You know the hook. Here’s the track that has been blowing your minds Ibiza
Interview : Dan Prince
Jonathan welcome to DMCWORLD, where on planet dance are you today?
“Today Dan I am in San Antonio Bay, I have just watched an amazing sunset and life is good.”
Your amazing summer continues with a new release that is rocking our dance floors and gaining big support from the likes of Morillo, Villalobos and Howard. Please talk us through the sound and history of ‘The Flight’…
“The history of “The Flight” comes from when I was playing in Barcelona and as I was on the return leg and I heard the airport announcer calling for passengers to get their flight back to Ibiza and I thought that I should record it for a intro for my sets in Space for We Love. I used that vocal for years and I was always asked where I got it from and I was the only DJ using the vocal for some time. Then recently I was in the studio and I needed a hook for a track that I was working on and I thought that this would be the perfect thing to use so I tried it on the track that I was working on and it seemed to fit perfectly. I had just released a track called ‘Steel Drums’ by Sam Dungate and I thought that I would use Sam as one of the remix artists alongside my good friend Rio Dela Duna – and so far we have had a great response from DJs in Ibiza and around the globe. Ulybug is only a very small label so I am very happy with the results. The track comes out on beatport exclusive on the 24th of August so I am hoping that the track will do well!”
You have enjoyed another cracking season down at Café Olé @ Space in Ibiza; it’s one of Ibiza’s best-kept secrets in our opinion…
“Yes Café Ole is one of the oldest gay parties in Ibiza, it has been around on and off for some 18 seasons and it is very popular with the crowds that come down. The music is good and the live shows are a real wonder, you have artists like Crazibiza, Ultra Nate, House South Brothers, Baby Marcello, Chus and Cebello and much more. I get to play a long set and I can really take the people on a journey and I get to play a lot of my own productions and a lot of music from my own label.”
How was Miss Dita Von Teese last week?
“Dita was amazing! She really puts on a great show and the crowds seem to really love her. She dresses up in some great gear and does a slow and sexy strip that sends the crowds wild. The main room is always packed when she gets on stage.”
You have been one of the island’s leading DJs for years now, you have a home here, your family is here and you ‘get’ the island. So how does it feel when you hear Steve Angello, Paul Oakenfold and Afrojack on Radio 1 complaining about the island saying it is too VIP and has lost it’s mystique?
“I have a lot of respect for Paul as he is one of the old skool legends of the island. He really put Ibiza on the map back in the 80s by bringing Alfredo back to the UK for the first time bringing that taste of Ibiza back to the UK. I also respect Steve as his production has changed the face of the industry in the last few years but I think that Ibiza only has four months to raise its money for the year and if there is money to be made I don’t think you can blame the local clubs and bars for cashing in. I do think that if the clubs want to pay the DJs these high fees then why shouldn’t the DJs take the money…but if the DJs wanted to really make a difference then maybe they should do more free parties for the people. I think that if you’re 21 you’re going to think Ibiza is amazing, but if you are a little older and you have been here for many years then you are always going to say it was never as good as it was. Ibiza has more choice of things to do than ever before and yes it has changed a lot, but you have to embrace it or you just get lost. You can always find things to do on the cheap if you look hard enough! The same people are here that were here 20 years ago so the character is always there if you dig a little deeper.”
One thing is for sure though, the demise of San Antonio with bars closing down every week and clubs like Gatecrasher making a right hash of it all. What is going on down there…is it the Counsel pushing young people back over the hill or people just heading over to Bossa?
“It’s sad to say but I do think that San Antonio has lost a little of it’s sparkle. I think that there has not been enough investment in the area, the last thing that was built was the walkway on the beach by Dr Fleming and the Ibiza road – and that was years ago. The West End is the same as it was when I first came here 20 years ago with the busiest bars Soul City and Hush. People are shifting more to Bossa but you still have the Dr Fleming strip with bars like Plastic and Linikers and the Mambo Strip where you have great sunsets into the sea every night – and of course Kumharas in the Bay, but at the moment Playa Den Bossa is really doing great with the big hotels like Hard Rock and Ushuaia. Then of course you have Space, Sankeys and new places like Jet Beach popping up that are packed every day. The Counsel needs to do something now to help local business or San Antonio will be a ghost town in years to come.”
