The idea of bringing the two artists together certainly may not come to mind when you think of the two, but Wait What marries (Well, if you read the press release for it you'll find out that it's not really a marriage between the two artists but instead "a solid connection between two people trying to feel something" - you should read the press release if you get a chance it's pretty funny/interesting) the sublime and utterly laid back music of The xx with, as my friends would say, the fresh rhymes of B.I.G in a way that makes them sound like they were made for eachother. The xx's music brings about a whole new side to Biggie's vocals, making them seem perhaps more heartfelt and sincere. I can't quite place why it seems that way to me, but it does and it's awesome. Whenever the intros for each song finish and the verse parts start and Biggie's vocals come in, it seems like the xx's music has more of a direction than it normally does, which certainly helps it. When the xx's vocals come in, it seems like the perfect chorus to round out the songs to make them very balanced. But enough about what I'm saying! I got to ask Wait What a few questions, and here's what he had to say. Also, you can listen to the whole thing below UPDATE: You can only download each song individually now because inevitably the record labels asked him to take it down, but you can download each song from the embedded player below by clicking download. If you like his stuff go become a fan of him on facebook! This is definitely the best LP length mash up since Jadiohead (Jay-Z + Radiohead) and Danger Mouse's Grey Album (Jay-Z's The Black Album + the Beatles The White Album). I hope you enjoy!
1) I know "Juicy-r" was the inspiration for the rest of the album, but when did you first think of mixing Biggie and the xx in the first place/what inspired you to do that?
I was kind of late to the xx party -- I started listening to them a lot in December, and was pretty intrigued when I saw that they listed artists like Aaliyah as their main influence. I started trying to listen for the R&B influence, and as a hip-hop fan, tried to think what it'd be like to hear a rapper on their instrumentals. From there, I thought of the Juicy/VCR mashup, and really liked how Biggie sounded on a minimalist beat.
2) From reading the post and the main page of your website, it seems like everything happened really quickly once you realized the potential for the full album, and it came together really all over the world. Could you maybe describe what the process was like doing it in so many places, etc., and if maybe the different locations influenced the songs at all (i.e. the songs from one place have more of one sound, and the songs from another have a different)?
Yeah, absolutely. So creating the album all over the world was mostly a result of circumstance rather than an intentional decision made in making the record. I happened to be traveling a lot at the beginning of the year -- I work for a tech company that sent me to Switzerland for a little bit, and then was going on trips four or five weekends in a row: Williamstown, Mass, Aspen, New Orleans, Switzerland, London -- I got see some really cool places. It's hard to say, as a mashup album, how much location was an influence, but I do feel the most creative when I'm around friends or out of my standard day-to-day life, so being able to work on it in different locales definitely made the creation of it a lot more fun for me.
3) You mention in the press release how the xx are often listened to in your earbuds when you enter your solitary shell, even if it is on a commute when you're surrounded by people, you are still alone in some way, whereas when you listen to Biggie it's usually a "communal"experience; what is your take on how this album "should" be listened to/it's impact on people (i.e. how it makes them feel)?
Great question! So I actually am really into this concept of music matching a specific situation, and I thought a lot about where I liked listening to this record. I included this note at the end of the liner notes, suggesting three places it's worked well for me:
1) rainy days in your apartment after you've overslept but aren't going to let the asymmetry of your day disrupt your mood
2) driving during that time between when the bars close and the newspaper routes haven't started when no one's out and the city looks abandoned
3) walking alone and thinking about everyone you know and imagining what they might be doing right then.
4) Does the album/the making of the album have any special significance to you?
Yeah, the album has absolutely held special significance to me -- despite it being a mashup, it does feel personal to construct something in headphones and away from where you live, and it makes it feel like it only exists in your head. I was more anxious than I thought I'd be before it came out, and was just hoping a couple friends would listen to it and be digging it. The response has been pretty overwhelming, but I do feel like I'm listening to something different than everyone else -- I think of airports and late nights and playing demos for my best friend to see what he thought about it.
5) Was there any sort of message, whether it was a feeling, idea, etc that you were trying to convey?
I'm not sure about a specific feeling, but generally I want people to hear about it and think 'that'll never work,' and then check it out and enjoy it. A lot of mashups I find to be a little obvious -- I've certainly been guilty of this -- and I think challenging listeners a little bit is really the most fun part of the genre. Also, my favorite emails are from people who say 'I usually hate rap, but really liked hearing Biggie on your record' or 'I had no idea who The xx were, but they're awesome -- where do I get their CD?' The album's free, I'm not trying to exploit any other artists, and I'm most happy when I can play a small part in spreading good music to people who otherwise maybe wouldn't have checked it out.
6) What's your favorite track from the album, or do you think it is best listened to as a whole?
I would say I hope the record is best listened to as a whole, but my favorite track is probably 'one more chance for a heart to skip a beat' or 'the curious incident of big poppa in the nighttime.' The first one because, thematically, I think it's the strongest, and I really liked how the chorus turned out. Big Poppa/Nighttime has a pretty eerie beat, and I thought was a cool transformation of the Biggie track.
7) Do you have any other mixes/anything else in the works? (Just an idea maybe it's stupid but... Animal Collective's "Guy's Eyes" vs. the Dirty Projector's "Remade Horizon")
Yes, absolutely! I'm exploring a couple possibilities now, and am a couple demos into one project that I'm excited about. My hope is to have some individual tracks coming out in the next couple weeks, and hopefully a new album this summer. Also, I've been getting some inquiries about a string of college shows, and would love to go on a short tour -- I think that'd be a lot of fun. If anyone's booking at colleges, get at me! Also, I've got a facebook page where you can follow all the action: www.facebook.com/
Hope y'all enjoyed my first real interview (the Animal Collective one doesn't really count because it was more of just a conversation that I remembered the salient points from...) and this awesome mixtape.
-- A Teenage Elephant (Be Seeing You...)
Great interview. But I can't get the music. None of the links work.
ReplyDeleteyeah sorry. it was just taken down from his website because inevitably the record labels asked him to take it down. You can still download each song though by clicking download next it in the embedded player.
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