Entre-a-vista com DJ C

Farward Sound: Who is DJ C? And where does the "C" come from?

DJ C: DJ C is the byproduct of a youth gone bad in wasteland-sub-urban Massachusetts. I taught myself how to DJ by piecing together broken pieces of 1970s stereo equipment. My friends began to call me crafty as a result of the strange sound contraptions I would make. DJ Crafty was too long so I narrowed it down to DJ C.

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FS: What are your main concerns in life?

C: Food, drink, air, sleep, sex, music, etc... Although I suppose some of these things aren't much of a concern. I'm also concerned about social justice and the environment among other things, but that's too disturbing to get into in a fun interview like this.

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FS: Tell us about your relation with music since you can remember.

C: My father, a painter and poet, used to make simple musical instruments and play them with me when I was an infant.

I grew up in a household where the Beatles, classical music, Frank Zappa, Neil Young, and John Cage were often wafting through the air.

I received a guitar for my 5th birthday and thought I was Elvis.

Those are some of the earliest influences.

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FS: What's the aim of your work, as a producer and label owner?

C: My main aim is to make music that I enjoy.

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FS: How would you describe your music in a "complicated" way?

C: My music is a combination of compositional sophistication and pure visceral energy which puts it in opposition to the vast conspiracy of the mundane. I draw from musical roots deep in the underground and radically join genres together into a sturdy trunk. The branches reach around the globe like tentacles slapping booties and moving feet everywhere.

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FS: Who are your favourite producers and labels, past & present?

C: George Martin/The Beatles, Timbaland, Deadbeat, James Brown, DJ Hype, King Tubby, Studio One, Clement "Coxsone" Dodd, Lee "Scratch" Perry, Sly and Robbie, Warp, Planet µ, Aphex Twin, Stereotyp, Neptunes, DJ Scud, Aaron Spectre, Sticky, The Orb, The Bomb Squad, Jack Dangers, Prince Paul, Switch, Dave Kelly, South Rakkaz Crew, Vex'd, Burial, Mr. Oizo, Mr Scruff, Luke Vibert, Square Pusher, Scott Storch, Dr. Evil, Dr. Dre, and so many more…

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FS: Which tunes did blow your mind lately?

C: I've really been diggin' this track by a producer called Exillon from the San Francisco Bay area.

He did a remix of a Cat Power tune called "Moonshiner." Really awesome dubstep/indy-rock combo.

Also Ghislain Poirier's remix of Justin Timberlake's "My Love" from his "Bounce le Remix 2."

It features vocals by a really bluesy singer, and he chops the Timbaland beat up at the end to become a super club banger.

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FS: Most of your tracks are free to download from www.mashit.com/djc/. Why you do it?

C: It's the best way for people like you to find out about it.

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FS: How is living and playing in the boston area?

C: It can be fun, but it tends to be restrictive.

The clubs have a curfew or 1 or 2 am and house/warhouse parties often get busted by police. This makes it difficult for new artists to break into the scene.

They have to come up through the clubs which can be hard. When a good underground party does happen though, it's a blast!

There are around 40 colleges in the Boston area so living here is intellectually stimulating.

On the other hand, it's quite expensive.

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FS: Which shows you played at, you will never forget? And why?

C: Just last weekend I played in Montreal at Ghislain Poirier's "Bounce le Gros" night where there was a packed-house of diverse people who danced to all kinds of beats all night. It was a perfect party.

Playing at Toxic Dancehall in Bristol England was a gig to remember. That's some real hard rave business.

The fans there are just crazy into the music. I also played at a mountain-top festival in Japan once, which was beautiful.

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FS: Is there any tune you made that you like more than others?

C: I always tend to like the most recent tune I've made, just because I have the most invested in it.

I've just completed remixes for The Slip, and Starkey, both of which I'm happy with.

I've also been really enjoying working on tracks with Zulu — a ragga vocalist from Chicago — lately.

My favorite of the Mashit tracks is probably "Wacko Macko is Backo" because I put a lot of work into composing the melodies and the track's super-dynamic.

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FS: What's the next plan for Mashit and DJ C?

C: I'm planning to move to Chicago this summer where I'll be continuing to work on tracks for an album with Zulu.

My debut album as DJ C —"Sonic Weapons" — will be out before then. I've got two more singles with Zulu on the way; a 10-inch called "Body Work" and a 12-inch called "Darling."

There's also an other EP coming on the Death$ucker label.

After I move I plan to re-tool Mashit into a different kind of label. Stay tuned for details.

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FS: I would like to know your thoughts on 2 subjects:

1. Dancehall & Ragga in Jamaica and abroad in the last couple of years

C: Jamaican music is pushing the bounds of dance-music faster than any other genre. There's a lot that I don't like, but the gems are often the most innovative sounds around.

I've also found it's expansion beyond Jamaica interesting. Labels like Germaican in Germany and the South Rokkaz Crew from Florida are producing legit Jamaican music outside the confines of the island.

2. Now, same for Grime & Dubstep

C: I see Grime as UK hip-hop, and although there was a certain defining sound in the productions of Dizzee and Wiley, it has moved, and should move on.

In general, although I enjoy a lot of the grime production, I tend to find the yelly free-style rapping annoying.

I see real parallels between dubstep and drum 'n' bass in terms of the way dubstep split off from the more-bouncy 2-step genre, just the way d'n'b split off from jungle. I really like a lot of dubstep, but I hope it doesn't get too locked into the formula. I actually like how some of it, like Scream's stuff, is sounding quite a lot like old UK-steppers-dub, but with more current/futuristic sounds.

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FS: How you see yourself within the music industry?

C: Hmm... I really don't know. I'm just out here hustling and doing my thing the best I can.

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FS: Anything else you would like to say?

C: Big up Lisbon, Portugal! I hope I meet you soon! Thank you and good night.