An Interview with VEMIX

Hey man, tell us a bit about yourself.

Howdy, Mate. I just go by VEMIX, there’s only a handful of folks that know who I am. I’ve done some sketchy shit and hope to do a lot more so it’s best we leave it at that. I live on a little slice of paradise called Vancouver Island in Canada and when I’m not fucking up history I’m usually working or doing dad stuff.

What is Vemix? How did you come up with the name and the idea?

Vemix is a mash-up of Visual and Remix and it just kinda happened. I’ve always liked fucking with things and mixing them up so I found myself on the computer one day and I figured out (very poorly) how to put my face over DJ Yella’s face in an NWA Pic, then the next week it was the Ramones or something and it escalated quickly. I felt I was getting on my Facebook friends nerves so I started posting them on IG and people started showing love. And here we are a year or so later and I’m working with most of my childhood idols doing clothing lines and album covers, it’s a trip.

Where do you get your inspiration from?

It can come from anywhere. I never set out trying to do one, I just have a couple thousand pics in my brain and when I come across one with the right angles, light source and quality my brain clicks and puts them together. Its weird, I can’t remember a phone number or what I did this morning, but I can remember the angle someone was sitting with the sun behind them in a pic I scrolled by 3 months ago, I guess its my super power. I try and keep it real punk and do it quick, takes on average 10–15 minutes. I find the more you mess with it and obsess over it the shittier it looks. I hop in and gun it.

What VEMIX are you most proud of?

Definitely “Gimmie the Room” Which is Biggie and Kurt Cobain sitting in a van. It went viral and put me on the map. It was everywhere A$AP Ferg said it was the best picture he has ever saw. People were bringing it up in conversations with no idea that I was the one who made it. Then Krist Novoselic (Bass Player for Nirvana) posted it and commented (Jokingly) that it was real and in fact a cropped pic that had 2pac in the original one. So I had to do it to’em. I re-did it with Pac and called it “The Greatest Story Never Told” and it blew up too. It’s hanging in my dining room.

There are a lot of 90’s hip hop themes in your work. Who are your favourite artists?

Oh man there’s a lot, but I’d have to say Nirvana and 2pac are at the top. I’m sure you can tell lol. Beastie Boys, Fleetwood Mac, Terry Jacks, Nas, Wu Tang, Eazy E, Biggie, Metalica, Too Short, all that good shit, I listen to everything except Nickleback, I just won’t do it.

Do you ever get asked to create weird photoshops for people?

At least 10 times a day. The most popular is people sliding through my DM wanting a pic with Pac. I have even done a couple for established celebrities that you most likely know. A pic with Pac is the holy grail. There is a lot of stuff I can’t openly talk about due to it being presented as real and… wait, I got one for ya. Remember that video of Soulja Boy getting beat and robbed on Facebook Live a couple years ago? The dudes that took his phone got a hold of me asking me to do some wild ass shit with the pics from his phone, sending me Soulja Boys dick pics and shit lol I declined

What’s your favourite 90’s cartoon?

Teenage Muthafuckin Mutant Ninja Turtles. I loved them so much I tore up the roof of my mouth eating their rock hard garbage cereal every morning out of a Ninja Turtles bowl in my TMNT Pj’s.

Would you rather listen to All Star by Smash Mouth on repeat for a month or only eat mac n cheese for a month?

Man, KD is ma Shit. I wrote a poem about it.

Twas the night before Friday,

And all through the house,

4 boxes of KD,

Some ketchup,

My mouth.

*BTW, for all confused Aussies — KD is Kraft dinner. AKA Kraft Mac & Cheese.

Show some love: www.instagram.com/_vemix_

Originally published at rarlomagazine.com.au.