|
 |
|
|
|
|
Jason Jollins - A big sound in an even bigger apple
Jason Jollins is one of New Yorks busiest DJs at the moment, playing a wide variety of house and uplifting music across a wide variety of crowds and venues plus running his label Acute. No easy feat in itself, Jollins has taken it with both hands grown as a DJ in recent years. Getting an insight into the New York scene was very easy when talking to so involved on so many levels.
RA talks to this New Yorker about the now defunct Twilo, its effect on shaping the USA’s East Coast scene and what its like to run a label as diverse as Acute Recordings. Answers roll off the tongue and soon an hour has passed, but it makes for some very enjoyable reading.
New York’s now defunct Twilo is probably one of the most influential clubs to have existed. Exactly how influential was it in terms of the New York scene and spreading the popularity of progressive house?
Twilo has had a huge impact on the New York scene especially in regards to introducing as well as spreading the popularity of progressive house. Twilo was more than just a club, it was an era which has played such an important role in the history of New York City clubbing. The venue’s frequent introduction of overseas dj’s and the progressive sound that they were bringing over was something a majority of NYC clubbers had never heard or seen before. Sasha and Digweed are pretty much synonymous with the word Twilo as they played there the last Friday of every month. I rarely missed one of there events and to this day I still miss what many NYC clubbers called there 2nd home. But Twilo’s success wasn’t solely based on the dj talent it was bringing in, Twilo itself was an amazing venue on many levels. Weather it was there phazon sound system, there light shows including lasers, there giant disco ball hanging from the ceiling, the unique personalities wondering through the club, or the amazing vibe; Twilo was very influential to me.
I started dj’ing in 1989 when I was in my early teen years, but then I wound up taking a break in 1993 and didn’t start dj’ing again until 1997. My reason for picking up on dj’ing again was entirely due to my 1st and 2nd experience at Twilo. The first time I went there and saw Sasha and Digweed I was absolutely blown away by the sound that was coming out of the speakers. It was quite an experience, one that led me to quickly run to the nearest Sam Ash and invest a few grand into dj equipment (one of the best decisions of my life).
Another thing that Twilo did which was very innovative for the time was to have a message board on there website. I personally didn’t even know what a message board was until I came across the Twilo website. The Twilo message board developed into a community of underground clubbers, dj’s, producers, and onlookers whom to this day still remain very close with one another.
Whether it was their phazon sound system, their light shows including lasers, their giant disco ball hanging from the ceiling, the unique personalities wondering through the club, or the amazing vibe; Twilo was very influential to me.
There appeared to be a strong crackdown on New York clubs started by former Mayor Rudy Giuliani. As a result a number of high profile clubs were shut. How did this affect the clubbing scene in the city?
A lot of clubbers aren’t to fond of Giuliani as he took away something that was truly special to all of us. That of course being twilo but much more than that, the NYC clubbing scene in general. What a lot of people don’t realize is Giuliani an excellent mayor who did so many positive things for New York City. The city is a much better place to live and visit compared to how it was before he came into office. However, during the Twilo era, there was such an amazing vibe in NYC in regards to clubs and house music. His shutting down of several clubs (especially Twilo) sent a shockwave through the city which can still be felt today.
His shutting down of many NYC clubs severely dampened a thriving club scene. It basically forced NYC clubbing to go underground (smaller clubs, lounges, etc..). However, there were some benefits of Giuliani’s crack down on clubs which benefited the local dj’s including myself.
Shortly after Twilo shut down, a lot of lounges installed turntables and small sound systems. The big dj’s that were once coming from overseas didn’t really have a place to play in NYC. This in turn led to opportunities for bedroom dj’s everywhere. Loft parties and lounges were now where many of the NYC clubbers were hanging out and the dj’s supplying the music were locals such as myself. Although excited and eager to see the superstar dj’s, people were not given these opportunities and it was now time for the locals to shine. It was the best thing that could have happened to the local NYC dj’s while at the same time a sad situation for mega clubs and superstar dj’s who wanted to play here.
