Jamie Jones tours Australia

Congratulations, you've just released your debut LP. Tell us about the writing process. How many tracks did you have to choose from once the time came to put the record together? Thank you. Well, it was actually quite a long process; I held back some tracks I had done years ago for the album, some I used, some I didn't. I probably wrote about 40 tracks in total, and then narrowed it down to the final 12 for the first CD, and then selected another seven for the bonus disc. You've released the LP through Crosstown Rebels. After releasing via so many imprints in the past, what convinced you to release Don't You Remember the Future through the label? I've only actually ever released full EPs on Crosstown Rebels and Freak n Chic. I have released on Poker Flat, Cocoon and Get Physical too, but only single tracks as part of label compilations, etc. Crosstown has been my main label for a while now. I like it because it's open-minded, doesn’t really follow the current trend or hype sound that’s happening, and is more about the sound of each artist, rather than the sound of the label. Its also UK-based, and I believe in supporting the scene in your own country. Damian was also a big help with the album—we discussed pretty much every track, and he gave a lot of input in shaping which tracks to use, and which vocalist to use etc., something I don’t think I would have gotten from other labels. There has been a huge amount of talk around the release of this album. How is it preparing to release an album that is genuinely looked-forward to by a large portion of the dance music community? Have you felt any added pressure, nervousness, confidence, etc.? Definitely. It was a nice feeling when the first single "Summertime" did so well—that relieved the pressure a little. Because of the anticipation, I knew I had to make sure the album was up to scratch before I released it. I thought it was ready about a year ago, but then I realized it wasn’t. I didn’t want any filler tracks on there, so I spent another year on it. A decision I’m happy with. I guess it also helped build the anticipation more. While producing for the album, your DJ schedule would've been busy, as usual. Did this impact on your production, at all? Or have you always kept the two, DJing and production, separate? For sure. I had to take certain weekends off during the first year just to get work done. Whenever I bought a new machine, I needed that extra time to learn how to use it. I only really have Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays to work in the studio, and to sort my life out, so it can be tough. It doesn’t leave much time for anything else. It's really nice now that the summer is here, and I have plenty of music to release. I can have some fun, and stay in places I'm going a few extra days and enjoy it. While on the topic of production, what is your current studio setup? You stated some time ago that you were moving towards analogue machines—how did this affect this album? Yes, I'm pretty much all analogue now. I use a few plug-ins for effects mainly, but all my sounds come from samples of records, movies, etc., and machines. Not all are fully analogue, but most are. I recently bought a Roland Jupiter 8, my dream machine. I much prefer playing with knobs (on machines!) than using a mouse. I think the hands-on approach keeps the music less rigid. I also like the looseness of playing things live. And you simply cannot reproduce the "phatness" that analogue gives you. I can instantly hear the difference between a track that has been made with all plug-ins, and one that has not.