Taking his name from a classic ‘80s comedy, Dr. Rosen Rosen is emerging as one of the hottest DJ/producers on the LA scene.

Any self-respecting child of the ‘80s should laugh immediately when they hear Andy Rosen’s DJ alias: Dr. Rosen Rosen. If you’re not laughing, get your ass on Netflix and rent the classic Chevy Chase comedy Fletch and you’ll be in on the joke.

“Forty percent of the people I encounter know the reference and a lot of people don’t,” the Sun Valley, Idaho-bred DJ/producer/remixer extraordinaire explains from his home in Silver Lake, CA. “[One female fan] said, ‘Your name sounds like a serial killer.’ I was like, ‘You’re so young. You just don’t get it.’ But what a great genre of movies back then. I wish they would make movies like that again.”
One day they may be looking back at Dr. Rosen Rosen’s remixes saying something similar. Originally a hip-hop kid who started making beats on vintage synths and Roland drum machines, influenced by the boom-bap of the day and lots of 40-ounces of Olde English.

“For some reason I used to think it was really cool to try and drink three 40s in one night. I don’t know how I used to try and drink like that. That would knock me out for like three days now,” he says.

Growing up in the ski resort town, he’s of course a snowboarder and was influenced by the chaotic mix of ska, punk, pop, and rock that came over “ski town radio,” as well as by his older brother, a “Prince fanatic.”

“When I was a little kid, that was the height of the Prince era—kind of the trifecta of Michael Jackson, Madonna, and Prince. I was just so into that stuff. That music was amazing. That stuff has definitely stuck with me,” he says.

You can hear the ‘80s funky disco and new-wave influences in his awesome remixes of Tegan and Sara’s “Alligator” and Weezer’s “If You’re Wondering If I Want You To . . .” But he’s not just a retro one-trick pony. His remixes of the Drake hit “Forever” and Lady Gaga’s “Telephone” give both smashes vibrant new life.

“I think there’s two different types of remixes: your typical club remix and everything else. I kind of fall into that “everything else” category,” he says. “I think if the song’s good, that helps a lot. Because at the end of the day, there’s some sort of melody that some singer wrote. If there’s a way you can frame that melody and also make it sound new, that’s the best. You’re giving it a whole new life of its own and hopefully something awesome.”

Words: Dave Wedge

Image: Lindsay Shoch