Mexicans with Guns: New EP + Interview May 13, 2010 1 comment	By Derek

Somewhere in Texas, the neighbors haven’t been getting good sleep. Pictures are rattling off walls, and car alarms offer clues on the recent whereabouts of a mysterious masked man. His real name is known to few, but most know him as Mexicans with Guns. Those who have seen him report bass-heavy assaults on popular musicians, slicing and distorting their most valued creations and coldly showcasing his work in dark, smoky rooms around the US (Sample the evidence below). Mexicans with Guns is a wanted man.

Recently we received contact from the fugitive who agreed to spare our subwoofers in exchange for a broadcast of his most recent sinister plans: An EP? Perhaps Mexicans with Guns is “merely” a musician whose made his name by peppering the underground with fiery dubstep remixes. Perhaps he is something more nefarious. But after sampling his first EP, Me Gusto, we thought our readers should be on high alert.

Decide for yourself after reading our conversation with Mexicans with Guns.

BRASKY: When did you first become interested to produce electronic music? Were their any specific tracks that you especially recall being influenced by?
MwG: I remember a time when I thought electronic music was not “real” music at all. Luckily this opinion of mine shifted. During this transition I started listening more to turntablism, drum and bass, and electronic beat stuff. To be honest… I was really freaked out by Amon Tobin’s beats back in the day, but freaked out in a mind-blowing way. I was impressed by the process of taking old samples and flipping them into something new… a process which I was already familiar with in art and collage. There was always a computer in the house and around the age of 18 I saw a commercial for a very generic music making program and I ordered it. This was my first steps into producing electronic music. Up until this point I had been playing guitar. Making music digitally is a very visual process, and having an art background, I feel that I picked it up fairly quickly and I fell in love instantly.

BRASKY: Tell us a little about your earliest production gear and/or software, as well as your most recent weapons of choice.
MwG: There’s been so many different things that I have used from the most primitive software called trackers to analogue drum machines and samplers. My earliest production software was a program called Magix which I think you can still buy, but I spent a good amount of time using Impulse Tracker which is a program that looks as though you are typing in Midi notes and information. It would probably turn off so many people trying to make music with a tracker but I am so glad to have this experience…it forced me to problem solve how to make effects and transitions.

BRASKY: Indeed; modern software obscures a lot of the details. You’ve made your name as a remix artist, bombing the underground with dancefloor bangers. But Me Gusto tests the waters with some original tracks, featuring some interesting samples of children’s voices and even dogs (or should we say, perros?) – tell us about the recent evolution of your work.
MwG: I think making music has a lot to do with what you have laying around or have access to. I know some producers out there that use free software an make some of the most amazing songs I’ve ever heard. I have made music specifically for my daughter in the past, and it was a natural passing thought as I was working on the track to include her in it. It was just a, “damn I wonder how she would sound in this song” thought, and so I got her on the mic. I’m so pleased with the way it sounds and I cannot wait until she is older so I can show her the record and play it for her. In some way I hope that this stays with her and inspires her to make music or be creative in some other way.

Mexicans with Guns – Me Gusto Sampler by Brasky

Album art for Me Gusto (2010)

BRASKY: At the very least we expect she’ll be winning some “my dad can outmix your dad” contests. Perhaps you aren’t exactly the villain we envisaged. But perhaps some of the original artists of your remixes think otherwise – have you been contacted by artists who you have remixed?
MwG: I’ve always felt that Mexicans with Guns was a bad ass with a heart of gold. Those are definitely among my favorite characters. Remixing is just too prevalent now, and I think the remixes help the original artists out even more. Music is an art form first and then business second. We need to treat music like art and do what we want with it. In art its ok to break rules as long as you know them first…we gotta do the same with music.

BRASKY: We’ll remix a drink to that! Dubstep and indie music are pretty polarized on the listening spectrum, yet you have concocted some seamless remixes of Animal Collective, Yppah, and The Postal Service, to name a few. How would you describe your listening tastes?
MwG: I dont know if anything good has ever come from doing the same thing over and over or from digging yourself deeply into one niche. New beautiful sounds evolve from the marriage of disparate genres…just like when you see a French, Alaskan, Mexican, Indian chick….you know she’s gonna be hot. haha It’s from all that genetic mixing. I like to listen to all kinds of music but I find myself particularly fond of music that is sincere in some way and there are a lot of different things out there that can fit into that description.

BRASKY: My French-speaking Alaskan Mexican Indian ex-girlfriend better not be reading this. You have had some opportunities to play alongside some other talented producers in the scene, such as Daedelus and Peanut Butter Wolf. Who impressed and/or influenced you the most?
MwG: I am ALWAYS impressed by Daedelus in so many different respects from his production skills, to his live show, and him being one of the sweetest guys there is…he’s a solid dude. The west coast scene in general is also very inspiring to me. I’d love to see something similar happen here in Texas.

BRASKY: You are pretty secretive with your identity, wearing a Mexican wrestling mask during shows and photo ops. We can only assume you are concealing ghastly scars and/or an unfortunate likeness to an unpopular celebrity. Are we close????
MwG: I’d love to tell you that I look like Sloth from the Goonies. The one thing that I will tell you is that I’m brown.

BRASKY: So…….. it’s not an act? Dare we ask for your real name? Age? Favorite Ninja Turtle?
MwG: My real name is something ethnic. I am an aquarius. Favorite Ninja Turtle is Leonardo…plus he’s named after one of my favorite artists out of the group as well.

BRASKY: Bill Brasky was Aquarius! In addition to being a Taurus and a Cancer! Back to music – what remixes might we expect in the near future, assuming you stay ahead of la migra?
MwG: Yeah I know man…whats up the anti-immigration frenzy lately. I have a remix wrapped up for Freddie Gibbs that I think will be pretty hot…coming out on Innovative Leisure. One remix for Day of the Woman on Exponential Records and I have a split EP with Berlin producer Robot Koch of Jahcoozi on Friends of Friends Records.

BRASKY: Awesome. As long as the conservatives are tea partying, I’d keep the mask on. Long-term ambitions of Mexicans with Guns?
MwG: Ultimately…make the soundtrack to the upcoming mind evolution but with more bass….or maybe just become a shaman.

BRASKY: You’re making headway on both fronts. Thanks for the chat.
MwG: *vanishes*

WANT SOME
Mexicans with Guns was kind enough not only to allow us to share some tracks, but also gave a green light on making them available for download:

The Faunts – Feel. Love. Thinking. Of. (Mexicans with Guns remix) by Brasky

Yppah – Gumball Machine Weekend (Mexicans with Gun remix) by Brasky

Tags: download dubstep featured interview mp3 remixes samples