John Digweed

John Digweed

Photo: Dan Reid

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John Digweed Played The Club's Final Party; Now The 'Last Night At Output' Lives On

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On Dec. 31, 2018, Brooklyn's famed Output held its final party after six years of reshaping the New York club scene. Now, with Digweed's new compilation album, fans can experience the beats he shared that night
Ana Yglesias
GRAMMYs
May 3, 2019 - 6:54 pm

Fridays tend to feel extra special when that album you've been waiting ages for is finally here, or a surprise drop shifts the course of your day. Today, Fri. May 3, British DJ/producer and underground house hero John Digweed's new release Last Night at Output is a not only chock-full of house and techno bangers, but it is a memento of the iconic Brooklyn club where he first shared the set.

On Dec. 31, 2018, Digweed DJed at Output for his twelth and final time, only a few weeks after the club's owners sent a ripple through the house community by announcing its eminent shuttering. Digweed kept the dancefloor moving for 10 hours (yes, you read that right, he played a 10-hour set!), playing beats from fellow underground legends like Agoria, Dixon, Josh Wink, Acid Pauli and many more, as well as some deep cuts and unreleased tracks of his own.

"Output changed the clubbing landscape in N.Y. and in six short years became the destination venue for quality house and techno in North America," Digweed tells the Recording Academy over email.

"I was lucky enough to play there 12 times and had the privilege to be the last DJ to play that room. I wanted to mix the 10-hour set up with a selection of classics tracks from the likes of Âme, Dixon, James Holden and Laurent Garnier alongside my trademark new and unreleased tracks. Sometimes it's hard to achieve a mix of old and new without some tracks sounding out of place but when I first listened back I realized how well they worked together and I wanted this set to be released and serve as a lasting memento for fans of the club." 

The vibe and music lives on with the new album, which you can get a taste of with the mini-mix above. Via Digweed's own Bedrock Records, Last Night at Output can now be enjoyed as a six-CD box set or vinyl four-pack, both with colorful packaging and limited signed editions. Beatport also offers digital download options, as well as Spotify and Apple offering a streaming version. With the album's description, the internationally-revered DJ/producer offers more context:

"Having been a regular behind the decks since it opened and having released a Live In Brooklyn album over two years ago, you could say I have a real love for this space. When it was announced that the club was closing and I would be playing the very last set there I had so many mixed emotions from sadness to joy and an overwhelming pressure to deliver a party that a club of that stature deserves. I really put my heart and soul into that party drawing from my favorite tracks over the years.

The set seemed to fly by and there was just a constant sea of smiling faces from the dance floor all night long as the crowd literally savored every record on that crystal clear sound system. After listening back to the set I knew this album had to come out and not just be another mix online. It deserved to be part of people's music collection and a memento for years to come. We have managed to license six CDs worth of music from the night. I hope you can immerse yourself in one of my favorite sets in N.Y. for years."

Jan Blomqvist Talks Playing Coachella, Berlin Techno & Covering The Rolling Stones

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Lee Burridge Hopes His New Album With Lost Desert, 'Melt,' Helps You See Passion & Truth In Yourself

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"[My hope is] that people will listen from the beginning to the end…Because it's passion, it's honesty, it's truth and hopefully other people will find that in themselves," the All Day I Dream founder recently told the Recording Academy
Ana Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Jul 22, 2019 - 3:31 pm

If you've ever attended a transformational music festival (like Southern California's Lightning In A Bottle) or enjoyed the underground house scene in the last 36 years, you probably know Lee Burridge. The British DJ/producer is perhaps as well-known for his dreamy, expansive electronic music and the joyful All Day I Dream events and label that showcase those sounds, as he is for his ever-present smile.

Recently, on July 19, he released Melt, his debut full-length, produced collaboratively with Belgian labelmate Lost Desert, who Burridge explains has helped expand his own skills in the studio. The pair have released a handful of tracks and EPs together since 2016, including "Lingala" that year. It features evocative vocals from Junior, who sings on the track in native Congolese language, Lingala. A new version of the song appears on Melt, along with another Junior-powered track, "Mibale." Across ten songs in an hour and seven minutes, the LP is the perfect soundtrack to play as you soak in the magic feeling of enjoying a sunny day outside and watching the clouds pass by, as is encouraged at ADID.

Back in 2011, Burridge launched ADID on a Brooklyn rooftop. It has grown exponentially, into a label and a global event series that highlights a growing, talented crew of house and techno DJ/producers, like Öona Dahl, Lauren Ritter, Bedouin and YokoO.

As Burridge, the other artists and their loyal fan base helps bring the vibey parties to more cities, including Berlin, Ibiza, London and Los Angeles, ADID feels like a movement to create more mindfulness and joy in the dance music space. Sitting down with Burridge at an extra-sunny edition of San Francisco's June ADID, he explains that creating mindfulness is exactly what he set out to do.

"This is the soundtrack to collective engagement and community building. This is really important to me to bring people together, it always was. And also to make them smile. That was actually the first intention at the first party and it's never changed," Burridge said of the events.

Below, Burridge tells the Recording Academy more about the intention behind ADID, Melt and more. 

Junior performs live with Burridge at ADID SF | Photo: Roshanak Sariaslan

So you started the All Day I Dream events in Brooklyn about eight years ago? Was it at the Output rooftop?

