2.10.2009

ALEATORY #21: dj BC


Mashup King? America's favorite DJ? A man who is just grateful to do what he loves on a regular basis?

It's hard to come up with a good title for Bob Cronin (although he's more affectionately known as DJ BC). Yet Mashup King isn't a bad start. As the post-millenial craze of musical MP3 mashups was gradually turning into a ceritifed phenomenon, it was DJ BC who quietly began leading the pack with some innovative, controversy-stirring releases, starting with "The Beastles" (a famed Beatles/Beastie Boys mashup album) and -- shortly thereafter -- the innovative Glassbreaks release, wherein rap artists found their words mixed in with beats created solely from Philip Glass samples. Though both projects have long been unavailable, this hasn't stopped Bob from becoming one of the most notable mashup DJs this side of Girl Talk, and his latest release -- a fully-legit remix collaboration with Big D & the Kids Table -- has even given him some rock cred as well. Now of course, comes his greatest challenge: mixing and matching up some answers with the latest Globecat Aleatory, here talking about his desire to play the piano, being disappointed by Freddie Hubbard, and, of course, the sexiest thing about him.

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5. Favorite piece of equipment?

Pioneer CDJ 1000's (X 2) . These babies allow scratching and turntable-type manipulation of CDs (and hence any digital sound I can burn to Cd) which means the world to someone who works with CDs rather than vinyl. I also find them much easier to work with than vinyl on many levels. And they do more. Speed up with no pitch change ftw! (this is where I get endorsed by Pioneer and get free gear).

12. Favorite band when you were in high school?

The Replacements! I loved 'em. I was trying to be a punk rock type, generally. I liked gothy, punky, skater-y bands. The Cure, The Sex Pistols, Ramones, Bowie, The Smiths, The Clash, that sort of thing. But the 'mats were probably the top. I also was WAY into 60's music, like Led Zep, The Doors, The Beatles, CSNY, The Byrds, and so forth.

13. Favorite Shakespearean play?

Probably Hamlet? That's the one I remember the best. And it has ghosts. This is a strange question to ask a DJ.

19. Favorite foreign film?

Withnail and I. It's British, so perhaps not as foreign as some other choices. But it is truly wonderful and a cult classic in Britain. All Americans should watch it. Use the subtitles or turn it up, those muttering Brits are brutal to understand.

28. What instrument would you most like to learn to play?

Piano.

29. Who do you wish more people were listening to?

Me, and Big D and The Kids Table. We deserve massive success, free steaks and Abita beer.

38. What is your family like?

Loud, funny, large and kinda goofy. With a new layer of babies sprouting.

46. Where do you keep things hidden? What do you keep hidden there?

If I told you, they would no longer be hidden. Duh!

48. Biggest moment of triumph?

Opening for Coolio's Boston date, and the release of "Strictly Mixed and Mashed" - a 100% legit album.

55. You're curating a festival. If you could choose any two acts to open for you, who would they be?

Sheesh... ANY 2? and they are opening for ME? This is a difficult question. I am tempted to pick sucky acts, and then I would look better. But then everyone would leave. I would have to say...here's four that I would love to even see perform live. Being on the same stage with them would be mind blowing.
-Stevie Wonder
-David Byrne with the Talking Heads
-P-Funk
-Reform the 1990's Brand New Heavies with all the guest rappers, ie Black Sheep, Pharcyde, Edo G, Kool G Rap, etc.

56. Have you ever considered writing or producing for other artists?

Yes, and I have done so - www.remixrevolution.com features two records I worked on with Big D and The Kids Table. Strictly Mixed and Mashed is a remix/mashup album I did with their music. Rude Remix Revolution is a collection of others remixes and fan mixes and the like, which I compiled with the help of Dave McWane. I've also done officically sanctioned remixes for Heaven 17 (formerly Human League), The AKAs (feat Gym Class Heroes), Uncle Shaker, VBMN and Sonic Boom Six.

Basically I want to do whatever I think will be fun, and hopefully win some listeners. And I hope that at some point, I will get a little interest and I can make my own record a la Mark Ronson.

66. Worst song you've heard recently?

The Free Credit Report bullshits. I want to kill them.

70. What is a personal belief you hold that you would fight for to the death?

Free Credit Report.com commercials suck massive donkey balls. I will defend that with my life. Please do not provide any links to their horribleness. They should not in any way benefit from my hatred.

76. Dream collaboration?

Collaboration with any of the rappers I admire would be a dream come true. Public Enemy, De La Soul, Q-Tip and/or Fife Dog, KRS One, Kanye... or any of my "opening acts" above. And being able to pull a sample or two from a classic rock song (or a funk classic) without fear of being sued into the stone age would be quite gratifying!

80. Worst run-in with the law (to date)?

Sort of getting busted with weed. The campus cops snagged me late one night. Brought me to like a trailer/substation on campus. Pushed me to narc for hours. I told them nada. They finally released me at like dawn. No charges. Still proud to have not narced.

84. Most disappointing concert you ever attended?

This is a tough one. I am tempted to say Freddie Hubbard in Manhattan, 1992-3 ish. You may know him as the player of the horn riff (from Herbie Hancock's "Cantaloupe Island") the 1990s rap group US3 used in their one hit song "Cantaloop." He was terrible. He could barely play. But his band was great- basically, they were respectful replicas of Hubbard's former contemporaries. There was a Coltrane-looking guy in a grey suit who dressed and played exactly like Coltrane. A Miles-looking guy, dressed in a red suit like Miles, with Miles' old trumpet, playing like Miles Davis. A piano player in a dashiki playing like Herbie Hancock. The only one who couldnt keep up was Freddie Hubbard, even though the young guys were carefully structuring everything around his pitiful, barely-able-to-make-a-note solos. And Hubbard was pretty angry about it. And the trainwreck was something to see. His band made him look worse, if anything.

90. Sexiest thing about you?

My penis.

91. Which single album should be in everybody's home?

The White Album (Beatles, natch). This record was formative for me. The range of styles, the dark patches (Helter Skelter, Piggies, Revolution 9), the Manson 'connection,' the sheer beauty of the more mellow tunes like "Blackbird" and "Mother Nature's Son"... there is so much here to love, scratch your head over, or both.

95. Do you ever read your own reviews?

Yes! If someone cares enough about me to review something, I care enough to read it!

96. The one thing that no one knows about you (yet)?

I am wonderful, yet I totally suck. I derserve large platters of cash to be brought to me by naked ladies. I like cats. My back hurts.

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Visit DJ BC's website here.