The Queen Of America unleases her beats…
Interview by Dan Prince
After a blazing start to 2015 by dropping two of the hottest songs of the year already, JES gets ready to release volume 3 of her Unleash The Beat mix compilation series on March 23rd. Sourced from her weekly mix show of the same name, Unleash The Beat 3 shows JES talents don’t stop with writing and singing the biggest songs in dance music, she also knows how to mix them. Curated like a great night on the dance floor the two mixes offer and insight into JES’ skill of flawlessly blending the best in trance and progressive. DMCWORLD checks in with one of the most exciting talents in dance music right now…
JES a huge welcome to DMCWORLD – for the first time! Where in the world are you right now?
“Thank you so much! It’s wonderful to be here with you, I am currently in Los Angeles getting ready for Winter Music Conference in Miami.”
What was the first piece of music you heard this morning after rolling out of bed?
“I like to keep it eclectic in the mornings so today it was Moons of Mars, “Life Is A Mystery’.”
Life is coming like a train…” – pretty much sums up the world of JES right now huh? Things are going crazy for you?
“There is a lot happening right now, although I often feel like that because I never seem to be able let life slow down.”
Singer / Songwriter / DJ / Producer – what gives you the most satisfaction?
“I am a singer and songwriter first and foremost so I would have to say that those two things are closest to my heart.”
A really exciting month of March for you with the release of Volume 3 of your Unleash The Beat compilation, Disc One getting deep and progressive and Disc Two moving into a higher gear. What are some of the songs that you just HAD to have on there?
“There is an amazing exclusive mix of my song ‘All Night’ from Musical Freedom alumni Alex Balog. I had wanted to get that song remixed for a long time and Alex has created an incredible progressive remix that combines all the emotion of the original with a wonderful raw energy.”
I loved the photo of you in the Salton Sea desert on the set of Awaken, at first glance I thought you were having a pee! What was going on there?
“Oh that is funny! I was crouching down to look through the lens on one of the cameras we used to shoot ‘Awaken’. It’s always good to get a look at the footage and make sure that we’re getting all the right shots and angles. I love to involved in the shooting process as much as possible and try to work closely with the director and director of photography to make sure the intention of the video doesn’t get lost!”
What are the 5 big tunes in your box this weekend…please give us a few words on each…
JES – Two Souls (Fisherman & Hawkins Remix)
This will blow your weekend wide open!
Dannic & Lucky Date ft. Harrison – Mayday (Original Mix)
Quirky vocals and massive energy.
W&W – Rave After Rave (Original Mix)
You simply can’t go wrong with this powerhouse.
Marcus Scoshow – Lionheart (Original Mix)
A complex groove that always inspires.
Cosmic Gate & JES – Yai (Here We Go Again)
Reignites the fire on dance floor everytime. 😉
3-bucket list adventures you want to do in your lifetime?
“I am a life long vegetarian and a supporter of animal rights so I would love to have a farm where the animals can live long happy lives. Recently I have been feeling the travel bug and I would love to climb Machu Picchu in Peru. An ambition I have had for a long time is to sing live with an orchestra. I will be getting an opportunity to do this as a part of BT’s “Electric Opus” event on March 29th in Miami. If you are in Miami for Winter Music Conference you should definitely get some tickets for the concert. It will be an entirely new experience so I’m really looking forward to it.”
The last time you pressed rewind on a track to listen to it again because it was so damned good?
“I was walking on the beach near East Hampton and listening to a song by James Bay. It’s kind of a girls song, “Move Together“ but it really caught me in a moment as the sun was going down. It made me all nostalgic and I think I listened to it 5 times in a row!”
You moved from New York to the centre of all things dance music Los Angeles. What were the first few things you missed about the Big Apple?
“There is a huge cultural divide between New York and Los Angeles and it took me quite a while to adjust to the differences in lifestyle. I really missed walking around the city. My apartment in NYC is on the lower east side so I was used to walking everywhere. LA is so much more spread out that most days I have to drive and it changes the energy of the city so much. I missed the hustle and bustle of downtown New York and being face to face with so many people on the street every day.”
