Sunday, August 22, 2004

DJ BC



Just for the record, why the name 'DJ BC'?

Because I am old school... very old school...actually, it stands for my name, Bob Cronin. When I started DJing, "BC" was my regular nickname.

What are you up to these days?

I'm planning to continue making Beastles boots for a collected EP (which of course will never be released). Just for fun. Pheugoo from GYBO made a great cover for it. I'm also working on an anthology of my boots so far, & Dean Haspiel (of American Splendor comics) will be providing some cover art for that one. Also, I do parties & weddings in Massachusetts. Call me.

What music are you currently listening to?

In addition to the boots I get from GYBO, Modest Mouse, PJ Harvey's Uh-Huh Her, The Roots - "The Tipping Point", Pete Rock's Petestrumentals, & all the Catskills Records Straight Out Of The Cat Litter collections, which are great. Plus random mixes I have made. I am also DJing weddings a lot now that it is summer, so I am listening to a lot of Bobby Darin, Macy Gray, James Brown & disco at those things.

What, if push comes to shove, is your all-time favourite album?

For rock, probably The White Album. If you are talking hip-hop records, I would say Pete Rock's Soul Survivor. If you are talking jazz then it's Nancy Wilson & Cannonball Adderley's simply titled Nancy Wilson / Cannonball Adderley.

What was the last record you bought? Where did you buy it?

If you are talking about vinyl, it was the Epic record release with a bunch of sweet Michael Jackson acapellas. I also bought a CD that day - Neil Diamond Gold, I think it is called. I had to play "Sweet Caroline" at a wedding last weekend. Both came from Newbury Comics in Cambridge, MA.

Which artiste, other than yourself, have you ever wanted to be?

Samuel Beckett, though I doubt being him was much fun.

What is the most bizarre & embarrassing thing that has ever happened to you?

Bizarre: Taking the Scientology personality test as a joke while inebriated. The cult members would not let us leave.

Embarrassing: Amp blew up at a college dance gig with about 1,000 people begging for more. Boy was my face red.

The First of DJ BC:

First CD you ever bought = Louder Than Bombs by The Smiths
First movie you watched that gave you wood = The radio commerical for "Private Lessons" in the 1980s, which came on during Dr. Demento, so it was late at night & I was in bed. Got wooded.
First book or mag you read that was awesome = The Book Of Three by Lloyd Alexander, or The Chronicles Of Narnia... not sure which one came first.
First concert you watched that changed your life = The Dead Milkmen at the Living Room in Providence in the late 80's. They were my favorite.
First mash-up you ever heard = I guess "The Flying Saucer", because I had that on a Halloween CD long before I'd ever heard of this scene. First "proper" mash-up, however, was Radiohead's "Karma Police" vs Beatles "A Day In The Life." I don't know who made it.

In your opinion, who is the bootlegger that is still considered the best (for now, that is!)?

Soundwasta, DJ Prince, & ccc. I also dig stuff Lenlow & DJ Jar-R have done. But I am no expert so I am probably missing a bunch of people. Sorry, that's 5, not 1...

On the other hand, which bootlegger deserves a smack in the mouth & why?

Probably DJ Weiser, but he also deserves a big hug & a free beer. Anyone who does not make boots, or can't do it well, but says it is easy & requires no talent is a stupid-face & deserves a smack.

Any boots you wished you've done but didn't?

DJ Prince's "James Brown Will Work It Out" & Soundwasta's "Let It Be Me." I am not obsessed with the Beatles, by the way. I just think these sound great.

Let's play word association. We mention a name & you give us your thoughts...

Bootie = Licious. I wanna be there.
San Francisco = Bootie. Period.
C.H.A.O.S. Productions = Jay-R pickin' the best source materials
BitTorrent = Clueless as to what this is, I admit it. Me am dum.
The Bee Gees = Classic staple to open the dancefloor. We Be Stayin' Alive!
Jeff Hinds = Who?
Jennifer Aniston = Boobles
Shadrach = Beasties meet Richard "Groove" Holmes
Yoko Ono = Beret-wearing vampire
Dragstrip 66 = Highway 61


What do you remember about the following years:

1989 = Couldn't get laid.
1994 = New College parties & DJing "Walls" - Da bomb! Discovered & explored the world of rap music around this time.
1999 = Searching for Prince's 1999 remixes...
2000 = Great new year's party. No 1999 remix found.
2003 = The world of boots dawned in my life like a new day (or an old day laid over a new beat).


What's your favourite Saturday night record?

The Pogues - Red Roses For Me (at home). At gigs I try & slip in "In The Midnight Hour" by Wilson Pickett

And your Sunday morning one?

New Ancient Strings by Ballake Sissoko & Toumani Diabate, kora masters from Mali.

What's the good thing about living in America?

Not getting bombed (hopefully). Cultural diversity. HBO television shows.

And the worst?

No Bootie nights in my town. Having to wait for new episodes of The Office to air.

Any principles of life you live by?

Show people respect. Be prepared for gigs. Forgive forgive forgive.

What are your plans for the future?

Get rich and famous making boots. Or win the lottery & open my comic art museum.

What do you think the future for bootlegs / mash-ups / remixes would be like, given that being a home musician is so easy these days?

The cream will rise to the top, but now everyone gets to dump some boots in the bucket to see what turns up. Hopefully boots will become a more accepted art formin' the same way that rap (which used to be dissed regularly for using samples) is now widely accepted.

You can download DJ BC's boots at his website here.