Interview with Jason Jollins, Interview with Jason Jollins for the Creamfields Central Europe Einstellungen

[JoeAustria]

Interview with Jason Jollins
(Acute Recordings, Made Event, Pacha, New York, USA)


Hi Jason, thanks for your time to do this interview. I was listening one of your dj sets while preparing the questions, very pleasant listening.


How old were you when you first got into house music and how did it happen?

I started listening to house music when I was about 14 years old and I was introduced to it through some good friends of mine. In the early 1980's I was really into break dancing and rap music culture (hip hop). I was very young at the time but I worked for a dance studio and often traveled with them as a break dancer putting on shows. Through break dancing I was exposed to dj'ing and turntablism and it fascinated me how dj's would scratch and mix songs and sounds together. When I was introduced to house music I absolutely loved it. I bought my first pair of turntables in 1989 and the art of dj'ing has been a part of me ever since.


How would you describe your sound?

I would classify myself as a progressive house dj, but not in the traditional form. I tend to play many different styles within my sets, but do so in a progressive way where I am constantly building in energy. Each track that I play will have a little bit more energy than the track before it, creating a constant progression throughout my set.

I think it is extremely important for a dj to be diverse when it comes to track selection. I play House, Progressive house, Tech house, Techno, Minimal, Trance, Tech Trance, etc... Taking my favorites from each genre, concentrating more on what sounds I love rather than on what style it is. I prefer to play diverse genre bending danceable dj sets that last at least 5 hours.

A great dj in my opinion has the ability to weave in and out of many different sub genres in a way that creates a seamless soundscape. Sort of like telling a story and bringing the crowd for a ride.

I love bass lines, vocal dubs, great melodies, tracks that have a unique edge to them, tracks that move the soul, lots of teasing, feeling, and emotion...

I am very detail oriented when it comes to mixes & transitions. I come from a time when dj's would create a journey within there dj sets. I don't like to just play tracks, I like to tell a story with every set.


Do you let your actual mood influence your set?

The vibe of the room, the type of venue and interaction from the crowd can certainly influence my set. But I do have a system in regards to how I play and what I play depending on the hour of the night, how long my set actually is, etc… However, regardless of the situation, I will always stick to my unique sound.


How do you build the set when playing in club or festival? Is the choice of records different when you spin in smaller venue and at the festival?

Well the difference between a Club setting and a Festival setting is that I usually play at least 5 hour sets in clubs and usually my sets go for as long as 8 hours long. This is the way I prefer to play and long genre bending sets are somewhat of a staple among New York City Dj's.

However, in a festival setting where there are so many dj's booked, each dj is usually only given 1 or 2 hours to play. So in a club setting I will play many styles and constantly build in energy and play with the crowd. In a festival setting where there is such a short amount of time for my set, I basically have no choice but to just play a peak hour driving set from start to finish.

As far as Creamfields is concerned, I will be playing towards the end of the event and by that time the energy will already be built up. And being that Above & Beyond and ATB are before me and they will be playing Trance, my set will most likely be a Tech-Trance set.


Do you spin vinyl records or CDs? Do you work also with any other machines than decks and CDJs?

I stopped using Vinyl about 4 or 5 years ago and I only use CD's these days. I use effects units depending on the venue and event. I produce music using Ableton and Logic. I practice mixes and organize music using Traktor when travelling.


A few months ago you played in Bratislava. How did you enjoy your gig? How was audience?

Bratislava was amazing, it's a beautiful city and I met a lot of great people while I was there for whom I still keep in touch with today. The food was great as well. The gig was a lot of fun as well with a very energetic and responsive crowd

I'm not one for horror movies but I did watch the movie "Hostel" in my hotel room while I was there. In case you don't know it, it's a movie that takes place in Slovakia where American tourists get abducted and slaughtered. I can be pretty twisted at times


What do you know about Czech Republic?

I have never been to Czech Republic but I have heard amazing things about the country and the people. I am very excited to experience it for myself.


What did inspire you to become a DJ?

I started listening to house music when I was about 14 years old and I was introduced to it through some good friends of mine. In the early 1980's I was really into break dancing and rap music culture (hip hop). I was very young at the time but I worked for a dance studio and often traveled with them as a break dancer putting on shows. Through break dancing I was exposed to dj'ing and turntablism and it fascinated me how dj's would scratch and mix songs and sounds together. When I was introduced to house music I absolutely loved it. I bought my first pair of turntables in 1989 and the art of dj'ing has been a part of me ever since.


What would you have done if you hadn´t been a DJ?

