Interview with E-603
So who exactly is E-603? Where does the alias come from? Care to disclose any info?
The name E-603 came about a long time ago. It was sometime in high school I needed to create a name for a musical project one afternoon. Eventually, I came up with E-603. It seems very cryptic but it is pretty simple the “E” stands for Ethan and “603″ is the area code for the entire state of New Hampshire. My neighbor is a state representative and she loves that I rep NH so hard.
How did you get into mashups and how long have you been doing it?
Well, I have been producing music for a long time. I started when I was around twelve years old. By the time I was an underclassman in high school I was making music utilizing samples and some songs made entirely out of them. At this point it wasn’t really “mash-up” because it wasn’t popular samples that were being used and they weren’t used to create a nostalgic and culture-modifying effect.
Software? Hardware?
For my albums and producing I use Cubase SX or Pro Tools. It depends where I am at. These programs really allow me to manipulate the samples and audio I am working with. After fucking with the samples in those programs I will import them into Ableton so I can trigger them live and go nuts. I use just computers for E-603 albums, but not for my remixes and singles.
What inspires your song choice?
I take several things into account when sampling a song It needs to make sense in the context of the song and I like for my samples to comment on each other. A basic example would be that I put “Sometimes a Fantasy” by Billy Joel a song about Billy’s desire for a woman in the middle of the night with “Whats your Fantasy” by Ludacris a song about getting freaky any way possible. This creates an audio commentary on the songs themselves. In addition I like the samples to flow musically in the context of the song.
What music have you been listening to lately?
The Misfits and Danzig mostly. I have am getting into my Autumn Horror Punk mood. Asides from Horror Punk I have been listening to a lot of The Joy Formidable and some really gnarly noisy shit. I also snatched that Julian Casablancas album which I dig pretty hard.
Are there any artists you won’t use?
Nope. I think I articulated it well in another interview recently when I said that some samples almost hold more responsibility when sampling them. People think it is a matter of respect but I don’t find that to be accurate because I don’t think I am defiling the other artists work in any way. If that is how a particular artist sees it then fuck it I guess. That being said I would never say that I would never sample an artist.
Do you like to listen to other mashups or do you just enjoy making them? Favorite mashup artists?
If Girl Talk is “mash-up” then that is it. I don’t really listen to other “mash-up” artists except for him. I really like the way he approaches music and the way he thinks about it. I think we are intellectually on the same page about a lot of things. Now that I think about it. I don’t think I have downloaded another “mash-up” artists’ work besides Girl Talk and Easter Egg.
How long does one track take to make on average?
Well for “Torn Up” The tracks took from 20 hours to about 50 hours each. I think that is because I second guess myself a lot.
How has being on tour been? Do you prefer playing live over making new stuff at home?
The live world and the producing world are totally separate. I can’t even compare the two. I love going buck wild with kids and playing live. Composing new music at home is rad in a different way.
Any cool on-tour stories?
The best ones are probably inappropriate, but I will tell one that is appropriate. So it doesn’t take too much convincing for me to get irresponsibly drunk. My last night with Passion Pit was in Hollywood and playing with us was this rad cover band that had all transexual singers. Turns out that bassist for that band is the guitarist from Goldfinger, and if you grew up playing Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, then you know who Goldfinger is. On top of that they weren’t drinking any of their beer provided by the venue, and they offered it to me. Needless to say I was amped. A couple of the guys from the tranny cover band were like “dude you have to play tambourine for us on “21st Century Boy”". So I think that “21st Century Boy” is up next so I run onto stage as they are starting and grab the tambourine off of an amp. I was rocking out so hard my hand had bruises on it the next day, I played my heart out on that tambourine. Then the song ends and I walk off the stage and somebody says to me “you played the wrong song”. I was so embarrassed, but the guys from the band didn’t care at all. They were just excited I was so into it.
How much time do you spend on your music? What are you doing in your free time?
I am awake for about 15 hours on an average weekday. I spend about 9 or 11 hours doing something music related. The rest is a mixture of chatting with my favorite barista at my favorite cafe, watching my favorite television series’ (Curb Your Enthusiasm, Bored To Death, Dexter, or whatever is in season), talking to my friends about dumb shit on the phone, working on my pop opera (also known as an Popra), and if I find some time then I will skate a spot or two.
Favorite song you have made?
I don’t really have a favorite, if I had to choose I would go for “Lights Out”. Its a good mixture of really electronic parts, glitch, and stupid fresh flow.
Tips for aspiring mashup artists? Tips on how to get started?
Start by editing the samples in a non-linear format. Use a program that allows you to really mess around with the samples and do a lot.
What is your view on the legality of mashups? Do you consider yourself and activist for the movement?
I would consider my self and activist because I am actively producing music that some consider illegal. I believe that if a new art form is being created then the sampling artist is not doing anything illegal at all. That is my short way of explaining how I feel about it.
Plans for the future? Any goals? What can we look forward to? When can we expect the next album?
I would love to put on this pop opera but that may be a long way away. I am currently working with some other artists on remixes and collaborations so there will probably be more of that. I really don’t know when the next E-603 album will be released.
Favorite pizza topping? Favorite candy?
I am on a veggie pizza thing right now. If Pesto Pizza is an option then I am all over that. I don’t eat candy.
Any other comments? Shout outs?
Pizza Punks are real.
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