Jay-J is undoubtedly a legend in House Music. Spanning a career with over 150 releases, he’s won a Grammy® nomination, had his own Coke® bottle for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, DJ’d the 2006 MTV® AVMAs and launched two comp series for Defected. Jay-J’s syndicated radio show, “Live From…”, allows fans to “join him live from” his gigs worldwide, showcasing the latest tracks from his signature, Funky House/West Coast sound. As a producer, you’ll see his name on the biggest releases from Moulton Studios, OM, Naked Music and Defected. He’s remixed artists from Jill Scott to Joss Stone and has collaborated with producers from Kaskade to Miguel Migs. On his new label, Shifted Music, you’ll find releases by Jay-J as well as some of the best talent he’s discovered while sharing his passion for House Music around the globe Subscribe to his “Live From…” podcast to hear what’s rocking the world’s most infamous dancefloors...

Read more of Jay-J's bio on his website Without further delay, ClubDistrict presents UNMIXED with JAY-J!

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CD: You were a musician first, do you feel this has given you an edge in the DJ and production world?

Jay-J: It’s really hard for me to say. There are plenty of good DJs out there who are not musicians and vice versa. I do think that being able to appreciate and listen with a musical sensibility is something that has helped me in my Dj career and production. It’s been so long since I practiced with an instrument that I really don't consider myself a musician any longer, but I do play computers.

CD: Jay-J you left the West Coast capital of house music San Francisco for the Big Apple, has New York lived up to your career expectations?

Jay-J: I envisioned that I would be more involved with producing other artists; meanwhile I moved to NY and rationed a very busy production schedule, so working on other projects has not really happened like I thought. Creatively, I know after living here a few months, I was really happy with my work and production, and felt that I was inspired in a different way. Evaluating career expectations is an odd thing because the industry itself has changed a lot in the last 5 years and so the result of my evaluation might not be attributed to NY. I think as a whole, I get the feeling that the new generation of record buying public doesn’t have an appreciation for the history that guys who have been around a long time bring to the industry. In one way the mentality is that of a level playing field in that the music speaks. Unfortunately, the volume of music has become so overwhelming that it’s hard to stand out for anyone new to the industry or veteran. I know I am happy with my work and enjoy living here. I’m still trying to figure out this whole career thing :-)

CD: In your experience, do you go a lot further in this industry personally networking or do you depend on labels and managers to be the driving force behind opportunities?

Jay-J: I think this business is not different than any in that it’s the relationships that perpetuate careers. So I think being involved in networking opportunities is important. I do feel managers are an important part as well, but the important part is having a team who can help see the future and imagine big things for you. I am a creative person and sometimes it’s hard to carve a path through the ups and downs of the industry when I want to focus on my craft. Having a good team can help with the perspective and vision for the future and the implementation of the steps needed to forge ahead.

CD: You’ve done remixes for Mary J. Blige, Lil Kim, Alicia Keys and your Jill Scott remix earned you a Grammy nomination back in 2003, with over 150 releases, how do you do it?

Jay-J: I remain driven and firm to improve in my craft. I consider myself just as much a student of music production as a working professional. I love what I do and continue to do my best and deliver consistent quality in a professional manner and in a timely fashion.

CD: On the house front you collaborated with icons Miguel Migs, Kaskade, Marquez Wyatt, Julius Papp, Chris Lum and many others, how do you decide who to work with on each new project?

Jay-J: These collaborations are usually sparked from relationships I have with them and come out of friendships and mutual professional respect, and that leads naturally to the idea of working together. I enjoy the collaborative process. It is a unique way of working and it’s amazing to follow the creative path resulting from like minded people working together. In San Francisco, I did a huge amount of collaborations and one of the exciting things about the NY move was really being able to draw upon those experiences while focusing on my very own creative vision.

CD: You were enlisted by Apple to create two original compositions for their Remix Jampack for GarageBand, how did they find out about you?

Jay-J: A couple years before that, a guy I knew in and around the electronic music scene in SF took a position with Apple and was working on Logic. He contacted me along with a few other working professional to create some quality content to show off what could be done with the Remix Tools Jam Pack. So it was a relationship formed years earlier that led to this opportunity. I was a very strong Logic user for many years and I was really impressed with the quality of content that Jeff had put together in his position at Apple, so it was an easy thing for me to be involved in.

CD: If you were to develop your own software plug-in for music production, what would you call it and what would it do?

Jay-J: Wow!!. . . That’s an interesting question. I think it would be an audio analyzer plug in that it would be used as a final mix adjustment tool and it would take a reference track and plot out an average reading across the frequency spectrum (a basic frequency analyzer of sorts). The difference would be that the read out would show you the difference between the reference and the current session. As you made adjustments to the levels and EQ you would see the difference getting smaller and smaller. If you can, imagine a frequency spectrum and the analyzation of the reference track being represented as bars across with the height representing the level of that frequency. With the current track being represented as another layer over the top with a different shade so you could see the two and how they relate on one screen.

