How did the idea of this particular show come about?
DJ SHADOW: When Bambaataa was in the process of donating his collection to
Cornell University, someone decided that it would be a good idea to let a
couple of DJ's go through the collection and take some of the records on tour
"one last time" before everything ended up in the Cornell
vault. We were contacted in November of 2013, and we flew to New York to
look at the collection and make sure we had Bam's blessing. Then began
the painstaking process of going through the entire collection to make our
selections. We wanted to tell a story through his records, and honor not
only Bambaataa himself, but the roots of the culture he helped create.
Where did you start to whittle down a record collection of
40,000?
DJ SHADOW: It was a combination of pulling things we knew,
pulling things we were curious about, and pulling things that were obviously
played a lot by Bam. We didn't want to spin a bunch of stuff that may
have been interesting to us, or worth a lot of money on eBay, but that he never
played. The records he spun were usually crate-worn and marked up, and we
felt it appropriate (by and large) to limit ourselves to the records that truly
mattered, as opposed to rare, expensive or obscure things...although, many of
his prized jams were all of the above.
What can we expect from the show?
CUT CHEMIST: A 90 minute performance that is delivered not
unlike our previous collaborative performances. We use 6 turntables, two
mixers, drum machines, a lot of records that make up unique blends to create a
narrative about how hip hop evolved through the influence of DJs like Afrika
Bambaataa, Flash, Grand Wizard Theodore and Kool Herc. We also have a visual
component that compliments the music with rarely seen Joe Conzo photos.
How has the tour been going in America?
DJ SHADOW: Very well, I think. We've done about 45
shows within Canada and the US so far, which is a lot for us. We were
able to hit not only the major cities, but a few places we've never
played. We were able to do three shows within NYC and two in the Bay
Area, which again, is fantastic.
How do you think an English audience will react to this show
compared to an American audience? Do you find them different to play to?
CUT CHEMIST: I think that the English crowds will eat this
up. Hip hop has a long history there. They are proud of their contribution to
the culture as well as have a very scholarly appreciation for the history of
that culture. This performance celebrates hip hop from the beginning all the
way up until the late 80s/early 90s when it became sensationalized by
television.
How big has Afrika Bambaataa’s influence been on both of
you?
DJ SHADOW: Immeasurable. It's no exaggeration to say
that without Afrika Bambaataa, we would have never become DJ's. Kool Herc
started it all, and Grandmaster Flash really instituted skills into the
equation...but Bambaataa was known as 'The Master Of Records' even in the '70s,
and introduced so much of the musical vocabulary that established the basis for
hip-hop music.
Has / will Afrika Bambaataa be seeing the show live?
CUT CHEMIST: Yes Bambaataa attended both New York shows at the beginning of the
tour. It was amazing to have him there watching us play his records. It was a
career highlight for me personally.
What has Afrika Bambaataa said about the show?
DJ SHADOW: We figure, if he didn't like it, he wouldn't have
come to [the show] twice! Bam is very humble and soft-spoken, and it was a
pleasure to honor him in person. He was like royalty, watching from the
balcony, with the audience able to see him and appreciate him. A
wonderful moment in our careers.
What are your thoughts on the use of digital and CD’s over vinyl
in a live show? Does everything have its place?
CUT CHEMIST: A performance is a performance. It’s either
engaging or boring. I don’t put too much emphasis on the tools unless the
performance itself is making a point about it. This performance that we are
doing does make that point as it’s about the artefacts first and foremost. The
timeline is also one that deals solely with the era when vinyl was the
mainstream media.
We have seen the biggest vinyl sales in years in the UK,
would you say vinyl/records have been making any kind of resurgence?
CUT CHEMIST: Sales don’t lie. Yes. People are buying vinyl.
I know because all the vinyl plants in the US are backed up. It’s nearly
impossible for a reasonable turnaround for any of my projects it seems.
Hopefully more manufacturers will open up again and it will be like the 80s all
over again.
Can you name us one track from the show that is bound to get
a big reaction?
CUT CHEMIST: The Message by Grand Master Flash and The
Furious Five always gets a big reaction no matter where we play it.
Tickets to their London & Manchester shows are on sale HERE.