The Some Assembly Required Interview


Speaking with artists who work with
Tape Manipulations, Digital Deconstructions
and Turntable Creations

I interviewed Negativland's Don Joyce (Over The Edge), in 2001. I believe it's my very first interview for the show.

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A full-length version (in 2-parts) was  produced in 2021, in remembrance of Joyce, who passed away in 2015.       Click HERE for links to both.

I spoke with Steve Stein (Double Dee & Steinski), in 2oo1. It's one of the first interviews I ever did, and one of the most popular. ​

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DJ Food included portions of this interview

in his excellent Raiding the 20th Century (Words & Music Expansion), in 2005.

In 2001, Oswald spoke to me on the phone, from him home in Canada. 

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John Oswald headlined our Plunderphonic section at the 2nd annual Sound Unseen Underground Film and Music Festival, (with The Tape-beatles and Wet Gate), in Minneapolis.

Click the image to be taken to the download page for my interview with sound collage group, The Tape-beatles, featuring Lloyd Dunn (left) and John Heck (right). 

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Recorded for Some Assembly Required, in 2002.

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​Ralph Johnson is an original member of The Tape-beatles, and one half of Public Works, with Lloyd Dunn (The Tape-beatles).

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This interview was recorded for Some Asembly Required, in 2007.

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​My interview with London's master manipulator, Vicki Bennett, was recorded in 2002, for Some Assembly Required, on the occasion of Bennett's performance at the Walker Art Center. ​​

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PLU performed for SAR and Sound Unseen.

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Click the image to visit the download page for this interview with turntablist extraordinaire, Christian Marclay.

 

Supporting his Walker Art Center performance, in 2004, at The Triple Rock Social Club.

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Mark Hosler is the founding member of 

legendary multimedia group, Negativland. ​

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This 2005 interview was produced in support of Hosler's presentation as part of the 3rd annual Sound Unseen Film and Music Festival.

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Wobbly also performed at Sound Unseen, in 2001.​ More recently, he's joined Mark Hosler, as Negativland, on tour. 

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My conversation with Jon Leidecker aired on Some Assembly Required, in 2002.

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The ECC also performed for Some Assembly Required, at Theatre de la Jeune Lune, in 2003. ​

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This interview was aired in support of that concert, with a Circuit Benders Orchestra opening for Mark Gunderson, in Minneapolis. 

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Roy Kerr is old school mashup artist, The Freelance Hellraiser. Kerr was prolific, at a time when the genre was brand new. 

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This is my first interview with a Mashup artist, for Some Assembly Required, in 2006.

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Gardner Post was a founding member of Emergency Broadcast Network, along with Josh Pearson and Brian Kane, in 1991.​

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This interview, with the video & sound collage performer, aired in 2007.

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Turntablist composer, Qbert was awarded the title of America's Best DJ, in 2010. He's been a huge influence in Hip Hop and Turntablism.

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DJ Qbert is one of the first hip hop turntablists interviewed on Some Assembly Required (2008).

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Bastard Pop and Vaporwave were both added to the SAR lineup, in time. Mark Vidler had a huge presence in the world of Mashups, from early on.​

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This interview with Mark Vidler, of Go Home Productions, originally aired in 2008, for SAR.

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An early explorer of the sample-based cover version, RX Music sent me a bunch of presidential cut-ups prior to this interview, which aired in 2007.

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RX remains incognito, as far as I can tell, anyway ...making this interview essential listening.

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If I'm remembering correctly, Paul Miller was attending a conference, on the east coast, the day I talked with him, for Some Assembly Required. He was between panels, as I recall.

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The SAR interview was recorded in 2008.​

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I got to meet Janek Schaefer when he was in Minneapolis, as a McKnight Composer in Residence with the American Composers Forum.

 

The interview was recorded in person, in 2003, while Schaefer was composing "Weather Report."

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In the 1990s, Owen O'Toole's record label, Wafer Face, was devoted to radio and sound projects, releasing vinyl records, exclusively.

