Legendary DJ Z-Trip has been doing it for a good while now, and the Phoenix bred selector has done a lot in his many years in the scene. From kick starting the mashup movement to helping create the popular video game ‘Dj Hero’, Z-Trip has certainly added a few feathers to his cap.

We caught up with Z-Trip this week to chat all things music, inspirations, mashups and the ever-changing landscape of music ahead of his Australian tour.

Stoney Roads: As a Phoenix native, what was the type of music you were listening too when you were growing up?

Z: I’m from New York originally. I moved to Arizona with my family as a kid, but my parents divorced, so I was back and forth between both places growing up. I was getting exposed to a lot of Hip Hop, Funk and Soul in NY, but in AZ it was mostly Folk, Classic Rock and Heavy Metal. There was also a lot of music in my household. My mother sang and played the guitar and piano, my sister sang, my brother played guitar, I played drums. There was always something to hear when you came around our place.

SR: On this topic, who are some of your big musical influences? Today or as a kid?

Z: As a kid I really got into bands early on like Zeppelin, the Stones, Rush, AC/DC, Pink Floyd and Yes. Once I heard Bob Marley and Parliament though, that opened up another door. I started to see the connections. Then it was the B-52s first album, Art Of Noise and Talking Heads. Those bands all helped me get a great understanding of where music was at that very moment. It wasn’t until I heard Run DMC, Kurtis Blow, Newclus and LL Cool J that I realized where music could go. Sampling made so much sense to me.

SR: You’ve been a prominent name in the industry for a while now. Who are some of the biggest artists you have worked with over the years? What was it like?

Z: LL Cool J, Public Enemy, Bassnectar, Tom Morello, Travis Barker, Datsik, Linkin Park, Brillz, Rakim and Beck are some that immediately come to mind. It’s funny, I don’t really think about this sort of thing until someone asks me a question like that. There’s a lot of other amazing people I’m not mentioning. It’s humbling once I stop and process my journey from young bedroom DJ to now. I’m grateful for it all.

SR: As said, you’re a veteran in the industry. How has the landscape of electronic music changed over your time in this industry? HAs it changed for better or worse?

Z: I think it’s a little of both actually. On one hand, it’s way easier to be a part of the scene now. The technology to make whatever you hear in your head exists, where as before it was such a process to do that. Now, everybody has access to make music and promote it. That makes for an avalanche of interesting music for sure. I’m hearing and playing some really dope stuff because its all just out there, I can also manipulate it with so much ease due to where we are with technology. The downside however, is that it takes way more time and energy to dig through the enormous amount of noise that is generated because of that easy access. I will sometimes spend two or three days looking for new music and only find a few things that move me, but those few things are amazing. It’s also way easier to play this music in front of a crowd now as programs can do a lot of the work for you. That to me sometimes creates a problem, as you used to really have to work up there and now, the craft, the art of doing the work live in front of your face isn’t as prevalent. For most, they don’t care either way, but I love the art form and I prefer to see and hear it done by experts who have those skills. No matter the style, I have an appreciation for the craft. I want that always. It’s unfortunate that most crowds see way more cheerleading than they do real live skills these days though, but hey… I get it, do what works for you and your crowd. It’s just my preference when seeing  people perform.

SR: It’s been a few years since you’ve been on Australian shores. How do you find the Aussie crowds react to your shows?

Z: I’ve always had a strong connection to Australia. I’ve been coming out here for years, and no matter where I play or what size the crowd, it’s always been dope. There is something in the water out here, I don’t know. I’ve been saying it forever though, Aussie crowds are one of my favorite crowds to rock with. I’m super excited to reconnect with everyone.

SR: Are you familiar with the current state of nightlife in Aus – particularly Sydney? What do you make of it?

Z: I just heard about that. What the hell is that all about? That makes zero sense to me. But what do I know, my country just elected a freakin reality star as president.

SR: You have been dubbed the pioneer of the “mashup movement”. How does that make you feel? Pretty awesome I’d imagine!

Z: It’s cool, I appreciate that people identify with what I’ve done and what I do, most definitely. but I sometimes feel like that term “Mash Up”, is a little misleading. We never really called it that, we were always just “blending” or “mixing” songs… the selection was what set you aside from each other. The more diverse you could be with that, the better. “Mash up” has this association with just a certain style of “extreme” mixing though. Like when that style blew up, I saw people calling themselves mash up DJs. I wasn’t super into that as a title, just because the name itself is kind of redundant in my eyes. “Mash up” comes form a reggae term for mixing it up… so you were basically saying I’m a “mixing” DJ… and isn’t that what all DJs do (or should be doing) anyway? I get why people use it as a way to describe what I do, but to me there is way more to it than that. I’m a selector. I will play anything. On the flip side of that, sometimes, if the party only wants to rock to one or two styles, I can get down like that too. Never boundaries, never titles, never labels, only great tunes and a will to explore and share that music. I’m that DJ.

SR: What are two tracks you’d love to mash together and why?

Z: ha, well… I guess the next two records I play. I’m always trying to see what fits and what doesn’t. Mixing to me is all inclusive. Try it all. If it doesn’t fit, move on until you find something that does. Always mixing, always selecting.

SR: You’ve got an impressive range of remixes under your belt. For any up and comers reading this, what is the Z-Trip process when remixing a song? What is your plan of attack and how do you go about it?

Z: That’s tough, because each song has different qualities, so you have to see what those are before you dive in. What’s the most pronounced? What’s the least? What could make the song bigger or smaller depending on where you want to go. I’m a huge fan of dynamics. I like a song or remix to have moments where it breathes, as well as moments where it’s busy as hell.

But there is no formula. That’s the beauty of it. I try and approach each song with the utmost respect for what it is before I go digging into it. I’m always trying to enhance what’s already there. Sometimes you also have to look at something and realize there might not be anything you can do to it. I’ve turned down remixing things before because they didn’t speak to me, or I couldn’t find a way to breathe new life into them. But, when it does happen. When all the ideas come together and  you start to feel it inside, that’s when you know. I’m constantly looking for that feeling.

SR: Finally, what are currently working on at the moment? Any projects in the works? What can we expect to see form you in the near future?

Z: I’ve been working on a couple albums and collaborations. One is almost done. Can’t really speak on it too much, but once it hits, you’ll know. Also been working on this project where I’ve been scoring and performing live to silent films. It’s amazing. I’ve done it at the Tribeca Film Festival and AFI film fest. The response is wild! I’m looking to take it around the world in 2017 as well. There is also all the shows I’ve been doing with LL Cool J. We have more scheduled for 2017 too. Lots of projects coming down the line.

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Be sure to catch Z-Trip this weekend at The Met in Brisbane! See event deets right here.