Rhythmism.com
Wednesday, May 26th 2010, 04:47 PM
#1
Q&A with The Juan MacLean: Fixed @ Public Assembly - Saturday, June 5
Since the turn of the 21st century, DFA club music maestro Juan MacLean has been laying groundwork for his musical domination. First, there were killer singles, from “By The Time I Get to Venus” in 2002, to the international mega hit & critical year-end favorite “Happy House” as well as the “The Simple Life”. There were two full-length albums (Less Than Human and The Future Will Come); remixes for colleagues like Air, Chicken Lips, Daft Punk, David Gahan, Matthew Dear; international tours with Cut Copy and Shocking Pinks; and DJ gigs from Telluride to Tel Aviv. Now he's created one of the year's best mix CDs—and not just a proper party mix, which it certainly is, but even what you might call an "important" mix, a timely lesson in the enduring spirit of house music. That's right: house music. Pumping, sweaty house music at its purest, from the churning pianos to the chopped-up vocals.
DJ-Kicks arcs through 72 minutes of peak-hour energy, mixed live with two turntables, a couple of filters and a tape delay. The approach may be old-school, but the sound is simply classic, reflecting MacLean's taste in timeless grooves and the raw, spontaneous, ecstatic energy of a dance floor in motion. The mix is also impeccably shaped, with a tracklist accounting for the natural ebb and flow of the crowd's energy, and a couple clever codas easing us gently back down from the climax. Juan Maclean will be playing tracks from his love letter to house music at Brooklyn's Public Assembly as the Fixed crew brings him to celebrate the release of DJ-Kicks on Saturday,June 5th .
This is your first mix CD. Why did you decide that DJ-Kicks was the right platform for your first mix CD?
I have always wanted to do a DJ Kicks, ever since I first started DJ'ing. For me, it has always been the best commercially available DJ mix CD series. Nothing even comes close in terms of quality and prestige. I had intentionally not released a mix CD because I was always holding out for this. It's sort of like saving your virginity in case you marry Kate Moss. Maybe Kate Moss is a bad example.
What was your philosophy behind this mix? With all the software and technology out there, how did you put this mix together?
I did it all live with vinyl. I had to use one CD, of my exclusive track Feel So Good, because that wasn't pressed on vinyl when I was doing the mix. I have grown to really dislike mixes done with software, with a few exceptions. In general, they are really boring. When someone actually mixes a DJ mix live, there is a movement to the tracks, they work together in a different way than when they are totally locked down with Abelton or whatever. So it gives you the sense that the DJ is experiencing the music with you.
You are also well known for your live band. How does your audience interaction change? Or what have you learned from each performing role on how to engage the crowds?
I think there are lots of similarities actually. When playing live, you organize a set list with the idea of engaging the audience, with peaks and valleys to hold their attention. Hopefully with DJing you are doing the same thing. I think this has gone by the wayside with laptop DJing. I notice more DJ's just sort of playing track after track of stuff everyone else is playing, or never daring to bring it all down a bit.
What's the future looking like for you – do you think you’ll be focusing on DJing or live performances?
I can't say right now. I am so shaken by the death of our drummer, Jerry Fuchs, that I can't really think about it clearly. He was always there from the beginning, through everything it was he and I, and I haven't yet even considered how I will carry on without him.
You and the group endured a tragedy last summer with the passing of your drummer, Jerry Fuchs. Did the change of focus from live act to DJing and this mix CD ultimately help you during this difficult time?
Yes, it has helped enormously. We were still touring when he died, and it made for a compounding of the grief. All of a sudden we were left not only with our friend gone, but a giant hole of time where the touring should have happened. So for me, having this to focus on was an incredible blessing.
Can you tell us a little about Jerry’s musical legacy and contributions to the band?
Jerry was one of my best friends, and our relationship was inextricably linked with music. We talked a lot about how playing music was the thing we lived for, pretty much literally, it gave purpose to our lives. Jerry lived to play drums, and really he was happiest on the road, and I like to believe that he was happiest playing with us, with no disrespect to other bands he played in. In terms of our live show, he was the driving force. In the liner notes to The Future Will Come I called him the best drummer in the world, and one of my most loyal friends, and that pretty much sums it up.
You have now been part of the DFA family for a decade. What is it about the label that matches with your philosophy as an artist?
My career as The Juan MacLean is directly tied to the existence of DFA. It is more than a label, it is a home. I am linked with some of my closest friends through DFA. Obviously James Murphy is one of my oldest friends, and I remember going on a walk with him in NYC when we were talking about starting DFA. He had a vision about it, and he swept me up in his excitement and enthusiasm at a time when I needed a shot in the arm.
You also have a very interesting tour blog. Is everything in it true? Do you read any other blogs?
Everything is based in truth. There is a bit of embellishment at times. Like, obviously I can't remember conversations word for word, so I make a lot of those up, and add things to make them more humorous. But sometimes they are 100% truth. I have a very dark sense of humor, so i tend to focus on the absurdity of my life and life on the road. I don't really read any other blogs regularly.
Who are some of your favorite New York DJs? Any up-and-coming DJs we should know about?
Wow, that's a tough question. My answer will seem obvious and somewhat incestuous, but Tim Sweeney is still my favorite DJ in New York. Both his radio show and his live DJing are gold standards in a lot of ways. In terms of up and coming DJs, I don't know about NYC, but in LA there are a couple of friends of mine who go by the name the Cosmic Twins, they are really great.
Where are some of your favorite places to party in New York?
