Shifting Gears: Z-Trip Strikes a Nerve and Leaves His Mark on Electric Daisy Carnival 2010
One of the best things about Electric Daisy Carnival 2010 was the diverse line-up of talent that Insomniac Events put together for this year’s incarnation. The sold-out crowd got all the best in Trance, House, Electro and Drum and Bass they could handle, but there was one artist on the bill who could combine all of those genres into a single one of his sensational, genre-hopping sets: Z-Trip. The original ‘Mash-up Master’ delivered one of the festival’s most memorable musical moments and opened the ears of plenty new fans in the process.
“It was good because I was able to go all over the place and that to me is my favorite thing to do,” Z-Trip shared with me shortly after his well-received turn on the stage. “With festival crowds, you’re able to cover a lot of ground because it’s not specific like a Vegas nightclub or opening for a rock band or something like that.”
"When you have everybody that’s here and there’s so many different styles of music at each stage, it’s great," he added.
I feel like its always been my style to borrow from each of the genres anyway, so playing a festival like this really works in my favor.
Unlike most of the DJs on the bill who stayed within their respective genres, taking in a Z-Trip set is an adventure in music history as his taste in tunes is all over the place. You’ll hear bits of rock, hip-Hop and dance music classics mixed up with some of the freshest beats of today.
“When I play some of these older, classic songs to the crowd, I try to interweave them with the latest track I’ve gotten off a blog, so it sort of has this balance of the new but at the same time I’m gonna throw in a Beatles tune or a Zeppelin tune, just because some of these people don’t know that stuff.”
Over the course of his two-decade long DJ career, Z-Trip has loved sharing his immense passion for a plethora of musical genres with crowds ranging from rock to hip-hop and, with the case of Electric Daisy Carnival, dance music.
“My music knowledge and palette is so big versus some other people’s that might not be and I pride myself on that. I always try my hardest to always go far out. I could have played a bunch of House or Electro tonight and the crowd would have loved it but I wouldn’t have stood out and to me that’s my whole angle.”
I don’t want to be the guy that blends in with everybody. I always wanted to be the guy who’s against the grain. That’s my whole deal and how I operate.
He then added, "But if I’m the key that opens up the door to have them go and find out who John Bonham is, then it’s a wealth of pleasure for me because that’s what it’s all about.
Z-Trip has built much of his fan base through steady word-of-mouth from shocked festival-goers, much like the many that will be taking after they discovered him at EDC.
“A lot of people will put posters up of their latest project and go heavy on the marketing, whereas I think my success comes from other people telling their friends about me,” he said. “After a show, they’ll say to their friends, ‘Hey I stumbled on this guy, you should check him out.’ That to me has way more millage then blasting your face on a bus or something.”
“I’d just want them leaving with a question mark, sort of saying, ‘Oh, this guy is a little off the beaten path and I couldn’t put my finger on him but I want to investigate more.’ And that’s kind of what always happens. Good or bad, as long as I struck a nerve. Because that’s what it’s all about versus just being a robot and not shaking things up.”
Z-Trip certainly shook things up at this year’s Electric Daisy Carnival. With a bevy of new projects coming soon, including a collaboration with the legendary Chuck D and Public Enemy, the only constant with this musical chameleon is change. While most DJs spin mash-ups now, there are few that can come close to matching the creative mind of one of the best selectors in sound.
Surf: DJ Z-Trip
Surf: Insomniac Events
Follow: twitter.com/ZTRIP
Buy: Shifting Gears
Photos By: Alex Storch & Upperhands
As the poster a few posts above touched on, when I watch Z-Trip I know I'm at my generation's Woodstock. One of the few original and bold artists/DJ's out there.
DJ Z-Trip is the most real artist out there, he's truly an awesome badass, I've shaken his hand and had my picture taken with him at each event I've seen him at and he's always awesome and willing to do those things for his fans! Z-Trip 4 life!
YO Z.. U killed it @ EDc.. My uncle always told me about those Led Zeppelin Concerts and Other Cocert HE WENT TO. He passed away 2008. R.I.P Robert Valenzuela.. When you Mixx it Makes me FeeeL LIKE I WAS THERE AT THE OLD CLASSIC CONCERTS.. YOU KEEEP THAT MUSIC ALIVE AND LEGENDARY. JUST LIKE MY UNLCE KEEPED THE CLASSIC ROCK MUSIC ALIVE IN HIS STORYS.. AND I WANT EVERY STOP TELLING THE DJ Z TRIP STORY. Z THANKS FOR THAT KEEP IT ROCKIN.
UR # 1 Fan Charles Valenzuela aka (((DOHFRESH)))
ill thank z trip everyday that i step on stage as being the guy who made it ok to be yourself when you perform and look dam good doing it. thanks z your the man. vex
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