Liverpool’s James Organ has experienced a meteoric rise ever-since his residency at Merseyside institution Circus. In recent times, the young artist has garnered acclaim through releases on labels such as Knee Deep In Sound and Sasha’s Last Night On Earth, whilst the esteemed likes of Pete Tong and Danny Howard have picked him up for regular BBC Radio 1 play. Here DMCWORLD checks in with the main man as he delivers his new track ‘Secrets’ via Crosstown Rebels with the mighty Dennis Cruz on remix duty…
Hello James, thanks for speaking with us today! First off, how are you doing? Where are you based in the world at the moment?
Hey there, thanks for having me. It’s been a bit of a rough year for us all, but aside from that I’m doing okay. Feeling productive, inspired and driven, still. I am based in Liverpool, UK.
For those of our readers that may not be familiar with your sound, how would you describe it in your own words?
Based on my last few releases, I would say Bass Driven House music, with elements of 303!
We have to say a big congrats to you on your upcoming release Secrets on Damian Lazarus’s Crosstown Rebels. It rounds off what has so far been a brilliant year of musical output from you, with releases on Knee Deep In Sound, Circus Recordings and W&O Street Tracks to name a few. Can you tell us a bit about this release and what it means to you?
Thank you, Really appreciate it. I actually made a ‘label goals’ list when I first started making music and Crosstown Rebels was always at the top. I’m obviously very happy to have confirmed a full EP this month, especially given it features the amazing ‘Pablo:Rita’ on vocals. The release is a little more experimental than my usual stuff, with the B side ‘Moons of Gaza’ recorded at 112 BPM, aimed at the earlier dancefloor, but all in all I am very happy with this EP.
The release also features a stunning remix from none other than Dennis Cruz. What’s it like to have Dennis remix your work and what were your thoughts when you first heard it?
I actually wrote an email to Damian straight after hearing to say that I think this remix is really going to catch on. I’m loving how Dennis has completely stripped the original back, and added that huge chunky bass layer. I’ve played this record on a couple of good sound systems and the bass cuts through nicely, can’t wait for you to hear it.
Can you tell us a bit about your studio setup? How do you usually like to approach making a track?
I never go in with any fixed idea of what I want to make. I simply sit down and start with a Kick drum and then begin to layer elements of what ever hardware I feel like using on that day. My setup consists of the Moog Sub 37, The Prophet Rev 2, the Aira & Boutique 303’s and Korg’s Ms20 mini, which I have used this in quite a lot of my releases recently.
Given the strength of your releases this year alone, what main bits of advice would you offer to an aspiring producer?
I would say be YOURSELF. The moment I stopped following trends and trying to copy other producers was the moment that some of the bigger independent labels started to sign my records. It’s only in this way that you will truly find your own sound.
In a time where the nightlife industry is under a lot of pressure due to Covid circumstances, we’d like to try and draw some attention to why this sector is so important to look after. As someone who is a resident DJ for one of the UK’s most influential brands, Circus, what does nightlife culture and music mean to you?
Nightlife culture and music is simply everything to me and a lot of the people around me. It’s infuriating what’s happening recently with the governments lack of empathy and support, asking musicians and people in entertainment industry to ‘retrain’. It’s absolutely shocking. One thing is for certain though, nightlife culture will never die and once this comes back, the scene is going to be 100% stronger with a much stronger sense of solidarity amongst both fans and musicians, given what we will have been through.
Thanks again for speaking with us today James. Before you go, is there anything else from yourself that we should be keeping an eye out for in the near future?
I have plenty of new music still to come and will hopefully keep the releases flowing throughout this pandemic. Thanks for your support!
James Organ ‘Secrets’ with a Dennis Cruz Remix is released 23rd October on Crosstown Rebels. Grab a copy here…pre-order link
