Ethan Ward AKA E-603 is a mash-up artist in the tradition of artists like Girl Talk whose new album Torn Up is already creating industry buzz. Ward, originally from New Hampshire, specializes in his new album in taking parts of different songs from the past six decades and music he composes himself and blending them into a dance track. In this interview with The University News, the man known as E-603 talks sampling, the rise in popularity of mash up artists in the last few years and the origins of his unique title.

First things first: Where did the name “E-603” come from?
I came up with it when I was still in high school . . . E is for Ethan, my first name, and 603 is the area code for all of New Hampshire . . . I wanted it to be kind of cryptic.

When did you first start getting involved in this genre of music?
I’ve always been kind of playing music . . . But later in high school I started getting into more dance-y stuff, and I started to sample music.

What is the process of creating this type of music like?
It’s really difficult to start because you have to import a bunch of files . . . It’s just really a trial and error kind of process. It’s time consuming.

How do you decide what samples you are going to use in your songs?
When I listen to a song, out of habit, I always hear what parts I could sample . . . [I ask] are there any parts of it that I can cut out and manipulate? Are there enough dynamics in the song worth sampling?

Why do you think mash-up artists have become so popular recently?
I think it’s just the desire to go in new directions with music . . . The void this type of music fills is a whole new way of composing music. There might be a rap portion then there might be a dance portion. There might be a pop music portion.