The state of the economy may be a big question mark but one thing’s for sure: L.A. tech is hot. Westwood-based Elevator Labs received $20 million in funding this week in another example of investors putting money into innovative Los Angeles-based startups (just last week Santa Monica-based BetterWorks received an $8 million investment).

Elevator Labs plans to use the investment to launch new businesses its currently incubating in addition to its existing portfolio: Hello Music, Wilshire Media Group, and Fat Cloud. Managing partner Zack Zalon discussed how his years as president of Virgin Digital influenced his approach, why Elevator Labs is an “invention company” and why he’s excited about the growth and innovation in L.A.’s tech community.

“It’s about time that people stand up and start taking notice because this is the next generation of entrepreneurial leaders here in Los Angeles that are ready to emerge,” said Zalon.

Originally posted at LAist.

Over the past decade I’d consistently update my Live365 station and spend my days listening to that. There are hundreds of songs that I’ll never get sick of listening to. And, yes, I still listen to a lot of the stuff that you hate and vice versa.

In order to keep my work, creativity, and spirit fresh and on an innovative tip, I feel the need to put forth a more concerted effort to discover and absorb that which informs and inspires me. Hearing, seeing, discovering something for the first time is an entirely different sensation than celebrating that which is proven, known, and comfortable. Innovation is a two-way street and it’s the adventurousness of discovering and absorbing that drives and inspires me.

I’m still hearing a lot of the same music in my subconscious that I’ve been hooked on for the past five to ten years. I went stream of consciousness in curating this mix and what’s apparent listening back to it is that a big part of the musical me is stuck in 2005. To some extent I think it’s lazy to stick with what’s comfortable. It’s outwardly redundant and certainly not innovative. It’s the five year anniversary of my last mix – Extraordinary Renditions (Aug 2005). Five years ago I picked up and drove my Civic out to Los Angeles with my dad to take on grad school and get where I am today.

So here goes, I mixed it all up into one track this time the playlist is below – listen / grab it.

[display_podcast]

01 Bill Laswell – Habana Transmission #1 Avisale a La Vecina Dub
02 Shugo Tokumaru – Straw
03 Familjen – När planeterna stannat
04 The Bees – Better Days
05 Ruby Suns – Tane Mahuta
06 Of Montreal – I Was Never Young
07 Mike Love’s Nigerian Gangster Remix – American Gangster (Jay-Z / Fela Kuti)
08 Jim James w/ Calexico – Goin’ to Acapulco (Dylan)
09 Bright Eyes – Papa Was a Rodeo (Magnetic Fields)
10 Out Hud – One Life to Leave (A Requiem)
11 Field Music – Measure
12 Sugarman Three – Take it as it come
13 Ghost – It’s All Love
14 Oh No – What We Need
15 The Very Best – Julia
16 Bobby Conn – Winners
17 Make Up – Born on the Floor
18 Fruit Bats – Ruminant Band
19 Ferraby Lionheart – Yellow Wings

mix 3August2010 by netZoo