TORN UP
JUNE 24TH, 2009
From the earliest stages of planning for the blog, I’ve had E-603 in my sights as someone I’d like to get involved. He produced what became my favourite mashup mixtape of all time with ‘Something For Everyone’, and my excitement for his second release was as high as I’ve had for anything else to come out so far this year.
Now that the second album has been released (to much fandom, he held the top 3 spots on hypem’s popular charts at one stage last week), we’re happy to post in full, our interview with E-603, conducted on the eve of the album’s release.
Having since spent some serious time with the album, I can conclude that it is in many ways exactly what I expected. The polish and level of production exhibited once again proves that for the time being, we’re witnessing a two horse race between Girl Talk and E-603, with a very large gap between them and the rest of the pack in that regard. Torn Up, however, is what I consider the first true mashup ‘album’. It’s not a non-stop, high tempo party, but rather follows a more traditional album progression, with it’s peaks and troughs well measured and considered – anticipation is controlled and the party manifests itself only when appropriate. It’s a fantastic album.
JG: Really excited for the new album!
E603: I was pretty startled by the amount of people that got into the tracks that other blogs (Animal Show) posted.
JG: Tell me a little bit about your background – What got you started as a DJ and in particular what led you to mash-ups?
E603: Well I used to compose original music that also contained sounds in them when I was significantly younger. Then after being in several bands I kind of started composing music while using popular samples in there, it was comparable to OCDJ, if you have heard of him. Then I got stuck on just using samples to compose music and at first it was more electronic and glitchy but then transformed into what it is now.
But if you are asking for who got me into DJ/sample based culture I would say names like: A-Trak, OCDJ, Diplo and obviously Girl Talk.
JG: So you say Girl Talk, that’s kind of the inevitable starting point for your kind of music, does the comparison ever get a bit grating? How do you think you differ from what he does?
E603: Well it is obvious. He has a very pure look at his music. He thinks very hard about what he samples and the context in which he is doing it. I think about that but not really through the same lens.
We are about 8 or 9 years apart in age so we look at music and more particularly “pop music” in very different ways.
JG: Yeah I totally agree, that’s actually something that’s really evident with ‘Something For Everyone’, it’s very much a Girl Talk-quality production through the filter of someone who grew up as part of a newer generation.
E603: Agreed. The production on the newer album is much higher quality so it more similar to GT in that aspect too.
JG: How long has the new album taken you to put together?
E603: Well I started working on it last Summer once I got out of school worked throughout the Summer and then when I had to go back to school it was just too difficult to find time to work on it. In fact,
my advisor actually told me that I was “not allowed to work on my album”
at one point. It was probably because I was missing valuable time when I was traveling and playing shows.
JG: Have you got any plans to produce any original tracks?
E603: Yeah, I was actually contacted about doing a remix or two this week so hopefully I can find time for that.
Also, I always have 3 or 4 musical projects going on at once and I am planning on starting one with a very talented producer friend of mine.
JG: So where do you normally play? What is the scene like where you’re from? (And for that matter where are you from/where do you go to school?)
E603: Well I don’t typically play shows around my school. I go to Hampshire College in Amherst, MA. At first people thought it was going to be more of a DJ situation where I would want a booth, but then I would freak them out and ask for a table to be put on the floor where kids are dancing.
JG: That’s awesome !
E603: Then more recently people understand that its not really about me playing music for people. It’s more like I am part of a party that involves everyone.
Some people like to dance on my table or stage dive or crowd surf when there is a more intense part. Which I think is fucking rad. At one show I smashed a guitar filled with glitter.
But typically I don’t plan stuff out.
JG: So you’ve said a few times you were suprised by the reception the first album has had – how did it spread so far? What was your big ‘break’ and what do you think about the internet and the impact it’s having on the music business?
E603: Well, the day I released my first album I got like 3 times the amount of listens I had ever gotten before. I have no idea why or how but I guess that is the magic of the internet. Some people used to exchange tapes and shit that would spread the word about these punk/hardcore bands. And they would be like “Oh yeah, I had a Misfits tape for a while, those guys are rad” and now its just making that process incredibly fast.
JG: You give all of your music away for free and in fact encourage people to share it with their friends. Where does that come from? Do you think it’s something you will always abide by (with your mash-ups at least?)
E603: It’s a little easier for me to do the “free music” thing than most musical projects because I only need a computer and many, many hours. But I feel like creativity is free and I don’t have too many expenses to pay for doing what I am doing. Indie bands that need to pay for studio time and such, I understand that situation and I love seeing a band live that blows me away and buying their albums.
JG: What do you think about music piracy?
E603: I think its rad.
Bands don’t realize it but a significant amount of their success come from their music being pirated.
JG: I agree completely. There are very few bands that I listen to now that I’d have been listening to if it weren’t for piracy, it makes it easier to take the plunge because it’s not a monetary investment (especially when you’re young.)
E603: I totally agree. Personally, I grew up just listening to what my brother had pirated. In middle school and early high school I was listening to all these bands that weren’t even sold in most stores because my brother was so on top of his shit.
JG: Well thanks heaps for your time, is there anything else you would like to say?
E603: Not really, thanks for helping me out. Take it easy brother.
Here for download is the album, in it’s entirety, and for those of you still unsure and not quite ready to take the plunge – the first 2 songs as a taster.
E-603 – Torn Up (Full Album Link)
E-603 – Smash That
E-603 – Lights Out
