University of San Diego Radio

I am the type of music lover that thrives on predictability, regularity, and fundamental rhythms. Due to that fact, I was almost deterred from one of the most unique, interesting albums that I have heard in a long time. Cerulean is the debut album from Baths, the creation of musician/producer Will Wiesenfeld, and I would have to say he is definitely putting his best foot forward, at least in terms of the whole album. Using looped samples and sweet beats this album will have your toes tapping and your head nodding. On a song-to-song basis, tracks are either lyrically or beat driven, and both groups have their ups and downs.

The bulk of the album has lyrics, which is always nice for people who do not enjoy music with an aurally human absence. Track two, “Lovely Bloodflow,” is the first presentation of Wiesenfeld’s haunting falsetto voice, and the repetition of the same line creates a serious potential for singing along in an equally high voice. (Just a disclaimer: I am a sucker for falsetto voices, from MIKA to The Darkness to the Bee Gees, and my review probably reflects this. Feel free to skip to the next paragraph if you disagree.) “♥” follows an instrumental interlude and offers its own beautiful piano rhythmic foundation and beat structure as well as some heartfelt words. My favorite track on the album has to be “Hall.” It leads with a very jagged setup, but when the beat becomes established, it fascinates for half the song before the lyrics even arrive. When they do, the hypnotic crooning of Wiesenfeld leads you down the hall that you do not want to stop traversing. “You’re My Excuse to Travel” immediately follows with a piano line that you never expect to become coherent, but add a clap, some drums, and lyrics and you got a dance going. Out of the final four tracks, only “Indoorsy” is worth discussing. “Rain Smell,” “Plea,” and “Departure” all seemed a little bland to me, but they are still pleasant in an ambient music/background sort of way. “Indoorsy,” on the other hand, might be the most fun track on the album. From start to finish, the combination of eccentric beats, simple tones, and distorted lyrics simply moves the listener’s body. This moving quality is also present in many of the instrumentals.

The initial track “Apologetic Shoulder Blades” honestly scared me that I would be stuck reviewing the album of some would-be-John-Cage. I found the beat a little too irregular to appreciate greatly, but thank goodness it was by no means a true indicator of what coming. “Maximalist” is the next primarily instrumental tune, and it is a much cleaner, rhythmic arrangement. It contains sound bites that are also very well placed and help to create a feeling of a “beat drop” popular in more aggressive techno music. Next, “Aminals” draws in the listener with a cute title and sound clips of children speaking, but then forcibly hypnotizes with a simple looped beat and beautiful variations on that beat. “Rafting Starlit Everglades” then takes you on what else but a serene raft ride down the everglades. It begins with bug noises, but they shortly become lost in the tide of drums rolling through the song.

Overall, Baths sounds a lot like a sort of Passion Pit/RJD2 hybrid. The album has qualities of both simplicity and intricacy. The simplicity and straightforwardness of songs makes them accessible to listeners while at the same time the intricacy creates the danceable and intriguing aspects. It is perfect for any activity from your hipster parties to napping in bed with your honey.

Rating: 6 of 10 “Olés”

“Lovely Bloodflow”

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“Indoorsy”

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Baths’ Myspace

If I Had a Hi-Fi

If I had a hi-five…

…I’d give it to Nada Surf for their newest release, If I Had A Hi-Fi. This simple, 12-track album, clocking in at just over 40 minutes, consists entirely of the band’s interpretations of some of their favorite songs by other artists. These artists include the likes of Depeche Mode, Spoon and The Go-Betweens. Generally speaking, covers are always entertaining. What is better than hearing one of your favorite songs in an entirely new way? Even if the cover is not already one of your favorite songs, hearing a rendition by a band you like can help you to find new music that you might like by artists you were unaware existed. Luckily, If I Had A Hi-Fi has all of these qualities in one awesome album.

Nada Surf takes the catchy melodies and simple lyrics of the originators, and then melds it with their distinct laid-back style of delivery to create a succinct, catchy and, most importantly, fun album. Nada Surf really wants the listener to have fun with this one. The amusing case for the CD consists of hand-written lyrics to each song in order to allow the listener to sing along. Do not go into the album expecting some grand social commentary or world-changing music. This is just a collection of songs that Nada Surf wanted to perform for themselves and you. Just follow the album’s instructions: play at full volume and sing along. As if the case was not enough, the songs are no pain in the ear either.

