Originally released in 2005 on Los Angeles’ influential Alpha Pup Records, Dunhill Drone Committee is the debut solo album from Bay Area turntablist Mike Boo. Originally mixed and mastered by Daddy Kev (Alpha Pup co-founder and architect of Low End Theory), the album marked a radical reimagining of what a turntablist record could be. Crafted entirely on vinyl and turntables—with minimal DAW involvement—every drum hit, melody, texture, and atmosphere was hand-sculpted and scratched from records. Expanding turntablism beyond the battle stage, Mike ventured into moody, introspective terrain, blending minimalism, ambient dissonance, and meditative repetition. Arriving at the twilight of the late-’90s/early-2000s turntablist wave, the album quietly earned a cult reputation in scratch and experimental circles. Nearly two decades later, it stands as a hidden landmark in all-scratch composition. Now, in celebration of its 20th anniversary, Dunhill Drone Committee receives its first-ever vinyl release on Boo’s own imprint MNML/LMNL—introducing this formative work to new ears while reconnecting with old ones.

545 is a turntable quartet composed of four renowned turntablists and longtime collaborators: D-Styles (Invisibl Skratch Piklz, Beat Junkies, Low End Theory), Mike Boo (Secret Sidewalk, Smart Bomb co-founder), DJ Excess (Ned Hoddings), and Pryvet Peepsho (Turntable Symphonograph Orchestra). The group’s name—545—represents their creative approach to making albums: five songs crafted by four turntablists over five days.   Since their inception, 545 has produced multiple albums. Their recording sessions have taken them from Bangkok to Hawaii, San Diego to Abu Dhabi, and Las Vegas—each location leaving its imprint on the group’s evolving sound. Their music emphasizes sonic exploration, melodic composition, and manual sample manipulation via the turntable. By fusing traditional DJing and turntablism into something more compositional and intentional, 545 pushes the boundaries of what scratch music can sound like.   Members of 545 played key roles in the collectives and events that expanded the possibilities of turntablism and scratch music in the early 2000s. A Night at the Knitting Factory (2002) marked the first time a scratch album—D-Styles’ Phantazmagorea—was performed live on stage with a full turntable ensemble. Alongside Ricci Rucker and Toadstyle, Ned Hoddings carried scratch music into a new phase of composition and live performance. Scetchbook (2002), created by Ricci Rucker and Mike Boo, showed how scratch music could operate as fully formed compositions, emphasizing mood, structure, and atmosphere. The Bastard Language Tour (2003) carried that vision on the road across the West Coast. And with Gunkhole, scratch music expanded further, weaving live percussion into improvised turntable performances.   545 is the continuation of that lineage—a culmination of over two decades of experimentation in collective scratch composition. With 4 full length albums under their belt and a 5th on on the way, the quartet has never performed live until now. With members spread across multiple time zones, their collaborations have remained rare and deliberate. This debut performance coincides with the 20th anniversary of Mike Boo’s Dunhill Drone Committee—now being released on vinyl for the first time—making the event both a celebration of Bay Area turntablist history and a landmark moment for scratch music.

Heavy Arts Ensemble is a collective of Bay Area musicians. Through a collage of extended melodic improvisation, live sampling, modular synthesis, live visuals, and the outer edges of experimental beat culture, ambient jazz, and drone, Heavy Arts Ensemble seeks to push deep grooves into trance-inducing states. The collective features a rotating lineup alongside core members Justin Esposito (double bass), Joel Reber (saxophones), Diego Mungia (modular sampler) and Melanie Marie (live visuals).

Dakim (aka Dakim Saadiq) is a Detroit-born electronic and hip-hop beat maker whose work has earned him a cult following within the global beat scene. Renowned for his experimental and intricate production style, Dakim is often described as a “producer’s producer”—a prolific yet elusive figure whose music circulates primarily among connoisseurs and fellow artists. Rooted in Detroit’s rich musical legacy, Dakim draws inspiration from the city’s techno pioneers, jazz greats like Thelonious Monk, and iconic producers such as J Dilla, Aphex Twin, and Timbaland. His early musical foundation was shaped by his time in a high school marching band, where he played snare drum—an experience that echoes in his precise, percussive sound design. After relocating to Los Angeles in 2007 during the MySpace era, Dakim became deeply embedded in the city’s burgeoning beat movement. He was a regular presence at legendary gatherings like Project Blowed and Low End Theory, where his performances helped cement his reputation as a visionary sound sculptor. Dakim’s sonic palette is complex, glitchy, and deeply rhythmic—often described as “afrofuturist” and “bone-atomizing.” His tracks transcend traditional beat-making, unfolding as living, breathing musical organisms. He is a master of drum programming, working across tools like the SP and MPC samplers to craft immersive, unpredictable compositions. As a flagship artist for Leaving Records (an imprint affiliated with Stones Throw), Dakim has earned praise from influential figures including Flying Lotus, Ras G, and House Shoes. Though he remains reclusive, his impact on the beat community is undeniable—his work continues to inspire and challenge producers around the world.

IDHAZ is a producer/vocalist transporting through obscured portals to sounds of undiscovered emotion, past, future, and fractured light. He began performing poetry in 2010, and since then has become a magnetic, multi-disciplinary performance artist,  audio engineer, and educator in the Bay Area. Combining elements of gameboy, beat machines, harp, synth, and genre fluid vocals, IDHAZ creates visceral soundscapes to immerse into. Emily Bouton is a violinist, visual artist, and educator that uses strings to create sonic connection points wherever they arise - with projects spanning from ambient experimental to live tango music for elderly dancers.

SMARTBOMB is an Oakland,CA based curatorial project/live events & multimedia platform centered around the creative community. Since its inception, SMARTBOMB has been widely recognized and considered a vital resource in discovering and celebrating the next great waves boundary-pushing & genre-defying musicians, producers, beatmakers, DJs, painters, visual artists, filmmakers, photographers and more from the bay area and beyond. The mission remains to showcase dynamic, innovative and often marginalized voices in need of space & resources. To encourage and nurture ideas of radical expression and unapologetic experimentation to inspire generations of the bay to come. Founded in 2013 by Asonic Garcia (aka W.A.L.A) and beyond area super band Secret Sidewalk as a monthly live art/music party in downtown Oakland, SMARTBOMB has been holding essential spaces, providing energy and resources for artists to be seen, heard, and supported by a nurturing community of like-minded beings, becoming a cultural hub for the ever burgeoning art/music/culture scene in the bay area. In 2017, SMARTBOMB was inducted into the YBCA100 by Yerba Buena Center of the Arts, celebrating 100 figures, collectives, & entities pushing culture forward into the future. Since 2020, SMARTBOMB has been invited by various spaces such as SFMOMA, ICA SF, Exploratorium, SFJAZZ, Gray Area, The Legion of Honor, YBCA and more for collaborations and curatorial event takeovers and continues to work with local independent spaces & platforms such as LOWER GRAND RADIO, CONE SHAPE TOP, ETERNAL NOW, BAR SHIRU, UPSTAIRS OAK, and more. Music imprint releases,Print & Film Media projects, curatorial residencies, and underground events sit on the horizon for SMARTBOMB, ever evolving, forever holding a sentiment of gratitude for all who have shared a moment, space, or embrace with us over the years.