Smile for Camera: Music, Nightlife, Photography, + more

Atlanta based and internationally known, Le Castle Vania, commonly known as Dylan Eiland, quickly escaped the local trappings of his hometown in Georgia to play music around the world. Atlanta’s burgeoning music scene allowed him to develop his passion for music and nightlife, and he soon gained notoriety with his riotous DJ sets and penchant for production, which made him a household name in the dirty and distorted, indie-electro scene. But what exactly is different about him? Besides his hair being a little bright to go along with his awesome video-game like appearance, he founded Always Never, an electronic music record label and music/nightlife event production company and started the party Fuck Yesss that is the first Saturday of every month in Atlanta. With that and touring the world, he still has had time to DJ along side some of today’s hottest acts, such as Justice, MSTRKRFT, Simian Mobile Disco, Busy P, Uffie & Feadz, Kavinsky, Soulwax, Surkin, Para One, The Presets, Steve Aoki and Crystal Castles. Just look at his everyday life.

Since 2006, the DJ formerly known as “Lies In Disguise,” started his first project under the now iconic name Le Castle Vania, and remixed Snowden’s single “Black Eyes” and the track received heavy support from the blogs and in the clubs. Needless to say, he hasn’t looked back, releasing countless remixes and original tracks, all being banger after banger, while touring non stop through every continent, except the North and South Poles.

Tonight he’s playing in Orlando with Vaski and Sluggo on so here is the Facebook Event for our Orlando readers and because I love you all so much, I gathered a few of his tracks, both old and new and put them all together for you to easily listen and download. I was also lucky enough to snatch an interview with the man himself and LCV tells us how excited he is to play for Orlando, his wish to work on films, along with what lies in his future. Check it out.

D.I.M. – Is You (Le Castle Vania Remix)
La Roux – In For The Kill (Le Castle Vania Remix)
Le Castle Vania – Zero Machine
Designer Drugs – Back Up In This (Le Castle Vania, Rrrump, Computer Club Remix)
Fukkk Offf – Rave Is King (Le Castle Vania Remix)
Kill The Noise – Hey You (Le Castle Vania Remix)
Snowden – Black Eyes (Le Castle Vania Remix)
Grum – Go Back (Le Castle Vania Remix)

Rrrump – Chubby Decker (Le Castle Vania Remix + Street Lurkin Remix) *Preview* by Le Castle Vania

Le Castle Vania – Nobody Gets Out Alive by Le Castle Vania

SFC: How did you get started as a DJ? Most DJ’s we talk to just kind of “fell into” the job . Was it your childhood dream? Or did you suck at video games??

I started Djing back when i was 16 around the same time i started producing and writing my own music. I saw djing as the best way for me to share my music with people and it just become something i have been really passionate about ever since.

SFC: For new listeners, what does your music sound like or relate too?

I think my sounds has kind of continued to evolve with me as i have evolved as a person but as a general description i would say that my sound is a fusion of indie rock and electronic music elements… but really there are a lot more elements and influences mixed in there if ppl really want to get a feel for my sound they should just grab some free downloads over on www.lecastlevania.com

SFC: When did you start doing remixes and putting together your own beats?

like i said I started learning and teaching my self back when i was about 16 but things didn’t really take off for me until around late 2006 when i started the Le Castle Vania project. 

SFC: It’s been a fast rise to prominence as an internationally touring DJ. What was the turning point that launched you from working on project and events in Atlanta to the international stage?

Yeah everything really popped off with the first remix that i did under this moniker. It was a remix of a song called “Black Eyes” by an indie rock band from my home town of Atlanta. I just did the remix as a favor for a friend, the singer Jordan and sent it out to a few other DJ friends from there it just spread around the web and ended up really taking off. From there I started getting hit up by other djs and labels to do more and more remixes and release and each opportunity lead to another… and here we are.

SFC: Besides your party FUCK YESSS, which is based in Atlanta, what are some of your favorite and most memorable parties you have played?

oh man there have been so many good ones i guess i would have to say The Music People parties in Sydney Australia, The Discotheque Party in Cape Town South Africa,  Control at Avalon in Hollywood / LA, Blow Up in San Francisco, Voyeur in San Diego and just  recently the Zombie Party in Madrid Spain!

SFC: Do you know intuitively which songs to drop based on the crowd/where you’re playing or does it take you some time to figure out what they like?

i guess thats all a matter of opinion… i just know what feels right to me… i don’t necessarily play to please everyone in the crowd… I just play what feels right to me and what i enjoy and what i think best carries the energy of the party and show i am trying to give. That’s not to say i am one of those coolie hipster djs that ignores the crowd either tho… I just try to give a show that is unique to myself and the sound of my project whie at the same time really rocking the party and putting out a high energy sound. 