The album begins with some extremely enjoyable songs that get the listener pumped up for the rest of the album. A few examples are covers of Depeche Mode’s “Enjoy the Silence” and The Go-Betweens’ “Love Goes On,” which will have you singing along before you can get through the first listen, even without the lyrics at hand. The next bit slowly winds down the intensity and trades it in for some beautiful crooning from lead singer Matthew Caws. Spoon’s “Agony of Lafitte” and Moody Blues’ “Question” each calm the listener while simultaneously refusing to release the listener’s attention. The album ends with an enjoyable instrumental song entitled “I Remembered What I Was Going to Say,” originally by The Silly Pillows. While the short length and lack of lyrics seem more like an interlude than a conclusion, the tune seems to say, “Thanks. This was fun.” Simply put, it was.

“Love Goes On”

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“Question”

Nada Surf’s Website & Myspace

some delicious looking foie gras, no?

For those who do not watch Top Chef, “foie gras” is a staple fancy food that is simply a fatty goose liver. That sounds like something you would never want to consume, right? Wrong. Believe it or not, foie gras is surprisingly delicious. It is a straight up party in your mouth. That’s the correlation I would like to make with Asher Roth’s new mixtape, Seared Foie Gras with Quince & Cranberry. You never really thought you would like it, but some of it is devilishly good. Unfortunately, I would have to say that the mediocre songs outnumber the good or even great songs, and it probably is something you will not indulge in frequently, just like foie gras.

The best part of this album, hands down, is the gorgeous assortment of samples that Roth uses to rap over. Samples seem to have always been the moneymaker for Roth. Whether it is the Ben Kweller sample in “Fallin’” or the Weezer sample in “I Love College,” Roth has an obscenely acute ear for great hooks. This is brilliantly exemplified in “F*ck The Money,” the standout track from the mixtape. Add rapper B.O.B. and producer Kanye West to the scene, and you have a jam. The piano and lyrics from Joni Mitchell’s “River” are so obscure that it is simply refreshing to listen to some pretty tight raps over the fresh loop.

“Hot Wangs” is another great example of a hot sample, pun intended. Produced by the ever-melodious Will.I.Am, “Hot Wangs” samples Talib Kweli and Will.I.Am’s “Hot Thang.” The guitar hook is nothing short of hypnotizing. I challenge you to listen to this song without nodding your head – good luck.

As I am sure you apt readers have noticed through my slick name-dropping skills, this mixtape has some unbelievable producers attached. It is a venerable Grammy parade. As the grand marshal of this marvelous procession of producers is Grammy-nominated Madlib with “Muddy Swim Trunks,” a decent little ditty to kick off the album. This is directly followed by the Grammy-winning hip hop genius of RZA with “Toni Braxton.” In case you are not impressed yet, let me throw a few more names on the table. How about Grammy-winning Timbaland on “Cumbaya”? Does that do anything for you? Maybe these rap producers are doing nothing for you; that’s fair. But if you are willing to forget the Grammy credibility, how about a remix of Roth’s “Sour Patch Kids” featuring Talib Kweli and Blu that is produced by – wait for it – Travis freakin’ Barker. Needless to say, this song is like a flashlight in a field of candles.

On another note, regrettably one of the best parts of this album is also one of the worst. You might notice how I’ve been calling this album a mixtape almost the whole review. The reason for that is the way that DJ Wreckineyez has mixed the album together. It is interwoven smoother than a cashmere sweater. I really appreciate the subtlety and skill involved in making several songs into one seamless track, but, unfortunately, the times of the songs are a bit off. Due to this you may have 10 seconds of another song leading in at the beginning of a song, or you may have none. It makes listening to individual tracks kind of a chore. You can get into what you hear immediately, but chances are, it has no correlation to the song you are actually about to hear. To make matters worse, this release is just not good enough to listen to the entire tape every time you want to hear some Joni Mitchell or a Travis Barker remix. If you can look past the editing, however, you absolutely have to take a look at some of these tunes. I recommend “Toni Braxton,” “F*ck The Money” and “Con-fid-ence.” Unfortunately, these tracks are too explicit to sample here, but you can find the entire album online.