We have spotted you down at Ocean Beach recently…one of the success stories of 2014 right?
“Yes defiantly! I think Tony Truman, Jemma Charters and their business partners have done a great job and have great vision. I have played there on a regular basis and the music is good the staff is very friendly and the lay out of the venue is well thought through. The sound system is the same sound system they have in DC10 you know! The clients that go there spend a lot of money and the press from all over the globe are always looking for a story from the celebrities that go there. I think that they are really doing a great job to show that San Antonio is not just the West End with stags and hens and football songs and fighting. There is glamour in San Antonio and Ocean Beach is a good example of that.”
Another big thumbs up were the return of Clockwork Orange down at Sands and Es Paradis. Good to have the lads back on the island
“Yes I know Danny and Andy Manson very well from the old days in Ibiza and I played for them at their last two reunions in London. I think they are onto a great thing with the revival of the classic house scene, I did not make it to Es Paradis as I had a booking in Menorca, but I did manage to get to Sands with my family. There was a great atmosphere and lots of old Ibiza workers there and it was great to see so many old faces. Brandon and Alex played some great old skool music as well as Tristan Ingram. I think people are still talking about it now! I understand that it was the busiest night in the club all year too. I think they will be doing another one again next year. Good luck to the boys, I think they are onto a winner with this. You may even see me do a surprise set at Sands next year. Lets wait and see!!”
What 1 record always reminds you of Ibiza?
“My best Ibiza tune is ‘Night of the Jaguar’. I think that it’s a timeless tune that never gets old. You can play it in the beginning of your set and you can play it at the end. You can play it with techno and you can play it in a house set. It’s a great leveler and everyone knows it. I always try to drop that track whenever I can and it still gets the same response now as it did when it first came out.”
You have had a great summer outside of Ibiza, where have been some of your favorite gigs…Austria, Singapore and Brazil looked rocking!
“For me my best gigs have been in Australia for the Space Tour, Brazil for the MOB Festival and New Zealand for Highlife. I also love playing in Thailand, so when I am next over I will take a little holiday with my family so it is a win, win situation all round.”
A recent quote from a certain superstar DJ…“I believe true DJing is actually an art, but it’s a dying art, as everyone is pushing the sync button…it’s a real shame when you see a ‘DJ’ plug his laptop in and call this DJing. Music will always evolve but sometimes not in the best way.” What are your thoughts on that?
“My thoughts are that playing music is an art and being able to create a vibe were you and the crowd are all one and on the same ship. I play at Café Ole for a party called ‘Flashback’ where all night you play Ibiza classics – on this night you play with vinyl only and I think that all DJs should have at least played with vinyl once as the sound is warmer and you have to be able to mix to play on two 1210s. You need to practice your trade, I think that we all have to move with technology or you get left behind and I think that if your playing music regular to big crowds and your playing long sets with different styles of music then using a laptop is understandable. Also if you’re doing a lot of tricks and scratching in your sets and you don’t want to line up the mixes, I can understand this also… the sync button is there so why not use it. Admittedly I never have, but I am old skool and I think that mixing is an art and selecting different tracks for different situations is a skill and I do think that it’s a shame that this art is dying. It’s very easy now for anyone to get a laptop and buy the top 100 tunes on beatport and then call themselves a DJ. Paris Hilton is my biggest example of this – I think it make a mockery of the industry that we love so much. I think that you need a balance somewhere and at the moment there is none.”
It’s that time of year again, the annual DJ Top100. I interviewed Arthur Baker this week, he remarked,” there are too many DJs and genres for a realistic competition, it needs to split”. What are your thoughts on that – do you actually give a shit?
