Buzz Exclusive Interview With Industry Phoenixes and West Coast Radical Break Beat Producers MEPHISTO ODYSSEY!

WE PROUDLY PRESENT.....MEPHISTO ODYSSEY!!!

Mephisto Odyssey Cartoon Characters by Justin Orr

It is an absolute honor and privilege that has been bestowed upon Fetty Be's Buzz and we are extremely grateful to Mephisto Odyssey for agreeing to do this extensive and most informative interview with them. One of our primary objectives for wanting to secure this interview with Mikael and Josh, was to bring you a greater appreciation for the role of a music producer and to provide you with greater insight into the behind the scenes logistics in a producers life. Many of our readers possess remixing experience, but a different bag of tricks and tools are required for the role of Producer. In this exclusive interview, these artists break down the beginnings of Mephisto Odyssey and the growth and challenges faced by the group as they have evolved and re-defined themselves over the past 15 years in the music industry. Possessing a name that literally means a long wandering or voyage usually marked by many changes of fortune and/or an intellectual, spiritual wandering or quest, the group Mephisto Odyssey has lived a legacy that is nothing short of a full-blown, action-packed journey throughout the ever-changing landscape of the music industry. Is it due to an unearthly supernatural ability to intuitively know what the current trends are in House vibes? Is it an otherworldly power to manipulate and master a mixing board into submission, such as the name Mephisto MIGHT infer?? WE will never know.

Josh Camacho and Mikael Johnston

The history of Mephisto Odyssey (MO) is rich and is deeply embedded and influential in the evolution of the West Coast Break Beat House "dialect". As is the case in the formation of any language, it is malleable and ever-changing. MO has definitely played it's part though, in adding to the trademark sound that has now become so widely 'KNOWN' to be associated with the San Fran underground radical Break Beats. What truly comes to mind after having absorbed MO's work, hearing their story and experiencing them first hand, is a "mad-scientist's laboratory" where unorthodox bits and pieces of eclectic hawt sounds are layered and mixed together through wicked sound engineering by Mikael Johnston and executed with precision on the decks by DJ Josh Camacho. Having been on the music and club scene since the early 90's, this group was initially formed in 1993 out of the massive Electronica"RAVE WAVE", that took the industry by storm. Hawt acts such as: Crystal Method, Christopher Lawrence, and Überzone were flourishing at the same time and the genre of music was a building wave that reflected the rise of the digital Dot Com era. A very young and brazen Mikael Johnston kick-started his Mephisto "vision" with the club hit, "Dream The Black Dahlia". The first album, City of Angels that followed in 1995, was produced on the Indie label and was followed with a remix of the Jane's Addiction single, "So What" in 1997.

Jane's Addiction

This all flagged Mephisto Odyssey as a talent worthy of recruiting by Warner Brother's and before long it would lead to a hook-up with self-professed Mephisto Odyssey fan, DJ Josh Camacho, British turntablist Barry Eves and producer Orpheos Dejournette.

Pre 2002 Mephisto Odyssey Crew (L-R): Josh, Barry (fr), Mikael (bk), Orpheos

This powerhouse foursome would see Mephisto Odyssey continue to re-define itself and produce radical music out of a primitive studio in Oakland, CA. However, despite the fact that MO was one of THE FIRST electronica dance artists to be signed by the Warner Brothers, with the hopes of them being part of the next new wave and catalyst in music....it seems that MO' s style might have been a bit too progressive at that time. The club culture and society was leaning more towards and embracing the Hip-Hop genre. It wasn't the time yet for mass culture to accept the progressive digital Euro sounds that MO was producing. Yet, it wasn't all in vain, as the crew was attracting a lot of attention from various multi-media sources via the film and gaming industries. Their Electronica vibes integrated so well as a back-drop to video imagery and voice-overs. Unfortunately, there wasn't enough mass demand for the genre of music that MO was producing at that time. So in 2002, Mephisto Odyssey was officially dropped from Warner and life was radically different for all of the artists that had been living a jet-set/limo lifestyle of recording artists and producers.

