Say Uncle

Interview I did with local resident DJ Contra for the New Times before this year’s winter music conference. Shouts to Contra on the class act Q&A.

When was the first time you knew you wanted to become a deejay?

I don’t think I’ve ever wanted to ‘become a deejay’, it’s just something that happened over time.  It started with hanging out at a friend’s house in high school that had turntables. Then went to being able to only afford one turntable and a mixer and learning how to mix with a radio and two records I bought.  Then I naturally migrated into college radio, and from there I started playing at house parties, on to ‘alternative/indie’ club gigs. Years later I was asked to tour with M.I.A., and ever since I’ve been deejaying full-time. It’s nothing that I really aspired to become.

What prompted your move to Miami?

Plain and simple, University of Miami granted me a much larger scholarship than other colleges I applied to.  Had they not, I’d probably be 9-5’ing it somewhere.

How did college radio help shape you as a deejay?

It allowed me the relative freedom to continue playing solely music that I liked, as opposed to playing hits, like you would coming up in a club environment.  I suppose that still today it gave me a stronger conviction towards playing different or at least new music, unfamiliar to an average listener.  The weekly shipments of promo music being sent to me from different labels gave me a much wider range of music to dig into; especially when I realized that I could reach out to a specific label and ask for/receive music that I really wanted.

On another side it also stifled my transition into club gigs.  I’d happily mix the b-side of some limited edition Squarepusher 12″ at peak time oblivious to why people’s faces weren’t melting.  Yeah, having to deal with the commercial aspect of a gig was something I had to learn to grow into.

Would you ever do radio again?

100% yes.  When I drive around, it’s either the radio or nothing.  We’re fortunate in Miami to have good radio as compared to most other US cities.  The main FM broadcasters range from the current hits to classics, indie WVUM shit to some 80s and freestyle to the many derivatives of what is normally branded as simply latin music.  But on top of that, you’ve got the pirates; which on a good night can cover anything from the newest dancehall riddims, to rare grooves, booty, to real street mixtape level tracks.  I was kind of amazed when I was listening to {94.3, but not sure if you should name the frequency of the pirate station} and they were playing a Blaqstarr track he did years ago; +16 on the pitch, miami-style no less.  I’m still trying to reach out to the cats who played that — if they’re reading this, get at me for serious!  That said, aside from 90.5 and 91.3, there isn’t really any other radio option that I would feel comfortable working within. Judging by its lightning-quick acceptance of other trends in the world, be it allowing jeans in a club, blogs, or de-segregation, Internet radio is not something Miami is going to be ready for in quite some time.

You’ve toured around the world with M.I.A. & Santigold, give us a memorable show or experience from the archives?

I’ve got a ton of fond memories and crazy stories I’ve had the fortune of being a part of.  From challenging and beating Chris Martin (Coldplay) on his ping-pong table, to Adrock and Mike D (Beastie Boys) taking me out for their “super sizzurp” (carrot and ginger juice at some hole-in-the-wall in Virginia) to having Peaches take me to some crazy underground rave in Berlin.

I suppose a defining moment for me was at one of the ‘get out the vote’ concerts that Santigold was asked to be a part of.  It was us, Jay-Z and T.I. Obamarama was in full bloom and this was when “Swagger Like Us” was taking over the airwaves.  The song of course samples M.I.A.’s “Paper Planes”, and when DJ AM, Jay-Z’s touring dj at the time, dropped the track, the whole arena went nuts!  I just remember scanning the thousands of fans with their hands up and feeling so happy because it was on some full-circle tip for me.  From playing dingy UK clubs with Maya and maybe 50 people showing up, to having her song sampled by the top rapper in the world, to being invited to perform on the same stage and be able to witness that moment with another artist{Santi} that I feel can and will reach a similar level… it was great.

How did you first connect with M.I.A.?

A friend of mine who I used to work with at The Fader Magazine hit me up wondering if I was interested in DJ’ing for her.  Apparently she was really unhappy with her deejay and needed somebody quick.  At first I said no, because I had just started a full-time 9-5 graphic design job.  Then after an hour lunch-break I called back and said I’d be interested.  The very next day I called in sick to work, flew up to NYC, met up with Maya, and we just kicked it and vibed around the city for a couple hours. I flew back the very same day thinking, “ok, that was cool I guess.”  Maybe a day or two later I got a phone call from her management asking if I had ever been to Japan.  A day later I was back up in NYC playing the first of two sold-out shows with her at SOB’s, and hanging out in the green room with Missy Elliott and David Byrne and even Matt Damon (yes, apparently Jason Bourne is hip as shit).  It was really one of those split-second decisions that led me on a crazy tangent away from what I had once thought my life would lead me to.  So when you asked me “what made you want to be a DJ?” it was never really part of any sort of plan.

Being around such artists and your network in Miami, what’s going on with your production side?

