TUAW talks mashups, Macs and music with DJ Earworm

DJ Earworm is a DJ and mashup artist whose annual "United State of Pop" releases mix the year's top 25 pop hits into one irresistible groove. He's also made official remixes for Sean Kingston and Annie Lennox, and he still works as a DJ. Finally, he's written a book for budding mashup musicians called Audio Mashup Construction Kit: ExtremeTech for Wiley Press.

We sat down with Earworm (AKA Jordan Roseman) to talk music, Macs, iPads and his process. Click below to read our interview.

TUAW: You were born in Illinois, and your first instrument was piano, is that right?

DJ Earworm: I actually started out on drums for a year or two, and then I took piano classes for a few years. Eventually I stopped taking lessons and began to improvise on my own.

You eventually went on to study music at the University of Illinois. What happened in between those early lessons and entering the university? Were you a band geek in high school?

In high school I was always making up little songs. I started playing around with composition and arranging back then. It was while I was in high school that I realized I really love this.

The idea of using a synthesizer and a sequencer with lots of notes to make something nice to listen to built over time. People have to be able to recognize it as music.

Once in university, were you classically trained?

Well, I learned to read music as a kid. In college I learned music theory, composition, counterpoint and all that. I focused on electronic music. It started with my composition; it was kind of avant-garde. I had these cool ideas, but again, the result must sound like recognizable music to the listener. Music is universal, not just an idea. Human beings like rhythm at a primal level. It's not learned; that's in all people. There are expectations around what they're going to hear when they listen to music.

That reminds me of some shows I attended at Berklee College of Music. Those "out" jazz pieces were dissonant and lacked a clear structure.

I think people pretend to like that stuff.

Well, I sure didn't. As for your music, it's been said that your mashups have a more pronounced "songwriter" feel than some others. Do you attribute that to your music education?

I've always considered myself a songwriter first. I spend most of my energy as a songwriter. I slipped into mashups by making mix tapes at first. Then when I started recording music, I saw that I could re-use some of that music in creative ways.

When I listen to a song, I might like just the hook or just the bridge. I use the parts I like and ditch the rest. When working on a mashup, I look for similarities in lyrics, music and so on. Things that the songs have in common, and put them together.

Let's talk Macs. What hardware and software do you use in the studio and live?

I use a MacBook Pro and Ableton Live in both the studio and live. The same laptop. I'm a laptop person; don't really use desktops. The Macbook Pro I use live is the same one I use for composing in the studio. I also use a Zone 2D Sound Card and MIDI Controller.

The new GarageBand has improvements, but I personally wouldn't use it. Abelton works for me, so I see no reason to stop using it!

Does the iPad have a role in your music?

I'm working on using the iPad more. Right now I'm working on a new technique of using the iPad a touch source of music and really of a mobile database of all my music. But it's not quite there yet. I'm thinking about database-drive DJ'ing, and the iPad will be at the heart of that. But it's still a work in progress.

What does your workflow look like?

Inspiration can come from anywhere. The first step is to figure out where a certain song's magic is. That one bit I really like. Then I work out the key and the tempo and look for a common thread with other pieces. Lyrically, for instance. Next I balance a coherent composition with the catchiest parts.

Typically I keep everything in the same key, but if I only need to pitch-shift a very brief section, it can be in a related key.

Tell us about the book.

Yeah, I wrote that about five years ago. They came to me and asked if I would do it, and I did. It was a lot of work, but people still seem to like it.

Any advice for budding mashup musicians?

A music education is very useful, but I'd encourage anyone at any stage to go for it. Start with rap a cappella parts, as that eliminates the key.