San Francisco house DJ/producer Jay-J has produced tracks for stars like Kaskade, Mary J. Blige, Joss Stone and even earned a Grammy nomi...
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San Francisco house DJ/producer Jay-J has produced tracks for stars like Kaskade, Mary J. Blige, Joss Stone and even earned a Grammy nomination for “best remixer” for a track he did for Jill Scott. But the 40-year-old, New Jersey-born DJ is riding high on his own with the release of the amazing Love Alive, his soulful new album that stays true to the deep house he’s known for, but adds delectable touches of funk, disco and pop. He took a few minutes out to chat with Lime Wire Music Blog recently, and here’s what went down:
LWMB: Hey Jay, where are you right now and what’s been going on in your life the past couple days?
Jay-J: I’m chilling at the Ritz Carlton in Seoul, Korea, waiting for room service, listening to some new music. I’m exhausted after a weekend of gigs in Asia where I played Friday at an F1 party at Stereolab then Saturday at Club Mass in Korea.
The new album has been two years in the making. How are you feeling now that it’s done and ready for your fans?
Like a huge weight has been lifted off of me! Although I’ve been wanting to do a proper artist album since Kaskade and I finished Latrice’s Illuminate album for Ultra, I didn’t realize how much it would take for me to get my own project done. But I’m glad I did. It’s a real sense of accomplishment. Especially when I’m at a gig and fans tell me what tracks are their favorites and why . . . I guess I’m feeling really good that I was able to create a body of work that spoke to music lovers in and out of the House music community.
“I let the creative process guide the way and ended up with a body of work representative of my own musical influences; the outcome is a testament to the music I have been so passionate about for years.”
Where was the album recorded and how was the whole recording process?
Most of the album was recorded in New York City. I had all these music ideas I created on my laptop during plane rides and studio sessions over the years. I worked on these “sessions” in New York with friends who were keyboard players to embellish these ideas and make them more musically interesting. Once we got the musical elements together, I sent the tracks to some vocalists I wanted to work with. They took the rough arrangements, got a sense of the grooves and what they vibed with, then we worked together developing the productions further, brainstorming on themes for the actual song and working it out until we got the final product. Overall the process was amazing. I got to work with some really talented musicians and vocalists who took my vision for the album to a whole different level.
How would you describe the San Francisco sound and what is the state of the city’s electronic music scene in general?
The San Francisco sound is a mix of the emerging organic, soulful sound from the early NYC house days combined with the jackin’/bumpin’ sounds of Chicago house. I think it reached it’s pinnacle in the early 2000, but the scene is still vibrant and one of the best places to play around the world.
Love Alive seems to have a lot of different influences – disco, soul, funk, ’80s, house. What was your vision when you set out to make this record?
I wanted to create music I was truly in to, and enjoyed and I did not want to be tied to any one genre in particular. So I let the creative process guide the way and ended up with a body of work representative of my own musical influences; the outcome is a testament to the music I have been so passionate about for years.
Who have been your favorite artists to remix and/or collaborate with throughout your career?
Although I didn’t get a chance to work with them, my favorite artists I’ve remixed are Joss Stone, Mary J. Blige, Alicia Keyes and of course, Jill Scott.
As far as artists I’ve worked with? Latrice Barnett, Michelle Shaprow, Big Brooklyn Red, Fabian Leo and all the artists on the Love Alive album were some of the best collaborative situations I’ve had to date. The best part is these working relationships have grown into great friendships and I’ve been fortunate to tour the world, gigging with them, having as great of time on the road as we did in the studio.
What is your greatest “rock ‘n’ roll” moment of your career?
If you want to print it, then it’d have to be the second best rock and roll moment. With that said, my moments would either being chosen by Coke as one of eight musical artists to participate in the 2008 Beijing Olympics WE8 Campaign or being the official DJ for the 2006 MTV AVMAs with Snoop Dogg and Ashlee Simpson.
What is your greatest tour/show experience?
There’s so many. But what quickly comes to mind was a gig in Australia when 2000+ people at Home Nightclub were singing the lyrics back to me and Latrice for “Keep On Rising” and “Make My Heart.” Having said that, I’m working on some new and improved versions of “Keep On Rising” for Defected which should be out soon. Some of my greatest “firsts,” were the time I played at two of the most infamous clubs in the world; Ministry Of Sound in London and Pacha in Ibiza. And of course, the first annual Jay-J and Friends Party in Miami for WMC. Now that I think about it, my gig last night in Seoul at Mass Club had to be one of the most amazing nights; the energy was amazing, the lights/visuals and sound were impeccable and the house was packed and totally into the music – the kind of gig every DJ appreciates.
The new album also has a very positive, uplifting vibe . . .
I didn’t necessarily set out with a theme for the album but I’ve always been drawn to those types of songs. Probably stems from my positive outlook on life. I just always seem drawn to optimistic topics like love and attraction.
