After stumbling across the Jaydiohead project and thoroughly enjoying it, we knew we needed to hear more and know the full story. Awesomely, the man behind it has been busy. We were able to dig into Jaydiohead: The Encore and Doublecheck Your Head and even better; he was cool enough to answer some of our questions about his work, his process and what he might have in store for us down the road.
What inspired the Jaydiohead project? Jay Z and Radiohead are pretty far apart, musically. What was it that made them come together for you?
I first heard the track "I Might Be Wrong" by Radiohead, and thought that it would make a great hip-hop beat. So, I did it, and put Jay-Z vocals for "Pray" over it. Then I did another track with Thom Yorke's "Black Swan" and Jay-Z's "Ignorant Shit." I had these two tracks done for about a year before I decided to make it into a whole album. When I thought of the name "Jaydiohead", it spurred me to see the project through. It was a personal challenge, just to see if I could make it sound cool.
What are some of your most important musical influences?
So many really, but lately I've been influenced by the Beastie Boys, productions from DJ Premier, Beck, and King Tubby.
Best burger in NYC?
Cafe Orlin on 8th street btwn 1st and 2nd avenue. Its $10 with fries and a salad which is a pretty good deal around here.
What have you been listening to lately?
Beck, Miike Snow, Breakbot, and dub music.
Hit the jump for the rest of the interview...