In a recent interview with Galore Magazine, Paul Blair aka DJ White Shadow, spoke a bit about working with Gaga on Born This Way and also working on ARTPOP. Check out the full interview!
If you’ve been jamming out to Lady Gaga’s latest single, “Applause”, as much as we have, then you have Paul Blair (DJ White Shadow) to thank. As one of the co-producers/writers of the singers highly anticipated fourth studio album, ARTPOP, (as well her 2011 Born This Way), Paul has played an intricate part in the development of the singers (AMAZING) sound from behind the curtains. We got a chance to sit with Paul and find out about the hitmaker’s childhood, how he got his DJ name, and what we should expect to hear on ARTPOP. Scroll down for more!
Jeremy McClain: So you grew up on a farm in Ohio but spent your school years in Detroit, if I’m not mistaken. How do you think those two different places influenced your sound?
White Shadow: I literally used to collect chicken eggs before I went to school. For whatever reason, in a school where I would have been with the same 26 kids from kindergarten until I graduated high school (had i stayed) I found “Mr. Magic’s Rap Attack”. I used to listen to it everyday. It had Whodini, UTFO, Grand Master Flash, and the Furious Five etc. I loved that tape. From then on out, all I ever asked for when it came to be gift time was music. I loved rap and read every cover to find out where the sample came from and then bought that record. In Detroit, I discovered techno music through the electrifying mojo late night show “The Midnight Funk Association”. I was just always trying to find something new, going to underground resistance parties, etc. Everything I ever make starts off with hip-hop or techno. I love drums. I love bass. It is the foundation for good music in my opinion.
JM: You started DJing at 17 in Japan. How did that happen?
WS: I went to school for Japanese on an exchange program, walked into a bar that had turntables and a whole rack of records in the bar. I asked the guy if I could DJ and he said yes. I was somewhat of an attraction because I’m 6’4”, which thank god was more important than djing well.
JM: How/When did you come up with the name Whiteshadow and how does it embody your DJ persona?
WS: When I came back and started djing in college, a lot of parties I played at, I was coincidentally the only white dude in the place. Someone came up with the name and put it on a flyer and it just stuck…
JM: So I know that you worked with Gaga on her 2011 Born This Way album, what was that experience like?
WS: Amazing, hectic, sad and happy. I mean it was an emotional rollercoaster. We worked really hard on that record while we were travelling around the world. We had some great supportive people on that tour and we had a couple of assholes that leached on too. I got to travel the world and work with some geniuses. Paul McCartney asked me if he could sit next to me at Madison Square Garden. We got snowed in on the highway in France and spent an afternoon snowball fighting 14 year olds without communicating in the same language. I got to work with someone I think is a genius on making a record that I love. I made some life long friends.
JM: What was your favorite song from the album?
WS: Government Hooker. That song was made in the fun spirit that this new ARTPOP album was made in.
JM: You also worked with the Lady on her yet to be released ARTPOP album as well, how would you describe the overall sound of the album in 5 words?
WS: All over the place fun
JM: What’s the next step for Whiteshadow?
WS: I have a record with Evan Ross I have to put out, I have a record with Too Short I have to put out, I have some personal stuff I want to put into the world, probably another LG album (I mean, if she will let me :) ) and I would like to squeeze some duck hunting in there too.
