MISSION TO MARS

Dropping an EP filled with straight club cuts, Jamie Jones is back on Hot Creations for the first time since he launched the label with his own 'Ruckus' release in 2010.

The evocatively titled 'Planets, Spaceships' EP (out now) welcomes the Welsh producer back to earth - after the cosmically inclined debut album from four-piece band Hot Natured - with four tracks of woozy, dystopian space funk.

Filled with ominous basslines and the distressed bleeps of android nightmares, the title cut features Brazilian group Digitaria's Daniela Caldellas on vocals, adding a Miss Kitten like frosting to the brooding sci-fi surliness.

We suited up and joined Jamie in the vacuum to discuss Hot Natured giant leap as a live band, kids in America and clubs on Mars...

A few months down the line, how have Hot Natured bedded in? it must have been an exciting time making the transition to a live act. What have been the highlights and what have been the learnings?

“It's great that we did a series of live shows over the summer. They all went really well, considering it was our first time playing and doing a live tour in front of up to 10,000 people. It took me personally a few gigs to get comfortable, but after that I loved it. It’s not something I want to do the whole year. They were all really highlights for me... Bestival, Eastern Electrics and Sonar.”

This is only your second solo single on Hot Creations. Why has it taken so long for you to drop round two? Have you got a backlog of club cuts like these which have been on hold?

“I’ve kind of got a back log of club cuts, but the main reason was around the time we started the label we decided to start the Hot Natured album, and that took up a big portion of my studio time. It's just been a crazy two years between the band and also starting Paradise Ibiza, developing that into what it is now on top of what was already quite a hectic touring schedule.

“I released ‘Changes’ on Hot Trax not that long ago and that did really well. It was just so time consuming having all these different projects. Now I’ve got more time I’m really focusing on releasing more material, hopefully on some other labels as well.

”The lead cut ‘Planets, Spaceships’ features Daniela Caldellas from Digitaria. How is their album coming along?

“It's coming along really well. I was sent their finished 12 tracks and I’m waiting for one more before its done. I reckon we’ll be promoting it in WMC and have it released early summer.”  

As a fan of space (and beyond), what tracks would you play if it was you on the first commercial space flight, rather than Armin Van Burren? (We hear Richard Branson might be getting into deep house.) Have you looked into Virgin galactic or are Hot Creations running a rival space programme?

“I think after I’ve got everything to a level, I'll look at opening a night on Mars. Maybe I’ll send Lee Foss on that one way mission to Mars. I’d probably play the start of the Star Wars theme tune.”

The EDM PR machine won’t stop going on about the US. Beyond the fat fees, what’s your current take on how America’s new found taste for dance music is shaping up? Summer is over so are kids who go to festivals actually turning into kids who go to clubs?

“Yeah, in New York they’ve gone from no clubs to clubs like Cielo, which was the only actual semi good club in Manhattan when I lived their three or four years ago. The only thing to do was a Sunday at Rivington Hotel or Hudson Hotel and now Sankeys is open and Space is about to open. They have Electric Zoo, which brought a lot of EDM and some underground acts. If you look at New York as a tastemaker for the America scene it actually is shaping up and the scene is definitely stronger than it's ever been. You’ve got Spy Bar and Smart Bar [in Chicago] which are full every week. Create has just opened [in LA] and that’s doing really well, I’ve played there twice and its amazing.”

On that note, how was Halloween in New York? In the US that’s as big as New Year, right? From the wig you posted, it looked like you were going as Rick James

“It was my first time playing at Halloween in America and it was really great. All the Robot Heart guys were there. My friends from Burning Man had the art cars in the Halloween parade, we actually got to go with them. I played in the Penthouse strip club, which had been completely transformed, the production and interior was next level. I did go as Rick James but I actually dressed up quite a few times over Halloween.”

You've always got some great outfits in general. What are your favourite shops around the world to buy new threads?

“My favourite place in the world to buy clothes is Tokyo, I spent three days purely shopping their once. There are a few cool shops in London dotted around Shoreditch too. I buy quite a lot of the Christopher K t-shirts.”