Asher Roth’s Myspace

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Robot Love warming up the crowd.

INDOORS

The indoor section of Lucent L’amour this year was truly unreal. With sparkling sea creatures, black light paintings and a huge tree, the entire indoors area was littered with some seriously visually stimulating pieces.

The first to lay down their set on the indoor stage was Robot Love. This duo did an amazing job of pumping up the crowd as people slowly flooded the venue. With some great dubstep and pounding beats, Robot Love definitely set the mood for the rest of the night.

As Robot Love rounded out their night, Patricio took over and laid down an epic set. Complete with his own set of bongos, Patricio dropped some serious beats and drew a major crowd with his balance of dance and dubstep. Patricio’s set was an amazing one to watch that definitely got the crowd going.

N.A.S.A.’s set was without a doubt one of the best shows of the night. With a faster paced techno sound, N.A.S.A. played some insane remixes and dropped some classic crowd favorites. N.A.S.A. played hit after hit and really set the bar high for the following sets.

With N.A.S.A. throwing down such an awesome set, I could only guess what kind of set Bassnectar was going to roll in with. As he took his place on stage, Bassnectar dropped some of the dirtiest and heaviest bass I’ve ever heard in my life. Those slow, pounding beats shook me to my core and had the entire crowd going absolutely nuts.

Stanton Warriors finished with style as they introduced a fresh dance sound to the awesome dubstep beats that most DJs at Lucent L’amour had been spinning. With some epic techno beats and just about the loudest set of the night, the Stanton Warriors made for a perfect ending to an insanely awesome night.

The aforementioned tree con art shack.

OUTSIDE

I don’t know about all the stuff that Coto kid was trying to tell you, but the real action at Lucent L’amour this year was outside. Outside housed the majority of the art, including a live-art auction, bathroom area complete with an amazing bathroom attendant, and another stage for music. Combine these with the refreshing night air, and you have a formula for a grand old time.

When you first walk outside, to your left is a sort of flea market where people are selling hand-made things, like jewelry and couture clothing. Only a few feet away was the bathroom attendant who, solely working off tips, offered an array of items like gum, cigarettes, lotions, hand sanitizers and even blow-pops. Along the inner wall was a row of blank canvases that artists slowly turned into masterpieces as the night progressed. There was a live auction held for the works, and all of the proceeds will be donated to a charity to keep arts in public schools. At the very front of the outdoor area was the stage that hosted acts such as Lazer Sword and LYNX & Janover. It also hosted acts like The Lucent Dossier Experience and Yard Dogs Road Show. The first is sort of a Cirque du Soleil-lite. They had amazing acrobatics and interesting music. It was quite a delicious feast for the eyes.

Yard Dogs Road Show, on the other hand, was more of a sketch comedy troupe. They were easily the most entertaining act of the night. Each song that they performed was a different show altogether. It could go from a Pineapple Queen and her beautiful pineapple dancers to a punk rocker in skin-tight zebra pants in the blink of an eye. They even had a magician who made an entire live chicken appear from nowhere. The rest of the space outside that wasn’t filled with exuberant concert-goers was filled with large-scale works of art, including a large, metal spider and an attendee-run “Hug Deli” that offered hugs for the low, low price of 2 compliments. Ultimately, it is obvious that The Do Lab know what they are doing. Undoubtedly, Coachella this year will be amazing, but for those with shallow pockets, I recommend trying out Lucent L’amour.

Yard Dogs Road Show - blowing minds since 2005.

Shearwater's "The Golden Archipelago" is Patrick Cornell's album of the year.

Before this album, I was struggling with a feeling of musical stagnancy. My interest was waning in the groups I was currently into, and I strived to find something new, something different. Then I was blessed to have Shearwater’s new album, The Golden Archipelago, fell into my lap. If I were to attempt to cram this album into a one-word description, I am almost positive it would be “beautiful.” Since beauty is in the eye of the beholder, allow me to paint you a picture.

The Golden Archipelago is the ultimate in a hat trick of complexly and masterfully interwoven albums by Shearwater. Following 2006’s Palo Santo and 2008’s Rook, this album continues with a theme of environmentalism and man’s impact on the earth. More specifically, The Golden Archipelago focuses on life on small islands around the world. In fact, a specific island inspires each song.

