Mashups rarely catch my attention, but the other day I came across a tune by the Los Angeles duo Doc Hollywood that made me a deer in the headlights. The diverse and thorough skillset normally reserved for full-stage bands of 6+ members is, somehow, crammed into just these two producers: Louie Rubio and Lex Larson. Rubio is responsible for the lead vocals, keys, and guitars; Larson takes care of rapping and the bass, and they fuse together via their mutual love for programming.
Mostly known for their internationally successful “We Run L.A.” (ft. Ya Boy), the duo is all but complacent and continue to develop their sound. Their dynamic mixture of talents is clearly evident when listening to their new “Acceptable in 1980” track, released this week. The song delicately mixes works by Calvin Harris and Dirt Nasty, incorporating the latter’s lyrics seamlessly and only where appropriate. Rubio and Larson make the two fit together better than the last piece of a 1000-piece jigsaw puzzle. At 128 BPM, I find myself smirking on the street to the discotheque funk and hip-hop juxtaposition as it yields a smooth, yet unstoppable dance/groove vibe.
Commenting on the complete spectrum of their music, the duo says, "Our ADD is so bad that all the Adderall in the world can't keep us focused on one style of music. For every hot genre, there's always a DJ out there who's tired of fucking it." The question is, what unique symbiosis of genres will they explore next?
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