Burns. UK DJ/producer. Friend of Calvin Harris. Support act for Deadmau5 on his US tour. Although he is a newer face on the scene, Burns’s resume and remix catalogue speak volumes about the waves he has made so far in the electronic music world. His sound has been branded by some as part of the “nu-disco” scene that is seeing a current surge based on the highly acclaimed output of acts such as Aeroplane, Holy Ghost, and Grum. His latest track (and EP) entitled “So Many Nights” are the catalyst for his latest US run, which starts this Tuesday at Cinespace in Hollywood. Don’t miss the chance to see him in action!

Hello my name is…
CookBook

I was raised in…
Los Angeles, Ca! (home of the gangstas!)

The reason that you’re reading about me is…
I am an emcee/producer from the legendary L.A. Symphony crew.  I have released 3 projects with longtime partner UNO Mas, and on June 23rd, I will be dropping my first ever solo album entitled “I Love The 80’s”; a concept record where all the inspiration comes from 80’s pop music.  It’s fantastic, and you will fall in love with it over and over…

Right now I’m working on… These questions!

But I’d rather be…
butt naked underneath a waterfall in Puerto Rico with my wife.

My most prized possessions are…
My loved ones, my music, and…my Nikes!

But I’d give it all away for…
More Nikes!  Yeah, right!  I wouldn’t give ‘em away for nothing!

The first thing I do in the morning is…
Urinate sitting down, cause I’m too tired to stand up and do it (yup), and check my emails on my iPhone at the same time.

Words by: Bill Zimmerman
Photo by: Andrew Strasser

2006 may have been Girl Talk’s break out year, but in 2008 he brought his frantic laptop creations to an even bigger audience. Gregg Gillis released his fourth Girl Talk project, Feed the Animals, and finished ’08 with a successful tour – including a Chicago show in front of 4,500 – and inclusion on several year-end best lists. The Pittsburgh artist’s fourth album packs more than 300 unlicensed samples into 14 tracks, spanning various decades and genres. After marking his first complete year as a full-time entertainer – he quit his job as a biomedical engineer in 2007 – Gillis discussed the rise of Girl Talk.

A few years back you had Girl Talk shirts stating “I am not a DJ.” What’s the best way to describe your act?
I’m really interested in the fact that it’s come that there is no clear definition. That alone is like something I even pride myself on, that it kind of fits in somewhere between lots of things. A lot of the people I look up to and the reason I started doing this music were other producers, making beats out of samples. So, I’ve always in a very vague sense just considered myself a producer.

Tell me about living a double life as an engineer and Girl Talk.
Around the summer of 2006, I put out the album Night Ripper and people kind of took to it on the Internet, and prior to that I had been working a day job doing engineering for about like two to three years at that point. And I didn’t tell them about it just because it is very specific what I do. And I was kind of working with some older guys, all really cool guys but there was really no reason to explain what I was doing, especially because it’s like I go out and I rip my shirt off and play a computer. … Eventually, it just reached the point where I had to decide between one or the other.

Girl Talk started at shows often held in basements and art galleries. Tell me about the early years.
The music is accessible now but kind of where it comes from is definitely a more experimental world and my early stuff was like that. …Even back then, I had a small cult following going on in like Pittsburgh and Cleveland, and you know that’s about it, a few people knew who I was but nothing big. It was literally like night and day between pre-Night Ripper and post-Night Ripper.

You often perform shoulder-to-shoulder with the fans. As your popularity grows do you think the shows will be less intimate?
I used to like the shows to be a free-for-all and just let people get on stage if they want, let them go, but once you reach a certain point it’s just not feasible. … This whole project was born from the more intimate shows, but as it grows bigger I think it can transcend that original idea and become something else. I think when you have 4,000 people singing and dancing together that has a lot more heart behind it than 50 people hanging out, sweating it out.

Hi my name is…
Tera Patrick.

I was raised…
All over the world, but I did most of my growing up in the San Francisco area.

The reason you’re reading about me is…
I am a pin-up, glamour model, entrepreneur, producer, burlesque dancer…Oh yeah, and an adult film starlet.

I work for…
My own company, Teravision. Get it? Tera-vision? [Ed. note: Is this a racial joke?] We are sister companies with Vivid Entertainment and I pride myself with being an upwardly mobile woman of the millennium!