Shearwater’s singer Jonathan Meiburg spent several months camping around the world at various island communities to get first-hand inspiration for the album. As cool and deep as that is, there are surely some audiophiles out there only concerned with the aural experience. To them I say, “You, my friend, are in for a treat.”

The best comparison I can make for this album is to match it to ocean waves. At some points, like the premier track “Meridian” and the concluding tune “Missing Islands,” the album is as calm as could be. Then there are songs such as “Black Eyes” and “Castaways” where the music comes crashing down on you like a 40-foot wave.

The album as a whole shows great contrast amongst the songs, but this is achieved without losing the connectivity between them. “Landscape at Speed” offers juicy drum beats, “Hidden Lakes” provides smooth piano and “God Made Me” incorporates sweet acoustic guitar, but these opposing songs are sewn together by the ever-somber voice of Meiburg. It is not dullness or bareness in his voice, but rather it is seriousness, as if in response to the majesty of the places that inspired the album. It is a voice that will lull you into a trance and woo you into lingering on it all day.

In addition to the lovely music of The Golden Archipelago, Meiburg worked with designer Mark Ohe to produce a limited edition collection of documents and pictures to correspond with the album that they have entitled The Golden Dossier. Unfortunately, sales for the dossier are over. There are some sample pages online that I highly recommend perusing (link below). The amount of work put into this album is simply breathtaking. After hearing the album, though, you would not need me to tell you that. Despite just being a month and a half into things, I can safely say that this is the best album I have heard all year.

“Black Eyes”

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“Castaways”

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The Golden Dossier

Lucent L'amour 2009, courtesy notcot.com

Got any Valentine’s plans yet? How about at the wee hours of the morning on Valentine’s Day? Well now you can be busy all day long thanks to the great guys at The Do Lab, the proprietors of events like Coachella. They are hosting Lucent L’amour, something that they call a “festival of art, music and creativity.” Because they know how awesome this show is going to be (as well as the knowledge of the shallow pockets of college students), they have been kind enough to offer a pretty hefty discount to anyone with a “.edu” e-mail, for more details click on this link to the Lucent L’amour website http://lucentlamour.com/student.  With over 5,000 attendees expected, this is one show you should not miss.

BASSNECTAR

The headliner for this year’s Lucent L’amour, Bassnectar (Lorin Ashton) will get you moving whether you like it or not. Hailing from San Francisco, Bassnectar is known for his eclectic style and stimulating visuals. From his slow, trip-hop sounds to his pounding dance beats, Bassnectar’s show will leave you tore up from the floor up.
“Cozza Frenzy”

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STANTON WARRIORS

The breakbeat duo from Bristol is back in the States for this epic street festival, and their set will be sure to blow your mind. These DJs are masters of the remix and will undoubtedly please your audio senses with both their creative edits and original tracks. With these breakbeat champions on the bill, Lucent L’amour is an event you won’t want to miss.

N.A.S.A.

North America South America, better known by their acronym N.A.S.A., truly brings a unique sound to the bill. Comprised of DJs Squeak E. Clean and Zegon, this duo strives to bring about a sense of unity in the musical community by putting together sounds from different genres around the world. Whether it be bars from Kanye West’s tracks or funky Brazilian riffs, this diverse sound is sure to get you moving.

YARD DOGS ROAD SHOW

Lucent L’amour is chalk full of unique acts, and the Yard Dogs Road Show is no exception. With an unusual mix of cabaret, rock and roll and other strangely entertaining acts, this band will undoubtedly be a musical experience.

BEATS ANTIQUE

Hailing from Oakland, Calif., Beats Antique provides a new twist to the electronic genre.  With sounds and beats from the Middle East fused with dubstep and hip hop, Beats Antique offers a sound that you won’t find anywhere else. With live horned and string instruments, this sound will be something new for you to sink your teeth into.

ANA SIA

This California native understands the value of dance. Her live set will force you to work muscles that you had no idea you had. As a front-runner in the West Coast future sound movement, Ana Sia is an act to listen and dance along to for sure.