The closing down of Twilo and other major clubs definitely hurt the clubbing scene in general. However, the NYC scene in the past 9 months has been spectacular. We have super clubs opening up one after another and all of the world’s best talent is playing here on a regular basis. We have many new super clubs and it seems as if there are more than enough people to fill these clubs. Every weekend we have the worlds top dj’s flying in and there are more than a handful of mega clubs to visit. To top it off, many of these clubs are very supportive of local talent as local dj’s are playing these clubs on a regular basis, along side the superstar dj’s. Although there were some bumps in the road, it is currently an amazing time for the NYC clubbing scene.
Although less than two months old, Godskitchen is now throwing a weekly Saturday night event at Ikon (formerly known as Exit). This party in just a short time has grown to become the most talked about weekly events in NYC and has transformed a somewhat deserted club into one of the hottest clubs in NYC. Godskitchen has basically brought back what the club goers in NYC have been craving ever since the shutting down of legendary clubs such as Twilo, Limelight, and the Tunnel. Next week I will be continuing my weekly residency for this party as I play along side one of my favourite dj’s Anthony Pappa.
Were there any changes that promoters had to make to keep their nights going?
Well a lot of promoters started throwing loft parties and more underground parties at smaller venues. For instance, the management of Twilo themselves went from throwing events in Twilo to throwing parties in a loft that held about 200 people and had no air conditioning. This loft was nicknamed “Twiloft” but however small and hot it was, these parties were amazing and legendary in there own right. It was a tough time for NYC promoters but a lot of them have pulled through. Some big promoters just stopped throwing parties for a while or started throwing smaller events. You also saw promoters from different crews joining forces and/or throwing one off events.
Choosing a career as a DJ can often be a hard path to take. What prompted you to decide to pursue this avenue?
Well I never actually made a decision to choose dj’ing as a career. In all honesty, dj’ing for me still isn’t a career but more of a lifestyle. I bought my turntables when I was almost 15 years old back in 1989, but I had actually started dj’ing in the mid 80’s using my friends brothers turntables. During that time the superstar dj was for the most part non existent. It was truly all about the music back then and I remember just wanting to share my mixed tapes with as many people possible. I still feel this way as my goal isn’t superstar status or even dj’ing as a career. I love everything that comes with dj’ing and I am happy that it is such a major part of my life.
But although things are going well for me playing many of the major clubs, running the record label, and playing along side many of my favourite dj’s, there have definitely been some bumps in the road. I’d say the hardest part of dj’ing initially was trying to get my name out there in an attempt to find gigs to play. I was so young when I started dj’ing so I wasn’t allowed to get into any clubs due to my young age. There also wasn’t any internet back then so spreading your music online was impossible. Also, throughout the years my addiction for record shopping would usually force a decision which would result in buying records before paying bills, paying rent, and buying food.
However, looking back and at my current situation, I live for house music and it has given and still gives me great pleasure in life. I basically live for this music and the opportunity to dj in front of those who truly appreciate the art. I am very fortunate to have found my passion in life and the support that I get by fans makes every sacrifice I have ever made worth it.
Looking over your previous gigs, you’ve played with some of the best names in the business. What have been some of your favourite moments?
I’m really fortunate and thankful for many of the gigs I have gotten over the years. It has been an honour to play alongside many of the worlds top dj’s and with that I have experienced many magical moments. I’d say that each gig I have played has had something special that I have been able to take with me.
However, one thing that I learned is that a lot of these “best names in the business” are some of the nicest people you’ll ever meet. Playing along side Hernan Cattaneo was an amazing opportunity as he is one of my favourite dj’s and a huge inspiration. However, playing along side dj’s like Sasha, Carl Cox, Steve Lawler, Lee Burridge, Chris Fortier, Hybrid, Juan Atkins, Armin Van Buuren, Darren Emerson, Ferry Corsten, Max Graham, and many others not mentioned has been amazing in its own right. It has been a wild and entertaining ride for sure.
Going further, are there any DJs in particular who you would like to play with but haven’t so far?
Well everyone who knows me knows that I have been a diehard Digweed fan for years. One of the greatest clubbing experiences of my life was during the Twilo 6th year anniversary. I was one of two people allowed in the dj booth for digweeds entire set and it was an experience I will never forget. A lot of my influence comes from John Digweed and playing along side him would be a dream come true.
