talenthouse - ALL CREATIVE

The grand ambassadors of West Coast hip hop Cypress Hill and dubstep sorcerer Rusko wanted to share the spotlight and see what rising acts could remix their track. With their collaborative Talenthouse Invite, they found the right remixer for the job in Spain’s DJ Trikinosis, aka Jose Alberto Morato. Trikinosis had been eager to pay tribute to the legends that introduced him to true hip hop while also revving up his own creative engines. After Cypress Hill and Rusko announced Morata as their chosen remixer, he was down to talk about his experiences as a multi-instrumental musician who’s no stranger to spinning punk and electro for the dancefloor.

And the crowd goes fluorescent – DJ Trikinosis in his element, at the mix table.

TH: What lead you to participate in this CI?
Jose: I have participated in some Talenthouse remixing Invites like Queen’s remix Invite. When I saw that there was a Cypress Hill and Rusko remixing contest, it made me so happy that I stopped all the other work I was doing at that time – because Cypress Hill was my first hip hop band in the early Nineties and this shot at collaborating with them would be an incredible opportunity for my live shows.

TH: What were you hoping to accomplish musically with your submission? Could you walk us through your preparation of this track?
Jose: Well, I just wanted to do a dirty electro track because I thought that Cypress Hill would combine perfectly with this style. I added Rusko’s instrumentals, which are awesome. I played with the original melody, then created a new one by changing the pitch and generating different notes with my electro melody.

TH: How you did you develop your abilities as a remixer?
Jose: I started when I was 12 years old, mixing heavy metal classics with a double cassette deck, which was very entertaining for me and my closer friends. A few years later, I bought a four-track tape recorder plus a very bad drum machine, to which I started to add my electric guitar bass and cheap keyboard. I learned a lot at that time, but it’s when I bought my computer that I could really start to create music and to develop my abilities. I have learned a lot from sharing info with producers over the internet, but I still have so much to learn that I’ll probably need ten lives to accomplish all that I want!

TH: What’s the story behind your DJ name, DJ Trikinosis?
Jose: Ha ha, this is something that I’m not so proud of, but now I can’t change it (as Prince did). I have always loved animals and one of my favorites are pigs – I have a huge collection of pig toys, puppets and stuff that good friends have given me. Trichinosis is a disease that pigs get from rats, but I write it with a “K” because punks bands from Spain were doing it when I started to produce. It’s my way of saying, “Yes, I make dance music, but I keep my punk core.” You can see this most on my YouTube videos which try to be funny, yet also convey some social protest.

Based in Spain, DJ Trikinosis collaborates with all kinds of characters.

TH: Do you have any other creative interests in addition to remixing?
Jose: I love making videoclips and sometimes painting, but I’m so bad.

TH: Who are some of your favorite musicians and for what reasons?
Jose: My favorite band since I was 12 years old is AC/DC with Bon Scott singing. It’s such simple and effective music that never gets old. Also Motorhead for the same reason I love Lemmy, Sex Pistols – I know they were the Great Rock ‘n’ Roll Swindle, but I like it, Cypress Hill, Beastie Boys, Public Enemy and all the rap classics because they – especially Cypress – made me discover and love hip hop.

In electronic music, Daft Punk is one of those bands whose appearance changed everything and everybody was trying to sound like them (myself included, but they are just impossible to imitate). There’s a singer from Spain who died about 6 years ago, called El Fary, who has been one of my bigger influences not only because of his music but because he was so funny and such a good person that everybody starts to smile and dance whenever one of his songs is played.

I love new dubstep sounds, but I’m getting sick of people who use the same style all the time. And when they find that you’re playing classic electro, they look at you as if you were insane in the membrane, ha.

The Trikinosis coat of arms is turning up in all sorts of places now.

TH: Has this Talenthouse experience encouraged you to undertake any other projects?
Jose: Of course! It has been a big support for my future productions. Cypress and Rusko chose my remix and it makes me think that I can perhaps become a professional producer in the future. Because of this contest I’m going to work harder to become it. I have also won some other remix contests this year but this one is just too big.

TH: Are there any other words you’d like to share with the Talenthouse community?
Jose: First, I want to thank Talenthouse team for this opportunity, and for their amiability toward me when I was contacted. I also want to say that all the producers of this contest deserved to win (I’m not just being polite). There are incredible works here and the level of the participants was just amazing. I want to tell them that if they keep on working like this, they will win other Talenthouse contests – their contribution to the music scene is and will continue to be awesome.

DJ Trikinosis spreads his empire throughout more than one channel. Check them all out:
Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | Soundcloud | Creatudisco

Congratulations on creating Cypress Hill and Rusko’s top choice of remix, Jose Alberto Morato! We trust this will give you the fuel to keep turning out dynamic beats.