I’ve always enjoyed the quiet peace of the Japanese Tea Garden in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. Though a furious, moving city lurks just beyond the hedge walls of the garden, one would never suspect it. Deadly Buda and I have decided to meet here, to share some tea, and discuss whatever it is that he does so well. We find an empty alcove to sit in, under a tall looming canopy of swaying trees. Summer is not yet here, and Spring surprises us with a chilly breeze and a few grey clouds. Koi fish swim in a shallow traditional Japanese garden pond next to us. We feel tempted to feed them, but remind ourselves that animals should eat animal food and not people food. After rituals and prayers to bless our ancestors, we start talking techno.

Polaris: Who are you, and where do you come from?

Buda: I’m Joel, Deadly Buda, and I come from Boulder, Colorado.

P: What do you do there?

B: I sit around and mix all day, make tapes, loiter at bookstores, snowboard, and on any number of nights of the week, I get completely wacked.

P: How do you support yourself financially?

B: Pretty much from the music. I have a habit of spending more money than I make.

P: How many records do you have out?

B: Three records, and I ‘m on two compilations, and three or four CDs.

P: And now you have a new label.

B: Yes, it’s called “Deadly Systems.”

P: Can you stop smoking in my face?

B: Yes. It’s a hardcore label. I read an article about morph beats a couple years ago. It’s really hardcore that inspires more visual pictures in the ravers heads as they’re dancing. Essentially it’s taking found sounds like samples, and placing them into a new context. Using sounds like jet airplanes or birds, and make techno out of them.

P: It sounds like the ideas come before the music with what you are doing.

B: Yeah, the idea usually comes first. It’s rare that I’ll find a sound that I like so much that I base a whole song around it.

P: How did you get into DJing?

B: I could never breakdance! I was about 14, and I always hated music. My dad lost his job, so we had to move in with my grandparents who lived out in the boonies. There was no one my age around at the time, so my best friend was more or less the radio and my dog. I tuned to a radio station, and heard some very early hip-hop. Very basic stuff with just beats and some guy scratching. That really tickled my ears, and I really got into it. I thought the sounds were so cool. From there I developed an interest in scratching and DJing. When we moved into Pittsburgh it turned out that my neighbor across the street was a disco DJ and had this amazing record collection. He hated rap, so I would mow his lawn and he would give me rap records. Eventually he started teaching me how to beat mix. I just did it leisurely and for fun. Around 1991 a friend in England sent me a tape of music which was techno. It’s kind of ironic because the music on the tape was all American techno. I then went to party in San Francisco, and realized that I could do the same thing. My friend Niel, aka Controlled Weirdness, and I threw our first party in 1991, and got 800 people there. I wasn’t interested in DJing, but more into putting together the event. As time went on I got more particular about the music I wanted to hear, which pushed me further into Djing and making music.

P: What’s your favorite DJ trick?

B: I’ve never done it, but I would like to throw the turntable at the crowd.

P: What’s the last book you read?

B: I usually read magazines and newspapers. The one I’m reading currently is “Wall Street Money Machine.”

P: Do you think it’s easier to fall in love or out of love?

B: Out of love.

P: Do you do things that are more instinctive or more thought out?

B: I always think out things a lot in advance, and they never work out. In the end I have to end up resorting to instinct for every single plan.

P: When you get new records what do you listen for?

B: I listen for something that it really sounds like someone put their heart into it, and also for some gimmick. Every song has it’s gimmick. You know, that cool sound or that cool sample. I don’t expect the song to be well made from beginning to end as I’m only going to play a minute to a minute and a half of it. I try to find stuff that will be inspiring in the mix. like stuff that is kind of politically anarchistic in tune. Something that is so well made that it can’t be denied.

P: Are you spiritual?

B: I’m pretty skeptical.

P: How much control do you think you have over your life?

B: Little, if any.

P: How do you explain death?

B: It’s sad.