Right now I’m working on…
Where do I start? I’m launching a T-shirt line available at upscale stores around major cities. The shirts feature me in different ‘looks’ like a biker chick or Wonder Woman, a nurse, etc, showing the many sides of Tera Patrick. (Am I speaking in the third person now?) I am also working on a fitness video entitled Fit For Sex. At the moment, I’m launching my new radio show that I do with my husband Evan Seinfeld (lead singer of Biohazard, and The Spyderz, actor on “Oz” on HBO, etc) entitled “Rockstar Pornstar” on SIRIUS, Playboy 198. Also, look for my new TV series “School of Sex” on Playboy TV. If that’s not enough, I produce two to three HD adult videos a month and you can see the trailers at www.teratrailers.com. And of course all the full-length videos are available at www.terapatrick.com. I also do a lot of personal appearances ranging from upscale nightclubs where I DJ or just celebrity host to high-end gentlemen’s clubs. And look for huge news on my new sexy project in Las Vegas—too hot to tell right now!

My most prized possessions are…
Right now I would have to say my favorite toy is the Smart Car that Evan bought me. I have a lot of material things, but I don’t define myself by my stuff as a lot of people do.

But I’d give it all away for…
Being able to help people more than I do. I work with a few charities, especially B.A.B.E. (Breast Awareness Benefits Everyone).

The last thing I do at night is…
What do you think?

My father always said…
To follow my heart and my dreams and not to worry what other people think!

If you ever see me walking down the street…
Just smile and say “You go girl!”

My most notable run-in with the law…
I’m very law abiding. But the police have tried to mess with us for shooting without a permit in Hawaii—personally I think they just wanted autographs. I’m a goodie-goodie.

If I had to say sorry it would be because…
I distracted you and made you crash your car staring at me. (This happens more than you’d think.)

The last time I swore I’d never drink was after a night of…
Jack Daniels. I threw a fashion show for my lingerie line, Mistress Couture, at Crowbar in Chicago. I drank a bunch of Jack Daniels and didn’t realize how wasted I was. Evan videotaped me throwing up and threatened to put it on YouTube. I swore off booze since then.

And before I leave I’d like to give a shout out to…
My whole team at Teravision who work tirelessly on my numerous projects, and of course all the fans for elevating me to the top of my industry. Thanks guys, love you all.

Hello my name is…
Clinton Sparks.

Aka…
Mr. Get Familiar.

I was raised in…
Boston. Dorchester to be specific.

The reason that you’re reading about me is…
I’m a DJ, producer, songwriter, and a TV and radio personality.

I work for…
Myself, The Daily 10 on E!, Body English in the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas, and the fans.

Right now I’m working on…
Ludacris, Beyonce, Colby O’Donis, and Bun B’s albums, as well as my album and my new artist Supastar L.T.’s album. Also working on music with Akon, Ne-Yo and the PCD’s.

But I’d rather be…
I’m doing exactly what I want to be doing in my life, if I wasn’t I wouldn’t be doing it.

I’ve worked with…
Akon, Diddy, Luda, Bun B, Busta Rhymes, Kanye West, Clipse, Kardinal Offishall…

I’d love to work with…
Teddy Riley, Weezer, Pink, Jay-Z and anybody open minded and willing to experiment with new ideas and sounds.

My most prized possessions are…
My family, my team (Daouda: manager, Kamau: engineer, DJ BK: assistant engineer), and my ability to understand different personalities and deal with irrational, difficult people.

The first thing I do in the morning is…
When I’m at home: put my contacts in, have breakfast with my son, vacuum my studio, then get to work. When I’m on the road: check my Blackberry, then get to work.

The last thing I do at night is…
When I’m at home: turn off my equipment and check out some online porn. When I’m on the road: I check out some porn then lie down and fall asleep watching TV.

I can’t travel without…
My Blackberry and laptop.

My momma always said…
I don’t know. I didn’t listen to her much, except when she yelled, “Turn that music down!”

I love it when people…
Help each other out and show courtesy to one another.

I can’t stand when people…
Are unappreciative—it’s disgusting.

I have too many…
Things I want to accomplish and friends.

I don’t have enough…
Time or real friends.

