With his new album, Todd Terry vs Hip Hop, Todd has reignited his classic, club-ready sound. He's pulled together tracks with hip-hop cuts and house beats, and muddled recognisable raps and reworked them into club bangers. With a busy touring schedule and studio collaborations galore he is set to continue to live up to his nickname of Todd 'the God' Terry.
We grabbed a quick chat with Todd to talk about the making of his new album, those collaborations and the current state of dance music and technology.
"A lot of producers are stuck in the same vein of music."
Talk about the making of the new Todd Terry vs Hip Hop album. Why now?
"I always wanted to do something like I did back in the day, fusing hip-hop and house together. Now was the perfect time because it seems like a lot of producers are stuck in the same vein of music."
Talk to us about the collaborations/mash-ups on the album and how they worked? Any future collaborations you wish could happen?
"Many were mash-ups, but a lot of the cuts were done from scratch."
There's quite a trend for going back to the roots of house music now. Why do you think that has happened?
"People got tired of the same old shit. People want to sing and dance to records with more melody and substance."
With the hip-hop influences on the new album, what are your thoughts on trap and dubstep?
"I made music like this years ago. I never really thought about genres - I just tried to make stuff that rocked in the club."
You've also been collaborating with our good friend D. Ramirez. How did that come about? Whose version of Keep On Jumpin' is better?
"I met D. Ramirez in California, then again in New York when he was DJing with Mark Knight. It was really suppose to be a three-way collabo, but due to tight schedules it ended up being just me and D. Ramirez in Dave Darlington's studio in NYC rockin' My Love Is Alive. As for Keep On Jumpin' I always think my mixes are better. Haha!"
Any more collaborations for tracks coming up?
"Me and Armand Van Helden are working on something and I'm also working on tracks with Roger Sanchez, a new kid named Bailey Smalls, M.A.W. and India."
How has technology shaped the way you work in the studio over the years?
"I think it's easier now, but sometimes I can't tell if I'm more creative or not. I guess you would have to take away my Mac to see if I could still do it all analogue."
"Technology has definitely killed the scene for somebody to be creative these days."
Any new gear for the studio purchased recently, or anything you'd like to get hold of?
"The Native Instruments Maschine looks tight. I'm looking into that..."
What are your honest opinions on the global DJ scene right now? Do you think the explosion of dance culture, laptop DJs, DJ 'shows' and such are having a positive effect?
"Technology has definitely killed the scene for somebody to be creative these days."
What else is coming up for you in 2013? When can we see you back in the UK/Europe?
"I'm on tour all summer in Europe, Asia and South America and there'll be more collaborations in the studio, it's back to REAL house music!"
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