Before a month ago, we had never heard of Viceroy. In fact, we don’t even remember how we came across his music. One thing is for sure though after one listen, Austen Afridi is no stranger to the french house and disco scene. Few guys can make music on an absolute whim, and those that do usually produce sub-par products. But this dude has been pumping out music and sending it Jonathan’s way almost every week… and the tracks don’t suck in the slightest. Viceroy had some time to sit down with us for an exclusive LFTF interview. We chopped it up with him about how he finds the perfect sample, his very diverse influences, and the classiest of foods.

Hit the jump to check out LFTF’s exclusive interview with Viceroy

 

Tell us about yourself. What’s your favorite cereal?

 

I just graduated from Trinity College in Hartford, CT. I currently work at a food startup company called Two Degrees Food in San Francisco doing sales and digital marketing. I make a mean breakfast burrito and my favorite pizza is Hawaiian with jalapenos. My favorite cereal is definitely Honey Bunches of Oats. It’s such a classic.

 

You went from Trinity College on the East Coast to the West Coast. That’s quite a leap. We’re curious, where are you from originally? Which coast do you prefer? Has either provided more inspiration than the other or had more influence on your music?

 

Yeah it’s definitely a change of tune. I grew up in the East Bay, then moved to CT, and just moved back to San Francisco. I really love the weather and culture in San Francisco, but the East Coast has its definite benefits too. I don’t think I have spent enough time in SF to notice any influences, but I am sure there will be some. NYC has a great music scene that has given me inspiration throughout my music career.

 

Viceroy- Free Flow

 

What’s it like to be signed to a French label and being based in San Francisco?

 

It has definitely helped expand my audience worldwide, especially in Europe. I love the French and their culture especially their music. The distance is the only downside, but so far I’m really happy with my label. We have some great artists on SDC (Shiny Disco Club Records) who have been very supportive of my music.

 

Do you mind telling us a little about your process. How do you find your samples? Do you press your own records?

 

Well, I can’t say I have a specific routine when finding my samples. Treasure Fingers told me awhile back to go to a record store and find albums and artists you have never heard of from 1983. Apparently, that’s a golden year for killer samples. Randomly surfing YouTube has been super helpful too. My parents have a great record collection that they gave to me. It’s filled with all kinds of great music. I am hoping to press some vinyl soon!

 

Viceroy- Phony Teeth

 

How do you know when you’ve finished a song?

 

The issue I run into constantly is over listening to one of my tracks. It’s very important to me to have several sets of ears to critique my work. I usually ask my manager, Justin, and my friends or other musicians to give me an outsider’s perspective.

 

What kind of feedback do you get from the people you ask to critique your music? Is it always sunshine and rainbows or are there typically comments you would have never expected?

 

If people who critique your music always say “great job” or “sounds awesome” then they are lying or don’t know what they are doing. I’m always looking for positive feedback, but critical feedback is what will make me grow as an artist. I like hearing opinions about the overall sound of the mix and the structure of the song. I sometimes tend to make my bass drum too loud and need to be told to chill out. Let’s be real though, everyone loves a heavy bass drum.

 

Breakbot- Fantasy (Viceroy’s Summer Mix)

 

Plans for the road?

 

I have a few things coming up. Go Go Bizkitt! is coming out to CA from August till October, so I’ll be playing some shows with him. My manager just booked Justin Faust for his North American tour. I might be opening for him at a few of those shows. I have some other shows in the works, but for now I am working on tracks to build up my brand.

 

What are the five albums in your stereo right now?

 

I love SebastiAn’s album Total. It’s fucking fantastic. No Problem by Jamaica has been on repeat recently. Cut Copy’s Zonoscope, Pilot Talk by Curren$y, and Magnetic Men by Magnetic Men are a few more.

 

Duck Sauce- Goody Two Shoes (Viceroy Edit)

 

Who would you consider to be the most underrated artist today?

 

That’s a tough question to answer. There are so many. I think Toro Y Moi should be a lot bigger than he is. He’s super talented and has a very unique sound. Check him out if you haven’t.

 

Influences?

 

The Phantom’s Revenge has been a big influence on my music production. He is a super nice guy and has such a great sound. Obviously groups like Daft Punk and Justice are too. I listened to a lot of A Tribe Called Quest back in the day. California Punk rock like NoFX and Bad Religion were on repeat when I was a little kid. I really love Breakbot right now too.

 

Viceroy- Sunny Daze (Original Mix)

 

I remember listening to NoFX as a kid, with New Found Glory, MXPX, Hot Rod Circuit, etc. Now I feel a little ashamed to admit something like that, but there’s no denying that they were the frontrunners for punk rock in the 90s and really early 2000s. Although they’ve relatively been phased out of many peoples’ music collections, do you still find them creeping into your music somehow?

 

I don’t listen to punk rock anymore. I might throw on a track just for shits and giggles. What I find rather interesting is the kids who were into 90s punk (not emo kids) are really into house and dubstep. At the same time, the kids who hated punk now love electronic music too. In a sense, electronic music is just as heavy as punk rock was, but it’s accepted by a larger demographic.

 

Let’s visit hip-hop land. Both Pilot Talk albums have been overwhelmingly successful for Curren$y and are definitely favorites of ours. It seems to be the outlier on your list though. Tribe can also never be ignored; they’re the fathers of modern hip-hop. Mind giving us your favorite hip-hop artists of today and why they’re so special to you?

 

Yeah, hip-hop is definitely an outlier on my list. A lot of hip-hop samples from the same genres that I do, so both hip-hop producers and French electro producers are not that different in many cases. My favorite hip-hop artist today would have to be People Under The Stairs. They have a great funky flow and their beats are tight. Their lyrics are fresh.

 

Katy Perry- Last Friday Night (Viceroy Poolside Remix)

 

If you could tour or collaborate with any artist who would it be?

 

I would love to tour with Duck Sauce. A-Trak and Armand Van Helden seem like great dudes and have so much experience that I could learn from. They are also great producers; there’s no question about that.

 

Anything else you want us to know?

 

I just released a remix of Breakbot’s “Fantasy”. You can grab it on my SoundCloud. Vitalic Noise produced my music video for “Sunny Daze” and it is available on Vimeo now and on my YouTube channel. Right now I am working on making an EP available in August called No Ending EP. So far, Mix Chopin, Go Go Bizkitt!, Darius, Kartell, and Geisha Twins are doing remixes. I’m so excited for the release.

 

Together- So Much Love to Give (Viceroy Remix)

 

 

 

We want to thank Viceroy for his time and his patience–this interview has been in the works for over a month. Show the dude some love LFTF.

 

Don’t forget to check out Viceroy’s Facebook, Twitter, and SoundCloud.