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Remixing tradition: Neon Nativez brings a new sound to old songs
Krieg Benally of Neon Nativez is Apache and lives in southeastern Utah. He鈥檚 seen performing during the Gathering of Nations in sa国际传媒官网网页入口 on Friday.
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Neon Nativez deconstructs old songs to create something new.
The DJ and electronic dance music producer performed at Gathering of Nations, where he played his EDM remixes of old Native jams from rock bands like Redbone and XIT.
Krieg Benally, the man behind the Neon Nativez alias, is Apache and lives in southeastern Utah.
鈥淚鈥檝e always had a love for EDM just because of how similar it is to powwow music,鈥� Benally said. 鈥淵ou know, simple four-on-the-floor type powwow drumbeat and typical dance house beat. They go basically hand in hand together and they share the same beat, just at different tempos.鈥�
Benally鈥檚 first love was hip-hop. He was a breakdancer, then a rapper and finally a hip-hop producer. But EDM appealed to him because of the genre鈥檚 commonalities with powwow music.
鈥淚n EDM, there鈥檚 a call and response,鈥� Benally said. 鈥淪ay, for example, there鈥檚 a drop in an EDM or dubstep song, there鈥檒l be a call, and then there鈥檒l be a response. ... In powwow music or other traditional music from different groups of Indigenous people, there鈥檒l be a same similar call and response.鈥�
As for DJing at Gathering of Nations, he said it鈥檚 a fun gig.
鈥淚t allows me to have a space to share my music with my people,鈥� Benally said. 鈥淚 play a bunch of old songs, songs that they know, songs that they grew up with, because I grew up with them.鈥�
Neon Nativez released his album REZILIENCE in 2022 and is working on an upcoming album, Reclamation.