Also, I was scheduled to play along side Dave Seaman and Infusion last year while they were touring the United States but I had to cancel the gig due to another gig that I had accepted in Peru. The trip to Peru was an excellent experience and I am looking forward to playing there again next month. However, I would have loved to play along side Dave Seaman and Infusion on there tour and I am hoping that the opportunity will come again.
Your label Acute Recordings has quite an interesting select of artists on board. In particular, Habersham, from whom big things are expected? When signing a new artist, what qualities do you look for in the artist that separates them from every other person that sends you demos?
Habersham has done an amazing job for himself and deserves all of the hype being generated around his name and production work. He’s an absolute genius in the studio and a great guy as well. I feel the same way about all of the artists I’ve signed on the label though. The Acute roster consists of young producers who have excellent production skills, a great ear for music, and passion for there art.
The focus of Acute Recordings is meant to be a platform for artists who haven’t had much previous exposure. I try to sign artists who haven’t released any or much material in the past. There are so many artists out there who have excellent production skills as well as a great ear for music but just haven’t been given the opportunity to release there production work. Acute Recordings is meant to be a platform for these artists to get known on a global level while at the same time sharing there creativity with others.
There’s obviously a major concern amongst newer labels of having tracks leaked and then appearing on Soulseek before they’ve even been released. How do you feel about these file sharing programs and what effects to you feel they have on the overall scene in general?
File sharing programs obviously hurt the sales of newer record labels as well as hurt vinyl sales for bigger labels. Fortunately most of the releases on Acute have sold out and continue to sell very well globally. However, I am sure that Acute sales have been somewhat effected through the use of file sharing programs such as Soulseek and this is obviously hurting the overall scene in general.
File sharing is hurting record labels, distributors, record stores, producers, and pretty much every other facet that is involved with vinyl sales. Aside from the obvious lack of sales hurting the above mentioned entities, clubbers are suffering as well because a lot of the tracks dj’s are playing these days are ripped versions of the original masters. Dj’s who use these file sharing programs are playing 192 quality mp3’s on big sound systems which is hurting the overall quality and sound experience for the clubber that was once so rich due to dj sets being played mainly on vinyl.
I can go on and on about this subject so I’ll leave out the obvious in terms of how file sharing affects all who make a living through the sales of vinyl. However, I just want to point out how producers themselves are losing money which in turn makes it harder for them pay there bills and live. A lot of sacrifices are made by these artists to bring joy and good music to the fans. This is there lifestyle and as file sharing increases and record sales are effected, the profits that producers make on there tracks will decrease. In turn this affects there livelihood as well as the amount of time they have to work in the studio. Less time and a hungry mind takes away from creativity which in turn can affect that actual quality of music being produced in the future.
The bottom line is that everyone loses through file sharing whether it’s the record labels, the artists, record stores, distributors, fans, etc… The bright side to this is that there is still a majority of dj’s out there who prefer to dj using vinyl whether it’s for the more hands on feel or for the better sound quality.
This is a very interesting time that we are living in as technology is changing so much. At least now there are digital download websites where dj’s can pay 99 cents to purchase a track and that way the artist and label are still making profits. Although not as good as vinyl, Dj’s who purchase music through digital download websites are at least getting better quality sound than they would using file sharing programs. Within the next few years we will begin to see a lot of dj’s using different mediums during there events such as Final Scratch and Ableton Live.
I guess the thing to keep in mind when starting an underground house record label is that this isn’t a business formed with the intent of monetary opportunity. It is something that is done more in support of the arts and a passion for music as well as a way for a producer to release his own music. Although there are dj’s out there who don’t buy records and instead download music for free and in turn hurt everyone who invested time and money into that music; there are still many dj’s who actually pay for the music and I hope this trend continues.
Which DJs/producers/musicians have been major influences during your career?
When I started dj’ing in 1989, the superstar dj was pretty much non existent. Much of my influence came from my friends older brother who originally introduced me to the world of dj’ing. Although he wasn’t a well known dj, he played a key factor in my initial interest in dj’ing. However, since the mid to late 90’s, the biggest influences on me have been John Digweed, Danny Howells, Anthony Pappa, and Hernan Cattaneo.
I have always felt a very strong connection with the sound and dj’ing style of John Digweed. His mixing, track selection, and ability to build a set is something that I always look to and strive for. Whether it’s an early night set or peak time, Digweed always seems to know what tracks to play, when to play them, and how to play them. I’d have to say that my ultimate goal is to play along side him one day.
