If you've ever heard a mashup -- a remixing technique that takes elements from several songs and layers them over each other -- you can thank DJ Z-Trip. A pioneer of the style, Z-Trip (born Zach Sciacca) played a key role in driving the sound's popularity.
Alaskans can see Sciacca perform live when he headlines First Tap on Thursday with Blackalicious rapper Gift of Gab.
Long before Girl Talk started crafting mashups on his computer or Jay-Z and Linkin Park won a Grammy for one created in a studio, Sciacca and DJ P released "Uneasy Listening." In a live 70-minute mix, the duo played some of their favorite mashups, making unlikely pairings such as Newcleus with Metallica and the Beastie Boys with Rush.
"We were like -- let's just do something that's all crazy, things that are weird to other people, but to us are more interesting," Sciacca said in a phone interview from his Los Angeles home. "Its funny, when we did it. We were like, 'People are going to hate on us.' "
The work was an instant classic, a hit with critics and fans. Soon the concept of the mashup, like many pop culture phenomenon, went from underground novelty to being accepted and then co-opted by the mainstream.
"We inspired and set the tone for a lot of people to do that style of mixing. It caught on in such a big way that it started spreading like wildfire, and before people knew it that became the norm," Sciacca said.
Much like a mashup that fuses different styles of music, Sciacca maintains his popularity in seemingly disparate scenes.
He can play for the masses at major outdoor festivals such as Coachella and Bonnaroo and still pack a dance floor at a weekly residency at the Palms Hotel in Las Vegas. While the festival crowd is turned on by new tunes, Vegas clubbers are reluctant to dance to songs they don't recognize. Still, Sciacca works to incorporate his own flavor to the music and keep things from getting stale.
"In Vegas, I'll take Lady Gaga and throw a break beat underneath it. All of a sudden I've made it -- for me -- a bit more palatable and interesting. And the crowd is none the wiser," Sciacca said. "Being able to do that and flex a muscle that I hadn't really used in a while, it's kind of fun."
Last year he was named America's Best DJ in a reader poll conducted by "DJ Times" magazine. Recently, a new generation of listeners were turned onto mashups through the video game platform DJ Hero. Naturally several of Sciacca's mixes are featured and gamers can even perform as him.
Once bands or comedians develop a successful act, they can be tempted to play it safe and stick with an established routine they know will work. The same can be true for DJs like Sciacca who have signature mixes fans know from albums, videos and games. But, when it comes to his craft, Sciacca would rather innovate than replicate.
"It's sort of like a rock band coming up and playing their greatest hits. The thing that's different between a rock band and a DJ is, as a DJ you have this ability to bounce around a little bit more because it's all liquid and fluid," Sciacca said. "You still have the ability to freestyle while you're performing because it keeps you on your toes and it forces you to read the crowd and get tapped into that very primal instinct as a performer."
Sciacca has made several trips to Alaska, but it's been about 10 years since his last one.
On earlier visits he performed at now-defunct Decibel Records and Chilkoot Charlie's, smaller crowds than the hundreds that will greet him Thursday at the Bear Tooth Theatre.
"I've been wanting to play Alaska for a long time. A lot of really good things have happened for me, so I'm coming back like a bigger stronger entity and totally supercharged, but ready to throw down."
DJ Z-Trip With opening guest Gift of Gab
When: Thursday, 9 p.m.
Where: Bear Tooth Theatre
Tickets: $30, beartooththeatre.net
PLAY BLOG: Z-Trip video and downloads
By Spencer Shroyer
sshroyer@adn.com