You won't find too many heads truer than DJ Saurus. An avid fan of hip-hop, he has worked with a flock of your favorite rapper's favorite rapper's - blending global and local talent via his monthly Blunt Club and Future Shock events, in addition to self-producing singles that will blow your wig back. He took time out to talk to us about his work with artists, adolescents, and animals - plus his plan for what's next.
"Take Five" to tap into the talent beyond the surface.
1.) You went to school for Engineering, and now you work with kids. How did that come to be and how has that influenced your music?
I got into engineering through my friend Tom Gordon who at the time had one of the two bigger studios in Reno where I grew up. My first exposure to watching Tom work and being in an analog studio was when Dr. Dre and Eminem were in Reno recording songs for Chronic 2001 and The Slim Shady LP with Tom, and I was fortunate enough to sit in on a couple of those sessions. I don't think a lot of folks know that "The Next Episode" and "Guilty Conscience" were both recorded in Reno. During the same sessions, I met this cat named Richard "Segal" Huredia who just so happened to be Dre and Em's chief engineer at the time, but had a mean list of cats that he's produced, engineered and written for from King Tee to Xzibit to damn near every dope rapper I ever listened to on the West Coast. So yeah, needless to say, I was geeked on that experience, but also learned a lot from it. After those sessions, I worked out of Tom's studio on my next 3 or 4 projects and just studied him, or Segal, or any any other cats that I could at the time. I had to learn all the facets of beats from not only sampling and producing, but recording and mixing and "controlling" my own sound. I was just a young DJ on the scene at that point and had just started to experiment with my own production but that was a pivotal turning point for me to see what the actual role of the engineer was. I thought to myself, "Wait...I can sample the record, make the beat, and control the levels of the mix." It was game over for me at that point, and I knew I had to learn that part of the craft so I moved to Arizona to get my degree, and the rest is history. I got into working with kids though my man DJ Smokestack who initially brought me in to do some production and DJ workshops for his after school program in the city. I then transitioned into writing my own youth curriculum called Digital Sound Arts that has been an integral part of the after school arts enrichment program in San Francisco for the past 5 years. I was fortunate enough to pass some of my knowledge down to hundreds of kids throughout the experience, got a grant to build a recording studio, designed and built that studio, and really just enjoyed the whole ride. It really humbled and grounded me as not only an artist but a human being. It was bitter sweet for me me to leave the program this year to move on to other career opportunities, but I was able to do so because I passed the baton my good friend Max Kane who will be taking over my position and expanding the program even further, which I am exited to see! It's dope to build something from nothing and now have the privilege of watching it flourish and be self sufficient. I believe that feeling is one one of the greatest gifts that life has to
offer.
2.) One of our favorite Saurus singles is "Brick In The Wall." What inspired the song?
"Brick In The Wall" was produced by myself for this group called Giving Tree that I was working with at the time. The tune was inspired by dusty breaks, good weed, and Alan Parsons. No, seriously though...I think the track was inspired by the sample that I selected which was a Paul Desmond record called "Theme for Black Orpheus" which is oddly coincidental because Paul Desmond was Dave Brubeck's alto player and actually wrote "Take Five." It's crazy that out of all my beats, that the one you guys gravitated towards is the same artist that I sampled who wrote the song with the same title as this interview. That's a trip..In fact, you can hear the tonal similarity between my sax sample and the lead sax in Take Five if you listen closely. Yeah...now I'm just nerding out for real. Haha...
3.) Although DJs delve into a lot of different genres, each delights in specializing in one or another. What is yours and what draws you in?
I think it's dope that DJ's are expanding their selections a little more now than ever, but my advice is to not veer too far out of your lane. Do you, and do that well, and the crowd will follow. I hear some DJ's that play too many genres just to play what they think a crowd wants to hear, when they need to focus more on their blends, transitions and overall skills. I study cats like Shortkut who can genre hop 10 times in an hour, but still just break necks and melt faces, and that's what I think it's all about - a balance of selection and skills, not dancing behind your laptop like some of these crumbs. Bring some shit that I've never, ever heard before, mixed with some classics I want to hear, with some cuts and bruises and breaks! I think that is the mark a truly great DJ. To play something that can move the crowd that they have never heard. My man Marc Stretch, who I do Future Shock party with at Legionnaire every Second Saturday of the month with (shameless plug), also said it well recently when he said, "my job is to play music that the crowd didn't know they wanted to hear", which is a cool way to think of it as well. I'm still a huge fan of DJ'ing despite what I may do behind the turntables, so that's just what I look for in a peers set. That is what draws me in as a listener. I think my genre of choice to play will always be Hip Hip. It's just what I'm most comfortable with and I guess I'm just a product of my environment.
4.) Blunt Club Oakland is becoming one of the top spots for rap talent in the region - boasting heavy hitters like Pep-Love, Masta Ace, Gift of Gab, MED etc. Who else would you like to see lace the Legionnaire?
I personally would like to have E&J (Exile & Johaz) come get down with us soon. I'm really digging that new E&J album. Oddisee, Murs, Zion-I, Roc Marciano, Homeboy Sandman, etc. are all in the hopper for 2K14 also, but I'm exited to have Ras Kass, DJ Plann.B and Alias John Brown with us this month on Feb 28th. We would like to continue to nurture the local talent in our own back yard also, so if you are in the Bay, and you want to come rock, hit us up! Our vision for Blunt is a more of a community vibe, but to also showcase national talent as well. Shout out my man Dumperfoo who started Blunt Club almost 13 years ago in Arizona, Pickster One, Max Kane, Karim The Night Clubber Lang, Dion Decibels, Zach Turner and everyone else who contributes to Blunt Club and the idea of keeping real Hip Hop culture alive in Oakland. It means a lot that people are checking for what we are bringing to the table.
5.) Some people are cat folks, and some people are dog folks. You, like us, are both. Name one thing you love about each, and explain how those characteristics contribute to your creativity.
I think I am more on the dog side of that fence, but I inherited my cat, Oliver, in a breakup, and I couldn't come to terms with giving him away, so 8 years later here we are. Naw, really though...I've had him since he was a kitten, and when he was little he used to mimic my hand gestures on the turntables and would try to emulate my movements with his paws on the platter. It was dumb cute. He likes to dig through records with me too, so he got a hall pass for that off top! It's my dog Miles' 2nd birthday today, and he is a friend too! Miles has accepted his role as second in command of the animal kingdom in my house behind Oliver, and is out of his chewing stage now - which is good for my sneaker and record collections. I think animals in general are calming and good exercises of our time and patience, which can translate into our crafts. I can definitely draw parallel lines between my relationship with animals and my art.
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