Lumis

Lumis believes that the art of music is alive and thriving. Born in Minneapolis and raised in San Diego, he has been playing records since he was old enough to say "turntables." As co-founder of Sweet New Style Productions, he threw wild & crazy parties all over California (from Diego to the Bay, yo!). In 2001, Lumis captured the attention of industrial-pop sensation Meg Lee Chin and joined her band, The Meg Lee Chin Experience. After a move to Los Angeles, a few years and a national tour with The Experience, and a guest appearance on the 2002 Pigface album "Easy Listening." (Meg's mates on Ministry mastermind Martin Atkins' label), Lumis felt it was time to get serious about the music game and became an emcee. Numerous collaborations with some of the finest up-and-coming artists in the local scene led to several eclectic albums, the proof of which can be found on record store shelves and in used bins everywhere.
In early 2006, Lumis put out the mixtape CD "Where the Shadows Run" and remastered/rereleased his 1999 mixtape CD "A Downtempo Daydream." In late 2006, Lu released his first solo record, "Hypothetical Questions and Rhetorical Conversations." It's a self-produced album of original instrumental tunes & carefully selected samples swimming in a sea of experimental trip-hop, psychedelic hip-hop, jazzy, downtempo, turntable-icious electro funk. Following "Hypothetical Questions." was an instrumental project entitled "6 Miles from the Kuiper Belt," released on CD in late 2009. The vocal tracks are featured on 2010's "Settle the Score: The Lumis LP" album.
Lumis has graced stages large and small in some of LA's most infamous venues. He's shared the bill with artists such as Slick Rick, Warren G, Sleepy Brown, Akil the MC (Jurassic 5), Zion I, Ugly Duckling, One Block Radius, Bicasso (Living Legends), K-Solo, Prozack Turner, Trek Life, 2Mex, AWOL One (Visionaries) Dirty Walter (Fishbone), and Kid Beyond (the Human Beatboxer). In 2008, he joined up with the Life For The Better crew, and in 2010 formed The BeatJackers with Daniel Blak and DJ CVD.
Look out for his indie record label/production company/DJ service/promotional site In Life We Spin, an indie organization dedicated to encouraging new talent and bringing the underground music scene slightly above ground. There's talk of a clothing line in the works (gotta get those ILWS pajamas, yo!). And when he's live on stage, he's LIVE! ON! STAGE! His solo act defies traditional stereotyping, as this b-boy raps and freestyles while he's scratching, simultaneously ripping up the turntables and the microphone. Lumis commands the stage with a lil' funk, a lil' fusion, and a lotta soul. So come prepared to throw your L's up!



PRESS:



"Lumis is a one man hip-hop behemoth. He spins, he spits and he gets down with some of the big names in the game."
--Times-Standard, April 2008
".one very cool, inventive sound. The CD consists of 15 self-produced instrumental tracks interspersed with cutting, scratching, and mixing vocals with a synthesis of natural and manmade resonance. The common thread throughout is awesome beats. "Who Are You," asks the big questions… "Solid" features straight-up great dance music that insists upon movement in the listener.
Rating: **** Pretty Darn Good!"
--Phosphorescence Magazine, December 2007
"Lumis, a connotation of 'illuminate' also is defined to mean 'enlighten,' as with knowledge. One guy who lives up to that depiction is CA based artist, DJ Lumis… His tracks, like 'Who Are You' and 'Planetary Head Bob,' are filled with beats that have their own unique sound."
--UBO Magazine, August 2007
Lumis chosen as a finalist in the Fresh Films/Fresh Sounds short film soundtrack competition! Original instrumental track "49" rolls during the last scene in "The Experiment," a psychological thriller with cult-flick potential. "49" won the most votes in the action/thriller genre, and "The Experiment" won the prestigious Jury Prize!
"Lumis is super-talented and we were lucky to have [him] on board."
--Fresh Sounds, August 2007



".this disc is really cool and deserves more attention from music fans!"
--The Music Review, Spring 2007
"As a solo artist I have to say that the man is a prodigy musical genius. Hypothetical Questions and Rhetorical Conversations is a 15 track album with flawless mixing and comes with a really big chill factor. Lumis is definitely running on all 8 cylinders and there just seems to be no stopping the man. Constantly gigging every other day of the month as a solo act and with his other two projects he's really ready to explode to the next level."
--Latitude 32�, January 2007
"…groovily infectious Black Eyed Peas-esque electronica rap flava spills out on stage in an engaging show."
--Prefix Magazine, May 2006
Lumis tapped by footwear company Underground Station to appear in two sneaker ad campaigns. Catch Lumis slingin' apparel and kicks on screen for both Timberland and Puma, visit your local Underground Station store to watch the spots!
"Puma, Timberland, and DJ Lumis - bringing you the finest quality in threads & beats."
--Underground Station, November 2006
"Electronic energy meets lyrical, hip-hop mania."
--Inner Phase NY, August 2005
"DJ Lumis has the quick hands you'd expect from an old-school soul who truly appreciates the art form he's adopted. He lays down a foundation of beats that can stand on its own, and the high-energy vocals and slick verbal flow ratchet up the ante until the portrait is both complete and colorful."
--Music Connection Magazine, June 2005



MY ALBUMS:
available via CD Baby, PayPal, or In Life We Spin.com



JUST ANOTHER DAY film soundtrack • INTO THE VORTEX Vol 2 feat. "Before the World Was Digital"



Hot 97 FM mix CD feat. "Soul Searchin'" • Bazerk's "Hello America" EP • The Smokering's self-titled album



from left to right: 80's Freak: The Mixtape, The Deserted Circus, Easy Listening., Underground Revolution, and 17 Violations - all featuring scratches by Lumis