LAZER SWORD

Lazer Sword is the fusion of Low Limit, from San Francisco, and Lando Kal of New York. Regardless of the Star Wars allusion, Lazer Sword is pretty boss. With an ever-growing fan base, these guys are something to watch for in 2010, and you’ll experience them live at Lucent L’amour.
“Gucci Sweatshirt”

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LYNX & JANOVER

Though they have only recently released their first collaboration, this duo has been tearing up the live circuit. They spit an interesting blend of low-tempo techno with rapping and acoustic instruments. This year at Lucent L’amour, their smooth beats will be sure to keep you entranced and wanting more.

PATRICIO

Having been a DJ in the greater Los Angeles area since the ‘90s, Patricio is what you could call a seasoned veteran. His sets are practically guaranteed to raise the energy level so high that the only thing higher is the sound level. For all you rump shakers out there, check out Patricio this year at Lucent L’amour.

ROBOT LOVE

This mysterious group is something that must be experienced first hand. The best information only claims that their influence is “static” and their biography is “music for life forms.” After sampling some tracks, it becomes clear that the latter is more appropriate. Their songs, without a hint of static, will make any “life forms” within their sphere of influence begin to boogie down. Get to Lucent L’amour early enough to hear these guys kick off the event.

In addition to the amazing musical lineup that Lucent L’amour offers, a series of art installations, as well as interactive art, will be present at the inside portion of The Shrine. This should be as much as the concerts themselves. I am envisioning a type of awesome street festival. The website even describes one of the artist collectives, Lucent Dossier Experience, as “a playground for the innovative genius child in all of us.”  It should be a very good time, to say the least.

Pantha Du Prince's album, "Black Noise," fuses folk and techno.

When I came across Pantha Du Prince’s new album, Black Noise, I almost immediately jumped to the assumption that it was “just another techno album.” I mean, sure, I dabble in techno occasionally, but it’s not exactly what you would call my bag. That’s when Pantha Du Prince slapped me across the face and declared, “DON’T TRY TO CLASSIFY ME!” Black Noise, in reality, is more like a glorious fusion of folk and techno.

Since I was new to Pantha Du Prince’s music, I did a little research and discovered the dark conception of Black Noise. The album was inspired by the tragedy of a small village in the Swiss Alps that was destroyed by a landslide, which Hendrik Weber (a.k.a. Pantha du Prince) saw the remains of first hand. The message of this album is that “beauty is possible even after the disaster.”

The album kicks off with “Lay in a Shimmer,” a pleasant tune that utilizes chimes. These same chimes are a staple instrument throughout the album, which gave it an ambient quality.  The next few songs, “Abglanz,” “The Splendour” and “Stick to my Side”(the latter with lyrics sung by Animal Collective’s Noah Lennox), all work together to slowly build up to the more powerful section of the album.

The next songs, “A Nomad’s Retreat,” “Satellite Snyper” and “Behind the Stars,” are hands down my favorite part of the album. These tracks stack beats upon beats, and just as you think you will lose interest, Weber drops the beats together like a master Tetris player.

The last four songs of the album (“Bohemian Forest,” “Welt am Draht,” “Im Bann” and “Es Schneit”) express a sort of beautiful serenity that I would never have expected from an electronic album. The listener is left with the feeling that, I imagine, would be similar to what one feels after witnessing a grand natural disaster, but not the typical feelings of fear or sadness. They’re more like feelings of awe and respect for the grandeur you’ve just encountered.  Needless to say, Pantha du Prince can add one more to his fanbase after today. The fact is that labels cannot tack down this genre-bending album. It must be confronted and interpreted personally.

Below are some samples from the album, and if you become smitten, no worries, the album will be released Feb. 9.

“A Nomad’s Retreat”

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“Satellite Snyper”

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Peter Bjorn and John Living Things

Ever want to go to a celebrity’s birthday party?  Well tonight I had the awesome opportunity to go Peter Bjorn and John’s  birthday show at the House of Blues.  They are celebrating their 10th birthday as a group.  And wow, what a show it was.  First thing is first, though.  El Perro Del Mar, also hailing from Sweden, was one of the opening acts for the show.  I arrived at the show just in the nick of time to catch the last few songs of the set.  Sarah Assbring was absolutely entrancing.  She was full of energy, and she really got the crowd going before Peter Bjorn and John got on stage.  I actually got a chance to tell her how great she did when she walked out in front of me at the end of the show.

