dsico is an Australian artist who specializes in bootleg remixes, mash-ups and pop destruction. While he likes to refer to himself as a "no-talent hack", we think he's being a bit disingenuous.

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This story was originally run in Music Software Monthly

He's been written about in prestigious publications such as SPIN, Rolling Stone and Wired magazine. Tracks such as "Love Will Freak Us" - combining Missy Eliot and Joy Division - and "Fateful Pavement" - blending Destiny's Child and Pavement - have spread virally across the web and P2P.

In true DIY style, dsico also runs the Spasticated label. Thanks to his coprophilic interpretation of The Ministry Of Sound's logo, Spasticated was accused of trademark infringement. Read on to find out how dsico dealt with the situation.

You're making a name for yourself in the bootleg mix and mash-up world. How/when did you get started?

I started toying with the mash-up bootleg work about 2 years ago. I'd been somewhat active in the local electronic music scene for a number of years before that. Writing and producing music under a number of guises with minor success before I'd even thought of "Dsico".

What attracts you to this style of music?

Initially it seemed like a lot of fun, poking fun at pop stars and, well, it's often a lot easier to make music that exists more for its conceptual basis than actually sounding *good*.

What software/hardware do you primarily use?

I mostly use my little PC notebook computer running Cubase VST (I haven't yet bothered to upgrade to SX. It looks quite different and at the moment the old version still does everything I need) and Soundforge. I do use Reaktor quite a bit. It's great for developing your own plug-in effects and performance environments.

Acid seems to be a very popular app amongst the mash-up crowd and its does have some really neat funcitonality geared towards time-stretching and pitch shifting.

What song are you most proud of? Can you tell us about the production process? How did you put it together?

Haha, well I'm not sure I'm particularly proud of any of it actually. I mean I think some of the things I've done are kinda neat and generally have a really good response out live. Lately I've been developing a fascination with Olivia Newtown-John. I did a little mix of "Magic" from the Xanadu Soundtrack with NWA's "Straight Outta Compton". That works really well. Its a nice juxtaposition. The sentiments expressed in both are actually quite similar and it plays on that a lot - the interplay between the hard old school hip-hop and cheesy disco-infected pop.

Have you had any contact from record labels or lawyers who want to take legal action against you for copyright infringement? What do you think of the argument that you need to have the appropriate permission from all relevant parties before you release a remix or perform it publicly?

The response has not been what I expected. As the pop manipulations I've done are all quite "bootleg", I was expecting more animosity from major labels than I've received. Generally they have all been very supportive I've been in touch with Festival /Mushrooom, BMG, EMI / Virgin, Universal etc.. and the response is always "We were thinking we might want you to do a remix of ..."

I actually DJed at the EMI/Virgin staff Christmas party last year which was hilarious as I inadvertently met most of the legal and copyright people there.

Tell us about the Spasticated label and the 'Ministry of Shit' controversy.

Well last May Spasticated, my little lowkey label, released an album of unofficial pop re-workings and manipulations entitled Ministry of Shit. It was supposed to be a jab at the kind of attitude you get with these Superclub compilation albums and DJ mix CDs. That self-appointed sense that *they are hip* or somehow *own* dance / electronic music culture.

But, anyway, the album artwork featured a defaced, faeaces smeared Ministry of Sound Logo. Somehow they heard about it and sent me a rather nasty letter accusing me of a variety of trademark infringements, suggesting I had actually committed criminal offenses, and requested I destroy all the remaining CDs.

I talked to a few people about it and in the end decided to stand up to them. I replied, dismissing their claims. They haven't been in touch since (by the way the entire email correspondence in up at the www.spasticated.net website).

Visit 4trak.net/dsico/ for more details as well as MP3 downloads and information on ordering the Spastikated albums "I'm Not Retarded" and "The Booty of Choice".  

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