“I used to give a shit until I found out that there were ways of fixing the Top 100 Chart by using silent voters or programs that would let it seem that you have more votes than you actually do. I still take a small interest but when a DJ like Carl Cox that has been around years and packs out festivals around the globe and packs out Space every week and can’t get into the top 50, you know something is wrong. When most of the votes are coming from America and all the top 100 DJs are EDM artists who have massive budgets behind their votes alongside their management/agencies who are doing the same, well it’s not a level playing field is it? I love the magazine but I think in reality the Top 100 has become a bit of a joke. I agree with Arthur Baker that it should be split and made a lot fairer for DJs and not the biggest producers that are around at the moment or who have the biggest songs that are around. There is a lot of talent out there that just don’t get a look in. I don’t think the Top 100 represents all DJs, it is for just a very lucky few.”
What are the big 5 records in your box right now?
Jonathan Ulysses – (The Flight Original mix)
Sam Dungate – Steel Drums (Jonathan Ulysses Space Terrace Mix)
Ten Walls – Walking With Elephants (Original Mix)
Ralph Rosario & HiFi Sean – Sex Machine (Dolly Rockers Remix)
Billon – Special (Extended Mix)
The Forbes DJ Rich List for 2014 came out today with the likes of Calvin Harris and David Guetta earning well over $25 million. The chart has received a lot of stick on the socials these last few hours, people are saying it obscene. DMC views it as simply the world’s biggest market (America) finally tapping into the dance scene and blowing things up. What are your views?
“I think that for the DJs actually on the rich list then good for them, I am sure that they all worked hard to get to where they are and if their demand is that high then they should be paid for the pleasure. I do think that it has all become diluted now that the American market has got involved, as usual the Americans do tend to take over everything they touch. I think it’s good in some ways and bad in others as it opens doors for other up and coming DJs, but it also closes a lot of doors for others as if you’re on the outside it would seem that these DJs are the only ones that matter. I have played in the states in Miami, Boston, LA and San Francisco but I was there many years ago and in those days the people in America didn’t have a clue what house music was. It was all RnB and Hip Hop. The Forbes DJ Rich List won’t really matter to guys that are doing their own thing and making their own music and championing their own sound, I think that it is something that gives fuel for the popular blogs and press to talk about. For the guys on the ground level it don’t really matter.”
A quote from Fatboy Slim this week…“Electronic house. What a refreshing prospect! EDM is dead, long live EH!” So do you think things are getting more vocal out there?
“I think that there is a definite shift in the more popular music of the people in general, I see this in Ibiza with DJs like Jamie Jones, Richie Armed, Huxley with their popularity with a cooler crowd. I don’t see anything wrong with EDM as all music is good music no matter what you think personally, but EDM is now seen as pop music and not cool anymore. In my experience house music is always moving and changing. It has done this from the days of Disco and Frankie Knuckles in the beginning and will always continue to do so. As long as the music is well produced and is of a high quality there is space for everyone, but EDM seems to be on a downward direction from the high that it has had over the last few years. I think when you have the likes of Miss Hilton claiming to be the best in that EDM field it don’t do that field of music any good. Viva la House musica!”
You were part of the line up at Space’s 25th Birthday recently…I know you love a big Space birthday, Opening or Closing! The event though had a few criticisms for the “weird and diverse line up”; some said the running order was all over the place. What did you think?
“I think that Space did a great job with what they did on the 25th Birthday. I got to play in the main room and I had not done this for over 15 years so I was really chuffed. I think the line up was great too, but I think people may have been confused by the short DJ set times as some were only playing for an hour each and because the DJs are all playing different styles and different sounds it may have come across as a bit strange. But I think they were trying to do a mix of old and new DJs from the clubs history and so many DJs have played in the club over the years that it was always going to seem like it was a little different from the norm. But I can tell you that this day was one of the biggest days in the clubs history and on a whole, it was a very successful event.”
