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DJ Yoda Q+A
Monday, 31st March, 2008
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 MILK: You've played along side some of the most exciting personalities in the 21st century including Amy Winehouse, Mark Ronson, Steve Martin and Dave Chapelle, among others. Is there anyone else you really would like to play along side or collaborate with?
DJ Yoda: I'm always interested in collaborating with anyone unexpected! I've got a show coming up with Shlomo, the human beatboxer, where I'll be manipulating video of him performing. And I've been working with a full classical orchestra on the Concerto for Turntables, written by Gabriel Prokofiev. I'm just up for anything that moves away from the traditional notion of DJ + MC So there are a whole load of interesting collaborations I can see happening in the future.
You've played some amazing gigs, which include head lining at the Lake of the Stars festival- Malawi and the Star Wars film premiere. Have you got a Yoda top three?
Ha ha - I think you've mentioned two of them in your question! There have been some really classic gigs along the way - last year's Glastonbury AV show, the first time I played Sonar in Barcelona, getting to play in places like Buenos Aires and China - I don't know, so many memories.
You're best known for you're creative and humorous mixes. How did this all come about? Where do you get most of your inspiration from?
I've always thought that the purpose of music, especially in clubs, is to entertain. I don't really understand miserable DJs! For me, if you can't have a good laugh about it, then what's the point? I'm inspired by anything I enjoy - movies (for all my AV shows), and any good music that stands out to me - hip-hop or otherwise.
The Amazing adventures of... was released last year featuring the likes of Biz Markie, Sway and the Cuban brothers. How did you make the transition from deejaying to producing? Is this an avenue that you wish to continue?
It was always my intention to make my own music, instead of just mixing together other people's music - I was just waiting until I had access to the kind of equipment that would allow me to do that. It's definitely the future for me - I learnt so much making that album, and I'm already half-way through recording my next CD.
Music as every media genre goes through its cycles; there has been a lot of talk about the saturation of Hip-hop and the urban scene in general within the UK. What are your thoughts on this?
I think that there is very, very little good hip-hop coming out right now. I grew up on hip-hop, my knowledge of 80s and 90s hip-hop is encyclopedic, but I feel that most rap music now is all about making quick money, with little artistic integrity. What I loved about artists like Big Daddy Kane, Biz Markie, EPMD or the Jungle Brothers was that the sound was raw, and the MCs were hungry. Now a lot of stuff is just over-produced ring-tone fodder by rappers with no skills! I'm not too miserable about it though - as if you dig deep enough you'll always find some interesting acts, and also I'm finding a lot of hip-hop's lost energy has gone into other genres like grime, Baltimore, baile funk or dubstep.
Moreover the British music scene had rapidly changed within the last 2 years, shows like X factor has played its part and the influx of music downloads have contributed towards physical sales. Do you think the new digital age is a good or bad thing and how do you think it will affect dj culture?
The TV talent shows do nothing for me whatsoever - it just seems like the lowest common denominator always comes up first, and I'm not sure why you would want a competition for the blandest talent. And the digital DJ thing - I think it's a double-edged sword. It's great to employ all the new technology - I use Serato on a laptop to scratch in clubs, and Pioneer DVJs so I can now mix and scratch DVDs. I think DJs can utilize all this new technology to find their unique sound, but above all else the most important thing is to be able to rock a party with just two turntables and a box of records!
You've traveled the world. What are the bad points of being "one of the top ten djs to see before you die"- Q?
British Airways and Virgin operate different frequent flyer miles programmes.
It's been an exciting year for music, do you have a favorite album of 2007?
I think most of the best music of 2007 was in single or mixtape format, but I guess I'd go with the Kanye album.
What's next for Dj Yoda?
Some lunch. And then my Fabric Live CD comes out in April, followed swiftly by "How To Cut & Paste: The Country & Western Edition", and then my 2nd artist album. And loads of live shows - check my MySpace!
http://www.myspace.com/djyodauk
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