Interview: Scratch master DJ Yoda on adapting to a constantly changing industry

The London born turntablist DJ Yoda plays at Southern Sounds on Clapham Common on June 11th. We caught up with him to chat about changes in the industry, festival season, and the new album.

Like a restless child the music industry has been tossing and turning for some time now - from vinyl, to digital and download to streaming. But the UK’s DJ Yoda thinks it’s not yet settled. Let’s give it a ‘few more years’, he says.

Starting out in the music industry in 1998 means the UK sample master has seen his fair share of changes, but instead of begrudging the decline in financial gain he turns a seemingly sorrowful situation on its head, seeing it as an opportunity where only the strong and most passionate will prevail. And with money still to be made in live performances, turntablist DJ Yoda is undoubtedly heavy on the gig circuit.

You released your debut album The Amazing Adventures of DJ Yoda in 2006. Will you be releasing another project featuring collaborators or are you primarily focusing on your ‘How to Cut & Paste’ mixtapes?
I’m just putting the finishing touches to a follow-up album – finally! It’s taken me so long to record because I’ve been doing so much touring. But I’m really happy with the results, and very excited about finally finishing it. Just a month or two more of work I think…

You also released an EP in April. Why would an artist choose to release an EP rather than an LP? What are the benefits?
I had been doing a lot of recording for the album, and I felt that some of the tracks I’d finished didn’t really fit into the idea of the album. They also seemed to group together themselves pretty well, in that they were kind of DJ/clubby type tracks – so I decided to make an EP as a kind of pre-cursor to the album.

You’ve been in the industry since 1998. What’s one thing that’s drastically changed?
A lot has changed! Even just the way people consume music – it’s so fast now to access and digest music. I can’t believe I used to journey into Soho every Saturday to buy promos of new records! And the role of the record label has changed drastically in that time too. I don’t think the music industry has “settled” yet – it needs a few more years yet.

What’s one example of the way in which your craft impacts your life?
Whenever I’m watching a movie or TV, my ears are constantly pricked for samples.

The music industry is not nearly as financially lucrative as it was when you first started. What are the other avenues that allow you to make money from your music? Have you found you’re more involved in television and advertising than when you started?
I think it’s a good thing that there’s less money in music, as it should hopefully mean that only those with a real passion for what they are doing continue with it. But there is still money to be made in live music performance, and TV, movie and computer games, so yes, that’s a part of what I do.

You’re originally from the UK, but is there somewhere else in the world you’d like to live in order to develop your musical output?
I feel completely blessed that I get to travel as part of my job, and I think it’s that travel that keeps me inspired with my music. I try to pick up local music whenever I’m somewhere a little more exotic. I seem to be able to get inspired anywhere – but it’s fun to make a beat on a beach in Bali or a hotel room in Tokyo.

Do you have a preference between touring and staying put? Do you find being on the road stagnates your creative output, or inspires it?
I think, like many things, it’s a careful balance. If I overdid it with touring I would burn myself out and have no energy for shows, but if I stay at home for more than a couple of weeks I get itchy feet!

First album you bought?
My parents used to work in the music industry and I remember they would bring home a lot of free music. The first albums I remember getting really inspired by were Big Daddy Kane’s It’s A Big Daddy Thing and Ice T’s Iceberg.

Festival season is well into the swing of things and you’ll be playing at Southern Sounds. Do you approach your festival sets differently to your gig sets?
Yep festival sets are slightly different to club sets. I think when the sun comes out and everyone’s outside it’s time to unleash the big bangers! Intimate club sets mean I sometimes meander down some kind of weird specific musical path, which is cool too.

At festivals the crowd is always divided between those who know you and those who don’t; do you ever feel pressured to prove yourself or to deliver?
No! I just do what I do. If I thought like that I’d probably get nervous and mess it up completely!

Interview by: Jasmine Phull

Twitter.com/j_fool

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