SFC: DJing, Producing, Party Promoting, running a label, blogging, constant travel involved with all of these jobs, how do you manage it all and what is the hardest part about being you?

I honestly have no idea how i’m doing all of this haha it definitely gets pretty hectic sometimes but it never really feels like work because i love it all so much… the hardest part is definitely just keeping up with everything that and trying to manage to still have a personal life… that obviously gets hard with all of the traveling and touring. 

SFC: What lies in the future for Le Castle Vania?

Musically i have been working away on a big release to contain all original material from myself i have yet to decide if this will be a full album or an EP but this is probably the most exciting project that i have been working on. I really feel like this release is going to really broaden my sound as an artist and really show a much fuller view of my musical sound and vision… the sounds is more focused on song writing and has less of a club oriented sound and is more like a record you could listen to around you house or in your car but still has dance floor appeal as well. This release is also going to have some really cool collaborations with other artist friends but i don’t want to give too much away just yet!

I also have some cool remixes coming out for some cool european based labels. The first is a remix that i have done for Stereoheroes – Wild Child to be released on banger focused record label Freakz Me Out Records. I have also done a remix for John Lord Fonda – Sound Of A Melody to be released on Vitalic’s record label Citizen Records. 

on the tour front i just signed on to be a part of the amazing ID Festival tour (www.IDfestival.com) which is basically like the Warped Tour of electronic music and DJs which will be hitting 20 cities around the US the tour’s line up is amazing and it’s first touring festival of it’s kind in the US and is the biggest Electronic Music / DJ Tour ever so I’m obviously really excited to be a part of it! 

Following that tour i have been been asked to support the rock band Circa Survive on their upcoming tour. We have not confirmed this tour yet but i am a big fan of the band so i am hoping to actually build a live show for the tour so that i can perform my songs in a full live set up and hopefully Dj some after parties after the shows on that tour as well. 

aside from those two major tours i am always playing out in the US on the weekends and have trips lined up for Australia, Asia, Europe, and Mexico  

On Label front we have several really cool releases forth coming from new artist on my record label Always Never Records (www.alwaysnever.com)

SFC: What do you do when you actually are at home? Where is the best fried chicken in Atlanta?

I’m a huge fan of cinema so i watch a lot of films when i have free time… tho to be honest most of my time at home is spent in the studio and working on the back end side of my work… stuff like running the label, tour promotions and doing interviews like this one haha

SFC: What is your greatest on-tour horror story?

oh man i’ve been stranded in countries where i don’t speak the language more than once… one time i was somewhere btwn Paris and Amsterdam when the train broke down and i had to find my own way to the show in which was outside of amsterdam and another time i was stranded in mexico by a promoter that went awol and i had a flight to catch on the other side of the border and over 2 hours away… both of those cases were pretty nightmarish. I have a lot of other crazy stories but thats a whole other interview in it’s self haha

SFC: What’s it like to have hair brighter than the sun?

Blondes have more fun, so i’m having A LOT of fun!

SFC: How excited are you to finally play in Orlando?

Man i am always really excited to play in new cities… it’s always cool to share my sound and getting to party with new people is always fun!

SFC: Any Last Words?

Listen to Always Never Records and come party with me sometime when i am in a city near you!

Quick Questions:

SFC: Anything specific on your wish list?

i wish for all sorts of things… i’m really looking to work with more cool vocalist and musicians. I also want to start working on films one day.

SFC: Why do people point to their wrist when asking for the time, but people don’t point to their crotch when they ask where the bathroom is?

I do… no just kidding 

SFC: Why does Donald Duck wear a towel when he comes out of the shower, when he doesn’t usually wear any pants?

Have you ever seen a wet duck penis? I haven’t but who would want to? lets just be thankful that he sports the towel.

SFC: How come lizards never grow up to dinosaurs?

don’t make me get all science nerd on your readers right now. i’m supposed to be trying to sound cool here haha… i kid.

SFC: You haven’t lived until….?

You’ve been interviewed by the lovely Katie of Smile for the Camera of course

WANT MORE LE CASTLE VANIA?!

DJ Falcon + Thomas Bangalter Together (Le Castle Vania + Computer Club’s Summer Bootleg Mix) (April 2011)
Le Castle Vania’s Bulletproof Tiger Mixtape Vol. 2 (February 2011)
N.V.D (Le Castlevania and Computer Club Remix) – Deiselboy (October 2010)
Le Castlevania – Nobody Gets Out Alive (Noisia Remix) (June 2010)

Le Castle Vania on Soundcloud
Le Castle Vania on Facebook
Le Castle Vania on Twitter
Le Castle Vania on Myspace