Mephisto Odyssey = Josh Camacho and Mikael Johnston

Photographed by Stephanie Edmark

It wasn't until Mikael realized the magnitude of importance that music played in his life and got back in touch with his initial ties and musical roots, when he started to rise again like the phoenix from the ashes of his initial success. This time though, Mephisto was now a duo and in possession of a greater wealth of understanding of who they were as artists and the respective strengths that each artist could offer the group respectively. It's a partnership that has worked very well, in terms of their business and artistic development. These sage Producers are now amongst the elite within the House sector of club music and are back on their game after a 4-5 year hiatus. They have also ventured forth and "...formed the label Groove Quest, which is really a means to promote their publishing company, Groove Quest Diablo Publishing...Now, says Johnston, all the real money is licensing. The idea is to create an imaginary market for each of your songs by getting them out into the blog-o-sphere, selling a couple thousand downloads, and then trying to get them placed in a network show or video game." (http://www.eastbayexpress.com/ebx/PrintFriendly?oid=799126 ). That is exactly what they are doing, in addition to producing multiple smash hits on the Beatport charts (and others i.e. JUNO) starting with their first renaissance hit Superphonic! Subsequent efforts have included working in conjunction with Bay Area turntabilist phenomena Atimatik, to produce a Buzz favorite track, Sexy Love!

Sexy Love Album Cover Designed By Graphic Artist Justin Orr

With their latest creation Bump on the horizon of it's much anticipated release date of August 26th, it's not a surprise to learn that this project included a broad range of eclectic artists gathered from a vast range of style to create it's medley of Hip-Hop at lunch with Electro Break Beats. The genre is a current fascination of Mikaels, and his infusion of Hip-Hop with Electro is absolutely cutting edge. The timing of MO's renaissance couldn't be more perfect either. Mainstream music is hungry for digital sounds, as it's being increasingly weaned from it's big brother Hip-Hop. Gamers are now the biggest consumers of music and Mikael's recipe is exactly the musical elixir that is in demand. Using catchy vocals from DJ Polywog and Z-man from One Block Radius, MO worked in conjunction with the hawt Hieroglyphics member DJ Toure to twist out the beautiful trippy House anthem Bump. It has also been remixed by one of Boston's collaborative vibe makers Fantastadon and Hot Pink DeLorean. MO hasn't skipped a beat with it's love affair with the film industry either and like a moth to a flame, Bump was placed in MTV's new Paris Hilton show Best Friends Forever! AND the latest remix of Bump is now available for download from Mephisto Odyssey's MySpace site ( http://www.myspace.com/mephistoodyssey) and also at the bottom of this article! Check it out and thank MO in the process for being so generous!

BEATPORT CHART TOPPERS!!

As we have learned from witnessing society's current mass consumption of music at an almost alarming rate, it is those artists that possess a staying power and true dedication to the art form, that rise from the ashes of success and failure to truly re-invent themselves time and again. Mephisto Odyssey has graduated to that superior realm and continues to prove through not only an extensive Discography, but also through the simple testimony that it boils down to a passion for the music. It continues to fuel their drive to create, produce and engineer hit after hit. The process of reinventing the definition of what music IS and how sounds can be pushed further, twisted and manipulated into addictive threads of fixation, is why Mephisto Odyssey has successfully reclaimed their industry hype. Music is a language that is constantly changing as it is influenced by mass culture. This time round, Mephisto Odyssey has lived up to it's namesake and it's journey has left these artists armed with experience and fully fluent in the current clubspeak. MO was truly a head of it's time! Now they are back and this time truly prepared to mastermind radical digital sound delights that music industry is now mature enough to consume and appreciate.

MEPHISTO ODYSSEY BIO

On August 26, pioneering West Coast Electronic music act Mephisto Odyssey (AKA Mikael Johnston and Josh Camacho) makes a heralded return to the international dance floor with it's aptly titled smash-in-waiting "Bump." This 8-track Electro/Breaks/Hip-Hop hybrid was produced in conjunction with Hieroglyphics member DJ Toure and features vocals from DJ Polywog (from the movie Groove) and Z-man from LA-based Hip-Hop act One Block Radius.
On the remix front, two of Boston's most promising underground acts - Fantastadon and Hot Pink DeLorean - blow the roof off the house with their own unique interpretations on the track. ...When not playing with acts like L.A. Riots, Hot Pink Delorean has made some waves in the underground by remixing Britney Spears "Radar," The Qemists Featuring Mike Patton "Lost Weekend," M.I.A. "Boyz," The Glass "Mad At You" and Cassette Jam "Don't Lose Control." Wait until you hear how filthy they get with this one!

Formed in San Francisco circa 1993, Mephisto Odyssey would in short time become one America's most influential electronic music acts. Championing the "west coast sound" Mephisto Odyssey's seminal 1994 single "Dream of the Black Dahlia" (featuring remixes by Freaky Chakra & Dubtribe) sold over 5,000 12" vinyl copies and lead to it's signing with City Of Angles records; original home to cutting edge American Breakbeat artists including The Crystal Method and Uberzone.