Love this quote from you…”If I wasn’t a DJ, I think I would be a politician – I would be fighting for the needs of the common man, to argue for the poor and the needy, for better schools and hospitals, for the children that need help and funding from the government to bring people a better life.” That true???
“Yes it is true! I am from a poor background and I have never won or been giving any hand outs from my family friends or parents. Everything I have I have had to fight and work hard to get. I have made some mistakes along the way and I am sure that will make more in the future. But this is life right? I think that politicians around the world are in a good position to help the common man, but I think most are about looking after their own first. I think that if you can do something to help your common man then you should as one day it could be you that needs that help and the man next to you will not help you. Being in a position of power is a great responsibility and it should be used wisely. We all have to meet our maker what ever religion you are and we all have to answer to someone so do the best while you’re here and you will be rewarded in the end.”
Your beloved Arsenal FC bought big over the summer, started with a dodgy win and have a few injuries already. How are you feeling about the Gunners this season?
“What!!!!!! Dodgy win!! Your dammed if you do, your dammed if you don’t! We have had nine years of not winning a cup and when we do win something people say “ Oh but it’s only the Community Shield! Oh it’s only the FA Cup”! I think the boys can do something good this season. Arsenal at the moment are showing that we can still play good football and still bring through young players and not over spend like our counter parts. We are the only top team in the Premier League that is NOT in debt. We may have some injuries but a lot of those players will be back on full duties come Christmas, so actually we are verging on having two first teams and not had to spend through the nose to have that. I think Wenger has done a great job with his buys and team selection. We are playing with confidence and passion and playing as one unit. We’re doing great. Just look at the mess Man United are in. Things are looking up for the Gunners this season.”
You love a good collab in the studio, “you get more ideas bouncing around” you admit. So…who has been your favorite producer you have worked with and who out there wouldn’t you mind some studio time with?
“I love all the guys that I have worked with they all have different talents and all bring something different to the table. I loved working with Tom Starr on projects with the Union Jackers alongside Prok and Fitch and Filthy Rich. I also loved working with Matt Schwartz in the early days. We made some cracking tunes. Peter Brown is also a favorite of mine, as he would let me take the mic and write songs. The Hoxton Whores too are great guys and you always have great fun in the studio with them. It never gets so serious like it can in the studio sometimes. In regards to whom I would like to work with? There are too many! Rene Armesz, Mark Knight, Gorgon City, Manual Dela Mare, Alex Kenji, Umek, The Dolly Rockers, Federico Scarvo, Oliver Helens, Route 94, Billion, Lana Del Ray, Stevie Wonder, Nile Rogers, Oliver S and the list goes on and on…”
I remember the very drunk nurse puking up on the decks half way through your set and also the two meatheads in Dusseldorf having a full on fight over who was going to haul you off the decks. Anything mad since then whilst DJing?
“These things did happen in the early days but of late things have been very tame. I had situations where drunken girls have come up to the DJ stand with a drink in their hands and split it all over the other DJs laptop and the occasional fight, but nothing really. I think I have been lucky these last few years. Thank god!!!”
And finally, what is coming out next from you studio wise?
“I have some collaborations in the pipeline with Jay C, Oliver Lang and Rio Dela Duna. I will be doing vocals on a track from Rio Dela Duna’s new album and I will be doing a new track with Peter Brown where I will be doing the vocals also. I am working with James Hurr at the moment who is a genius in the studio, I love working with him. With regard to the label, we have releases coming out soon with Dale Hooks from Northern Ireland, Ron Kush from Photon Soup and The Souljackerz and Lee John. Also Matt Moore and False Face have tracks on the way for release. So things are looking great for Ulybug at the moment.”
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Check out ‘The Flight’ here : https://soundcloud.com/ulybugmusic/snippet-jonathan-ulysses-vox
Check ‘The Flight’ video here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcUu6TeCGXU&sns=em
Further information on Jonathan Ulysses…
