MAKJ is dropping his latest track "Generic" today on Spinnin' Records. With a title like that, we wondered if the 24-year-old DJ was making a dig at how formulaic EDM can be. So we called him up and asked if he was taking the piss—and he ended up going one step further, creating a a Beatport Top 10 track out of his own piss sounds, and sending us a video of the whole process. There are layers to this shit. Feast your ears on MAKJ's "Generic," and read about his thoughts on the state of electronic music in our interview below. Where is the line between reality and parody here? You decide.THUMP: How did you come up with "Generic"?
MAKJ: I made it a year and a half ago, and debuted it at Ultra in Miami this March. Every DJ would say, "This sounds pretty generic," so that's what I named the track. Some people are laughing about it and other people are saying it sucks giant cock.With "Generic" and the Beatport Top 10 tracks you made from sounds of your fart and piss, are you trying to make a statement about how formulaic main-stage EDM can be?
The fart thing was a big fuck you to the electronic music world. Everything is getting so saturated that all you can do is make fun of it. DJs like Avicii and Calvin Harris—they're not DJs. They're artists that people pay to see. Kids don't know the difference.A video posted by THUMP (@thump) on Dec 12, 2014 at 10:27am PSTIs "Generic" a parody?
I want to say yes, but I want to say no. It's one of the best songs in my set. It's the kind of song you show to your mom and dad after they listen to four other songs in the Beatport Top 10, and they would not know the difference. It's not a parody… but it kind of is.You've had a bunch of songs chart in the Beatport Top 10, like "Countdown" with Hardwell, "Derp" with Bassjackers, "Go" with Showtek and M35, and "Encore" with Henry Fong. How would you respond to people who say that you're kind of biting the hand that feeds you?
I'm just showing how it's really easy to make this music. People are trying to figure out the formula to my music. I'm not trying to say fuck you, but kids don't really know the difference between DJing and playing the top ten records. That's why [the dance music world] is so saturated. Steve Angello just did a good interview about the club scene and how kids are getting pushed straight to the festivals. I started playing in sororities and frats, bars and clubs, then festivals. You have to pay your dues.How stoned were you when you made this track?
I can't produce while I'm high, there's just too much shit going on. I'll be tweaking a drum for an hour because I'm like, wow, I just screwed that up.MAKJ's "Generic" is out now, buy it hereMichelle Lhooq has never had sex with an Avicii condom but she bets it's really generic - @MichelleLhooq
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MAKJ: I made it a year and a half ago, and debuted it at Ultra in Miami this March. Every DJ would say, "This sounds pretty generic," so that's what I named the track. Some people are laughing about it and other people are saying it sucks giant cock.With "Generic" and the Beatport Top 10 tracks you made from sounds of your fart and piss, are you trying to make a statement about how formulaic main-stage EDM can be?
The fart thing was a big fuck you to the electronic music world. Everything is getting so saturated that all you can do is make fun of it. DJs like Avicii and Calvin Harris—they're not DJs. They're artists that people pay to see. Kids don't know the difference.A video posted by THUMP (@thump) on Dec 12, 2014 at 10:27am PSTIs "Generic" a parody?
I want to say yes, but I want to say no. It's one of the best songs in my set. It's the kind of song you show to your mom and dad after they listen to four other songs in the Beatport Top 10, and they would not know the difference. It's not a parody… but it kind of is.You've had a bunch of songs chart in the Beatport Top 10, like "Countdown" with Hardwell, "Derp" with Bassjackers, "Go" with Showtek and M35, and "Encore" with Henry Fong. How would you respond to people who say that you're kind of biting the hand that feeds you?
I'm just showing how it's really easy to make this music. People are trying to figure out the formula to my music. I'm not trying to say fuck you, but kids don't really know the difference between DJing and playing the top ten records. That's why [the dance music world] is so saturated. Steve Angello just did a good interview about the club scene and how kids are getting pushed straight to the festivals. I started playing in sororities and frats, bars and clubs, then festivals. You have to pay your dues.How stoned were you when you made this track?
I can't produce while I'm high, there's just too much shit going on. I'll be tweaking a drum for an hour because I'm like, wow, I just screwed that up.MAKJ's "Generic" is out now, buy it hereMichelle Lhooq has never had sex with an Avicii condom but she bets it's really generic - @MichelleLhooq