The Miami bad boy gets ravin’ on I’m A House Gangster
Interview by Dan Prince
Jesse welcome to DMCWORLD, where in the world are you right now?
Thanks for having me, I’m in a train leaving Hamburg at the moment heading to Berlin.
What was the first piece of music you heard this morning after rolling out of bed?
There was a big celebration this weekend in Hamburg, so I was woken up this morning to the sounds of a marching band passing by the outside of the hotel I was staying at.
Nice little apartment your agency found you to stay in during your stay in Berlin, complete with Technics and Serato. How are you getting on with the neighbours?!?!
Haha! Yeah the neighbors are actually pretty cool, they already told me that they can’t hear the music in their apartment since the walls are really thick.
Well you have done it again young man, created chaos on the dancefloor thanks to your music! This time round it’s all down to your ‘This Ain’t No Rave EP’ flying out on I’m A House Gangster. Please talk us through the sounds of this 3 Bass charged avalanche of sound…
http://soundcloud.com/im-a-house-gangster/sets/se-perez-this-aint-no-rave
1st one on the EP is “This Ain’t No Rave”, it’s heavy on the low end working around an old space dust sample which won’t be missed. Track 2 is “Too Many Djs, Not Enough Hoes” just has that Bump N’ Grind feel to it. I’ve been playing this one since 2011 and I never thought I’d actually release it, but I think it’s perfect for IAHG. Ain’t nothing but a gangsta party! And the last and the 3rd track is “Learn How To Spin”, this one is like a battle record. Love the message, because I’ve always looked at DJing as a competitive thing. And this song definitely explains it like it is. It makes you ask yourself “What Do You Bring To The Table?
You cheekily said on your press release for the track that these dancefloor tracks are “in my ‘if the crowd isn’t dancing’ folder.” Dude…can you actually remember the last time happened?
I wish I could say that every time I play people are dancing but honestly some places I’ve played are filled with other DJs just starring at the booth trying to track ID everything, so these 3 tracks (previously unreleased for a few years) are in that folder of music that you can’t shazam. Well, now you probably can…but before you couldn’t so one would have no choice but to drop the phone and just enjoy the music.
Check the video…
When we speak to producers they admit that one of the biggest problems they have is thinking up a name for their latest track. We think that’s one of your favourite parts of the process right? Have you thought up any titles that even YOU thought were maybe a bit too risqué?
Everything that I do is pretty much risqué. I enjoy a bit of humor. I definitely have some titles that the black blouse society would not approve of. On my iPhone’s Notes app I have a list of titles waiting patiently to be used…
What are the 5 big tunes in your box this weekend…
1. Oscar G & Lazaro Casanova – “Pussy Palace” [Murk Records]
Welcome to the pussyyyyyyyyyyyy palace!!! This track I’m playing everywhere at the moment.
2. Nick Monaco – “TooHighToDrive” (Jesse Perez Remix) [Soul Clap Records]
Really glad I got to remix this track, I love the feel of it. It works perfect for opening or closing out my sets.
3. Jesse Perez – “This Ain’t No Rave” [I’m A House Gangster]
For the peak time sets, this one just does it!
4. Jesse Perez – “Divine Intoxication” [Bpitch Control Records]
Definitely a go to in my longer sets, there’s a lot of emotions in this track. It’s the perfect record to play peak hour, it has energy but lets the crowd relax a bit and just absorb everything you’ve played until this moment. It’s kinda like after sex, when you’re just laying back looking and you glance over at your partner and you both have this smile like “yeah that just happened…”
5. Jesse Perez – “THOT” [Bpitch Control Records]
This one is the Party starter!
Miami Music Week must seem like a distant memory now. Some are saying it was the best ever, some are saying they are not going again as it has completely lost it’s vibe. What is your take on this year’s craziness?
Well being a Miami Native I’d like to see WMC be one of or the best music conference in the world. The problem with WMC is that it got too big. If you look at a festival such as BPM, the parties are all organized by them so there’s no over saturation. Where as in WMC it’s a free for all. I remember when you had to have a good name and decent brand in order to put together an event, now everyone’s throwing their own parties when they shouldn’t. I’m seeing labels that just started putting parties together, recycled lineups etc.. Every hotel, bar, and puddle of water in the streets have a DJ playing some from of electronic music around it. I mean I don’t know what to call to call it anymore… is it WMC or MMW? Next year we should call it BBW or PAWG just for the fuck of it. I normally just play 2 parties during that week but this year I decided to just play everything that was offered to me and that’s the mentality that has made WMC parties fail for a lot of folks. There isn’t one thing you can point a finger at, it’s greed in everyone’s part. If there were less options, there would be more attendance. But there is no way that things will go back to how they were years before because everyone is trying to make a dollar (which is understandable) and there is a lot of money to be made (for a small number of folks).
What were some of your highlights?
I think Steam with Oscar G, DJ Sneak and Lazaro Casanova was probably the best one for me, it was a good blend of locals and music lovers from out of town.
The best and worst thing about living in Miami?
Best thing is definitely the many options we have with food! Where I live I’m a 5 minute drive from eating Cuban food, Colombian, Mexican, Jamaican/Caribbean, Salvadorian, Peruvian, Country Home Cooking, Seafood, and all types of fruit. The worst thing would probably be the traffic, I try not to be on road between 3-7 when going anywhere in the heart of the city.
An up and coming DJ/producer to watch for in 2015?
Sex Sells.
3 bucket list adventures you wanna do in your lifetime?
1. Rachel Starr
2. Gianna Nicole
3. Cherokee D’ Ass
“If Sade’s music is like gently masturbating your partner, then this album is like having sex without a condom”. Love that fucking quote about your 2014 long player. Looking back, you happy with how the album was received?
Thanks! Ummm, I think it definitely flew under the radar. I honestly thought it was going to be very well received. Right now I’m listening to “The Juice Maker” which is one of the last tracks on the album and I’m like I don’t think people really listen to albums anymore. I constructed this one like a 90’s album, where you can pop it in and listen from beginning to end. Where was Resident Advisor on this one? (Oh it’s not an album constructed of static noise). But I released it myself, I did everything my way so I’m content with it. I did all the artwork, CD cover Illustration, put my grandpa on one of the interludes, put my grandma on another. It’s as Miami as it gets so for someone listening in another country it would probably be difficult for them to understand on the first listen but I think it gives them a better understanding of where I come from and where my roots are. I think it’s an album that will continue to grow, it’s timeless music. Maybe now people aren’t ready for it but who knows what it could do years from now.
Not many people know this, but Jesse Perez is really good at…
Cutting hair.
What are some of the big summer parties you’re looking forward to?
This summer I’ll be joining the Futro Monthly party at Bardot in Miami with Oscar G & Lazaro Casanova, really excited about that! And also playing Ceremony Festival at the end of Summer with the I’m A House Gangster Crew, I think it’s going to fun as hell. I can’t wait!
And finally, what is coming out next from you studio wise?
I’m working on a couple of remixes, not sure when they will be out. I also have a few more originals dropping this year. So there’s going to be a nice flood of music coming from me throughout 2015.
Jesse Perez ‘This Ain’t No Rave EP’ is out now on I’m A House Gangster
http://www.mrniceguyrecords.com/
