San Francisco’s house is in good health. It seems the West Coast sound is as vibrant and relevant as ever, with Jay-J one of its leading exponents. The Loveslap! Label is an integral part of the Californian record industry, and what with San Fran’s monthly ‘Foundation’ night and a show recently secured on XM satellite radio there are big times ahead.

Enter Jay-J to mix the forthcoming Loveslapped! 3 album, and after a chat with his charming mother it was time for some soundbites from the man himself on the new comp and the state of play. He describes his approach as ‘aiming to be above the average house record, though not consciously aiming to out-do anyone. I wanted the quality to be consistent with my previous stuff, so my competition was with myself rather than anybody else. I put a lot of time and energy into this, and am aware of my name and reputation. It’s a different mix from, say, West Coast sessions (released last year on Defected) as it’s a fair bit slower and a bit more soulful and jazzy’. One of the standout tracks on Loveslapped! 3 is the collaboration with Andy Caldwell, ‘Give A Little’,
which features the vocals of Latrice Bennett. “It was the first time me and Andy had worked together” says Jay, “and it keeps me motivated working with others as I have to focus on stuff. I’ve collaborated with a lot of people in the Bay area, but this was my first release as a producer on Naked Music, rather than a technical man.”

Jay-J has been in the house business for years, making it “before it was popular to do so. I guess my influences are people like Roger Sanchez, Masters at Work and Soulfuric. I guess I’m a jaded old house head – when I walk into a club I’m really drawn to it. Early house music, like the stuff appearing on, say, Ministry, wasn’t really fully-fledged house music. When I had my first experience it was like, wow, this
is pretty dope”.

Jay J

When asked how he sees San Fran house developing, Jay reckons it’s all about consistency. “Me, Miguel (Migs) and Julius (Papp) are all consistent with what we do, we have a reputation for that sort of sound. Our profiles have been strengthened but the scene hasn’t felt jaded – if you’re rocking it, you’re fucking rocking it. I like this music, and there’s nothing better than to see the pleasure it gives people on the dancefloor. Things have changed with compilations though – nowadays people get more bang for their buck if they get a good one. Loveslapped! blurs the lines between prime time night club and Sunday afternoon, it works equally well on both”.

Loveslap! is pressing ahead with digital music developments – and Jay-J is keen to respond to punters’ demands from an industry point of view. “Things have changed, we’ve all seen and heard it. People need to change their outlook – because most of us aren’t business orientated the industry are driving
the way this music is developed. The streaming adjusts the way we look at fans and how we get the music to them. There’s a lot less people buying vinyl for fun now!”

Jay-J’s next gig in Australia is likely to be mid April, with Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra all likely destinations. He loves Sydney – “even more people get it, it’s one of my top three places to play!” As, no doubt, is San Francisco, where the Foundation night continues to go from strength to strength. It seems the future’s bright for music on America’s West Coast.