Disco D – ghettofunk prodigy and bootydoctor extraordinaire – comes back to town in November to take us through our paces. But if you’re expecting the old booty-grabbing head-snapping sounds you’ll have to think again: in the last 12 months Disco D has well and truly moved on to new sounds and ideas, and now what we can expect more than anything is the diversity implicit in a producer and entertainer who can now pick and choose his direction.

The last 12 to 24 months have seen Disco D – real name David Shayman – move away from the signature ghettotek style towards more hip hop and Brazilian styles like baile funk. Part of this change of emphasis has come about through his relationship with a Brazilian girl which led him to living in Sao Paulo and through this to meeting to eventually produce Brazilian hip hop, although he sees a big similarity between the 2 sounds. “I got exposed to Brazil and the music by living there – I was in Sao Paulo on and off over the past 2 and a half years because of a relationship I just got out of. The first time I was down there was to DJ and the guys who brought me down were showing me baile funk immediately because it was so similar to ghettotech.”

“I got into DJing the records that way and then spent time in Rio with all the guys and ended up recording with a lot of them. In terms of hip hop, it’s through Cabal – who is one of the biggest rappers in Brazil. I had heard about him through a friend, and then he hit me on MySpace just randomly because he was a fan of my work with 50 Cent. We clicked and I ended up starting a label called Gringo Louco specifically to push all of these guys on an international level. The first official release on Gringo Louco is the ‘Welcome To Brazil’ compilation coming out in the Spring, featuring Cabal, BRAZA, Mr Catra, Mr Shock, Super Flá and more.”

His new direction doesn’t mean he has abandoned ghettotek altogether, D saying he still keeps in touch with his old contacts in Detroit. “I try to stay touched to every scene that has showed me love, and that I have had some success in. I still talk to DJ Nasty and DJ Godfather from Detroit on the regular, DJ Slugo from Chicago – I got them doing remixes right now for my Trick Daddy record ‘I Pop’ – which if you listen to, sounds just like a ghettotech record anyway. To me, ghettotech was always a vibe, a mixing style and an attitude more than a genre of music, so it permeates everything I do, period.”

And everything he does is starting to add up to an impressive list of activities: not only has Disco D started out with a university degree in Business Studies while at the same time building his career as a ghettotek producer, not only has he branched out into hip hop and remixed 50 Cent, but Disco D’s sights for expansion stop nowhere short of running his own empire, and he’s being given valuable tips along the way straight from the ‘Cent himself. “I run a studio, publishing company, I compose for TV, film and commercials, I consult with artists on their brand and musical direction, I DJ of course and as well I do music related marketing with different new products. Working with 50 Cent has been an interesting experience, and continues to be. I learned a lot about the music ‘business’ from that experience. The restriction is, the bigger the artist is, the more control you lose over your stamp on the project, whether you like it or not. You have to really fight for what you want and also pick your battles carefully.”

In addition to this, his production schedule has gone through the roof, and he has more remix work than you can poke a stick at. Disco D seems to be in the very enviable position of having a revolving door of offers for work that just keep on coming. And no wonder, as his work gets high accolades and is in dope demand. Ask him about what he is currently up to and expect to be there for a while, because the list is pretty impressive and crosses continental divides with his new Brazilian connections adding to the US networks he began with.

“My Trick Daddy record ‘I Pop’ is out now on vinyl on Atlantic Records and will be on his upcoming album this December. I have a record with Lil Scrappy that I did that will also be coming up in December. I just did a remix for Shiny Toy Guns that comes out on Universal in the next week or two. The BRAZA song ‘Son Do BRAZA’ is on the new NBA Live 07 game that jus came out. I also just started talking with Dom from Stanton Warriors about doing a CD of up-tempo hip hop together, to show everyone how it’s really done. Plus, the ‘Gringo Louco: Welcome To Brazil’ CD in the Spring. I am also looking for a label partner to do a more widely released mix CD on a well right now. In terms of work, right now it just comes through the door.”

And of course as we can only expect, this prolific productivity and musical diversity will be on display when he squeezes in a visit to Sydney and Melbourne into his almost unwieldy schedule. He’s going to be playing everything he’s encountered musically over the past couple of years. I asked him what we can expect and what equipment he uses and will be bringing. “Ghettotek, favela, baile, hip hop – everything! I just want to make you move your ass! Equipment wise I have centered on MPC series drum machines and sequencers. I started on an MPC 2000, right now I have an MPC 4000 in my NY studio and an MPC 1000 that I travel with. I use Pro Tools HD as a recording medium, and a mix of older and newer keyboards. I DJ with Serato Scratch. I like to use old school compressors and EQs – it’s important not to sound too digital, and in this world of soft synths and Reason it’s important that you don’t sound too thin. Keep it fat!”

I couldn’t help but ask how living in Brazil and working with baile funk artists may have differed from making ghettotek – particularly with his girlfriend and the female baile singers and artists. “My fans are pretty divided. I think people can accept the music for what it is – extreme. I have a lot of female fans, and I think everyone loves tongue-in-cheek music at the end of the day. If you take it too seriously, it means you take yourself too seriously. I think the response overall now is good, because it’s been around, and people aren’t necessarily shocked anymore – especially with what you see everyday when you turn on CNN.”

Catch Disco D’s eclectic but always ghetto bizness this month:

Fri Nov 17 – Break Inn, Sydney (w/ Deekline & Wizard)
Sat Nov 18 – Revolver Upstairs, Melbourne