Like John Digweed, Hernan Cattaneo is absolutely brilliant behind the decks. Track selection, mixing, and programming always seem to be flawless. Every time Hernan is in NYC he puts on an amazing show and brings in a vibe that is rarely seen in this city. If you haven’t had the chance to see him, I’d suggest any progressive house fan to catch a show of his, he’s truly a major influence and huge inspiration to me.
My inspiration and respect for Anthony Pappa is due to his well mixed and programmed sets along with his track selection. These are three things that are very important to me when listening to a dj.
When it comes to stage presence, Danny Howells is phenomenal. I love to watch him behind the decks as he interacts with the crowd. People in NYC love Danny Howells but this love doesn’t entirely come from his excellent track selection and skills. His personality and stage presence has earned him a lot of respect. He’s a true entertainer.
As a DJ, you’re mainly known for playing progressive house these days. Has your sound changed much since you first started?
A lot of people do see me as a progressive house dj. House music in my opinion is always progressing and there are so many different sub genres of house that cross into one another. My track selection through out any given night consists of these various interlaced sub genres. Labelling a certain sound is not an easy task so although I do consider myself a progressive house dj, I don’t just play progressive house. When I first started dj’ing I was playing straight up house and freestyle. Through the years I have been known to interlace subgenres of house, techno, breaks, and trance and I continue to do so.
I have earned my reputation in NYC because of my ability to play many time slots which require different styles of house. I am very thankful and worked very hard to build my reputation and following, however, playing progressive house isn’t the only reason for my success. I am also known well in NYC for my opening sets which incorporate everything from ambient, deep, techy, breaky, progressive, and other sub genres of house. Opening a big room is a skill which takes a lot of experience, the ability to read the crowd, the ability to create a welcoming and warm environment, while at the same time showing respect for the headliner though track selection.
A lot of people are stuck on this notion that a dj has to have a specific and unique sound to be successful in this industry. I agree with this to a point, however, I also think it is extremely important for a dj to be diverse when it comes to track selection. I play a lot of different sub genres of house music and I concentrate more on what sounds good to myself and my fans rather than what style it is. A great dj in my opinion has the ability to weave in and out of many different sub genres in a way that creates a seamless journey. Sort of like telling a story and bringing the crowd for a ride. House music is always changing and that is one of many things that I love about it.
On your website you have some excellent live dj mixes and cd projects available for free download. How often do you upload mixes to your website and are you planning on uploading a new mix soon?
The initial reason for me to build a website was so that I would have a means to share my mixes with others on a mass level. I love the positive feedback that I receive and the popularity of my website has been astounding. I try to upload a new mix every four months but it’s not always an easy task. I have to be very careful when putting up a mix because a lot of the music that I play is promo and / or unsigned / unreleased material. My new summer promo for instance consists mostly of tracks that haven’t been signed yet so out of respect for the artists I unfortunately can not share that mix on my website. However, I am in the process of licensing the tracks from my latest mix and it should be available in stores worldwide in late January of 2005. In the mean time, I will be recording one of my live sets from Godskitchen @ Ikon within the next few weeks and I will be putting that up on my site within the next month or so.
With dance music’s popularity reaching almost every part of the globe, there are clubs and events that can be found almost anywhere in the world. Is there an overseas club or festival that you would love to play and why?
I wouldn’t like to pigeon hole myself into mentioning a few as I look forward to every opportunity whether it is national or international. However, in the next few months I have gigs coming up in Guatemala, Panama, Peru, Costa Rico, Bolivia, Mexico, Venezuela, and Belgium. I am very excited and I am looking forward to playing in these different countries. It is a wonderful feeling to have people supporting and showing interest on a global level.
It was great talking to you and having you here for this interview. Is there anything else that you would like to say to the readers?
I would like to take this time to thank you and everyone involved with ResidentAdvisor.net. I have been a big fan and a frequent visitor to the website and it’s a pleasure to now be a part of it. I also want to take this time to thank everyone who has been supporting me through my website as well as at my live events.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Published / Wednesday, 08 September 2004
 Post a comment
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Features
|
|
|
