[Seattle, USA. September 28th, 2009] -- Jay Anderson (DJ Alternegro, aka the freak in the above pic) has probably been one of mlat's most influential associates. Originally part of the ‘Alien Deejay’ collective, he came to be more intimate with us through shared enthusiasm for dance music documentaries, literature, and culture. Jay has been a uniting force between the factions in Seattle’s music scene and he opened several doors for us before closing his own some time ago. (He has since gathered his things and dropped himself smack in the middle of Berlin). In his last week in the Pacific NW, we caught up with him and made sure that he left his thumbprint on everything that’s made like a tree before he parted; that thumbprint was nothing short of sublime.

So right off the back, I wanted to talk about your upcoming move to Berlin. You’ve lived in Seattle for a good while now, and shared in much of what the underground dance community has to offer. Why for the departure?

Did you not get the memo? Seattle sucks. Especially the music/art/dance community. Sorry, I'm just being real. I've been here for almost 11 years, and the scene took its toll on me, and my creativity. I chose Berlin for a few important reasons: First and foremost, it is a real city. I've been there before, speak the language, have job connections there, have a place to live, and I also have a couple of close friends there. I barely have those things here in Seattle ('cept the friend part), and I LIVE here.


Is there anything that you are leaving behind?

Worries.

While I know that most of your fellows are sorry to see you go (and will lament in your absence), there are surely things to gain in this transition. What do you plan for, and what do you hope to accomplish by moving to Berlin?

I plan to find legal, meaningful work, from which I'll subsidize my music habit. This is most important. One of my bosses at my last job from which I was laid-off is a physician from Germany who plans to give me references that will make me look good.

At that point, I plan to find the best places to hear good music, not just dance music. I plan to get to know the local djs and hopefully find a gig or two as well as continue in beat production. I'm also writing a book that takes a philosophical approach to understanding racism, primarily here in the U.S.. Leaving will help me with perspective as I continue to write. I plan to accomplish these goals very quickly.


Tell us then a little bit about your musical experience(s). Where does "Alternegro" come from musically and ideologically?

That's a broad question. I'll answer it within the parameters of my musical roots and how I've applied them as a DJ producer during my stay here in Seattle.

I grew up listening to EVERYTHING. I was first exposed to my parent's vinyl, which of course was all things musically black. Music connaisseurs know what this means, so I wont go into the almost infinite minutiae there. I also grew up in the black church, which I feel is what influences me the most musically. I started listening to classical and contemporary classical music by age 9 or 10, and joined orchestra, wind-ensemble, and the jazz and marching bands, dabbling in a few intruments which I never fully mastered. Yes, I was very much a band geek. Growing up in New Jersey, no matter what, you couldn't get away from the rock/punk/hard-core scenes either. A lot of white folk be there so, you gonna be exposed to those genres as well.

So, then, as a DJ, I seek hearty, meaty, deep, spiritual, and soulful music for inclusion to my vinyl collection. To not seek this in music is simply retarded because music by its very nature is spiritual. We were making music when were walking around in loin cloths communicating more closely with the Creator. I look for music that honors this and try humbly to attempt this in my own productions.

Alterneeeeeegro, NOT AlterNAYgro (as so many pronouce it) is simply a play on words. I thought of it years ago as a joke mainly. It stuck when I told a friend and he said it sounded dope. Instead of Alterego, I thought but I'm that "nigga in tha alley," but I wanted to keep it quasi-clean so I just combined the two. Yes, I have an "alterego" per se, but what the name reflects is that musically, you just can't really tell where I'm coming from unless I tell you. My musical motives are hidden.

Please then finish off by telling us about this lovely mix that you have offered us.

I tried to tell a story about my relationship with Seattle. I chose Amy Helm's "Own Way Home," to basically talk about the "split-up." Seattle was good in the beginning but ultimately I had to go and get back to where I belong. I've always met Germans and had friendships with them. When I was there I felt a strong pull to the city. So that track for me was simply reflecting what I needed to do. Norma Jean Bell has a song called "I'm The Baddest Bitch", but in the Bassino dub remix of the track he takes her reason for being the baddest bitch "...'cause you belong to me", and echoes this throughout the remix as "...belong to me." This represented the unrelenting energy I've felt from Seattle in its reluctance to let me go. I could get real deep with that explanation, but I'll leave it there. The rest of the mix just tells the story of the relationship, the ups and downs, the good times and the bad times. "Golden Days" relates the good times I had here as I recount to Seattle that it wasn't all bad. Same is true for "Love Affair." Two very important tracks in this mix for me was about me reasoning with Seattle. "Artifacts" was me attempting to show that we must learn to love.

And “Life Starts Today”, was both myself and Seattle coming to terms with moving on and starting my life elsewhere.


MYSPACE







  1. Paul Williams - Das Energi (Alternegro Vocal Intro) [unreleased]
  2. Amy Helm - Own Way Home [Hipbone]
  3. Norma Jean Bell - I'm the Baddest Bitch [F-Comm]
  4. Pascal Rioux - Golden Days [Rotax]
  5. Joseph Davis - Love Affair [Home Recordings]
  6. Sushi King + Cadillac Chris - Artifacts [Soul Circuit]
  7. Alex Omar Smith - Always There [FXHE]
  8. Righteous Men - When Love Comes Down [Kiff SM]
  9. Ian Friday - Life Starts Today [Tea Party Music]

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