 

He was a co-founder of the film performance group Wet Gate. Our interview aired in 2004.​

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I stumbled upon Omer Fast's video collage, CNN Concatenated, at The Soap Factory, in Minneapolis, one summer. It was beautiful and I 

​reached out hoping for an interview. 

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I spoke with Omer Fast, for SAR, in 2004.

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Hise hosts the website, Detritus.net, and records and performs as a sound collage artist.​

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I got to meet him in Minneapolis, during Sound Unseen. This interview, with Steev Hise, aired in 2004, on Some Assembly Required.

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The Bran Flakes gave us this interview, in 2004. It's as entertaining as one of their many infectious, fun sound collage records...

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The Bran Flakes are old favorites of mine. Mildred Pitt is on the left. Otis Fodder on the right...

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Kevin Beacham was very involved in the Hip Hop scene, in Minneapolis, where he'd moved, from Chicago, in 2002, to work for Rhymesayers.

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We talked about turntablism, in this interview, and his records, for Some Assembly Required, in 2005.

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Freddy Fresh played a show I organized at The Triple Rock Social Club, in 2005. ​

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This interview was in support of that show. The Minneapolis DJ and Producer is recognized by DJ Mag UK as one of the World's Best DJs.

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I discovered DJ Food when he sent me the first iteration of his "Raiding the 20th Century" mix.

 

I recorded this interview with Strictly Kev, to commemorate the release of his Raiding the 20th Century (Words & Music Expansion), in 2005.

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Girl Talk is a mashup remix producer who

performs using his laptop on stage. ​

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​My interview, with Gregg Gillis, was recorded for Some Assembly Required, on the occasion of his 3rd studio album, Night Ripper, in 2006. 

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Jason Freeman is a professor and an interactive software artist. I interviewed him about his Network Auralization for Gnutella release.​

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The interview was recorded in 2005, for SAR, and incorporated into Episode 95.

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Greg Carr is well known in Minneapolis for his KFAI radio shows, including Technological Retreat, which aired from 1985-1989,​

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This interview was in support of Carr's 2005 CD release, Technological Retreat Radio Mixes.

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Forrest and I talked about experimental electronica, his record label and his work as DJ Donna Summer. ​

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This interview, with Jason Forrest, was recorded in 2006, for Some Assembly Required.

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The legendary producer has worked with everyone from The Screaming Trees and Nirvana, to poet Steven Jesse Bernstein. 

 

I ​spoke with Steve Fisk about his work as an artist, and producer, in 2007.

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Mr. Dibbs is a hip hop turntablist. He founded the 1200 Hobos collective & is a co-founder of

Ohio's Scribble Jam festival.

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I spoke with Mr. Dibbs, in 2007, about his work and how he got started.

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Towning had a record on Seeland, if I'm remembering correctly, and at least a couple on Illegal Art. His unique approach to appropriation was a breath of fresh air...

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I spoke with James Towning, for SAR, in 2007.

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Wayne Butane is the king of the cut-up. Though his collages can be crude, his technique is top notch. I spoke with him in 2009, for SAR.

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Wayne Butane rarely does interviews, so it was exciting to get to talk to him about his work.

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Stock, Hausen and Walkman released more than a few noteworthy albums of sample-based assemblage, in London, in the 1990's. 

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I spoke with SH&W founder, Matt Wand, in 2009, for Some Assembly Required.

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Charles Watson co-founded the experimental electronic label, Death of Vinyl, well known in various undergrounds. Hes also a member of Nubile G and the Spurious Whiz.​

 

I interviewed Charles Watson, in 2008.

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In the 90s, Illegal Art was my favorite record label, which makes sense, considering they were primarily concerned with sound collage records... 

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I spoke with "Philo T. Farnsworth," in 2001, for Some Assembly Required.

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Want more? For five years, at the Some Assembly Required Blog, SAR artists shared a bit about themselves, nearly every week. ​​​

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Follow the link to the old website, where I've archived each response.