C-Jay

Interview by Dan Prince

 

C-Jay a huge welcome to DMCWORLD and congratulations on your excellent new album release on Bedrock. How are things over there right now?

Thanks for the congrats, appreciated! And it’s cold and wet to be honest.  Winter is coming and all of that… I’m in the studio now with the heater on and a cup of tea, so I’m alright. Taking things a bit slowly over the last couple of weeks, to rebuild my energy for the New Year. 2016 has been pretty crazy, both work wise as privately. By the way, I live in a very, very small town in the rural parts of southern Holland called “Nootdorp”, which is close to The Hague, so things can get quiet and peaceful sometimes, when needed.

You’re seen as a true pioneer of the Dutch electronic dance scene, a much respected and highly regarded, multi-tasking producer/DJ/label boss/club promoter/music business man. Your “The Sessions” parties are legendary, and in your native Holland you are mentioned in the same breath as fellow Dutch DJs Per and Remy for consistent contributions to the scene. How has the scene changed and developed over the years?

Well, I’ve never been a “scene” kinda guy to be honest. People who know me know that I’m following my own path and just doing what I do and what feels right. For example, for about a decade it was mostly progressive and deep dance stuff for me and since about 2 years that changed completely into what I do now: a sort of ambient / chillout / electronica / film music / C-Jay crossover. Actually, this is stuff I also made 25 years ago when I started out, so things have come sort of full circle now. Haha. But when talk purely about the club and festival scene, it’s always moving like in any other country. EDM was quite big for some time, but I see the decline of that now. And techno took the place of progressive and deep house from the early 2000’s. Techno gets more melodic again though, so you know – just as long as the music sounds good and people keep going out, any scene can stay healthy. Underground lives forever baby!

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Your new ‘Echoes’ artist album is released as the 3rd disc on the new 3xCD ‘Bedrock 18 – Signals’ album on John Digweed’s legendary Bedrock label. This must be a very special moment for you? Can you tell us about this new project? Do you think this is your most accomplished creation to date?

A very special moment or even year, indeed… First ‘BackSlider’ back in April. One track from that came out on some of John’s compilations and the rest of the album was a digital release. Now ‘Echoes’ comes out in the same year, which totally blew my mind! And even on CD! 2016’s been really good to me, but two albums on a label like Bedrock is just beyond big and almost surreal. I do indeed think it’s my most accomplished album, but if all goes as it should, I think each new release should be “better” or more evolved in some way. So when we talk again in 2 years about a new project, I hope that one is the top of my game at that time. But, yeah, both musically and technically, ‘Echoes’ really showcases my skills of the here and now. It’s one of my most, if not the most personal musical projects I’ve ever done. If you want to know who I am, start listening to ‘Echoes’ and a lot will be made clear. Influences from my old time heroes like Jean Michel Jarre and Vangelis can be heard, as well as a friendly nod towards Brian Eno and The Orb. Music, just as life is a journey. Good artists keep growing in what they do and while looking forward, there are always some “echoes” from the past in my work. Both musically and also regarding what happens in my private life. It’s all nicely wrapped into my new album.

C-Jay ‘Echoes’ LP Mini-Mix Preview:

 

 

How does ‘BackSlider’ your 6-track mini-LP also released on Bedrock back in April, differ from your new album?

I just keep doing what I do, without listening to others for inspiration. Of course, I get influenced, that’s logical, but I never ever want to try to sound like this or that artist. There are so many copycats out there, that for me, it’s like a holy search to keep sounding fresh and original. With ‘Backslider’, John Digweed and many acclaimed reviewers said that I “invented a whole new genre”… and I somehow agree on that. It’s not ambient, it’s not chillout, it’s not just dance. It’s C-Jay. ‘BackSlider’ changed a lot for me and ‘Echoes’ is just a logical step forward, I think? It’s not that different, but than again it is. Just check it out.

C-Jay ‘BackSlider’ Previews:

How has your production style evolved over the years?

Not sure…I think this is a hard question to answer. My workflow comes naturally, something happens in the studio or it doesn’t. I never force stuff. I sit down, and see what happens. Sometimes this means I don’t do anything for weeks and sometimes that means I create a new track in maybe a few hours. The details take longer, of course, but that’s it. I sit down and create.

Your rigorous studio output must have led to some great live shows? What have been your highlights and most memorable moments in 2016?