I spend an awful lot of time trying to make sure my productions sound up to par and are of the quality I expect and appreciate from others, so it would help to see in this way. I know there are some similar products already, I guess. But in my mind this one looks and acts a bit different; although, I’m not sure if I was able to convey that here.

I would call it… “Mixalyzer”

CD: Being influential in the creation of the “San Francisco sound”, what is it about a region that inspires its own signature sound?

Jay-J: I think the environment, climate, diversity, openness, and surroundings all contribute. But ultimately it was a group of likeminded creative people who seemed to enjoy a similar style and/or sound and who simply set out to make music they were proud of. The result is what was so amazing. The timing and how it all came about was a phenomenon unto itself. At the end of the day, music is a trendy business and styles come and go. It just so happened that the music we were doing was the popular trend at that moment.

CD: You recently released an updated version of your house classic “Keep on Rising” along with house music diva Latrice Barnett, how has it been received by fans compared to the original?

Jay-J: I get the feeling that those who loved the original are excited to have some new versions and from the responses I have received, that seems to be the case. I am very proud of my mix; but it was not easy getting there. Probably one of the hardest remixes I had to do in a long time. I followed so many different directions and had many ideas that for some reason we’re not getting me motivated. I think it was hard because “Keep On Rising” is one of my favorite productions and it was hard to get the perspective needed to do a proper remix. In the end, I am really happy with my mix since I really wanted to create something more for the dance floors of today. I also really enjoyed the other mixes too; both Random Soul (Yogi and Husky) and Stacy Burket did a great job of bringing these new mixes to life. Find tracks here Beatport or Traxsource

CD: What’s new for 2010?

Jay-J: I am in the middle of an all electronic album. My last album "Love Alive" was very musical and warm, and sultry and sexy. This new album is very different. It’s much more tracky and techie and dance floor driven, but also with a slant towards the new generation of music listeners who seem to like their music simple and driving, verses moody and soulful. I am actually having a great time working on these tracks and following a different path. It’s been a very fun journey and process so far. We'll see how it’s received. . . The first single from the project is two songs "Bounce The Night" and "Never Trust" and are currently featured as a Beatport Exclusive. Find track here Beatport

CD: Having your own label “Shifted Music”, gives you the opportunity to discover new talent, is there anyone new you would like to mention?

Jay-J: I have been working with a couple guys who are impressing me. Emil Lane- He just remixed one of the songs off my album, "If I Wanted You” and he has a great sound, a very San Francisco meets Chicago jacking yet bouncy style. Also, a friend of mine Mikey G has been working on some stuff that’s in a different direction, but still interesting. Deep and moody, yet with a touch of energy and movement. Not really new talent, but Scott Wozniak and I have worked together a lot since I moved to NY and the tunes he has been doing are great. He and I have also been collaborating on some new material and that has been fun. Find tracks here Beatport or Traxsource

CD: Are there any surprise appearances for you at WMC this year, anything off the official roster you can talk about?

Jay-J: I'm not sure I have time for any surprises… I am doing two parties a day on Wed, Thurs, Fri, & Sat. My only day off is Sunday and where I end up then is a mystery to me. View JAY-J's WMC 2010 Event Schedule

View Jay-J's WMC 2010 Event Schedule: Click here

Thank You JAY-J for joining the ClubDistrict family !
We look foward to seeing you on tour and in the nightclubs. - ClubDistrict -
Interview by ClubDistrict - Thank you APT Entertainment & Dope Den Productions
Photo Credits to Venessa Johnson

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Jay-J's WMC 2010 Schedule of Events

Afternoon on Wednesday, March 24, I will be at the Raisaini Dubai party, 4pm - Details

Late Evening Wednesday, March 24, I will be at the Change Of Pace Party at the Bentley Hotel Rooftop playing at 7pm - Details

Daytime on Thursday, March 25, is my main party. The 4th installment of Jay-J and Friends. This time on the Rooftop of the newly renovated Clevelander Hotel complete with a special Live House Jam Session featuring musicians, singers and programmers, all performing live - Details

Nighttime on Thursday, March 25, I will be with Apt Entertainment for the 5 Years In Your Ears party with roster mates Mark Farina, Chuck Love, DJ Heather, Fred Everything, Joshua Iz, Olivier Desmet, Pezzner, Gene Farris, Ken ECB and others - Details

Daytime on Friday, March 26, I will be with the Afternoon Delight crew at the Beach Plaza for the 5 year anniversary party in conjunction with Basic - Details

Nighttime on Friday, March 26, I will be at the Shore Club for the Beats Build Hope Benefit for Nextaid, Lifebeat, Soil (Haiti) and Green Wave which goes from 8pm till 5am - Details

Daytime on Saturday, March 27, at the South Seas Hotel, I will join the Sundae Philadelphia Crew for another year along - Details

Nighttime on Saturday, March 27 I will be at Nikki Beach for the Switzerland's Purple Music - Details

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