Interviews DJ Excellence

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DJ Excellence, a.k.a. Philippe Siarri, was born in Sweden in 1981. He was a Paris resident most of his life, thus holding a dual French/Swedish citizenship.

He's 25 years old, currently residing in Boston, where he is pursuing a Master's degree. He got into Hip-Hop in 1990 when he saw Public Enemy and RUN-DMC on TV. Fascinated by this musical genre, he started producing music around 1999.

He has developed a rather elemental yet very memorable production style. An avid record collector, Excellence mostly samples Jazz, Funk and Soul. He has collaborated with numerous emcees and singers from France, Canada, England and America. In 2005, he released his first album "Cuttin' U Volume 1" - a compilation project he entirely produced.

Siarri's sound is based on heavily-chopped samples and pounding drum/bass rhythms - to make a long story short - ala Premo style, classic Boom Bap - in the full sense of the word. DJ Excellence currently hosts the 'Excellent Hip Hop Radio Show' at the Suffolk University Radio in Boston every Wednesday from 6:00 to 7:00 pm.

Greetings homie, what's good? How does it feel to FINALLY win?

Sup Wings? Just chilling and working on my final business law paper. It feels good to win, especially after being here for so long (since May 2003 if I remember well) and entering many comps.

Please introduce yourself properly!

My real name is Philippe Siarri, I'm 25, half Swedish half French. I was born in Sweden, but spent most of my life in Paris, France. I've been deejaying / producing since 1999/2000.

Tell us about your development, how did you find yourself in Boston?

I'm currently pursuing an MBA at Boston's Suffolk University. I had been to Boston before, loved the city which really motivated me to come here.

I must ask, how's Massachusetts? Are you enjoying your stay?

Well I guess I can only speak for Boston. The city's very nice and safe. Obviously, there's a lot of young people here as there is approximately 100 colleges and universities in the area (the biggest industry by far in the city). People from all around the globe come here to study, and it's great to be part of it.

How was your childhood in Paris?

It was great growing up in a bi-cultural household and in a city as diverse as Paris. I made friends from all over the world, of all religions, races and creeds.

France vs. Sweden vs. USA?

Sweden is a relatively small country, the atmosphere is very laidback. France is the opposite; people tend to be quite confrontational there. The US is so big and diverse; it's hard to make generalizations.

How did you get into production, in detail?

Well, I've been listening to Hip Hop for a long time and fascinated by sampling. Just wanted to give it a try, bought some gear and tried to emulate my favorite producers.

Your main influences?

Premier, Large Professor, Pete Rock, RZA and all the DITC guys.

What do you have in your software/hardware arsenal?

I really don't have much. My setup is mostly software-based: ACID 3.0 (sequencing/sampling), Acoustica Beatcraft (drum machine), Audacity (editing), Toshiba Laptop , Terratec Aureon soundcard, Hercules DJ control USB mixer, Terratec MIDI keyboard, Klipsch 2.0 speakers. I also have a basic DJ setup: 2 Sony DJ 9000 turntables, Gemini 626 PRO mixer.

How did you create the winning beat "Ring", step by step?

I was messing with that Quincy Jones sample, chopped it a little to isolate the horn segments. I then chopped this old drum break, put everything together. I also came up with a switch up, extending one of the segments and looping it. I slightly boosted the bass using parametric EQ. Voila!

What are some of your sampling techniques?

What I do very often is I alternate between short and long chops. This is how I generally create stabs. I also like to leave the drums open at the end of the sequence which leaves room for the emcee.

How would you describe your production style?

Simple but effective.

3 tricks/tips to all the ambitious beatmakers out there?

1-Analyze what others do. 2-Network. 3-and most importantly: HAVE FUN ! Making music should always be.

Give us an insight concerning your future plans and projects?

Me and G2, who hails from the UK, are working on a bunch of tracks, I'm also currently working with Hus & Smooth, IlMuzik's own Stresswon and Ting Ting, a Chinese singer from Seattle. The latter was definitely a challenge as I had to come up with a very slow beat (it's around 80 BPM) but I think I did a decent job. Stay tuned!

How did you find IllMuzik? What do you think about its progress?

As far as I remember, I performed a search on Yahoo!, typed "hip hop production". I think the site evolved very nicely. I like some of the recent developments: IllMuzik Radio, the beatmaking videos, etc.

Your favorite 5 records?

Tough one, but as far as hip hop some of my favorites include : Public Enemy "It takes a million", Gangstarr "Hard to Earn", A Tribe called Quest "Midnight Marauders", Wu Tang "Enter", Slick Rick "The Great adventures".

What's the most special record you own? What about the rarest one?

My most special : I'm a huge Herbie Hancock fan , love the Headhunters album, I can listen to it for days. My rarest? I have a lot of obscure Swedish records that I inherited from my dad.

How often do you go on a "Crate Digging" trek?

At least once a week.

Who would you like to collaborate with?

Rakim, Ras Kass, Chuck D, KRS.

What does Hip-Hop mean to you?

Hip Hop is a like a big family. No matter where you go, you can find people who are part of it. It is truly global and is without a doubt part of my life.

What's the most beautiful sample you've ever used?

Tough one. Maybe the one I used for ABB-D "Eyeless Nature", a beautiful orchestral segment from a 70's French movie called "L 'homme en colere".

What's the most amazing experience you've ever had?

Going to Japan in 2000. I would love to go back.

How and to what extent has the internet affected you?

It allowed me to connect with many emcees, producers and deejays. It's a great networking tool.

Your best collaborative effort would be?

I collaborated with many people so that's hard to answer but I think me and G2 have a great chemistry. Same with Stresswon and Mr Wizzard.

Hellos / death threats?

Shout outs : G2, Mr Wizzard, ABB-D, Hus & Smooth, Pianoman, ILLBLISS, Stresswon, SATIRE, ENOT, Harboiled, Kennection, DR LSD, Unconventional Methodz, Lordship and anybody I collaborated with.