Hi, do I call you Mistajam or Pete (Dalton)?
Call me Pete.
Have you met Snoop Dogg yet?
I've met him before but I haven't met him yet on this current tour, he's just arrived in the UK today, it's going to be really interesting to be supporting him on the arena tour, and that's why I'm in Liverpool, to kick it off tonight.
You must have seen him live before?
Yes, I've seen him live before, and I've met him a couple of times via radio. It's quite interesting because it was him that approached me to come and support him this time around.
What can people expect from your live show tonight?
Snoop specifically asked that I play dubstep, so it will be a chance for me to test out arena soundsystems with some low frequencies. I think obviously because Snoop's such a legendary West Coast MC as well, I think I'm going to have to drop in a few West Coast hip hop classics. But, I'm just going to do what I normally do, and get people hyped and ready.
You've also teamed up with him and DJ Battlecat for the mixtape 'Throw Your Dubs Up!' how did that come about?
It was basically through the approach that Snoop made. He came over to the UK at the start of the summer to do festival dates and they basically heard me on my Radio One show, which was great. They really, really enjoyed the show, so they invited me to come on the tour. Snoop's a massive, massive fan of dubstep, so he already had the idea to do a dubstep mix tape. So, what we were able to do was combine our knowledge and create 'Throw Your Dubs Up!'
Do you think he's going to start throwing down dubstep tunes?
I think he works so well on a couple of the tracks on the mix tape that it would be very silly for him not to.
You've also played quite a few gigs over the years, what's been your most memorable one?
I think over the course of the summer the most memorable one for me was Glastonbury, when I played the East Dance stage for a second year in a row. It went really, really well, and it was absolutely amazing.
I was there, was it this year or the year before when you asked how old the audience was? I was bit miffed about how quiet it was in the crowd for my era!
Both years, (laughs) that's the thing though, everyone over a certain age understands how great music is these days, you are an enlightened one. I wish you were able to tell my dad.
Doesn't he care for your music then?
Certain bits and bobs he does, but the majority of it is just noise to him to be honest. I grew up practising my DJing upstairs, and getting my dad every so often shouting "turn that bloody noise down" to give you a slightly more sanitised version of what he'd shout up at me.
What about bands you like to see, who is the most recent band you've bought a ticket to go and see?
I'm very lucky in the fact that I don't necessarily have to buy tickets to go and see bands. But the last person I really made an effort to go and see was a singer who goes by the name of Delilah. She's recently been signed to Atlantic Records. She's collaborated with Chase & Status in the past, and I think she's going to be a major superstar. She's absolutely amazing live. I highly recommend that everyone look out for her.
You're pretty good at recommending upcoming artists for people to look out for. Who else have you got tipped for next year?
Next year I think there's going to be quite a few singer/songwriters breaking through like Delilah. There's another female artist called Jackie Where who I reckon people should definitely keep an eye out for. There's a female MC called JLD from Cardiff that's definitely very exciting. Apart from them Flux Pavillion is going to surprise a lot of people with his album.
Did you always know you were going to be a DJ?
I've always wanted to be a DJ, I think. My mum has got photos of my aged 2 with a Fisher Price record player in the kitchen playing records. I think it's kind of in my blood. I've always been interested in it, and for me growing up as an Eighties baby, and Nineties kid listening to Radio One and being exposed to so much great variety of music, has moulded me into the kind of person I am now.
Talking of Radio One, the BBC announced cuts today, what's your take on them?
Just as long as they don't affect the ability that the BBC has, over and above any other company, to take risks. I think a lot of what we know these days in terms of successful artists, in terms of successful broadcasters, in terms of successful formats that have been pioneered by the BBC. I think sometimes people forget that, and I think people give the BBC a very, very hard time forgetting if it wasn't for the BBC we wouldn't have the kind of things that are the norm now. Even things like BBC Introducing which gives new and upcoming artists the chance to be heard, no commercial company does that.
They've had some great stuff on there, with artists going onto main stream success on festival line-ups over the years.
Exactly. The last big success that BBC Introducing can claim is Rizzle Kicks. When they first sent in their stuff to BBC Introducing they weren't signed, they were unknown, and obviously since then they've got signed to Island Records, they've got big management and they're doing really, really well at the moment, and that's the BBC that's been able to put them in that position by giving them exposure. I've yet to see a commercial entertainment entity do exactly the same.
There's no Glastonbury Festival next year, where are you most tempted to spend your early summer at instead?
Next year I'm looking to be very strategic in where I play during the course of the summer. I'm really hoping that i can get something going that will allow me to go abroad next summer as well, and spread the gospel of what I play to an international audience.
Have you done may gigs abroad?
I've done a fair few bits, I did a season out in Ibiza in 2007, and I've only played in America once, and that was in New York with Mark Ronson, and Rakim, which was an amazing gig. I'd love to do the whole Ibiza thing, and there's so many other great festivals.
Next year is all about the Olympics, and to be honest there's going to be so many other great events happening. There's going to be loads of things going on.
In Europe and America dubstep is massive. There are certain dubstep DJs that are earning more money in America than they are in the UK. It's absolutely massive. In Ibiza the biggest nights were dubstep and bass music, it's going down really well worldwide.
What do you prefer playing clubs or festivals?
That's like asking, "what's your favourite fruit, apples or oranges?" They both have their benefits and they both have their drawbacks. To be honest I just love playing music live. I love the challenge as much as I love those people who have come to see me. I think that that's the thing. As with yourself, when I was at Glastonbury, people who have never heard me before, if I can leave them walking away from the gig thinking, "He wasn't that bad, I quite enjoyed it, I'll check out his radio show." That's as much as a win for me as being able to get those people who know about, who listen to the radio show, and know what I do entertained too.
Have you got any tips for budding DJs?
Practice, practice, practice, practice, practice. Don't rely on software to do everything for you, practice. A good DJ that has practised and understands equipment, and has a small amount of sound engineering, which I think all DJs need.
Finally, what would you like for the future of Mistajam?
I absolutely love what I'm doing now. So, if I can continue to do what I'm doing, whether that be on the same scale, whether that be on a slightly larger scale I'll be absolutely happy.
No plans on going back to acting?
Not at all. I think my days of acting are well and truly in my past. I enjoyed doing it whilst I did it, but it's not something that inspires me. The music continues to inspire me.
The free 17 track download mistape from Snoop Dogg, MistaJam, DJ Battlecat & Skullcandy Presents: Throw Your Dubs Up! (Dubstep LA Vol. 2) featuring Kurupt, Bow Wow, R.Kelly, Busta Rhymes, Goldie Loc, Soopafly, Hustle Boyz, Problem with Dubstep producers, Chase & Status, Flux Pavillion, High Rankin and more is available exclusively at http://www.speakerboxworld.com/throwyourdubsup.
Hear MistaJam on BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra on Saturday from 11pm-1am with the Saturday Night Soundclash and on BBC Radio 1Xtra, Monday to Thursday between 7pm-10pm with Your Key to the Underground.
article by: Scott Williams
published: 11/10/2011 08:21
FUTURE GIGS
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