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Todd Terry Interview
House | Wednesday 7th December 2011 | Osh
How’s it going?
I’m good, I’m good.
Todd, I just wanna get back to you growing up; what were your musical influences?
I kind of got into the whole music thing really fast, because my sister used to play a lot of music and I used to go in there and bug out. I also had an uncle that I used to hang out with; he played a lot of jazz and stuff like that. One of my friends who I started hanging out with was DJing and MCing when I was a little bit older, so we starting getting into James Brown, a lot of funk, a lot of rap, breakbeat stuff... That’s how I kind of really started getting into the music thing.
What was the transition from hearing all these cool beats to you wanting to actually make music? What was the turning point?
I think it was just us going out to clubs, like having fake ID at the time. We were going to clubs and checking everything which really turned the whole thing into the real DJ aspect. At 16 I was sneaking into clubs, just hanging out and seeing what’s going on. I DJ’d and said, “Okay, I gotta make sounds like this for myself”.
How long after that did you actually start making music?
I think I started making music when I was 18. That was really the time when I started started. I was lucky enough to have a track out by, like, 19...
Really?
Yeah, I really just studied, I really just kept going with it.
So did you have a link with somebody who had a studio and could show you the ropes?
No, I kind of showed myself. I kind of mimicked records. I would find a record and I would kinda write down every sound the record had on it and when it would come in, I would make a chart and I would do the same thing for my track or my record. I got into the studio every now and then but I was trying to really study at home. I kind of studied patterns and arrangements.
How does it feel looking back on your career? You’ve remixed the likes of The Rolling Stones, Michael Jackson... The list is endless. Can you name three definite highlights from you producing music?
I think I’ve got a lot of notoriety from the remix game but I believe in the productions more . A remix is a real fast thing; I did it in two days and didn’t really concentrate. I mean, remix-wise, I really like ‘A Day In The Life’ by Black Riot. I thought that it was a really interesting record; you really couldn't tell what was going on with it. I kind of just did it. It was strange but I just went with it because it didn’t sound like anything else in the world. It was very interesting along with ‘Everything But The Girl’.
You had that feeling when you were actually in the studio, making it?
Yeah. I said this was it, this is good, this is what is needed for now. I felt it with ‘Everything But The Girl’. I knew it was good to have a really nice song over a harder beat; I thought of that as a concept.
You’re playing at the O2 soon, how would you look at the differences between playing in Europe and in the States?
I mean the States is quite down, you know? The pressure is just different here. We’ve had all the greatest DJs in the States. The promoters, they’re never really good to us over here. In the rest of the world we’re worshipped; it’s just kind of worked out like that.
Why do you think that is?
I don’t know, I don’t know. I think a lot of cats out there have jealousy about them as well so they don't back you up.
Right. They don’t want you to represent.
It’s a rat race. It’s just like that in business and everything in New York; that’s why we have major problems here. New York, you know, you play here but it’s a different thing... It’s just finding the crowd in New York. Overseas the crowd is there, they really appreciate it and it really makes sense.
Just talking about giving things back to the community, have you got any current projects?
Nah. I have done stuff where there have been disasters. The biggest charity I have ever done was in Central New York back in 2000 or something. It was a fireman’s ball when the 2001 thing happened over here with the twin towers.
What have you got going on in the future?
I’m doing a lot of collaborations with different artists here and there. Working with Kenny again... I’ve gone into collabo mode, you know? David Morales, and everybody, everyone’s like, “Let’s do a track, let’s do a track.” Just kind of keeping that vibe going...
Have you got any plans for a forthcoming album?
Yeah I’m doing an album called Todd Terry Versus Hip Hop and what I’m doing is just taking some hip-hop stuff, making it into house, making it into Latin freestyle... Just doing what I want to do.
Cool, when’s that going to drop then?
I’m trying to set it up for mid-October. I’m just finishing it up in the next two weeks or so.
Last question you were banished to a desert island and you had to take three famous people with you, who would they be?
I would definitely say James Brown. I would say Quincy Jones, I would probably take... Vegas, so we could joke around [laughs].
Austin Baker as well, cool! [Laughs]
Todd Terry, it’s been absolutely awesome talking to you!
