Interview with DJ Jewboy
So who exactly is DJ Jewboy? Where does the alias come from? Any information you feel like telling us?
It’s actually funny you ask. I didn’t even think of it. I’ve been making mixes for like a year now, and my friend made me a facebook page for DJ Jewboy without asking. By the time I found out about it, I had a few fans and was too lazy to change it. Now I’m starting to embrace it more. At the beginning for a bit, I had a few anti-Semitic comments towards it, but once they hear my music it’s all good, I guess. And, I’m Andrew, I’m 18, and I’m from Chi-town.
Do you have any hobbies/jobs/anything you can tell us outside your mashing alter ego?
I love frisbee golf, Klondike Bars, and getting packages in the mail. I also hate Brendan Frazier.
So you say you’ve been mashing for only a year? You have an impressive amount of tracks in that time.
When I’m at school or driving around, I’ll hear a classic rock song or something on XM and I’ll realize that it has a very similar tempo to a rap song I like. A lot of my ideas are spontaneous. That’s the BS answer. I actually have no life. I mix songs when I finish my homework haha.
How did you first get into making mashups?
I was at summer camp of 2007, and one of my friends Max showed me Girl Talk’s Night Ripper. My mind literally got a blow job. It was so much fun being able to recognize clips from songs I had listened to all my life, now with a hip-hop freshness unlike anything I’ve ever really heard. I spent the next year listening to that, then I got Feed the Animals, and then I went for it. My first mixes were absolutely horrible, and I never bothered releasing them, but now I’m a little more confident.
So how did you learn how to do it?
Nobody taught me. Since I was little, I’ve had an ear for stuff, you know, with like chord progressions and tempos and all that stuff. It came pretty natural actually. It was difficult at first because I was using Audacity and it didn’t really have a tempo changer that was specific enough. But after a lot of trial and error, I was able to piece together mashup after mashup after mashup. I think if I ever get a fancier new program, I’ll need to find someone who can teach me (any of the DJ’s lookin for an intern?), but as far as learning is concerned, I did it naturally.
So right now what Software/Hardware are you using?
I use Sony Acid Music Pro 7.0, but going on Abelton Live 7. I feel like such a noob using such a common program, but so long as the other, more experienced DJ’s don’t laugh and poke fun, it’s all good.
So what is your process on mashing, now that you know how to do it? Do you collect songs to use together or is it actually more spontaneous?
I don’t really like committing to a specific “type” of mashup. Half my stuff maybe is two/three song mashups, but then I came out with Digital Grammar which is more Girl Talk-y. I tend to collect catchy songs I hear along the way, and then I experiment. Unless I have something that just comes to me (i.e. Stuntin Like Paper Planes) I experiment with the music, and sometimes that’s the most fun.
What inspires you?
As far as inspiration is concerned, it’s gotta be Girl Talk. After Girl Talk, I found the Mash Bros, then E-603. I think that sort of mashup culture is really cool, and when I make my mixes, I try to make stuff that sounds like them, but doesn’t quite emulate their style. They created their styles and I feel like a crook trying to sound just like them (which in and of itself is pretty difficult).
Do you listen to other mashup artists still? Favorite mashup artists?
I love Girl Talk, Super Mash Bros., E-603′s new album, Torpeedoh (Recently discovered; thanks whatthemashup.com!), and the other guys on this website are pretty awesome too. I’ve downloaded everything on the site, from Soohan to DJ Bahler. Yay mashups!
So mashups aside, what are you listening to?
I love The Guess Who, MGMT, Talib Kweli and CunninLynguists. I love that chill rap stuff, can’t get enough of it. And I also have a man crush on James Taylor. His voice is so crystal clear and so distinct. Love me some James Taylor haha.
Any artists you won’t touch?
Artists I won’t touch…hmm…I’ll go for anything so long as I feel mixing it with a rap won’t ruin it forever. On a mixtape I made, which I never released, I mixed Margaritaville by Jimmy Buffett with Get Low by Lil’ John. It’s the funniest thing in the entire world, but now I can’t listen to Margaritaville without saying “To the winnndddooowwwwww, to the wwwaaaalllllllllll!” If Girl Talk can make Tiny Dancer fit, then the sky’s the limit, otherwise.
What are some of the favorite songs you have made?
My favorite songs are Let’s Get Drunk from Digital Grammar, Overnight Celebrity Love from Keepin It Is-Real Vol. 1, all the songs from The Experiment, and Stuntin Like Paper Planes from Ka-Ballin.
…Keepin It Is-Real Vol 1., which hasn’t come out yet…
I know I gotta promote don’t I? It’s soooo good so far; I’m really happy with it. I seem to turn out albums like hotcakes. I don’t know how Girl talk can go years between albums. I released Digital Grammar a few months ago and I think that Keepin It Is-Real Vol 1 will be ready in like November. So not too long. I don’t like waiting for new stuff, and I’m sure neither do the fans.
Well do you play live at all? I’m sure that could start filling up your free time.
Hahaha, I don’t know how. I’m so ashamed of myself too. I spend all my allowance on candy right now, so I would probably have to start saving up for Audiomulch or Traktor, and even then I would have to find someone who could teach me. It’s one of my goals to learn, but right now, DJ Jewboy live shows are highly unlikely.
So back to mashups again: How long do you spend on an average mashup?
It depends if it’s a two/three song mashup or a GT-like one. With a two song mashup, all I need is 20-30 minutes; but a GT mashup, especially if I want it to be three to four minutes long, will take me a series of days because I am working on my transition abilities which suck right now, and you constantly have to work different stuff in. It requires a lot of thinking, so it obviously takes me a lot longer.
Have you ever thought about putting classic Jewish songs in your mashups?
YES. YES. YES. It’s been a guilty little dream of mine to work in some of that stuff. Going to camp for a few years, I’ve picked up some of the dances and stuff and if I can get my hands on some of it, watch out for Keepin it Is-Real Vol. 2 haha.
So besides Volume 1 out in November, do you have any other plans for the future?
Well if I a) learn to mix live and b) learn to get used to this very minor celebrity status, who knows, maybe I’ll be performing at college to make some extra bucks to spend on Ramen noodles and pornography.
Haha, well, any tips for aspiring mashup artists? Or tips on getting started?
Your first few mixes are gonna suck, but stick with it. That perfect one will come, (for me it was probably Stuntin). Don’t sell your stuff because I think it’s illegal and it’s also a douche move. You can do what Girl Talk did and ask for donations, but E-603 says it best “Everyone should have the ability to listen to this music. Feel free to post it on websites, give it to your friends or promote it on your own terms. Do not claim it as your creation.”
Favorite pizza topping? Favorite candy? Favorite color?
My favorite pizza topping is cheese. If my pizza lacks cheese, then screw it, it’s not pizza. My favorite candy is Take 5, and my favorite color probably is red.
Any other comments?
I love popcorn chicken, and I hate matzah. HOWEVER…I do enjoy me some matzah ball soup. I have never had bacon and my favorite movie is The Blues Brothers. I hope anyone who likes my stuff will tell their friends to become fans on facebook, and I’ve got some buddies making a website for me. THEORY: DJ Jewboy is not exclusive to the Jewish population of the world. If you enjoy the wonders of mashups, whether you’re Jewish or Muslim or anything else, download and enjoy. I make music and friends, not enemies.
|
No Comments