My love of NPR was once again confirmed when I happened upon RJD2's World Cafe clip. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, National Public Radio has a segment which features a musically/socially relevant artist in the studio. Host, David Dye, will usually chat with the artist for a period of time about sound direction, inspiration, etc. and then ask to hear some live tune-age.
RJD2's World Cafe appearance was formatted slightly differently. Dye asked the electronic virtuoso to explain the creative and technical processes behind his songs. Over the span of 30 minutes, RJ talks about digging through piles of albums in record stores, scouring them for interesting and isolated sounds, queueing and tuning his found sounds, and layering them up to create, for lack of a better term, original un-original music. There is also a 15-minute video clip that shows RJ at the tables, exhibiting his craft.
I enjoyed this World Cafe segment so much for several reasons: A) RJ's electronic format can, with some practice and equipment, be replicated on a simple level by even the most musically talent-lacking individual. If you can find a series of interesting sounds, you can clip them together to make your own sample-based song. B) David Dye's interviewing style is really great. He always asks questions that a fan would ask, and this is because he really is a huge fan. His love and understanding of music always comes through, but in a way that connects with listeners. C) RJ is so darn cute. His earnestness is unmistakable; he wants his fans to understand where he comes from. After listening to him describe his technique, I was left with a new-found appreciation for his style...and a huge crush.
Listen/look here:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=126513428
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