A professional video game player


Can you tell us more about electronic dance music scene in USA?

EDM is not as big in the United States as it is in Europe and it certainly is not as big as it is in South America. South America and Europe are the hot spots for EDM. However, there is a big EDM scene here in the United States, especially in New York City and Los Angeles.

However, with my travels playing everywhere from Russia to Bulgaria to Holland to Australia to Mexico to Argentina and beyond, what I have found is that even if EDM is not big in a certain country, EDM still has many followers and there are great venues and great parties to be found throughout the world.

As for the United States, I left my residency at Crobar New York three and a half years ago and went to Pacha New York where I play regularly. Pacha New York is the top EDM venue in the United States and it has won many awards for best sound system, best USA super club, best lighting system, etc…


What are the leading genres in the USA?

The biggest genres in the USA are Progressive House, Trance, and Commercial House music. Electro was big for about 3 months then it died. Minimal was big a couple years ago for about a year but that sound died here as well.

However, as a DJ who is constantly travelling to different territories, I have found that people classify music by genre in completely different ways depending on what country they are from. For instance, Progressive House in the USA, South America and Australia has a completely different meaning from Progressive House in Europe.

During my last performance in Holland I was playing a lot of Tech-House, Progressive House, Techno and Tech-Prog. A group of people came up to me after my set and they were telling me how much they love minimal and they didn't realize that I was a minimal dj… A lot of people in Europe seem to think that Progressive House is either a sound that was around in 2001 and that it hasn't evolved, or they think that it is a form of commercial house. To expand on that, you have minimal dj's coming to NYC on occasion playing Progressive House sets.

But who knows, maybe we have it backwards in the states and Europe has it right. I think it is all a matter of how a particular music genre is being marketed in that particular territory. Also today we have so many crossover tracks that have many different elements of different sub-genres that they are very hard to nail down to just one particular style. People do there best to label tracks in a proper way, but sometimes genre associations are not so cut and dry.


Does club scene on East Coast differ from scene on West Coast? I mean regarding the popular genres etc.

The East Coast and the West Coast for the most part have the same taste in music. However, the West Coast does have a particular sound that it is famous for. Just as Detroit is famous for Techno, the West Coast is famous for there "West Coast House" sound.


If you compare European and American scene - in which points is American scene different from European and what is the same or similar?

As I pointed out before there is definitely some confusion between Europe and the America's in terms of Genre association.

Also, a lot of times when I am booked in Europe the promoters or club owners will ask me to play a 2 hour set. In the USA, Central & South America, Dj's will usually play at least a 4 hour set, and usually they will play even longer. Likewise, when European DJ's come to NYC they usually request a 2 hour set, but then see themselves playing for at least 4 – 6 hours. If an international DJ comes to NYC and only plays a 2 hour set, you will usually see an uproar of complaints on the local forums.

I have also found that a lot of times in Europe events will have many dj's on the lineup, whereas in the America's, the event is geared around one international artist. Events on this side of the pond will have an opening DJ play for a couple hours and then the international artist will play for the rest of the night. Here in NYC you will rarely ever find a DJ playing a closing set, and people here in NYC generally frown upon the idea of an international guest not playing until the end of the party.

Europe is also very big on festivals whereas here in the United States they rarely ever have EDM festivals. The Electric Zoo Festival for instance which will be happening this upcoming September will be the first EDM festival to ever take place in NYC. I personally think that Festivals are great and they are a lot of fun, however local governments here in the United States will rarely give permits for EDM festivals to take place.

As far as similarities between the America's and Europe go: People love to dance, they love entertainment and they love to have fun regardless of where you are. As a DJ who travels internationally on a weekly basis, the club vibe throughout the world is in synergy. People may dress a little different, talk a different language or look a little different from country to country, but the crowd reaction and overall party vibe is the same regardless of whether you are in the America's, Europe, or any other territory for that matter.


How does the usual American clubgoer look like?

That really depends on the person and the venue that they are going to. Me for instance, I always just wear jeans, a t-shirt and a hoody.


Which clubs has the biggest popularity in New York?

Pacha is "the" Super Club in NYC, hosting the top international artists from around the world on a weekly basis. Pacha has the best lighting system and the best sound system in NYC and it is by far the most popular club in NYC and in the USA.

