer’s maximalist, “future bass” sound is often compared to Cashmere Cat, Hudson Mohawke and Rustie—all of whom are known for their jam-packed, erratic, yet pop-oriented, styles.

But all of that is too clinical sounding for Purcell. The way he explains it, he is just trying to make music that is “fun and makes you feel good with cool synth sounds.”

The majority of those “cool synth sounds” come from and through Purcell’s primary tool of creation—his laptop. “Technology and the Internet has made it possible for the process of making music a lot faster as well as having the ability to get more sounds on demand,” he says. The producer crafts his pieces by seeking out and experimenting with sounds—drawing them out of the vast electronic sea that is the web, pulling them apart, and combining them with other sonic scraps.

It’s a sound that is clearly resonating with clubgoers all over the world. Purcell is just coming off of a European tour, which took him to Amsterdam, London, Paris and Berlin. He’s set to play a homecoming show in Sydney before coming to the States for a string of shows, including the Mad Decent Block Party in Maryland, a headlining set at 1015 Folsom, and the SP2 show—a treat for fans of the bar who also happen to appreciate Wave Racer’s brand of glossy EDM.

The Wave Racer show is not the first such event at SP2, and it won’t be the last. However, according to Pomaikai Shishido, co-owner and manager of the bar and restaurant, SP2 is not looking to become a club. Although a previous show at SP2 drew as many as 800 people, the Wave Racer event is being intentionally limited in order to foster a more intimate vibe and avoid over-crowding.

As for Purcell, he is riding high on his recent, well, wave of success, and says he is excited for the show. “It’s always exciting going to new places and not knowing what to expect,” he says—“Just going out there to play my music and experiencing something new is really great.”

Wave Racer spins at SP2 Communal Bar + Restaurant on August 5 at 10pm. More info.

Claudeo come from San Diego with one purpose in mind—to get people on their feet to dance. In the process, they’ve chosen some unusual places for dance parties. Here in San Jose, they selected the local dive-bar of choice, The Caravan, where they are playing this Thursday, September 13th. But Claudeo—who are Ivan Deyoung-Dominguez and Chris Changchien—are determined to get some feet moving no matter where they go.

The duo met in 2011 while working together on a project for UCSD and realized they both shared a mutual passion for making crowds shake their booties. But underneath the surface of their interest in pounding drum beats and screeching synthesizers, they also shared a passion for indie-pop songwriting, inspired by bands like Death Cab for Cutie and Coldplay.

They mix keyboards and guitars while trying to employ elements from the rock and electronic world in a pop setting. The end result is a mishmash that falls somewhere between Daft Punk and the Killers. For a dance band, they have a fair amount of variety in their songs with even a few sappy acoustic ballads for the slow dances.

Claudeo plays The Caravan on Thursday September 13th at 10pm. The show is free.