Mix Master Mike is nothing short of DJ royalty. From starting out as a simple battle DJ, Mike went on to form the Invisbl Skratch Piklz who have taken out not one, not two… but three DMC World titles. As if that wasn’t enough for one life time, he then went and hooked up with the Beastie Boys and contributed to some of their latest work. The release of his latest album Bangzilla takes listeners on an audio warpath that delivers beats plucked straight from the heavens.
Described by the creator himself as a “4 dimensional audio trip, that’s going to blast you into the next universe”. So was he hitting the decks from birth, or was there someone that inspired him to take up his art? “I first heard mixing by a DJ called Grand mixer DST… just listening to his stuff was the gong for me, and it projected me into it.”
So when you first hit the decks, did ever think for a second you would achieve the level of fame you have achieved thus far? “No way, I was just doing it cause it was what I loved to do. I felt like mixing was the reason I was put on earth. People started to get really interested in what I did. I then shifted from being a battle DJ too starting my own DJ band. I have been very fortunate.”
This reporter has left freaky messages on answering machines in the past, and all that got him was special attention from the police, Mike’s messages bought him something completely different. “I first met Adam from the Beastie Boys at a rock concert in New York back in 1997, we exchanged numbers. Every time I called, he wasn’t home, so I begun to leave crazy tripped out messages on his answering machine, and it just went from there.”
Just went from there indeed, in fact mention Mix Master Mike’s name anywhere around the globe, and the first thing that pops into people’s minds is his mind blowing work with the Beastie Boys, having featured heavily on their Intergalactic album as well as on their most recent release To the 5 boroughs.
So what does the master prefer most, conjuring up tasty spells on his own, or working together to create audio mayhem with the likes of Brooklyn’s finest? “Working with the Beastie Boys and working solo are both entirely two different things. The Beastie Boys give me a chance to project my work out there in a massive way; it also gives me the opportunity to work in a team environment. My solo projects showcase me to the world as an individual artist.”
Finally I asked Mike what he would be doing should the big fella come down from the heavens and tell Mike he can no longer make music. “I would be an Interpreter, a moderator if you will. I would translate for all the other life forms that are out there, such as the Reptilian’s and the Grey aliens”. What about the Sasquatch I asked? Surely he’s got stuff he wants to get off his chest from time to time. “No unfortunately, the Sasquatch is no longer my friend, we had a falling out”.
If you want to see what all the fuss is about you can catch Mike when he joins the Beastie Boys down under headlining the upcoming Big Day Out, unless of cause you are a Sasquatch in which case, I’m sorry, but you heard the man, you’re not invited.
Mix Master Mike’s new album ‘Bangzilla’ is out now through Scratch/Stomp.