As high as El Perro Del Mar set the bar, though, Peter Bjorn and John stepped over it like it was nothing but a toothpick.  If the live set in The Closet from this afternoon fooled you into thinking they would not pump you up, let me tell you first hand how wrong you are.  The set was so energy filled, Red-Bull is filing a law suit.  Having any range of 3 to 6 people on stage at any time, multiple instrument changes, and crowd involvement of the whistling and singing type, one could not help dancing to the music, even if it was as little as a head nod or a toe tap.  The only people that were not moving were those too awe-filled to do so.  “Needles and Pills” from their album Seaside Rock offered a climax to the show at the end before.  Just six dudes going crazy on their respective instruments- including a cowbell and trumpet.

I had really never given too much attention to Peter Bjorn and John before tonight.  After tonight, though, I am definitely going to start listening to them more.  Maybe someday I will be as devoted as Omar and Linda, the couple from Tuscon, AZ, that went to the show in Tuscon last night and the show here tonight.  Someday…

If you want to get some more info, try their myspace in the live show from this afternoon posted below.  If you get the chance, go see them.  Two thumbs up. Boom City.
=========================
PB&J is headed to the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco for shows on the 19th & 20th
before finishing their US Tour in LA at Club Nokia on the 21st.

No, I’m not talking about the religious figure.  Wise Buddha was the jingle producer for the new comedy Pirate Radio, as well as the last name in the credits.  The movie was so absolutely good, I just had to give Wise Buddha some credit because hardly anyone stays until the end of the credits.  If you are one of those people, however, you might get to see a little something extra in this case… But lets get to the review.  As far as I’m concerned, there are two aspect of this movie that made it amazing: great comedic performances and a soundtrack that could wake the dead.  On the acting side, Phillip Seymour Hoffman (The Big Lebowski, Along Came Polly) and Nick Frost (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz) both give comedic performances fans have come to expect from them.  There were also some hilarious characters played by relative unknowns.  For example Rhys Darby (Flight of the Conchords) is quite funny as Angus, and Tom Brooke’s role as Thick Kevin was the highlight of the film for me.  This movie actually pleasantly surprised me.  For some reason, I expected the whole movie to be based around Phillip Seymour Hoffman’s character, the Count, but it was more about the entire boat.  The movie could have definitely banked on the fact that they had an Oscar winner in their midst, but they didn’t.  One thing that did kind of bug me was this silly subplot about the main character finding his dad.  That part of the story wasn’t very good.  It just didn’t get the attention a story like that should get.  It was very lazily glanced over and “resolved.”  Overall, though, this movie was very funny thanks to the comedic acting of its stars.

The soundtrack is also a gem.  I mean, the royalties on this album alone must have set the production company back a pretty penny.  There are hits from The Beach Boys, The Who, The Beatles, and Jimi Hendrix, just to name a few.  The people who put together the soundtrack might be upset because the songs in the movie are songs that are so great, people already have them in their music libraries.  Maybe I am just bias because I used to absolutely adore classic rock, but the songs just fit so well into the movie.  Even the Count muttering “A-wop-bop-a-loo-bop-a-lop-bam-boom” as he jumps off the boat is just gold.  Solid gold.

Here is the long and short of it: go see this movie.  It’ll make you feel good.  If you want to see more information about the movie or the actual pirate radios this movie was based on, try http://pirateradiomovie.com

Milkman

Last weekend, I had the great experience of interviewing Milkman, one of the musicians playing on Friday, October 16th here at USD.  He is a mashup DJ know internationally.  Last year DJ Forum awarded him “Hottest Mashup DJ of 2008,” “DJ to watch out for in 2009,” as well as “#2 Mashup Album of All Time” for his first album Lactose and THC.  He literally has something for everyone in his music.  Are you a classical fan? Check out Pachabel’s Canon in “Keep Talking,” #3 on Circle of Fifths.  Are you a musical theater fan?  Check out “Phantom of the Opera” in “Lovehate,” #13.  Those are just two of the samples in his second amazing album.  Lets hear about that album, origins, and milk preference from the man himself:

What got you started into mashup music?

