Dance music luminary Martin Mendoza, a.k.a. Doc Martin, is primarily known for his impeccable deep house curation and the good-natured vibes he brings to each gig. Mendoza has been a fixture in the global house community for over 20 years — and he shows no signs of slowing down.
He can likely be found at transformational festivals around the globe, including an upcoming live set at this year’s Lighting In a Bottle festival, on the iconic Woggie Stage. Birthed by Do LaB, the Woogie was taken over by Sammy Bliss and Jesse Wright of the Pocket Underground Crew, who installed a beefy Pocket Turbo sound system and invited a laundry list of local DJs to bring the house party vibes.
We are thrilled to welcome Doc Martin back to KCRW for an exclusive guest mix on Metropolis ahead of his live set at Lighting In a Bottle in Southern California.
For more information visit: https://lightninginabottle.org/
Doc Martin joined us for a conversation on his influences and what's in store for his anticipated Lightning in a Bottle set:
Q. Can you give us a little background on your musical influences?
A.Growing up in SF in the early days I was exposed to all kinds of music from Hip Hop, Punk, Funk, Industrial, Reggae, New Wave, Electro, Disco. I was heavily into Bass, and Beat Driven music, with a psychedelic edge. When I discovered house records around ‘86/ ‘87 there were elements of all the things that I liked. New wave synths, lots of Drums, Heavy Bass, Rapping, Singing, and this thing that became Acid House.
Q: You’re playing the iconic Woogie stage this year at Lighting In A Bottle. Founded by the Do LaB art collective, this particular stage highlights the most innovative underground electronic DJs on the scene, in a kaleidoscopic environment. In a few words, what can we expect from your set this year?
A. Unearthed Vibratory Energy.
Q. Do you have a pre-show ritual?
A. I tend to show up early for a set to soak up the vibe, and see where the crowd is at. I always take a few minutes to clear my head before going on, and just letting it flow.
Q. Who are YOU looking forward to seeing at Lighting In A Bottle this year?
A. Dj Koze, Damian Lazarus, Shiba San, Holmar, Bedouin, Recondite, Etc. Also great local talent like Marques Wyatt, Anton Tumas, Patricio Motto, Ben Annand, Big C,Maximus C, G-Dubbs. Plus a getting turned on to a ton of other artist that I may not be aware of!!
Q. Finally, one for the locals: what’s your favorite L.A. spot?
(food/hangout/nature?)
Food- The Joint (really good seafood), and Hop Wo in Chinatown.
Nature- There’s a look-out point overlooking the valley, and DTLA that I like as well.