No problem, take it easy.
I’m good, I’m good.
Todd, I just wanna get back to you growing up; what were your musical influences?
I kind of got into the whole music thing really fast, because my sister used to play a lot of music and I used to go in there and bug out. I also had an uncle that I used to hang out with; he played a lot of jazz and stuff like that. One of my friends who I started hanging out with was DJing and MCing when I was a little bit older, so we starting getting into James Brown, a lot of funk, a lot of rap, breakbeat stuff... That’s how I kind of really started getting into the music thing.
What was the transition from hearing all these cool beats to you wanting to actually make music? What was the turning point?
I think it was just us going out to clubs, like having fake ID at the time. We were going to clubs and checking everything which really turned the whole thing into the real DJ aspect. At 16 I was sneaking into clubs, just hanging out and seeing what’s going on. I DJ’d and said, “Okay, I gotta make sounds like this for myself”.
How long after that did you actually start making music?
I think I started making music when I was 18. That was really the time when I started started. I was lucky enough to have a track out by, like, 19...
Really?
Yeah, I really just studied, I really just kept going with it.
So did you have a link with somebody who had a studio and could show you the ropes?
No, I kind of showed myself. I kind of mimicked records. I would find a record and I would kinda write down every sound the record had on it and when it would come in, I would make a chart and I would do the same thing for my track or my record. I got into the studio every now and then but I was trying to really study at home. I kind of studied patterns and arrangements.
How does it feel looking back on your career? You’ve remixed the likes of The Rolling Stones, Michael Jackson... The list is endless. Can you name three definite highlights from you producing music?
I think I’ve got a lot of notoriety from the remix game but I believe in the productions more . A remix is a real fast thing; I did it in two days and didn’t really concentrate. I mean, remix-wise, I really like ‘A Day In The Life’ by Black Riot. I thought that it was a really interesting record; you really couldn't tell what was going on with it. I kind of just did it. It was strange but I just went with it because it didn’t sound like anything else in the world. It was very interesting along with ‘Everything But The Girl’.
You had that feeling when you were actually in the studio, making it?
Yeah. I said this was it, this is good, this is what is needed for now. I felt it with ‘Everything But The Girl’. I knew it was good to have a really nice song over a harder beat; I thought of that as a concept.
You’re playing at the O2 soon, how would you look at the differences between playing in Europe and in the States?
I mean the States is quite down, you know? The pressure is just different here. We’ve had all the greatest DJs in the States. The promoters, they’re never really good to us over here. In the rest of the world we’re worshipped; it’s just kind of worked out like that.
Why do you think that is?
I don’t know, I don’t know. I think a lot of cats out there have jealousy about them as well so they don't back you up.
Right. They don’t want you to represent.
It’s a rat race. It’s just like that in business and everything in New York; that’s why we have major problems here. New York, you know, you play here but it’s a different thing... It’s just finding the crowd in New York. Overseas the crowd is there, they really appreciate it and it really makes sense.
Just talking about giving things back to the community, have you got any current projects?
Nah. I have done stuff where there have been disasters. The biggest charity I have ever done was in Central New York back in 2000 or something. It was a fireman’s ball when the 2001 thing happened over here with the twin towers.
What have you got going on in the future?
I’m doing a lot of collaborations with different artists here and there. Working with Kenny again... I’ve gone into collabo mode, you know? David Morales, and everybody, everyone’s like, “Let’s do a track, let’s do a track.” Just kind of keeping that vibe going...
Have you got any plans for a forthcoming album?
Yeah I’m doing an album called Todd Terry Versus Hip Hop and what I’m doing is just taking some hip-hop stuff, making it into house, making it into Latin freestyle... Just doing what I want to do.
Cool, when’s that going to drop then?
I’m trying to set it up for mid-October. I’m just finishing it up in the next two weeks or so.
Last question you were banished to a desert island and you had to take three famous people with you, who would they be?
I would definitely say James Brown. I would say Quincy Jones, I would probably take... Vegas, so we could joke around [laughs].
Austin Baker as well, cool! [Laughs]
Todd Terry, it’s been absolutely awesome talking to you!
No problem, take it easy.