It was Freshman year of college, actually, in my dorm room, one of my buddies showed me a few other glitch-pop remix artists, sample based, and I just instantly fell in love.  I mean, as I’ve always said I have huge music ADD, so to just hear a song that incorporated 10, 15, or 20 of my favorite songs in one just blew my mind.  And I’ve always been into computers, you know, a little techy.  It just kind of fell right into place for me and basically fell in love.

So you know, there are so many songs and so many combinations how do you decide what to put together?

Well basically what I do when I’m going to create a song is first I Kind of think of the feel I want it to be, you know, if it’s a higher tempo or if its going to be a slower more kickback, relaxed kind of song.  It’s kind of like the mood that I’m in.  And I basically just go through my iTunes library and I go through and I listen to whatever I’m listening to at that time.  So many different songs from previous decades and what have you, and I just listen to them all, and in my mind I can kind of have a feel for what would work together.  I’m pretty good with the matching of the beats in my head.  The biggest part of it is I bring in a huge collection of songs into my program, line them all up, and splice them all into the parts that I would want to use, and from there its kind of a trial and error type of thing, kind of mixing and matching.  That’s why one of the first songs that I actually created on my first album was called “Trial and Error.”  And that’s pretty much how I create a lot of my songs.  Its just putting in a lot of time and seeing really what sounds the best together.

Where do you get your inspiration?

You know the funny thing is that now with the iPhone, I don’t know if you’ve ever heard of that app Shazam, but you basically just open it up and put your iPhone next to the speaker and it tells you what song is playing.  No matter where I am, I have my phone on me, so I’ll hear something that I’ve never heard before and it instantly sparks some creativity.  I hold my phone out, tag it, and then I go back and re-listen to it.  I mean, I’m a sample-based artist so everything that I do is based off other people’s musical creations.  So when I hear something new that’s really what gives me an idea for a new song.  You know, “Oh, I really like this so I’m going to take an idea from this song and mix it with this song,” and from there it just kind of builds off of itself.

What kind of software do you use when you mix?

When I’m doing my actual shows, live, I use Ableton because it’s just a great live performance utility.  When I’m actually creating my songs I use a whole bunch- everything from GarageBand to Logic to Soundtrack Pro.  I mean it all depends. If I’m just mixing stuff I usually stick with Ableton or Logic for the time stretching and all that.  But actually for a lot of the parts of my new stuff I haven’t released yet, I’ve actually been creating my own beats and some of my own riffs.  It can be whatever I’m playing with at the time.

When you first got started, did you just use GarageBand?

Yeah, actually, that’s a funny story.  I first started with GarageBand, and the first song I wrote was “Trial and Error” and that one took me about a month because, as you can imagine, GarageBand doesn’t have anything to help with the time stretching or pitch shifting.  So I was literally going through hundreds of songs and finding ones that had the exact same beat per minute, the exact same key, you know, and that was just ridiculous.  After a month or so, I came out with that song “Trial and Error” and the whole song is just straight from iTunes, just drag and drop into there.

That’s pretty labor-intensive work.

Well yeah, but now with the advances with computer programs, software, and sound engineering programs out there, its making it easier and easier to be able to do this mashup thing.  Which is great, because you know they call it the “bedroom producer.”  I get asked all the time, and almost anyone can just kind of hop on their computer for a few hours and put something together that’s really great, and sharing it on the internet, that’s what its all about.

How does your new album Circle of Fifths compare to your first album Lactose and THC?

Lactose and THC was my first album.  That was really just me trying to figure out exactly what I wanted to do with this whole mashup thing.  I feel like Circle of Fifths has a lot more of a direction.  I had much more of an orientation with that album.  Each song, if you listen to it, kind of has a theme and the lyrics that I use and the songs that I use, they actually kind of tie together.  Also, a lot of the songs are based, like the titles, off of certain things that happened in my life over the past year or so.  And I know that’s pretty cliché, but I mean that’s really where most music comes from.  Like what you’re feeling at the time, you know, if I connect with certain lyrics from a certain rapper or some singer then I’m more inclined to use that track.  I feel like Circle of Fifths has more of a progression.  You know, the beginning is more of a laid back kind of getting pumped up, getting ready, it all kind of lulls you.  Like “Heart to Heart,” and “Want it All,” you have a few songs that are kind of slower and more laid back, and then at the end you get to hear “Touch” and “Silhouette,” and those songs are really up-beat, the higher tempo.  Really finishing the album off strong.  And that’s really how I wanted the orientation to be if you listen to the album all the way through.  Then towards the end of the night you kind of want it to be more party-oriented.