The best and worst thing about living in LA?
“The best thing about LA is the endless summer! The worst, of course is the traffic.”
When you started singing to dance music crowds, how was that for you? You came from singing with bands with a full set up. Was that frustrating? How did you think you were going to tackle this new live formula?
“It was definitely a challenge and it still is sometimes! Dance music fans tend to be very giving and want to have fun so there were a lot of great things about working in a new genre for me. It was also very different from the band scene because when I started the industry was very much based around live PA’s and doing 15 minutes sets. It’s hard to create the feel of a real performance in that short a time so it can be very limiting. Over time I have developed my show into the hybrid DJ and vocal sets that I do now which run for upwards of 90 minutes.”
An up and coming producer to watch out for in 2015?
“Shant & Clint Maximus who produced my new single ‘Hold On’!”
Not many people know this, but JES is really good at…
“Cooking healthy food! I’m always on the look out for satisfying healthy food. Check out my food blog at www.therockstardiet.com
What festival has really got you excited later this summer?
“I’m always a sucker for The Electric Zoo because its takes me home to NY.
Best ever-festival experience?
“Difficult to choose but Trancefusion in Prague was great because it had such a focused audience who really knew all the songs and sang so loud and proud with me.”
What is on a JES rider in 2015?
“I’m easy! Rose, Hot tea, lemon, honey, vegetable plates and dips, fruit, cheeses and of course a big bottle of vodka and mixers – for my friends.”
An album we would be surprised to find in your collection?
“Hmmm, maybe Cher…or John Mayer!”
Where can we catch you in Las Vegas this year?
“I don’t have a show planned for Vegas this year yet but I would love to play at Omnia sometime, it looks like an amazing venue.”
What was the last GREAT studio toy you bought yourself?
“Actually the last great studio toy I got was a whole new studio! I’ve recently moved my production company into a new location and it’s been artistically very rewarding to have a new creative space. I also just got a Retro Instruments 176 limiting amplifier too!”
Rumor has it that you will be launching your own label Intonenation records this year? Tell us more…
“I’m very excited to say that for once the rumors are all true! Intonenation is launching on the 13th of April with a brand new song from me called “Hold On”. It was produced with Shant & Clint Maximus who have been making some amazing tracks recently so I’m very proud that we all got together to make the first release very special. You can check out our Facebook and please like our new page… (https://www.facebook.com/IntonenationRecords) and Soundcloud page at (https://soundcloud.com/intonenationrecords) and a pre-order for iTunes will be available very soon for the debut single.
Let’s skip forward 12 months – what do you want to achieve in your life by this time 2016?
“I would love to have the label working with a consistent rhythm and to have released at least one album (I know! Gasp!) by then.”
And finally, what is coming out next from you studio wise?
“Studio wise I am very busy at the moment. I have a new mix comp from my weekly radio show of the same name called “Unleash The Beat vol.3” out on Monday 23rd March. My next single (and the first release from my awesome new label Intonenation Records!) follows on April 13th on Beatport and iTunes. I have a bunch of amazing collaborations on the table at the moment and I’m also looking for some songs to sign to Intonenation so please send me your tracks! I’m working on a couple of new artist albums, one also being an acoustic album at the moment. One of them will definitely be released before the end of this year so get ready for a new JES album. I’m ready! My next Single is coming on April 13th called Hold on. We have some great new tracks lined up for release on the new label. March 23rd m new 2 cd mix album, as you know UTB Vol 3 I heading you way. I have 2 new album in the works, one and electronic album and an acoustic album I’ve been working on. My new blog www.therockstardiet.com will be live soon so you can cook up some of the things I like to make that keep me in shape and healthy. I’m also working on some more collaboration I try to make a balance of it all.
Thank you DMCWorld Magazine x JES.”
