DJ Icey Interview - Altsounds Exclusive

June 29, 2005, 12:05 AM

That's right folks! You read it right. Mr Icey himself was kind enough to answer some questions that we threw at him. The questions that we posed were asked by huge DJ Icey fans so for them this is a huge deal as they have had their questions answered by DJ Icey himself.

Alright all that behind lets start this interview:

FOLLOWING QUESTIONS BY SHAUN COX

Q. Lets discuss your first record Encyclopedia Funktanica. This record has become one of the most sought after breaks records in history, often selling for up to $100 on ebay. Tell us about the tracks on there and what has made it such a collectors item.

A. That is Zone 002; it is my second record. There is some interest in people collecting the catalog and being that Funktanica was number 2, when it comes to collecting, 1 thru 5 is always very desirable from Comic Books to baseball cards to Vinyl.

Musically there was not much going on there. Zone 001 "Energy Tracks Volume 1" and Zone 003 "Beats-a-Rockin" were much more in demand from the distributors and the buying public when they came out in the mid 90's. Funktanica never got any re-orders after the initial pressing until it had been out for well over a year, which is when I found out the pressing plant had damaged the masters and that my DAT tape of the recordings was screwed. So, I said **** It and never repressed it. Zone 026 is much rarer, "Suppa Duppa Seaside Sippa" but a lot of people don't even know it exists.


Q. As breaks have evolved from "old skool" drum loops to the nuskool programmed beats, the fans have split apart similar to the "old skool hardcore" fans and "drum and bass" fans. Do you think the "dirty drum" sound will ever make a come back, and are there any chances that we will hear anything along those "classic" sounds from you again?

A. People still use loops with individual sounds just not in the same vibe. Nowadays you will hear a loop with all the bottom cut off layered with individual drum hits much more often. There are tunes still being made with that Hardcore feel, just harder to find. Drum programing evolves, some really cool stuff going on by the likes of Si Begg and Tipper in that Glitchy type sound as well.


Q. Some of your tracks were released under the name "citywide allstars", tell us about this project and was anyone else involved?

A. CityWide Allstars was a name I came up with it ‘cause it was quite boring releasing loads of records with just the DJ Icey name. I came up with that name after watching a basketball pick up game in NYC.


Q. More and more local/unknown producers are financing their own vinyl projects, do you encourage this? and if someone wants to get a record to you that they put out, how can they do so?

A. Well, it is much harder to sell records nowadays as the proliferation of CD only DJs and Final Scratch etc..however it is still fairly inexpensive to press 500 copies of a tune and get it to some distributors. If the music is good , it will sell. My Zone label is more of a side project than a full blown label, so I rarely put other people on it and am I big proponent of the DIY method.




FOLLOWING QUESTIONS BY CALLYE KEEN aka Massder

Q. How did this all get started and who inspired you?
A. I collected records and made tapes - mix tapes with one turntable and a pause button on a old tape recorder. I was inspired by early Frankie Bones mix tapes, Acid House, Industrial, Wave, etc....


Q. How/when did you know you had "made it"?
A. When I was able to quit my day job.


Q. Producing or DJing?
A. Love ‘em both. They go hand in hand. Nothing better than to make a tune during the week and drop it on the weekend and see the response that instantly.


Q. Who has been a favorite person to work with?
A. I love working with Jen Lasher; she brings a whole different vibe and can play the keyboards as well as sing.


Q. Who would you like to work with?
A. I'd like to have Todd Rundgren, Green Gartside of Scritti Politti, and Al Green sing on some tunes.


Q. What projects are you working on right now?
A. Working on releases for my indie label Zone and a new project with Jen Lasher. Also, trying to get some more content on the website www.djicey.com which I finally put back up after being down for too long.

Q. Do you have any advice to DJs/producers trying to make it?
A. It is harder now to make it, as there are so many others trying. I worked my ass off - I gave away 10,000 free cassette tapes a year, begged club owners to give me an off night to spin at, made flyers and lived in parking lots flyering for those nites that I got, spent all my money on records and blank tapes every week. It helps to have the passion and drive for what you want to achieve.


AND my last question...
Why the name change from DJ Icee to DJ Icey?
A. There is a frozen beverage company that had the Icee name and they kindly asked me to change mine in the mid 90s.


Thanks DJ Icey for taking the time for answering our questions. Many of the altsounds users are eagerly awaiting this.

And don't forget folks, support DJ Icey and listen to four of his tracks available exclusively on altsounds.com!:
http://www.altsounds.com/altsounds/bands/2384/