My own production is super under wraps.  I realize that the time of deejays just being deejays has nearly expired.  In order to have any sort of long-term success as a deejay, it’s almost mandatory that you jump into production.  It’s a double-edged sword because just as we’ve seen thousands of people enter the deejaying realm within the last couple years with the help of their laptops, those same people are starting to jump into production as well; and let’s just say the haystack is getting way bigger to sift through.  As such, I’m getting my feet wet, but only a choice few are hearing anything that I’ve done aside from made-for-the-club edits/remixes.  Thankfully with the friends I’ve made, I’ve got a great base for constructive and knowledgeable feedback and help.  It’s a great look to be able to just call up Switch (Solid Groove/Major Lazer) or XXXchange (Spank Rock/Fully Fitted), both producers I hugely respect, and ask him about a bass riff or more likely “How do i…?”

You’re a resident at two parties that play more across the board for their venues (LIV on Wednesdays & Purdy on Sundays), how do you prepare for your gigs there?

Prepare?!  I don’t think I’ve prepared for a gig since my first house parties, where I had to get those records perfectly in order ahead of time because I wanted to impress so-and-so.  As far as Purdy and Liv, they are really on opposite sides of the spectrum as far as Miami clubs go, but I approach them the same way, which is basically just to make it up as I go.  Both parties allow you to get inventive as long as you play within their parameters.  At a party like Dirty Hairy at Liv it gets interesting when you’ve got a headliner who pretty much covers all the hits as opposed to a more focused guest artist/performer. A week or so ago, Lil Jon was the headliner, and being aware not to stray towards anything resembling a hit parade for fear I may step on his set, I ended up treading into not just non-hit land, but never-been-played-before-at-Liv-land.  It’s that fine line between getting the texts from the management telling me to “stop playing weird stuff” to having people freak out on the dancefloor and telling me how much fun they had, which is ultimately the most rewarding. Granted, had that set flopped, I’d be right back at Gaga and Guetta.  So as far as preparation goes, it never goes how you plan, so why not just make it up as you go?  If I had to prepare sets, I’d feel like I was not only cheating the party-goers but also myself.  I’m not cool with that.  Even when I catch myself repeating a nice blend I’ve done before, it doesn’t feel right.

What would be your ideal party to play (music/ venue)?

There is no such a thing as an ideal party.  If you spin in any one place for long enough you’re bound to get tired of it.  Right now I’m in a pretty cool place as far as deejaying goes because on top of being asked to travel to different spots around the world to play, I’ve got a wide spectrum of music that I get to play to varying sizes of crowds on a weekly basis here in Miami.  Be it Liv with its huge room atmosphere, or more intimate at Bardot, or loose as hell at Purdy, and even my own spin on the hit-parade at Klutch; at least once a week I’ll be able to play whatever song it is that I need to get out of my system. That said, I can’t wait to get back to Philly to play my boy Sammy Slice’s “Mo Money No Problems” party, and up to NYC to play my boy Rok1′s party at Savalas.

What are you feeling lately musically, anything local out of Miami?

Locally there are a lot of cool bands I hardly get to see as much as I should.  To name the heavy-hitters, you’ve got the Spam Allstars, Suenalo, Awesome New Republic and Mayday. As far as overall new cool stuff, my friend Terrence that used to tour with me as the drummer for Santi has started his own solo project, Hussle Club.  Honestly it really (certifiably) impressed the hell out of me on the first listen.  It never ceases to amaze me how talented some of my friends turn out to be. Aside from that, from a deejays perspective, music is in a really exciting place right now; there’s huge diversity, effortless accessibility, and lots of talented and exciting artists.  The hurdle now is to channel and focus that realm of plenty to an audience that is exposed to that very same endless buffet.

Witnessing a Contra set in Miami, you know how to keep all the different groups in check (from the Kendall crowd to b-boys and hipsters). Any tips on how you do it?

Thank you for the compliment, but really I can’t think of any sort of tips I could share.  Good taste??  Hah.  I suppose the only advice I can impart is learning what the balance can be for each night, or every hour of your set. You know that if you play a Peter Gabriel song you’re targeting a semi-specific sort of party-goer, and if you play the new Ludacris you’re usually targeting a different audience member. The question becomes, how large is the scope of tunes you can get away with playing without detriment to the party’s vibe.  The hope is of course not to just play the happy medium of Top 40 anthems and uber-pop hits that everybody may like, but instead to be able to play something that typically targets one group and having the other enjoy it as well — or alternatively, playing something new to both groups and having them enjoy it.  Given that Miami is probably the most segregated city I’ve ever lived in, in some infinitesimally small part I hope to bridge some of those divides through music.

Anything you’re looking forward to at WMC this year?

I’ve been going to WMC for the past 10 years or so.  Nowadays, rather than looking forward to any particular party, I enjoy being able to reconnect with old friends from around the world.  It’s one-time in the year where I get to see a lot of them. Weather permitting, I plan on a lot of BBQs and maybe taking some friends to jai-alai.  I’m also looking forward to re-upping my jeans and T’s game in some of these gifting suites.

To end, give us four records you like to play while cooking dinner?

Fried Neckbones and Some Home Fries – Willie Bobo
Sweet and Low – Fugazi
Golden Brown – The Stranglers
Who Stole My Last Piece of Chicken? – Organized Konfusion