Shazam Meets… A-Trak
Canadian deck manipulator and electro producer A-Trak has had an amazing 2009. Not only has he delivered more than his fair share of mind blowing sets and productions, but he also chipped in a Fabric compilation that has proved one of the most rated in the already highly acclaimed series. Whereas many former DMC champions fail to escape from the secular world of hip-hop turntabilism, A-Trak’s versatile tastes have set him apart from his former peers.
The man who controls the decks for KanYe West also took part in another great collaboration this year with legendary house DJ Armand Van Helden. Their joint venture, Duck Sauce, produced what stands up as one of the feel good tracks of the year. ‘aNYway’ rode high in our Tag Charts throughout the year and is guaranteed to be heard at whatever New Year’s Eve party you end up at this year.
We chat exclusively to A-Trak as he embarks on the first European tour for his Fools Gold label: home to such acts as Kid Sister and Jokers Of The Scene.
You’re currently in the middle of the Fools Gold tour, how’s it going? What can we expect from the label in 2010?
It’s going great! I’m excited to finally do a Fool’s Gold tour in Europe, we’ve done a bunch of them in America and we have lots of friends who do parties in Europe so it made sense to expand and really connect with the audiences there. Fool’s Gold is growing a lot; we’re planning our first full-length releases in 2010. First, an official compilation and we also signed some new acts, including a few bands, who are preparing albums right now.
This year saw you collaborate with Armand van Helden to form Duck Sauce. Any plans for an album?
We’ll see! We’re going to make more tracks for sure, and then there’s a possibility of an album, we’ll see how it all comes together. Everything about Duck Sauce is very casual, simple, we don’t overcomplicate anything.
Aren’t you and your brother tempted to start a project? (A-Trak’s brother is one half of Chromeo, Dave 1).
We’re actually very involved in each other’s projects, more so than people think, so it feels like we’re always collaborating. That’s why we never did a straight-up project together. But we’ll see what comes in the future.
Will you be releasing an artist album yourself soon? Also could you tell us about any remixes planned?
I’m starting to think about an album but it’s definitely early to call it “soon”. It’s just something in the pipeline, as I’ve grown more comfortable with production. I do very few remixes, so I prefer not to talk about them until they’re done! I like making an impact with each remix; I don’t just churn them out.
You first won the DMCs when you were 15, what was the reaction like from other DJ’s at the time? I can imagine they weren’t happy being upstaged by a teenager…
Hahaha… yes, I remember getting the impression that some of the other DJs were bitter after my victory, not only DJs who were in the same competition but even other DJs who may have lost one of the other heats and thought they could have beat me in the finals. But it just motivated me to work even harder and continue to win more titles. I wanted to make it undeniable.
You’re a Serato user, how do you feel about the rise of “Ableton DJ’s”. Obviously your someone who’s spent a lot of time learning your craft. Do you feel people who use software to beat match their records cheapens the art?
Honestly I don’t look down on any of the new technology. To each his own. A good set is a good set. What I do feel is that most DJs who play on Ableton don’t play good sets. That’s their own fault, not the software’s. However there are a handful, like Surkin, who play great sets regardless of the technology and I respect that.
Who is the best DJ you’ve ever seen?
Impossible question! But my favorite DJ is my boy DJ Craze. His technique is amazing, he looks like the turntables are extensions of his arms, he’s a natural.
What are your track, album and moment of the year?
Track of the year: La Roux ‘In For The Kill (Skream Mix)’, Album of the year: Phoenix ‘Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix’. My moment of the year: impromptu set at The Do-Over party in LA in August.
What artists should we look out for in 2010?
Donnis, Kingdom, Vega, The Suzan, Theophilus London.
