Interview with Torpeedoh
So who exactly is Torpeedoh? Age? Name? Care to disclose any info?
Well my name is Zach Torpy, age 16, located in West Des Moines, Iowa. I attend Valley High School. Yeah, I go to school with Shawn Johnson, big deal.
How did you get the name Torpeedoh?
It’s basically a play on my last name. When i was first making music, and needed a name to release stuff under, I was going to call myself “Torpedo”. Too bad some douchey indie-punk-ska band already took the name. So I added some extra letters and overall I am happy with the outcome.
How did you get into mashups and how long have you been doing it?
I’ve always loved anything involving rock and rap together. The first rock/rap crossover I ever heard was probably “Walk This Way” by Aerosmith and Run DMC. I also listened to the Jay-Z/Linkin Park “Collision Course” album over and over throughout my childhood. So when I first heard E-603′s “Something For Everyone” I was in love. I looked for other mashup artists and came across the big names: Girl Talk, The Hood Internet, etc. Eventually I just decided to try and make some of this stuff on my own. So about a year ago I grabbed Ableton and went to work, and I made crappy mashups until about February of ’09. I started working on Buckwild in February after I had gotten a hold of things in Ableton, and I released the album in January. It’s my first work that I’m actually proud to show people.
Software? Hardware?
I use Ableton Live 7 and a Dell Dimension E310 Desktop PC. I’m terrible with money and usually spend my paycheck on Buffalo Wings and Tacos, so I haven’t been able to save up for a laptop for shows yet.
What is your process in making a mashup?
Hmm. Well I don’t really screw around in Ableton so much anymore, so my process is a bit different. When I make an album, I just start at the beginning of the timeline and build onto what I’ve already made. I don’t ever think “okay I’m going to start a new track here” or “alright the album will end right here”, I just let it all flow and let the music fall into place. I just find songs that flow well from the songs before them, and so on. The album sort of makes itself.
What inspires you in terms of song choice for your mashups?
I like to pick songs that most people are going to recognize. I also like to pick songs that people are going to say “no way did he just do that” to, like The Office Theme Song in Buckwild.
How long does an average mashup take you to make?
I don’t really make mashups by-track, so I couldn’t tell you. I know that Buckwild took me 5 months to make and perfect… so 5 months? Haha, sorry.
What kind of music do you like? Favorite artists?
I listen to everything. Some days I’ll listen to Radiohead, other days I’ll bump some Wu-Tang Clan or Daft Punk. It’s really all luck of the draw. I have about 100 gigs of music on my computer so I never get bored musically.
Favorite mashup artists?
E-603, Girl Talk, The Hood Internet, Lucky Strike, Ludachrist, Milkman, The Avalanches… everybody. My favorite albums are E-603′s “Torn Up” and Girl Talk’s “Feed The Animals”. I also like to give every new mashup artist a listen to support the cause. I know what its like to have some great stuff you want to show people, but nobody to show it to. DJ Jewboy is the newest artist I’ve given a listen to.
Do you play live at all? What is playing live like? Do you prefer it?
I’ve played some stuff live before, yes, and I’m planning on playing live a lot more. I just need to buy my laptop…
How much time do you spend on your music?
I spend a lot of time making sure everything sounds perfect. Buckwild was done probably two months before I released it, I just spent all that time perfecting everything.
What are you doing in your free time?
Jockin’ the bitches, slappin’ the ho’s. You know, normal stuff for a white boy from Iowa. Haha but seriously, I just do normal stuff. Hang out with friends, go to movies, watch football (Go Hawks).
What is your view on the legality of mashups?
Technically, not legal, right? Whatever. We’re making music that people love. We aren’t making billions of dollars off of a four-second piano loop from Five for Fighting or a ten-second beat from Dr. Dre. Be cool, don’t sue us.
Favorite song you have made?
Anything Goes from Buckwild. I love it.
Tips for aspiring mashup artists? Or tips on how to get started?
Work hard. Take your time. Have fun!
Plans for the future? Any goals? What can we look forward to?
I’d love to start playing more shows, maybe doing some stuff around the country. I am pretty sure I’m the youngest guy doing this stuff, so I got a lot of time ahead of me. You all can look forward to my next album, “Party People” sometime this fall/winter. Probably New Years Day. Maybe before that.
Favorite pizza topping, candy, color?
Mushrooms, sour patch kids, thug-pink.
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