Fetty Bu and Fetty Be of The Buzz at Pink and Black Ball With Mephisto Odyssey, Feb. 08

Emerging before the late-90's global dance music explosion, Mephisto Odyssey was also known for being one of the first artists in the genre to present a proper live show. The band went on the road in support of it's debut full-length City Of Angels album Catching the Skinny and performed electronically sequenced music with live keyboards, guitar, vocalists and DJing. Major labels started to take notice. After the overwhelming success generated from Mephisto Odyssey's remix of Janes Addiction's "So What," Warner Brothers records signed the act to a recording contract and it produced the act's major label debut, 2000's "Deep Red Connection." Mephisto Odyssey wasn't just the first electronic dance act to be signed to Warner Bros. US, but the deal would soon expand to include a distribution deal for Mephisto Odyssey's label "Primal Breakz" through ADA. Essentially, Mephisto Odyssey was granted permission to release their 12" singles independently using WB resources. This kind of deal is unprecedented in the history of the label.
Over it's 15-year career, Mephisto Odyssey has worked with a who's who of the Electronic music industry while also selling 12" records numbering in the tens of thousands. This staying power is due in large part to the working relationship between Mikael Johnston and Josh Camacho. In addition to his role with Mephisto Odyssey, Mikael Johnston has engineered/produced/remixed music for artists including Static X, I am the World Trade Center and The Sounds.

Mephisto Odyssey - Mikael Johnston

DJ Josh Camacho at Bump Release Gig at Mikis in Modesto, Aug. 08

Producer/remixer/DJ Josh Camacho brings the current vibe of the dance floor to Mephisto Odyssey's music. In addition to his production work, Camacho is an accomplished DJ who has performed at some of the world's finest venues.Mephisto Odyssey is now hard at work on their follow-up single to "Bump." The yet to be titled track will once again be produced in conjunction with DJ Toure and will feature Del from Hieroglyphics & The Gorillaz. Additionally, Mephisto Odyssey's Mikael Johnston will soon be teaming up with Dave Dresden (Gabriel & Dresden) and Dave Penner (Andain) on an unnamed side project. Keep your ears open!

Bump Album Cover, designed by graphic artist Keebz

BUZZ EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH MEPHISTO ODYSSEY

1.Tell us how Mephisto Odyssey came to be formed.

Mikael: Mephisto Odyssey was formed in 1993 by Michael Ames and myself. We created the project name as a vehicle to release a song we wrote together called “Dream of the Black Dahlia.” That was the first single to be released by the project, and it was in our good fortune that DJ Garth from Greyhound records (this was of course before Greyhound) took a strong liking to the track and started playing and charting it. It all kinda took off from there. Michael left the project after the first single, as he wasn’t interested in being in a full-time band at the time and I continued on. Josh joined the project in 1998.

Josh: I met Mike at Guitar Center in 1997 and the rest was history.

2.Can you please describe the types of genre that you produce?

Mikael: We started out doing dark jazzy, Hip-Hop influenced Breaks and House stuff and it slowly evolved into Breaks and Electro. But we dabble in all kinds of stuff including Krunk style Breaks and even Tech House. We also produce under different names those things that aren’t appropriate for release under the Mephisto Moniker…

Josh: Banging 2 am peak time warehouse music. Is it Breaks, Electro, or House? Who cares as long as the dance floor goes bonkers!

Mephisto Odyssey and Friends at Ruby Skye in San Francisco, Nov. 07

3.What other producers, songwriters and/or artists do you see as your primary inspirations?

Mikael: Back when we started out in 1993 / 94 I loved some of the stuff that was just starting to get mainstream attention like Utah Saints, The Prodigy, The Dust Brothers (who became The Chemical Brothers), Masters at Work, Daft Punk… Also some of our local colleagues were an inspiration as well like Ultra Violet Catastrophe, Freaky Chakra, Young American Primitive, Dub Tribe, Hardkiss, Uberzone and The Crystal Method… Back in those days the genre was fairly new so it wasn’t uncommon to draw a lot of inspiration from your contemporaries and other types of music like Rock and Hip Hop. Sadly, most of the local guys I started out with are rarely heard from these days, with the exception of our friends from S. Cal The Crystal Method and Uberzone.
More recently I’m still listening to stuff like The Crystal Method, and Uberzone, Bassbin Twins and Bass Nector who are thankfully still out there doing great work, but I’m also really into some of the new guys coming up like Hot Pink Delorean, Fantastadon, Funkasaurus, Peter Paul, Madox, Cereal Killaz, Justice, and Slyde to name a few.

