Russian-German electronic music producer and DJ Zedd is working on the music diva’s new album, ARTPOP. Before a show at Kitty Su tomorrow, he took questions from Shana Maria Verghis
What will you be playing in DelhiIJ
Some of my latest tracks and original mixes, along with tracks of other artists like Armin Van Buuren, Kaskade, Knife Party among others.
Tell us briefly about experiences of working with Skrillex.
I absolutely love working with Skrillex. He was the first artist I collaborated with. His wisdom and style of music has inspired me deeply. It was a huge honor for me to get an opportunity to work with him during my initial days of production.
When reworking tracks by people like the Black Eyed Peas, Bieber and Gaga, do you just pump up the tempo in a different way or is it far more complicatedIJ You use a lot of apps...
It is definitely far more complicated to remix a certain track. One must have the knowledge of mixing and production. With such advanced technology being available now, it has become a lot more convenient to use apps but the aesthetics of the process require the old school ways of remixing a track.
Tell us about ARTPOP. It sounds like Gaga’s going to be mixing more arthouse ideas with music, like she did earlier with fashion and music, or are we wrong. In your view how do the two complementIJ
For me, it is the biggest honour to be able to collaborate with her since not everyone gets to work with one of the biggest artists in the world. She is so open-minded musically and creatively that the process of working with her is easy. She wants me to produce the craziest songs I can possibly create. In my view lady Gaga has changed the ideologies of how we perceive music. Music is something that can be blended with anything. She has always taken that step forward with her crazy ideas and innovative themes.
What is your music inspired byIJ
Both my parents are musicians, so I was encouraged to play the piano when I was only four years old. I started recording songs at the age of six. I started playing drums at the age of 12 and have since then played in a post — hardcore/rock/metal band or however one wants to label it!
I grew up listening to bands like Deep Purple, Rainbow, Queen, Genesis, King Crimson, and musicians like George Benson, Chick Corea. The first electronic song I loved was One More Time by Daft Punk. At that time I didn’t really enjoy electronic music but for whatever reason I loved their album, Discovery. After a long phase of metal, hardcore, rock, jazz and all sorts of music, I heard Justice and it made me fall in love with that album. I started producing electronic music without really knowing anything about the scene or culture. I loved making that kind of music and ended up having a unique sound because I produced electronic music with the knowledge of other genres. I drew a lot from various artists who were big in the industry. I guess my work spoke and I was signed by well-known and well established artists.