Trophy Bar in Williamsburg. It's just a small dirty bar. A lot of my friends DJ there regularly and hang out there, so it's an easy place to catch up with people. The last time I was there, these two girls were debating about going in. One girl said "I can't go in, I've slept with too many people who are in there now."
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Fixed presents
Juan Maclean (DJ set)
plus
JDH & Dave P
Public Assembly
70 North 6th Street
Brooklyn, NY
Doors @ 10pm, 21+
$8 in advance
www.myspace.com/thejuanmaclean
www.dj-kicks.com
DJ-Kicks arcs through 72 minutes of peak-hour energy, mixed live with two turntables, a couple of filters and a tape delay. The approach may be old-school, but the sound is simply classic, reflecting MacLean's taste in timeless grooves and the raw, spontaneous, ecstatic energy of a dance floor in motion. The mix is also impeccably shaped, with a tracklist accounting for the natural ebb and flow of the crowd's energy, and a couple clever codas easing us gently back down from the climax. Juan Maclean will be playing tracks from his love letter to house music at Brooklyn's Public Assembly as the Fixed crew brings him to celebrate the release of DJ-Kicks on Saturday,June 5th .
This is your first mix CD. Why did you decide that DJ-Kicks was the right platform for your first mix CD?
I have always wanted to do a DJ Kicks, ever since I first started DJ'ing. For me, it has always been the best commercially available DJ mix CD series. Nothing even comes close in terms of quality and prestige. I had intentionally not released a mix CD because I was always holding out for this. It's sort of like saving your virginity in case you marry Kate Moss. Maybe Kate Moss is a bad example.
What was your philosophy behind this mix? With all the software and technology out there, how did you put this mix together?
I did it all live with vinyl. I had to use one CD, of my exclusive track Feel So Good, because that wasn't pressed on vinyl when I was doing the mix. I have grown to really dislike mixes done with software, with a few exceptions. In general, they are really boring. When someone actually mixes a DJ mix live, there is a movement to the tracks, they work together in a different way than when they are totally locked down with Abelton or whatever. So it gives you the sense that the DJ is experiencing the music with you.
You are also well known for your live band. How does your audience interaction change? Or what have you learned from each performing role on how to engage the crowds?
I think there are lots of similarities actually. When playing live, you organize a set list with the idea of engaging the audience, with peaks and valleys to hold their attention. Hopefully with DJing you are doing the same thing. I think this has gone by the wayside with laptop DJing. I notice more DJ's just sort of playing track after track of stuff everyone else is playing, or never daring to bring it all down a bit.
What's the future looking like for you – do you think you’ll be focusing on DJing or live performances?
I can't say right now. I am so shaken by the death of our drummer, Jerry Fuchs, that I can't really think about it clearly. He was always there from the beginning, through everything it was he and I, and I haven't yet even considered how I will carry on without him.
You and the group endured a tragedy last summer with the passing of your drummer, Jerry Fuchs. Did the change of focus from live act to DJing and this mix CD ultimately help you during this difficult time?
Yes, it has helped enormously. We were still touring when he died, and it made for a compounding of the grief. All of a sudden we were left not only with our friend gone, but a giant hole of time where the touring should have happened. So for me, having this to focus on was an incredible blessing.
Can you tell us a little about Jerry’s musical legacy and contributions to the band?
Jerry was one of my best friends, and our relationship was inextricably linked with music. We talked a lot about how playing music was the thing we lived for, pretty much literally, it gave purpose to our lives. Jerry lived to play drums, and really he was happiest on the road, and I like to believe that he was happiest playing with us, with no disrespect to other bands he played in. In terms of our live show, he was the driving force. In the liner notes to The Future Will Come I called him the best drummer in the world, and one of my most loyal friends, and that pretty much sums it up.
You have now been part of the DFA family for a decade. What is it about the label that matches with your philosophy as an artist?
My career as The Juan MacLean is directly tied to the existence of DFA. It is more than a label, it is a home. I am linked with some of my closest friends through DFA. Obviously James Murphy is one of my oldest friends, and I remember going on a walk with him in NYC when we were talking about starting DFA. He had a vision about it, and he swept me up in his excitement and enthusiasm at a time when I needed a shot in the arm.
You also have a very interesting tour blog. Is everything in it true? Do you read any other blogs?
Everything is based in truth. There is a bit of embellishment at times. Like, obviously I can't remember conversations word for word, so I make a lot of those up, and add things to make them more humorous. But sometimes they are 100% truth. I have a very dark sense of humor, so i tend to focus on the absurdity of my life and life on the road. I don't really read any other blogs regularly.
Who are some of your favorite New York DJs? Any up-and-coming DJs we should know about?
Wow, that's a tough question. My answer will seem obvious and somewhat incestuous, but Tim Sweeney is still my favorite DJ in New York. Both his radio show and his live DJing are gold standards in a lot of ways. In terms of up and coming DJs, I don't know about NYC, but in LA there are a couple of friends of mine who go by the name the Cosmic Twins, they are really great.
Where are some of your favorite places to party in New York?
Trophy Bar in Williamsburg. It's just a small dirty bar. A lot of my friends DJ there regularly and hang out there, so it's an easy place to catch up with people. The last time I was there, these two girls were debating about going in. One girl said "I can't go in, I've slept with too many people who are in there now."
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Fixed presents
Juan Maclean (DJ set)
plus
JDH & Dave P
Public Assembly
70 North 6th Street
Brooklyn, NY
Doors @ 10pm, 21+
$8 in advance
www.myspace.com/thejuanmaclean
www.dj-kicks.com