Is there anywhere online to listen to your album free, or some way to buy it besides PayPal?

If you go on YouTube, a lot of people have just uploaded the whole album, which I am totally in support for.  There’s also all the bit torrents, you can download it there.  Honestly if you just go on Google and you type in “Milkman, Circle of Fifths download” the whole first page will be places to download it.  I encourage you to go out and download it, share it with your friends and all that.

Your website talks about how your music just blew up over the course of about a year.  What was that like?

It’s actually been a crazy ride so far.  I mean, its barely been a year since I played my first out of town show, and now I’m travelling all over the country and playing with all these huge acts, and its really taken off fast, and that’s helped me keep grounded with the whole thing because its just happened so quickly, I don’t really know how to respond.  I just started DJing a few friends’ houses here in Isla Vista where I live, and then all the sudden with this whole college network and the internet, before I knew it, a month later, all my friends had gone home and shown their friends and they brought it back to their colleges.  Then just looking at my website I saw a huge spike in activity on my website, and now, like I said, one year later, I’m doing what I’m doing now.  It’s been really fun and I hope it continues to grow the way it has been.

How do you think you would compare yourself to other mashup DJs?

I like to think that my stuff is a little more fluid, a little more continuous.  I don’t want to name other artists out there because I respect them all and I really like different styles of mashup that are out there now, but a lot of them are glitch based, so its kind of like really small bits and pieces and they kind of make a new beat out of bits and pieces of other songs, where as my music, I like to think, is more of a start to finish.  I don’t do what most other mashup artists do, which is do one continuous track the whole album.  I break my songs up into individual tracks.  I do that because I really don’t think you can combine an entire CD if you really want to get a whole point across, or you want to get the feel of individual tracks, and you can’t get that when they all go together.  I mean everyone up to Daft Punk who literally create all new songs off of some 70s or 80s songs.

Have you ever mixed [your original band] A Dead Giveaway into your stuff?

No, I actually haven’t, but that might be pretty fun to try out at a live show.  You might have just given me an idea.  Maybe I’ll throw a bit of one of our old tracks in at San Diego because, you know, that’s where they’re based.

Speaking of the show, what should we expect on October 16^th?

Well if you haven’t seen me live before, the way I kind of like to describe it is… oh man, the words…  Well, lets just put it this way: A lot of other mashup DJs, when they play a show, they kind of just play their album but in different orders.  The fact that you’re playing off of a computer and some digital mixers, I really feel like that’s not creative at all.  So what you’ll see with my show, opposed to others, is that I will feed to the audience.  If the audience wants more of an upbeat sound, that’s what I’m going to play.  I’m going to take samples from my album, but I’m not going to play just one of my songs from the album because there’s nothing to that.  That’s not fun for the audience, that’s not fun for me.  I do like to freestyle.  My sets are oriented, I’m not saying that I do it all on the spot.  I do have a direction for what I’m doing with the show, but when it comes down to it, I’m on stage and the audience is feeling one thing instead of the other, I’m just going to go with that when I set up my set to be.  But I mean, you can expect pretty much the same type of feel you have from my album.  It’s going to be very mashup oriented, but it is going to be more dancy.  I’m usually the opener for a bigger act, so I like to get the crowd pumped up.  I like to get energy into the venue.  I feel like that’s what I do best.

Just one more question: 2% or skim milk?

Um… I’m going to have to say 2%.  No question.  I mean, it’s everything you need.  You need a little bit in your milk.  I’m not drinking white water here.

Well thank you for the interview.

Yeah, thank you.  I’m excited to come down to San Diego.  I look forward to seeing all you guys out there at the show and thanks for listening.

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If you’re at all interested in learning or hearing some go to www.milkmanmusic.net or www.myspace.com/milkmanonline