I spend too much money on…
My house and plane tickets.

The most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen is…
My son being born.

The ugliest thing I’ve ever seen is…
My wife’s face while that was happening! Just joking, she was beautiful.

I really should…
Hurry up and finish recording my album so I can be making more records for other people.

If you ever see me walking down the street…
I’m in a rush, so it wouldn’t be the best time to get my attention with an “I’m the hottest artist in the world” speech.

My most notable run-in with the law…
Was when I was in the judge’s chambers and the judge gave the plaintiff the choice of me going to juvenile prison or home after I was caught breaking in her house and was going to mash her with a frying pan in order to get out of the house, but she walked by without noticing me so I made a break for it. She told the judge let me go home. Bless her heart!

If I had to say sorry it would be because…
I spend all my time working. That’s the reason I wrote the “Sorry Blame It On Me” record with Akon. It’s a true story!

The last time I swore I’d never drink was after a night of…
Watching my dad as a kid almost kill my mom when he was drunk when I was 5. I decided I would never drink. If there is more negative than positive with something, then I want nothing to do with it.

You can catch me…
On The Daily 10 on E! every Tuesday at 7:30 and midnight, at Smashtime Saturdays at Body English in Las Vegas, every week on my worldwide syndicated radio show Smashtime radio (also on Shade 45 on SIRIUS and smashtimeradio.com), smashing down a club in your country or city, and on clintonsparks.com.

Future projects and plans…
My album is coming out soon, Supastar L.T.’s album, announcing my first major record deal and a massive new mixtape I’m dropping on 2008 featuring Ludacris, Rick Ross, Jim Jones, Akon, Clipse, Yung Joc, Kardinal Offishal, Busta Rhymes…

And before I leave I’d like to give a shout out to…
Everyone that enjoys what I do and comes to the clubs I smash, bumps my mixtapes, and anyone that has ever told anyone else to get familiar with Clinton Sparks. Thank you!

Photo by Damon Kidwell

Hello my name is…
Dirt Nasty.

Aka…
Juliani Regalia, aka Simon Rex. I got all kinds of names.

I was raised in…
The Bay Area.

The reason that you’re reading about me is…
‘Cause I’m a rapper who’s funny and not hard.

I work for…
Shoot To Kill Music.

Right now I’m working on…
My Pontiac Fiero with hood flames. So hood.

But I’d rather be…
Getting my feet rubbed by a pre-op transsexual.

My most prized possessions are…
My MPC, Pro Tools, my MCM jacket with matching fanny pack, and my dead cat.

But I’d give it all away for…
A green Jolly Rancher or some change.

The first thing I do in the morning is…
Kick the ugly girl out my house.

The last thing I do at night is…
Watch Conan O’Brian naked.

My momma always said…
“Shut up idiot.”

I love it when people…
Drop names.

I can’t stand when people…
Drop names.

The most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen is…
A garbage truck in Oakland.

The ugliest thing I’ve ever seen is…
The sunset in Hawaii.

I am what I drive, which is…
My ’68 Buick Riviera, baby.

If you ever see me walking down the street…
Kick me in the nuts, then say what’s up.

My most notable run-in with the law…
Was when I murdered some family in Denver. Hush.

If I had to say sorry it would be because…
I slept with your mom…and dad. Do I have to say sorry?

I lose control when…
I hit the dance floor.

The last time I swore I’d never drink was after a night of…
AA meetings.

Future projects and plans…
Producing beats for my crew—Mickey Avalon, Andre Legacy, and Beardo.

And before I leave I’d like to give a shout out to…
All my LA homies, Oakland homies, Miami homies, and NYC homies. And all the ladies who wanna abort my seeds.

Hello my name is…
I got so many different names that people know me by.  One Be Lo aka One Man Army, born Raland Scruggs aka Nahshid Sulaiman.  Some people who have known me for years read interviews sometimes and don’t even know that it’s me.

I was raised in…
I was born and raised in Pontiac, Michigan,  just north of Detroit.

The reason that you’re reading about me is…
I make music that not only hip-hop fans need to hear, but anybody who can appreciate good music.  I talk about a lot of things that almost anybody can relate to.

