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Jamie Jones Interview

DJmag.com caught up with East London wideboy Jamie Jones to discuss minimal, DJing, and trendy haircuts.

1) Please can you describe your DJing style?

I guess I try and create a bouncy, dubby groove, using electronic deep house and techno. I'm also very into moody Detroit style stuff, so there's always some emotion too.

I am, and always will be, a massive lover of vinyl, so I spend a lot of time digging and trying to get obscure records that I know a lot of people won't have (the obscurer the better).

The best DJs for me will be the ones that make the dancefloor groove, and if they can do this with music I've never heard before then they have done it properly.

If I can do that at a gig, I can go home happy.

2) What technical skills do you possess that make your sound unique?

A lot of the tracks I play will be my own re-edits.

If I hear a record in the shop or whatever, but only like maybe one minute of it, I will still buy it - I can then take it home and re-edit it, add some of my own little elements and have something that's personal to me.

I also use a SoundBITE Cycloops loop machine when I DJ as it adds another dimension to my sets.

3) Please list any residencies you currently hold?

I am resident of 'Dig Your Own Rave' at the T Bar in London on Sundays alongside, Matthew Styles, Rob Mello, Dave Congreve and Hector.

I really love the party and the place.

We tend to stear clear of the darker minimal stuff as it's a Sunday, and keep it on a deeper more musical tip, and we play a lot of older house and techno as well as newer stuff and the vibe reflects this.

The crowd really know their stuff. Also the T Bar just had a full Funktion 1 soundsystem installed, so it really compliments the music.

4) When and where did you first DJ at a club?

It was so bad I've been trying to forget it for years.

After playing at little parties I had organized in my little town in Wales I was asked, at the age of 17, to play at the Bangor University Student Union.

I was so chuffed as they had just converted the place. Anyway, this was just a random friday night that someone we knew was organising.

So I arrived, big box of records really nervous and exited.

The problem was, at that point I had only ever played on my belt drives, the torque of Technics was completely unknown to me.

Almost every mix was a complete disaster. I went home and immediately started saving for some Technics.


Jamie is also a pimp apparently

5) Which living DJ do you most admire and why?

I think it would have to be Laurent Garnier.

He is mainly famous for being one of the best techno DJs in the world, but he's also produced some amazing records over the years.

I havent heard him play for a few years now and I don't always like what he does, but he seems to always push the boundaries and is one of the few people who has managed to keep his credibility over the years.

He also played one of the best sets Ive ever heard, on the Space Terrace in Ibiza in 2002 and he played a J Majik drum and bass remix as his last tune. The place went crazy.

I have always been into drum and bass and it was awesome to hear that on the terrace.

6) Do you produce music and, if so, what have you released in the past and what has it been like?

I released my debut EP 'Amazon' last January on Dan Ghenacia's Freak N Chic label.

To describe it I would say it's haunting, melodic, deep moody house.

It took me a while before I gave anyone anything I had produced, because I wanted to make sure I was really happy with it.

It kind of payed off, because it's been the biggest record on Freak N Chic so far.

It made it onto, Steve Bug's, Tiefschwarz', Steve Lawler's and now Sven Vath's compilations, which I'm really proud and happy about.

My next Freak N Chic is out now called 'The Capsule' and following that I have releases on Crosstown Rebels and Pokerflat.

7) Do you play in the UK much and, if so, where have you played recently and where are you playing in the coming months?

I'm very lucky to play regularly at Fabric, this is probably my favourite place to play.

It's run so professionally and by such nice people.

I really feel at home there, and I can play whatever I like and the crowd has trust; there are no boundaries.

I played a few weeks ago at Below in Birmingham, which is a really, really good party, the guys have created something really special up there.

Coming up in November I will be back in Fabric and also making my first appearance at Technique in Leeds.

I've heard so much about this night, so I'm really looking forward to it.

8) Please tell us your plans for the future.

I guess just more of the same. I have been going through a bit of a transitional stage in the studio as I have been buying some old analogue machines by Roland and am using these more and more now rather than digital software.

So at the moment I'm working hard on that.

I will be doing a little tour of South East Asia in January also, which I am really looking forward to.

9) Please name any well known DJs that have supported you or bigged you up since you started out?

Dan Ghenacia has always supported me, I really respect him, he's been kind of a mentor over the last few years.

Also Damian Lazarus, I have a massive amount of respect for him also, he is a good mate and has always supported me and given me props.

Finally Clive Henry, he is a really good friend, and has been spreading the word and supporting me.