By far one the highlights, was a gig I did in Beirut, Lebanon. This amazing organiser and DJ named Pablo Abouzeid runs a weekly night there and it was just mental! We’ve already spoken about getting back there next year, so I’m looking forward to that. I also have very nice memories of the Mystic Garden Festival and Geheime Liefde Festival in Holland – both for their amazingly unique location, superb sound and great beer!

Let’s rewind for a moment…what is your earliest musical memory?

The one that is just burned into my mind is my father coming home with a cassette recording of ‘Equinoxe’ (the 2nd album by Jean Michel Jarre). I was about 10 years old and that was it! That right there was the defining moment for me with regards to my musical taste and career. It can be that easy. I heard it, was hooked, and off I went to find out all there was to learn about synths and electronic music.

Was a career in music always the only objective, were you interested in anything else as a life journey?

Nope. This has always been it. Music. I did many jobs (sales, marketing, customer care… you name it) and nowadays I still can’t make a living from just music sales or gigs, so I have to keep working on the side. But I have a very nice, four days per week job at the Dutch authors’ rights organisation called Buma / Stemra, where I have daily contact with clients who organise big dance music festivals. So I’m doing alright next to my studio and gig bizz.

Can you remember your first inspirational clubbing experience?

I think that has to be at a club night called ‘Earth’ in Amsterdam. They don’t exist anymore but it used to be a massive monthly night early 2000’s. I still remember one of the first gigs by Sasha in Holland. Even only having beer in my mind, I was blown away I think I was about in my early 20’s back then. And my first visit to Dance Valley is also a nice memory. 1996… haha. I’m old.

One positive thing for clubbing here in the UK has been the announcement that Fabric can re-open in London. Is the club scene in Holland going through a difficult time or are the powers that be more positive over there?

Things have been quite steady here for some time. The big name clubs are still here (like club Air or Melkweg) or they morph into something else (club Trouw’s team now just recently opened De School).  No closings I can think of like Fabric… But what I do think is that compared to 10 or 20 years ago, it is not a good situation in that Amsterdam is not as open-minded or cool as many foreigners still think. There is a very strict drugs policy, even stricter than in most parts of the USA, for crying out loud! Which is troubling. And there is still much violence and intolerance towards, for example, the gay community – which makes me sick. I hope Amsterdam and Holland will be able to change this mentality – love and peace should be back in town.

What are 5 of your favourite classic chillout tunes, that you would recommend everyone should discover?

Jean Michel Jarre – Waiting for Cousteau
Vangelis – Dawn
Abstraxion – Spazieren
C-Jay – BackSlider part 5
Brian Eno – Music for Airports

What has been your favourite track of 2016?

Jean Michel Jarre & Pet Shop Boys – Brick England

Your favourite ever DJ set you have performed?

Pffff… that’s quite hard man. Seriously? I have to name one? Then for now, I go for August 20 of this year, when I did both the warm-up and closing set for John Digweed in Rotterdam. The first 2 hours me, then 3 hours of John, and then 2.5 hours of me trashing the place! That was a legendary night, sir!

Early musical influences?

Jean Michel Jarre, Vangelis, Pet Shop Boys, The Orb, Brian Eno, Klaus Schulze, Tangerine Dream…

A piece of studio equipment you couldn’t live without?

My nord lead 1 and Cubase.

Best piece of advice you have ever been given?

Follow your instinct. Always.

Who are some of the up and coming chillout producers that we should be looking out for in 2017?

Sequentia Legenda , Roderic, Satori, Rone…

What are your plans for the coming months?

Rebuilding my energy which I lost somewhere around halfway through October. The year’s been a bit much, so I crashed. Things are going better each day now, so I’m quite looking forward to 2017. I haven’t been in the studio for about two months now, so that is the first thing I want to do again after the Christmas holidays.

Stay in touch:
https://www.facebook.com/cjayamsterdam/
http://www.c-jay.eu

Bedrock 18 – Signals (3xCD) featuring 2 x CDs of various artists compiled by John Digweed and 1 x CD featuring C-Jay’s ‘Echoes’ LP is released on Bedrock Records from 2nd December 2016

Pre-Order Now: http://bedrockmusic.bigcartel.com/product/bedrock-18-signals-3xcd-pre-order
CD1 Mini-Mix Preview: https://soundcloud.com/bedrock_rec/bedrock-18-signals-minimix-preview-cd1

CD2 Mini-Mix Preview: https://soundcloud.com/bedrock_rec/bedrock-18-signals-minimix-preview-cd2
CD3 Mini-Mix Preview: https://soundcloud.com/bedrock_rec/bedrock-18-signals-minimix-preview-cd3