Right now I’m working on…
I’m in a zone right now, I got so many producers and projects that I’ working on right now.  I guess the goal is to have enough material so when I run out of shit to say, I can still dig into my library and put out records.  Kinda like Tupac records coming out years after his death.

But I’d rather be…
I can’t think of anything that I would rather be doing right now.  Being an artist is not something I want or even choose to do, it’s just who I am.  No matter what I’m doing, beats are playing in my head, thoughts are racing and I gotta write something down.  Sometimes I gotta tear up boxes, write on receipts, napkins, whatever I can write on to get that thought out.  And I don’t feel right until it’s recorded.  I can’t wait to get back to the States so I can get a MBox for my laptop so I can record on-the-go.

My most prized possessions are…
When I think of prized possessions, I think about the things that I own that I couldn’t do without. That would have to be my cell phone and maybe my laptop.  I gotta be able to communicate. Next would be my studio gear, and then my shoes, and then my hats.  Some people buy souvenirs—I like to buy shoes and hats in every city.

But I’d give it all away for…
If I could get unlimited studio time and unlimited access to the internet,  I could get by.  I guess I could give away all my shoes and hats for new ones, same thing with the phone.

The first thing I do in the morning is…
Wash my hands, my face, my arms up to the elbows, my head and my feet.

The last thing I do at night is…
That depends…

My momma always said…
“I don’t care if people like me or not!”

I love it when people…
Show love or at least consideration for other people and their realities.  Whether it be lifestyle, beliefs, feelings or whatever.  I think you have to allow people to be who they are.  Even if they have to change, they gotta change on their own.

I hate it when people…
I hate when I’m in the studio and somebody who has nothing to do with the creative process is there distracting everybody else.  I guess they don’t look at it like it’s work, but it is.

If you ever see me walking down the street…
I must be headed somewhere important, because I don’t walk unless I have to.

My most notable run-in with the law…
November 18th, 1994 when they ran in my friend’s house while we were watching
rap videos and arrested us for armed robbery.

If I had to say sorry it would be because…
It’s probably because somebody sincerely had a misunderstanding so maybe I needed to clear something up.

I get real aggro when…
The first thing that comes to mind is that rainbow pinwheel of death on my MacBook.  Other than that, I try not to let anything affect me in that way.

The last time I swore I’d never drink was after a night of…
It’s been so long, I can’t even remember.

Future projects and plans…
I’m working on so many things right now, most of these projects don’t even have names set in stone.  But in the near future I do plan on releasing a project called “Baby (Being a Black Youth)” and “Life (Lo is for Everybody).”  I’m collabing with a few producers as well, like Bean One—we got a project almost finished and I think we’ll call it “The Ones and Only.”  I’m also working on a project with Black Milk and another one with Jake One.  Stay tuned.

And before I leave I’d like to give a shout out too:
I wanna give a big shout out to anybody who has supported me in the past, present and future.  I would be irrelevant without these people.

Hello my name is…
Jason.

AKA…
Them Jeans.

I was raised in…
Huntington Beach, California.

The reason that you’re reading about me is…
I’m a DJ and I throw parties with Steve Aoki, and do some graphic design and remixes.

Right now I’m working on…
Stuff for people to rap to, and stuff for girls to listen to in their cars.

But I’d rather be…
Fishing.

My most prized possessions are…
BlackBerry, sunglasses, sweatpants.

But I’d give it all away for…
Four million dollars.

The first thing I do in the morning is…
Push it to the limit.

The last thing I do at night is…
Push the sleep timer on my TV remote.

My momma always said…
I like your hair, Jason.

I love it when people…
Give me free sunglasses with MP3 players built in.

I can’t stand when people…
Have bad vibes.

The most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen is…
Burberry plaid interior on my old Cadillac.

If you ever see me walking down the street…
Don’t hit me with your car or throw food at my head.

My most notable run-in with the law…
Was jury duty.

The last time I swore I’d never drink was after a night of…
New Year’s Eve a couple years ago when I was wearing a blouse from the Bernie Mac show and fell on top of the turntables while I was DJing.

Future plans…
Try to DJ in faraway lands like Sweden and Japan, learn Farsi, become an Iron Chef, put something out on an actual record label, buy earplugs.

And before I leave I’d like to give a shout out to…
Dan Oh.