The meaning of the word “mixtape” has changed from back in the day. During the golden age of hip-hop, mixtapes were created by DJs featuring a variety of artists and lots of sound effects… it was a challeging task in itself.
Now a mixtape is just an album that’s most times non-commercial, but the artist himself pays for the recording, sound engineering and any guest appearances. The Piece Maker Vol. 3: Return of the 50 MCs takes us back to the days of mixtapes in the original sense of the word. Another great thing about Tony Touch’s new mixtape is the collaboration with Eminem! Marshall is back! Yes, he’s still there.
At the beginning of June we got the chance to speak with DJ Tony Touch as part of an exclusive interview. Also, Tony Touch sent us snippets of the album “PieceMaker 3... Return of the 50 MCs”, which you can find here. Read on for some interesting stuff that Tony revealed to us about the new album.
Hi Tony. Thank you for making this happen.
A few words about us. We are a creative team from Russia. Our editors are responsible for the “EJ magazine”. We enable Russian-speaking readers to stay on the pulse of what’s brewing in the music industry, especially focusing on Shady Records artists and collaborators.
Man, you made quite some noise! Your upcoming album is one of the most anticipated right now. I stumbled upon your tweet about pre-ordering PieceMaker 3… Return of the 50 MCs. I was pleasantly surprised that immediately after the order you could download the singles ‘A Queen’s Thing’ and ‘Unorthodox’ in FLAC. I hope my copy of the album will arrive without delay 🙂 The Russian is hella disappointing lately (takes 100-200 years) …
Igor Basenko: Tony, tell us a little about yourself. Where did you grow up? How did you decide to get into music?
DJ Tony Touch: I grew up in Brooklyn, New York. I started as a breakdancer, and then I grew into a DJ and producer.
Igor Basenko: What kind of music do you listen to?
DJ Tony Touch: I mostly listen to old school funk and soul.
Igor Basenko: You work for the Shade45 radio station. Tell us about your work there, maybe a little about their team.
DJ Tony Touch: I’ve been with Shade 45 for over 8 years now and it’s been a great experience. I work with professionals so the job goes smoothly.
Igor Basenko: Your long musical career has seen you working with a plethora of artists. Literally, it’s countless, man! Is there someone you haven’t worked with yet, but would love to?
DJ Tony Touch: I have yet to work with Rakim.
Igor Basenko: On PieceMaker 3 you gathered a lot of hot performers most oh whom are top stars. How did you manage that? It must have been difficult. Everyone is on a tight schedule..
DJ Tony Touch: I’ve been producing mixtapes for many years and also DJing in clubs, so I have good connections with musicians, their managers, etc.
Igor Basenko: Can you tell us a little about your work on PieceMaker 3?
DJ Tony Touch: The only thing about this album is that it took me longer than ever to record it… Almost 2 years. I usually spend no more than 3-6 months.
Igor Basenko: Every album, every song has its own story. Does PieceMaker 3 have one? What do you want to convey to the audience?
DJ Tony Touch: With this album I want to tell the fans that REAL HIP HOP will never die.
Igor Basenko: Who created the cover for the album?
DJ Tony Touch: The artist’s name is BROWN 173… He’s from San Diego, California.
Igor Basenko: Are there any tracks on PieceMaker 3 that you think carry the album? Which of them you think are key?
DJ Tony Touch: All songs play their role… It’s like a puzzle.
Igor Basenko: on the Slaughter Session track you had only 3 members from Slaughterhouse. Why isn’t Joe on it?
DJ Tony Touch: Must have been busy.
Igor Basenko: Have you worked with any of them before?
DJ Tony Touch: I worked a lot with Royce da 5’9 on 50 MCs and on the Piecemaker 1 album. I also worked with Joell Ortiz.
Igor Basenko: You also have a track with Eminem. How did you manage to get him on board? After his long hiatus?
DJ Tony Touch: Eminem was on 50MCs Part 3 and Piecemaker 1. He was always supportive of my projects.
My new track for @DJTONYTOUCH off of PieceMaker3 out 7/9: http://t.co/O6W2CTQeG9
— Marshall Mathers (@Eminem) June 19, 2013
Igor Basenko: Can you tell us how you met Marshal?
DJ Tony Touch: I have occasionally DJed for Eminem on TV on Saturday Night Live and Dave Chapelle.
Igor Basenko: Eminem was on Piece Maker 1. You guys have been pals for a long time. Do you speak with him often?
DJ Tony Touch: Of course… I work at his radio station every Tuesday.
Igor Basenko: Tony, your album is coming out on July 9th. What do you have planned for the release? Will there be any live shows in support of PieceMaker 3?
DJ Tony Touch: The record will be distributed by SONY worldwide.
Igor Basenko: The music industry has changed a lot lately, digital sales have replaced CDs. Your album is out on CD and vinyl. Will the vinyl version of the album be released for pre-order only?
DJ Tony Touch: Yes, the album will be available in all formats.
Igor Basenko: Is it planned to release an extended version of the album with bonus tracks?
DJ Tony Touch: No, but I will release an album called “TONY TOUCH unreleased songs”.
Igor Basenko: Where do you like to work on your music? What inspires you?
DJ Tony Touch: There are many things that inspire me. I usually write in the car or in the studio.
Igor Basenko: What was it like for PieceMaker 3? Did you all get together in the studio? Was it chill? Or were you only focused on work?
DJ Tony Touch: A lot of this album was recorded via Emails, people sent me recordings.
Igor Basenko: What do you have planned for after the release of PieceMaker 3. Do you have any other projects in the works? Piece Maker 4?
DJ Tony Touch: I’m planning on releasing some Latin American music, as well as a very deep and emotional house project called FUNKBOX NYC. It’s a party that I produce here in New York every Sunday night.
