Mc DJ was kind enough to answer a few questions for The Confabulators regarding his first very public outing with a remix of Sufjan Stevens’ Illinois. Check out his website at Childish Gambino.com.

Could you give me a bit of background on the site Childish Gambino.com and yourself? I started making music with friends about four years ago in New York. “Suburban-Hop” mostly. I got into cutting, mixing, and DJing about a year later. The website was basically an outlet for all this product I was making on the side. I was only showing my music to my friends and I had a lot of beats, so I thought to put them up on a site under the theme of a family. The child (Childish Gambino, with the silly child like beats and songs), the mother (Ms. Long-Lady Stanhope, with chopped 70’s grooves and soul), the father (Sir Durton Cloud 9, with jazz riffs and smooth flow), and the teenage cousin (Mc DJ). So yeah, it’s an easy and accessible way for me to experiment without destroying the credibility of one name.

What background in mixing and DJing do you have? How long have you been at it? I honestly have not been DJing all that long. This past year I did a little with my friends. I think what saves me is the fact my dad played so much music and I can remember grooves that fit well together immediately. I use your basic old-school drum beats. I love synthesizers. I try to take the best parts of every genre I like, but if I could put dry and loud ass drums behind a sickeningly sweet Sesame Street melody every time, I would. Actually, that’s not a bad idea.

What equipment/samples do you use? I use Fruity Loops along with a Numark turntable for some scratches. I use the TS404 synth on Fruity Loops to make most of the sounds manually. I like to keep it basic, to replicate the synths in those 70’s show themes. Like “The Price is Right.”

What inspired you to remix Illinois? Fiona Apple’s album? I was inspired to do the Sufjan Stevens remix album because I was so blown away by it. It was literally the first album that I listened to even when I slept since high school. I was using a hook from one of Sufjan’s songs for a friends demo album, and he asked me “Why don’t you remix the whole album?” So I did. Fiona Apple album happened the exact same way.

Do you DJ at any clubs? I don’t DJ at clubs as much as parties. I like those old school house parties. I feel more comfortable there. But I am branching out. Now that I know people would like to hear my stuff. This Sufjan remix has done wonders for my “musical self-esteem.”

What do you think of Sufjan Stevens’ electronica album Enjoy Your Rabbit? I freakin’ loved Enjoy Your Rabbit. Very strange, but filled with those Sufjan melodies that really get you. But it was so sporadic and choppy. It was startling at first, which was really fun. Anything that takes you off guard can’t be totally bad.

What do you think of the mix scene these days? The mix scene is so diverse. In New York , you’ve got these kids who are learning to spin and program at like eight. By the time they’re seventeen, they think and dream in DJing terms. It’s amazing. And they all are mixing everywhere. The scene right now is like any other scene, there’s a lot of different stuff, also a lot of crap, but there’s good stuff too. Keep your ears open.

Have you heard the Sufjan / Kanye West mash-up? I heard the Kanye West “Jesus Walks” with “Zombies!” The beats are perfect for each other. The same marching touch to it. But the verses sounded a little sloppy to me. I don’t why. But the idea and sound matches very well. Good idea.

Previously: Illin’-Noise! Remix of Sufjan Stevens’ album by mc DJ (2005)