DJ, remixer, producer, Mad Decent label owner, and Heaps Decent nonprofit dudeDiplo has his hands full. Travis Ritter caught up with the multitasker as he prepares for Decibels kickoff showcase.
When did you meet Switch?
On M.I.A.’s first record. This house dude made “Pull Up the People” at the same time I was playing the crap out of [Solid Groove’s] “This Is Sick.” We just had a lot in common.
You both worked on M.I.A.’s new album as well. Did y’all put your heads together on certain ideas?
I think we both share a lot of influences. I had no idea what they were doing in India, but everywhere else I was part of the process, trying to throw ideas in the mix. “Paper Airplanes” is the kind of track I’ve always wanted to make—sample one of my favorite bands, flip a loop, then make a chorus that would scare people and still make ’em groove.
Will you pull out Hollertronix’s clubby mixed bag at your shows with Switch?
We’re both focusing on the house and club stuff—trying to really take it out there with lots of heavy bass lines. I’ll always bring back the classics here and there, though.
How have your travels helped you evolve as an artist?
Everywhere I go, there seems to be a little community of kids who think that I’d be into their stuff—which is always true. Kids just keep an ear to the street and stay aware of what’s up in Berlin and New York, too. That’s a big deal for me. The future looks bright as long as the polar ice don’t melt.
