Wallflowers make up the minority if Le Castle Vania is in the room. As the steam of heat emanating from a densely-packed space of bodies threatens to break through the venue floor, the DJ plays his music just a little louder and the crowd dances even harder.
Feverishly churning out the latest trends in music, Dylan Eiland, the man behind Le Castle Vania, entrances and entices 18-and-up partiers to dance at his monthly F**k Yesss event. Although many people will recognize the local DJ solely from the dance party, Eiland has been making waves of seismic proportions in all corners of the world with his fusion of indie rock sounds and electro melodies.
“My sound right now is a mix of a lot of different things—indie, electro, disco,” Eiland said. “Some of it is very aggressive and some of it is just chill disco stuff.”
This medley of noise has sparked interest in a community that spans several continents. Le Castle Vania, whose moniker was inspired by a classic Nintendo video game released in the late ‘80s, is the unifying element.
Eiland’s foray into the global sphere began when he remixed a song for locally-bred indie band Snowden. Since the release of the track (“Black Eyes”), buzz surrounding Eiland has exploded. With his name and music dominating the cyber airwaves through music blogs, Le Castle Vania quickly ascended the ladder into international indie stardom.
Born and raised in Atlanta, Eiland spent many years perfecting his craft in the indie-electro scene. At 16, he took a stab at the turntables with aspirations of gaining entrance into parties he was not old enough to enter. From there, Le Castle Vania took off.
“I caught on to the sound before it blew up and I was excited by this indie-electro fusion,” he said. “A large part of [success] comes from being a part of the first wave of sound breaking through.”
Now 27 years old, Eiland has touched down on six out of seven continents, sharing the sound that he has so carefully cultivated right here in Atlanta.
URB Magazine included Le Castle Vania in their Next 100 list for 2008, and he’s garnered rave reviews from NYLON and the now-defunct Jane Magazine.
Le Castle Vania’s touring itinerary calls attention to the cross-cultural appeal of his brand of music. Eiland recently played two sold out shows in Cape Town and Johannesburg, South Africa, and has performed in other areas, ranging from France (Paris) to Malaysia to Mexico. Overseas, the demand for Le Castle Vania is high, and since the summer of 2006, Eiland has been touring nonstop.
“Kids get really hyped and crazy because they don’t get too many big, touring acts down there, especially not within this genre of music,” said Eiland.
Despite a hectic touring schedule, one factor remains constant in Eiland’s career: throwing one of the most popular dance parties every month in his hometown.
“There really wasn’t a party in Atlanta that showcased this type of music, and I knew there was definitely a market for it here,” said Eiland. “There were a lot of people here starting to get into the music, but there was not a place to go to party.”
Employing the experience gained from playing in clubs worldwide, Eiland envisioned a party that had all of the elements to build a community of likeminded fans and keep them coming back each month. The DJ seems to achieved just that—in the past five years, Eiland has received Creative Loafing‘s Best Club Event award, Best Club DJ from Atlanta Magazine and even graced the cover of Performer Magazine.
Recently celebrating the three-year anniversary of F**k Yesss, Eiland still flies back to Atlanta every first Thursday of the month to host the late-night dance-a-thon at the Drunken Unicorn/MJQ, a hole-in-the-earth venue and dance club on Ponce de Leon Avenue. The event draws one of the most diverse factions in the city, from indie fans to the hip-hop crowd, and fresh, new faces and regulars can both be spotted each month.
“F**k Yesss is probably one of the craziest parties on the planet. There are so many different people crammed in there,” Eiland said.
The club has three rooms, and the party takes over two of them. Individuals over the age of 21 can enjoy the music in a more subdued atmosphere, while everyone over 18 is welcome to party in the main room where, according to Eiland, “the insanity happens.”
Aside from playing DJ at the hottest clubs across the globe, Eiland also produces and creates his own original tracks and remixes. He is currently working on his first full-length album and dabbling in a few side projects.
Le Castle Vania will appear, in all his danceable glory, at the next F**k Yesss Party on Oct. 7.
For more on Dylan Eiland, his music and his parties, visit www.lecastlevania.com.