Josh: Too many to list but off the top of my head ....Giorgio Moroder, Troublesoup!, Jellybean Benitez, Carl Cox, The Crystal Method, and of course local hero's Dj Dan and Donald Glaude.

Give us a brief history of the tracks that you have created to date.

Mikael: …this is a long list. I’ll just name some of the highlights.

MO Cartoon Characters by graphic artist Justin Orr, Layout By Brian Hoffa

1. Dream of the Black Dahlia (Mephisto Records) 1993
2. Catching the Skinny (Mephisto Records) 1994
3. The Motive (Mephisto Records) 1995
4. The Subterranean Sounds of San Francisco (Crammed/SSR) 1996
5. The Darker Side of Jazz (City of Angels) 1996
6. The Lift EP (Warner Bros.) 1999
7. Jane’s Addiction “So What” The Deep Red Remixes (Warner Bros.) 1997
8. The Deep Red Connection (Warner Bros.) 2000
9. Rites of Passage (Media Services NYC) 2004
10. Superphonic 12” (N-Mity) 2006
11. Sexy Love (Groove Quest) 2007
12. Watch You Go (Groove Quest) 2008
13. Bodega Boot (with Flore & Prosper) (Groove Quest) 2008
14. Bump (Groove Quest) Aug. 2008

4. Where do you get your ideas for a track?

Mikael: It varies but for me it could be from a rhythm or melody that I hear in my head. Often times I’ll just be tinkering in the studio with different things and an idea will start to form. Sometimes I’ll hear something that inspires me at a live show or a club.

5.Can you describe, briefly, how the two of you work together on a musical project?

Mikael: We generally work together in our own studio, which I’ve built up over the years. I’d like to briefly tell the engineers and producers who are reading what our basic setup is like. I know this is something that I’m always curious whenever I read an article about a group. We’re using Pro Tools HD3 as well as Logic 8. Josh is more the logic guy and I work mainly in Pro Tools. We have several hardware synths including a Studio Electronics ATC-X, Prophet 8, and a Moog Li’l Phatty. Some of the software synths we use are the Indigo Virus, NI Battery, NI Massive, NI FM8. We have a nice set of Neve and API microphone preamps and compressors. Additionally we often mix through a 16 channel Neve 5462 console I restored. We prefer to us outboard effects whenever possible. Vocals have been tracked using a variety of microphones including a Neumann U87, Lawson L47, and a Korby convertible.

Josh: Everywhere. Ideas come from dreams, movies, long plane rides, or just fiddling around on an old analog keyboard till something goes “pop”.

Mephisto Odyssey Droppin' Their Single Watch You Go

6.Can you give us a breakdown on how a track is formed from start to finish?

Mikael: Usually one of us will come up with a basic rhythm idea…Let's say I develop a beat and baseline pattern, and then Josh will come in and help me keep it honest. If it’s not grooving right or if it’s not sounding current or fresh he’ll fool with it until it starts to take shape. Then once the rhythm section is working we’ll work on ideas for vocal or synth lines, effects, editing even lyrics…

Josh: Usually jam sessions or ideas that were spawned from a previous gig. But I know a lot of our ideas come for love of film and old movies. Sometimes mike has a song idea and I have an idea for a bass line and we just mold them together.

Mephisto Odyssey at Splice LA, 1 Year Anniversary

7. What is distinctive about Mephisto Odyssey?

Mikael: I definitely feel like we embody the sort of Hip-Hop and Rock influenced Electro Breaks sound coming out of SF at the moment but even beyond that we do seem to have a distinctive style to our songs that we’ve developed over the years. I think the sound we have is a culmination of very diverse interests and taste in music and other art forms.

Josh: Electronic organic!

8. Do you have a favorite musical project that you've both worked on?

Mikael: For me it was working on the “So What” Jane’s Addiction single. That was a definite high point…on a side note we met DJ Polywog (who some of you might remember from the film Groove), while she was on tour with Jane’s Addiction shortly after the single was released. I mention this because Polywog is a featured vocalist on our upcoming single “Bump”, which I believe we’re giving away one of the remixes as a free download on your site.

Josh: Hands down working with Static-X and Len Wiseman (director) on the Batman Beyond video.

