Preview
JAY J
Friday, November 28
Skybar
BylineWith a recent Grammy nomination, Jay J’s music career has been taken to that proverbial next level. After years of trench work, he’s joined the heady company of more well-known house producers like Eric Morillo and Roger Sanchez as an industry-recognized artist.
While it’s true that major music industry recognition doesn’t always translate into commercial success, J is reaping benefits from his nomination – namely he’s playing a lot more gigs.
"It’s heightened the awareness of my name," says J. "The remix requests aren’t really rolling in, but there seems to be more of an understanding of what I do and the music I make."
The music he makes is less than commercially viable. He didn’t receive the nod from the recording industry for retooling a Brittany track, instead, he was recognized for his production work on the music he loves most, house.
With a release count that’s fast approaching the landmark of 100, J has proven that he’s a force on the dance floor that’s certainly here to stay. His 100th release will also mark a decade of making records, which begs a question about the Grammy nomination. Is it important to someone whose career has largely existed without industry recognition?
"Of course it does, but not in the ways I thought it would," he says. "It’s a good thing that more people can understand what I’m about. I mean I didn’t get into this to make money, so from that end I don’t see it being extremely beneficial. But as for expanding my audience, I suppose that’s the best part of it all."
With 100 releases under his belt, J is now looking to expand on his repertoire, perhaps branching out to incorporate different elements of soul. His passion remains house music, but his desire is to extend beyond being considered a house producer and instead become a music producer.
"I want to try to broaden my approach, expand on what I’ve done and bring the nuance of my music out more fully," says J. "Sometimes that’s not always possible with a straight house track. Sometimes I need to bring it down closer to the bone and that’s done by dabbling with different elements of the music."
His own greatest musical inspiration is still found in Masters of Work, the renowned duo from New York comprised of Kenny Dope and Little Louie Vega.
"I don’t think anyone has ever been so consistent as those guys. Every remix, every project always presents something new – something that is always searching for the next sound. Their legacy – that’s still one of the greatest inspirations for me as a producer. If I can get close to what they’ve done with my own work, then I’m a few steps closer to where I want to be."
While he might not yet feel he has a home in the higher echelons of the house-music world, J is well on his way to that goal. His work and the whole California scene is gaining momentum, as the house-music world rediscovers the power of songs and the importance of musicality – two things that Jay J agrees will bring the dance community back from the brink of apathy.
"Certainly songs are the key. It’s something that I used to key into when I first saw a DJ – why not now?" he says. "Everything is here in San Francisco, there’s a tremendous community that feeds all of this music and you can hear that in the music that’s being produced here and that’s one of the things that is spreading outside the city." |
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