Pacha New York:
Best Superclub - Club World Awards (2007, 2008 & 2009)
Best U.S. Club - 24th annual International Dance Music Awards (2009 IDMA's)
New York City's #1 Best Dance Club - AOL CityGuide Nightlife
Top 30 best clubs of the World - DJ Mag (2009


You play regularly for Made Event and Pacha in New York. Can you tell us more about concept of this party series? Which acts are invited as headliners? Who are the resident DJs?
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Made Event is run by Mike Bindra & Laura de Palma, Mike Bindra being the former General Manager of the legendary Twilo and owner of the legendary venue called Arc. I have been playing regularly for Made Event for over 4 years now and I have nothing but great things to say about them. They are committed to excellence in the promotion, production, and execution of electronic dance music events. I always know that when I play a Made Event I will be playing on a perfect DJ set up and on the very best sound system available (usually an Integral Sound System). And I have been taught so much from the Made Event sound engineers in regards to how to make these sound systems sound as good as they possibly can during my DJ performances.

When I play for Made Event my role is that of an opening DJ for the international artists that visit. The events that I play for Made Event are dubbed "Made at Pacha" and through these events and other events here in NYC I have played alongside artists such as Sasha, Carl Cox, Paul Van Dyk, Steve Lawler, Lee Burridge, Sander Van Doorn, Chris Fortier, Hybrid, ATB, Juan Atkins, Armin Van Buuren, Marcus Schulz, Hernan Cattaneo, Above & Beyond, Seb Fontaine, Nu Nrg, Oscar G, Guy Ornadel, Gabriel & Dresden, Anthony Pappa, Darren Emerson, Ferry Corsten, Max Graham, and many others.

When I am not playing for Made Event I play my own headlining sets for Pacha New York where I have my own opener and I play a 5 – 6 hour headlining set.


You will play at Creamfields Central Europe in Břeclav on the beginning of summer, are you excited?

I can't wait! Also playing in the lineup will be Paolo Mojo, Above & Beyond + ATB for whom I have played with many times. It will be great to get together with them again and it is sure to be a fun time. There are also many Dj's in the lineup who I respect as artists but have not had the chance to share the decks with. Creamfields is one of the top festivals in the world so it will be a pleasure. And I love playing for the people in Europe, it's one of my favorite places to play.


How long will you stay in Europe - before and after this festival?

I will be in and out of Europe pretty quick. I just played Chile last weekend, this weekend I will be playing in Florida, the following week I play in Mexico, then I will be in Europe for 3 dates, then after Creamfields I will be heading to Argentina and Uruguay for some dates there.


Which festival gig are in your gig list for this summer?

I just played the Ibiza Open a couple weeks ago, Creamfields is quickly approaching, after Creamfields I will be playing the "Be Summer Festival" in Colombia, and in New York City we will be having a historical festival called "Electric Zoo" at the end of the summer.

Electric Zoo will feature over 50 of the biggest names in the industry which is something very unique for New York City. Name off your favorite Dj's and they will most likely be a part of it. I believe that myself and Danny Tenaglia will be the only 2 Dj's from New York City on the lineup and the event is going to be absolutely massive.


Acute Recordings is the name of your label. Can you tell us about the label and what releases are on the plan in upcoming quarter of the year?

Acute Recordings celebrated its 7th year anniversary in May of 2009. It's amazing really, the years since I have started the label have gone by so fast and it has been very exciting.

Acute recordings was started on the foundation of helping unknown but extremely talented producers who have never had a release before. In turn, I give these artists there first release which serves as a platform to build from while also giving these artists global exposure. This format has been very successful as well as very fulfilling on a personal level.

We currently have over 65 artists and over 100 releases on Acute and many of these artists have moved on to become well established producers within the industry. Artists such as Habersham have moved on to make a big impact, Federico Epis for instance is now releasing tracks on Renaissance & Global Underground, Manuel Sofia (aka MOS) is also doing some big things at the moment. Every once in a while we will release something from a well established producer but the label will always serve the purpose of its initial intention.

We recently signed 6 tracks from 3 different producers to be released in the next quarter that we are very excited about.


[size="3"]It was great talking to you and having you for this interview. Is there anything else that you would like to say to the readers?

I would like to take this time to thank you and everyone involved with the Creamfields Central Europe event. I actually have people writing me from the United States saying that they are going so there is a lot of hype surrounding the event in many territories throughout the world.

I also want to take this time to thank everyone who has been supporting me through my Websites and Podcast. I truly appreciate all of the positive emails & messages that I have been receiving in regards to my mixes as well as to those showing anticipation for my upcoming performance at Creamfields. I am very excited for the Creamfields Festival and I look forward to seeing all of you soon

Der Beitrag wurde von JoeAustria bearbeitet: 18 Jun 2009, 19:02

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