Director Len Wiseman

9. Is there an artist you want to work with that you have not yet had the opportunity to work with?

Mikael: Hmmm that’s a tough question… I mean there is always the fantasy wish list of artists that were a part of changing pop culture that I’d love to work with like David Bowie…probably not going to happen but I never thought we’d be working on a project with Jane’s Addiction either so I guess you never know. On a slightly more realistic level we’re actually already working on a track with our good friend DJ Toure of Hieroglyphics that features vocals by Hieroglyphics founder Del (also of the Gorillaz). We’re very excited about this project actually!

Josh: The Chemical Brothers or Daft Punk.

10.What can we expect from Mephisto Odyssey in 2008?

Mikael: As I mentioned earlier we’re working on a track that will feature vocals by Del. That’s probably the biggest thing we‘ve actually started working on, but we have several other big projects in the works. Another priority project for us is the 2008 remixes of our single “Crash”, which we originally did as a collaboration with Platinum selling industrial metal act “Static-X.” Fantastadon will be doing one of the remixes for this release, but there will be several other remixes.

Josh: Top Notch Solid Releases from our label Groove Quest, big massive live gigs, and hopefully a world tour by the end of the year. 11.Do you have advice for aspiring artists who want to become music producers?

Mikael: Do what you love and love what you do… If you don’t love this more than anything then get out because this is a tough business and it’s getting tougher every day. If you do love it and it stops being fun you’re doing something wrong, take a step back, take a break and then push forward. Eventually if you want it bad enough and work hard enough you’ll get there (even if “there” isn’t exactly what you imagined when you first started).
When we started making Electronic music in 1993 I got into it because I loved the music, the scene and everything around it. It was new, it was exciting and it challenged me artistically and technically. At that time I couldn’t have imagined how far Electronic music would go and I didn’t care, I was just doing what I loved. To all the artists that want to make Electronic music in 2008 I hope to see you push the boundaries as much as possible but in doing so don’t loose site of the song.

Josh: Do your own thing no matter what anyone says. Learn your history. Don't worry about the “Rule book”.... here's a little tip “it doesn't exist”

Mephisto Odyssey, Ruby Skye San Francisco

12.What do you feel is the greatest challenge facing the music industry today?

Mikael: Well, as most of us are aware the switch over to a digital culture has had a huge impact on the music industry. Record sales are bad and they aren’t ever going to recover in my honest opinion. There are many reasons for this, one of which is the fact that we’ve gone from an album driven industry to a track driven industry. Most of my own friends, even those old enough to remember buying records on vinyl tell me, “I don’t buy albums anymore, I just buy tracks…if I like a bands track I buy it, if they come out with another track and I don’t then I’m over them and looking for something new.”
Back in the day when you actually went to the record store to buy music and you had to buy a bands entire album you might actually give it a chance… listen several times before dismissing it if it didn’t catch you’re ear the first time. Many times growing up I bought albums and they grew on me over time and became my favorite records. I feel sorry for the new generation coming up that will probably never have this experience.
Obviously the music industry will have to figure out how to make money through other revenue streams besides record sales. How that will work exactly is anyone’s guess. Publishing and touring are a part of it. Corporate sponsorships will probably come into play for those bands with enough visibility to be deemed valuable enough to help attract buyers to a product. In fact the record labels of tomorrow may be big corporations that in the past had little connection to the music industry… But honestly this is pure conjecture; it’s really anyone’s guess and anyone’s game at this point.

LP and Fetty Be of The Buzz with Mephisto Odyssey Founder Mikael Johnston at Ruby Skye, Nov. 07

13. What has been your greatest reward to date?

Mikael: Honestly, not to sound corny but just knowing that people from around the world are hearing our music is a huge reward for me. Maybe it’s my own narcissism lol but I didn’t get into this for the money, I did it for my own satisfaction. Don’t get me wrong, money is great, we do want to make money with our music, but Josh put it best when he said, “I can get up in the morning and look myself in the mirror, knowing I’m being true to myself…”

Josh: Undoubtedly would have to be the Internet and its relationship to music sales.

14.Tell us about your latest work and where we can get it!?

Mikael: “Bump” featuring remixes by Hot Pink Delorean and Fantastadon, (additional production by DJ Toure of Hieroglyphics and Simon Stewart), due out August 26th. The Hot Pink Delorean mix will be available for free download for a limited time. Be sure to get your today by clicking on the below link:

http://www2.mephisto-odyssey.com/files/Mephisto_Odyssey_BUMP_(HPD)_remix_320.mp3

Fetty Be thanks for having us! (MY PLEASURE AND PRIVILEGE !!!)

Mikael & Josh

MEPHISTO ODYSSEY 2008, photographed by Stephanie Edmark

Keeping the beat and the "BUMP",

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