Mix Master Mike interview - Eye Weekly 07.07.2005 [Archive]

PaddyBoy

07-09-2005, 07:00 AM

Thanks.

Heres the text:

Resident Beastie Boys record selector and DMC World Champ Mixmaster Mike warns he’ll be dishing out a dose of serious music therapy this weekend at the World Electronic Music Festival (July 8-10). Fresh off the Beasties’ 2004-05 world tour, the San Fran DJ is out promoting his latest album, Bangzilla; Mike also recently remixed Curtis Mayfield’s “Pusherman” for a tribute compilation for the late soul singer. On the phone from Santa Monica, the turntablist — also renowned for the Invisible Skratch Piklz DJ collective — gets serious about scratching.

What are you mashing up these days?

I’ve been mashing up since I was 18 years old, merging hip-hop with crazy guitars. It all depends on when I get [to the gig]. I’ll read the crowd and go wild and zany if the crowd’s really free and going nuts. I’ll drop in rock shit or whatever and start scratching.

For how long can you scratch at one time?

I would scratch for the whole hour if I could. But I do two-minute scratch routines throughout to change it up and keep the party rocking. It’s a smorgasbord of all kinds of different shit in that hour. I get on the mic and do a bit of everything to entertain and captivate.

What do you say?

I usually give people a warning to get your helmets ready. Get your chemical suits ready. Get your shield ready. Get ready for an audio assault! It’s about having fun. It’s an experience for everybody. I’m sharing an experience with the crowd and I want to project that.

Is there a particular experience that shaped your take on music and how you play?

Becoming world champ of DJing [1992-94] was amazing. That was pretty much my pinnacle point — and hooking up with the Beastie Boys [in 1997], and them giving me the platform to do what I do. These three guys who I still look up to, who have full trust in my abilities to take their music in another direction, it’s like a union, a team. Like my experience with the Invisible Skratch Piklz — it’s something special when you get certain heads in the same room and we all click. It’s priceless.

You’ve been credited for the advancement of the turntable as a musical instrument. How is the culture of turntablism important?

Basically, music is therapy. I think it’s important because musicians are messengers to take people away from what they’re going through in their everyday life. It brings a sense of unity for people. Taking people back to their roots brings back a whole lot of memories and emotion, and I think that’s important. Bringing people together as a whole, to share the experience is important.

Why start producing music?

I kinda get tired of mixing other people’s music. I want to produce my own music so I can mix my own music. I mean, I get satisfaction in mixing other people’s music, don’t get me wrong. But the full satisfaction is when you have your own original composition and you’re manipulating what you want with it.

What is Bangzilla about?

It’s something I’m really proud of, something that took me three years to make. I think it’s just another painting that I created, an audio portrait of this time in the studio. And I just love banging beats. It was kind of a therapy album for me. Get ready! ELIZABETH MITKOS

Mixmaster Mike appears at the World Electronic Music Festival at the Orangeville Fairgrounds July 8-10. $90 three-day pass and $65 two-day pass available from Ticketmaster (416-870-8000). Go to www.wemf.com for full lineup and location info.