Z-Trip, UNKLE and Everything But The Girl’s Ben Watt have been added to the lineup for the surprise appearance by Beck, Z-Trip acknowledges the difficulty in topping it this time around.
“I’d love to come up with something equally over the top, like bringing Prince out,” he tells Billboard.com. “But to be perfectly honest, it’s probably going to be just me bearing down and coming with it, skills-wise. I’d like to actually be able to stand on my own two feet. I know the last set showed that, but to bring out Beck was super special.”
Z-Trip’s live shows are best known for his wildly inventive mash-ups, but the artist says he is looking forward to incorporating material from his Hard Left/Hollywood debut, “Shifting Gears,” into his sets. As previously reported, the album, due April 26, features guest spots from Jurassic 5’s Soup, Public Enemy’s Chuck D, Supernatural, Busdriver and Lyrics Born, among others.
“It’s really a weird process, because I’ve never been in this position as a DJ,” he admits of blending these two musical sides. “I’ll make show vinyl and press the songs up in different configurations, which will allow me to remix them on the fly. I’m also hoping some of the MCs can come out and do the songs live.”
Indeed, with mash-ups becoming more and more prevalent in DJ culture, Z-Trip says he’s working hard to come up with combinations that “are not as obvious. There’s so many people mixing ‘Sweet Home Alabama’ and “Back in Black” now that it has sort of become wack, in my opinion. I’m trying my hardest to come with some of that same flavor, but to go a little deeper. If you’re a fan of AC/DC, maybe I’ll mix a song that’s not such an easy sell, but is equally punchy and sparks the same feeling.”
