It's only been four years since Philly-based DJ Diplo co-founded Hollertronix - the collective/mixtape series that launched both his career and the mash-up craze. Since then, he's helped break MIA and Bonde do Role, and remixed everyone from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs to Gwen Stefani. From Portland, where he's on tour with Switch and DJ Blaqstarr, he talked Philly music, frat parties, and all the hip names you'll be dropping come next year.
Street: How have the crowds been responding this tour?
Diplo: It's been great. Toronto was huge - we did like 800 kids. Then in Atlanta, we sold out this place called MJQ. Bonde do Role and [Philly-based] Santogold were there. I went to Atlanta cause she opened for Bjork, and I helped her band and did some electronic stuff. She came and did a song with me - the crowd was going crazy.
Street: You just started your record label, Mad Decent. How's that going?
Diplo: It's cool man. It's kinda the one year anniversary, this tour. I just got a building for it, I built a studio there. 12th and Spring Garden. I'm gonna try to work on a studio there and develop the building a little bit and record. We have a bunch of new artists we signed.
Street: Can you fill me in on that? Your first signing was Bonde do Role and then you recently signed DJ Blaqstarr.
Diplo: He did some production on MIA's new record - him and Switch. I think we did all the record, the three of us. Another one is Thunderheist from Canada. The South Rakkas Crew, a Jamaican crew, whose EP comes out next week. They're good dudes and they got a really good sound. I was excited to give them a home.
Street: You seem like you're very much into breaking new artists internationally and bringing that sound to the masses. Is that an ethos that you live by?
Diplo: What I found when I was DJing - I could throw stuff in the mix and break new genres that way. With a label, I'm just gonna try and break it more than in an underground club - give these kids a voice. It's like a punk rock label. The music is all really hardcore and it's definitely loud and extreme.
Street: Are you spinning some of their stuff in your live shows?
Diplo: Definitely. I just did a radio show for BBC - Essential Mix - I put one of the tracks in there. This is definitely far off from where Hollertronix once was. Nowadays, that's almost a boring setlist, what we did in 2003. But back then it was like "Wow, kinda crazy" because most stuff in the mainstream clubs was so crap and commercial. What we did was unique - but now every DJ does that. Every DJ is all over the place with genres, but my shit is all crazy minimal techno and shit now.
Street: How do you feel about this current trend of "taste-makers" in the industry, like A-Trak setting up their own labels? They're almost like A&Rs, but ones that actually know these artists.
Diplo: I feel more comfortable with whatever the A&R job is. I guess more of what I'm doing with my label than being a real label head. We don't make any money; we're developing kind of a culture around it. We benefit off the press, and the exposure when I DJ. I owe it to people to keep putting more into the scene.
Street: Would you ever consider playing a college frat party?
Diplo: Yeah. What's the name of that frat out at Penn? They did the Bang Gang DJs?
Street: Yeah, it's Pi Lam. It was crazy, I haven't been to a party like that in a while.
Diplo: Dave P told me it was cool. If you're ever having a house party, I could just show up and play shit. Sounds good to me.
Street: Album of the year?
Diplo: Black Lips. Then maybe UGK, those two.
Street: Kanye or 50?
Diplo: I'm sayin' 50. Cause Kanye's too cool to be with, you know.
Diplo appears at Starlight Ballroom (9th and Callowhill) on September 26 at 8 p.m.
