A Night Out With…Sex Ray Vision & Basic Physics

Posted by on April 1, 2012


“You’re joining us for dinner at Mr. Masero, right?” Lauren Saks-Merriman, CEO and co-founder of Black Book Music Group, asks as I prepare for Basic Physics and Sex Ray Vision’s set at Rio Room in Dallas. “Of course” I respond. “What time would you like to meet?”

“What would you like to drink?” asks the bartender as I wait in anticipation for their arrival. I look at my watch, I’m ten minutes early. What was I thinking, I murmur to myself. Artists are always late. “Make that another”, I request of the bartender. He obliges kindly.

Suddenly, Ravi Parikh of Sex Ray Vision and Alex Syse of Basic Physics walk in accompanied by a Lauren Saks-Merriman, who happens to be pregnant. She’s a mere four weeks away from her due date and she’s texting the promoter furiously while wearing a tan blazer. “They’re trying to cut our set short” she explains. Basic Physics, sitting to my left chimes in with an easy confidence “We’ll just have to prove ourselves. I’m not concerned.”


Perhaps best known for his “Ghosts on a G6” remix that hit the top spot on Hypem in October, Basic Physics is a technical mashup aficionado garnering large following through his thoughtful mashups and convergence of hip-hop and electronic genres. Despite hailing from Wisconsin, known for its production of dairy products, Basic Physics anything but pasteurized. “While my friends were playing their X-box” he says, “I was experimenting with Ableton live.” And it’s payed off, as Basic Physics has made notable waves in the blogosphere.

We arrive at 11:30, and we’re immediately ushered into the smoke-filled sarcophagus that is Rio Room. Lauren orders the waitress to bring two bottles and leaves us at the table while we she makes arrangements. I turn to Ravi of Sex Ray Vision, a Stanford alumnus, to ask him what he thinks about Rio Room. He’s impressed. “Dallas is a great city. I’m just ready to get up there and do my thing” he replies. “Excuse me” he says, in a polite academic tone. “It’s time.”

For the next hour, Ravi and Basic Physics took command of Rio Room, bringing a much needed energy to the space with flawless transitions and smart mashups. Patrons of the establishment were compelled to dance, as both Ravi and Basic Physics ran through a catalogue of their most potent productions. Most impressive was their attention to the crowd. “I didn’t want to play too hard of a set” Basic Physics elaborated. Ravi piped in, “It wouldn’t match the mood of the room”. Telling statements, showing their DJ acumens are far are beyond their relative age.

As I was leaving Rio Room, I asked Ravi of Sex Ray Vision what he listens to outside of his own production. He replied thoughtfully, “Although this sounds cliche, I listen to everything.” In particular, alternative acts like Weezer inspire him. “I’m inspired by their melodies” Ravi remarks. “I just love music” he adds with tactful finality.

It was apparent, even with what little time I spent, that Basic Physics and Ravi of Sex Ray Vision truly love music- and Saturday night it showed. While patrons of Rio Room will inevitably forget what Ravi and Alex played on Saturday night, one can be confident that they won’t forget how they made them feel anytime soon.

Special thanks to Lauren Saks-Merriman and Black Book Music Group for making this possible.

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