Cake Effect

Okay, so just picture this.

You’re walking in this house party that everyone is raging about, having a good time with good vibes flowing through the air. Not only is the atmosphere perfect, but the music is over the top…unique and sets the perfect weekend mood. That music is from Cake Effect, one of UVM’s hottest DJs and artists. We were lucky enough to snag a few words from Cake Effect (aka Mike Scaturo) about his mixes and passion. Check him out below!
 

Before we start, can we have a little bit of background information to get to know you?
Well, My real name’s Mike and I’m a junior here at UVM. I enjoy long walks on the beach, people watching from my porch, and flat wraps from New World.
 

When and how did you start DJing?
My freshman year, I started mixing a little bit just for fun. The more I messed around with the program I was using, the more I really started to enjoy it. I was at some house party and whoever was DJing was throwing down acapellas over his set, which I thought was awesome. The next day I tried to do the same and realized that I really enjoyed mashups and thought it’d be cool to just start producing them!
 

Is it really true that practice makes perfect, or did you pick it up fairly easily?
Practice definitely makes perfect. In the past few years, I’ve learned all sorts of new stuff that has brought some of my tracks to that “next level”. I’ve also switched programs that I use, which has helped a lot. Looking back at some of my older stuff, I can’t help but think, “What the hell was I thinking?!”
 

When creating a new mix, what is your favorite music to work with and why?
Recently, I’ve been working with a lot of electronic music. My last mixtape, Fratastic, had a lot of pop hits and stuff like that. FratMusic.com and some other companies sponsored the mixtape, which was pretty sweet, but electronic music has definitely always been my favorite!
 

FRATASTIC! by Cake Effect
 

What are your greatest influences in music and why?
In terms of mashup artists, Girl Talk is definitely a favorite. He basically started the mashup genre, which has become super popular. Super Mash Bros and The Hood Internet are both dope too…oh, I’m also a big Mumford & Sons fan (I don’t know if they’d be good for a mashup though haha)
 

How have you taken your DJing outside of a hobby and onto another level?
Definitely getting a Facebook page and a SoundCloud account to share my music with others has helped me take my mashups to another level. Being contacted by blogs and other artists is always neat.

Please explain your involvement with the UVM Electronic Dance Music Club.
Right now, I guess I’m a UVMEDMC DJ and I also do a little HTML, computer nerd stuff for them. So basically, when I play shows, I’ll throw a UVMEDMC t-shirt on or something like that, but right now it’s all pretty casual. I also am with Electrode Entertainment at the moment, it’s just a few of us local DJ’s trying to have a good time and put on good shows!
 

Have you DJed or played your mixes somewhere outside of UVM? If so, where and when?
Occasionally I’ll play downtown or at house parties, but to be honest, I haven’t played that many live shows. Myself, Joey Gags and Jacob ES are doing a show at Metronome on October 23rd for a charity event that’s going to be awesome! Also, Jacob ES and I are working with some other DJ’s around the Northeast to put on a show at Webster Hall in NYC over winter break – more details to come!
 

How have you received support from the UVM community and friends/family when it comes to your success?
My friends have been awesome in supporting my music. They are always down to share my songs to others and really get the word out. UVM Chatroom, what’s good?! (inside joke, sorry). It took a while to explain what a mashup was to my parents, but they are pretty supportive too! Haha

Do your future plans involve your music or something else?
Oh god, I’m asked this question a lot by my family and friends, and honestly, I don’t really know. I’d love to make a career out of it but who doesn’t want to be rich and famous? If the music thing doesn’t work out, I’d be content just owning my own business…somewhere warm!
 

If you were to tell an aspiring artist one piece of advice to keep with them, what would you say?
If I could pass one thing on, it’d just be don’t take yourself too seriously! Don’t try to change your style to meet the expectations of others. Some of my worst mashups have been a result of me just trying too hard. Have fun; it’s what the music is there for!
 

Are you a Cake Effect fan? Check out him and his music on the pages we listed below!

www.facebook.com/CakeEffectMusic
http://www.youtube.com/user/CakeEffectMusic
www.twitter.com/cakeeffect
www.soundcloud.com/cake-effect

Want to nominate the next campus celebrity?
Email campus correspondent, Marissa Villegas, with your nomination to 
marissavillegas@hercampus.com!