In 2011, yes. No, I scouted a rooftop one year before. I basically moved into it. They did a job, set up some speakers and two tables, my equipment, a bar. It was baking hot, July 4th. And I just thought, "I can do this better." I'd been to Burning Man. I thought, "It's very gray, I'll hang up material, lanterns and fairy lights and make it look not like an industrial rooftop in Brooklyn. I'll create a world." And that was it. It was just an empty space with a really wonky, wobbly floor that was made of a sort of soft material. The hotter it got, the wonkier the floor got.

Was that the birth of All Day I Dream as it is today? Can you give us a bit more of the origin story?

I mean, it was the birth of the event, the origins came from not being content with where music was and wanting to add another layer or another option for people. Melody, harmony, emotion had kind of been drained by minimal. And that's cool because people are having a great time with minimal, but me personally, I was noticing it being a lot more men at events. Like 95% men at some events, all in black T-shirts.

I really wanted to rebalance that energy out in club land because there seemed to be less options that were attracting girls. And I think it's not only the music, because minimal was a good sound for girls and guys, but I think it was also the tipping point of too many men at a party becomes less comfortable. And it was in black, dirty warehouses with one toilet that had been overflowing for like nine hours.

So I was exploring and trying to find that music to try and play in a set, which became a mix that was released on Resident Advisor. Then I played a set like it at Lightning In A Bottle. Everybody else was playing banging [electronic music]. And it really worked, people really connected to it. Then I started playing it at Burning Man, BPM Festival and when 2010 came around, I played that kind of music on that rooftop and it seemed so perfect with the sun setting. But I just knew that I could do it better and add other things to it to create this world. That was the first step forward that I had hoped people would connect to the idea and then it would allow me to take it around the world, which, fast forward nine [ADID] seasons, and here we are.

Related: Jan Blomqvist Talks Playing Coachella, Berlin Techno & Covering The Rolling Stones

With the ADID events, it seems very intentional that mindfulness and just being present is at the forefront of the events. I think part of it is the music itself and your presence and the people that you bring together, but is this something that is important to you?

This is the soundtrack to collective engagement and community-building. This is really important to me to bring people together, it always was. And also to make them smile. That was actually the first intention at the first party, and it's never changed.

I think the music is a filter of sorts, it's not for everybody. Everybody's welcome of course, but you really kind of draw a line with some people, it's not enough energy for them or it's not focused enough on pumping your fist in the air. They don't come and then we get this amazing collection of people that we have ended up with. One of the proudest things is, I've said this a few times, is that I've had over 30 couples that have come up and said, "We met at your event and now we're married." That's amazing to me.

"This is the soundtrack to collective engagement and community building. This is really important to me to bring people together, it always was. And also to make them smile. That was actually the first intention at the first party and it's never changed."

You often open the events with yoga and meditation, which is really cool. Is there anything that you've learned along the way, or anything else that you do to make sure that vibe remains at all the events as you grow to more cities?

By not selling the event to people and letting it grow organically, letting people bring their friends. They are the best filters we have. We could get so many more people and make so much money, but it's not the drive. Of course, the event now makes money, but we put money back into the event to make the event better for people. I always wanted to do that, it never really was a financial project for me. It was a community building project for me.

And to leave it in the hands of everybody else, to not make it my party and make it everybody's party. Of course, we're not the first people to ever have yoga at an event, it's been existing for years, but we definitely want to keep building on other experiences people can have. But at the end of the day, as you just said in the previous question, about the music not being really the center of the experience, absolutely. Because people should come and sit on a blanket and literally look at the sky if they want and listen or hang out with their friends. A lot of people use it as a sort of social meeting point to either make new friends or to bring their friends all together at the same time. And there's not so many of those out there. People go to a festival with a group of friends, but sometimes you're so focused on I need to be here, I need to be there. It seems to be more relaxed it at this event.



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All Day I Downward Dog

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Yeah. Less shoving.

Totally. You can dance your ass off, but also you can just wander around, look at how cool people look, you can enjoy the food. It's not really a pop in, schmooze, I was there. People sort of come and commit to it. I love that because I have the same energy.

You said ADID is not really about you, but you're still running it, making sure it happens. What's your favorite thing about being a part of it?

Actually getting to develop new artists now. I always wanted to help everybody along my way. You know, "come and DJ with me, we should do this together." A few years ago I tried to do it, but I wasn't really at that part of my career where it was easy. Sure, I got gigs for a few friends and it helped a bit.

But with this, I get to curate, explore, discover and then, sort of, impart advice. All the mistakes I made along the way, maybe I can expedite that younger artist's growth and experience within the industry. Because we didn't go to school for this, we just sort of fumbled forward and discovered and loved it, and went wholeheartedly into it. But that doesn't mean you're good at it. I see some people that are great business people and I see others that are just true artists. I feel like we should all be somewhere in the middle.

And those that have been successful shouldn't be paranoid about losing their position. They should totally be pushing, influencing and growing the industry. Because it's not about losing your place, it's about the industry getting bigger. That's been a joy for me to see the successes. It's almost like you're vicariously living other parts of your career through younger people. I'm not going to be doing this forever, but I'd like the scene, all this music, to be out there in the world as long as possible because it's positive for people. It's enjoyable. It allows them to have a group of friends that they can empathize with and experience things with.

I want to touch back to when you mentioned the underground scene was all minimal. Going into it were you like, "I want to see if I can create another lane here"?

100%. I found a few artists that had made some records that really blew my mind. Because I came from—I love saying this because it makes me sound so old—I am from a time where DJs used to play long sets and some of them had this innate ability to make you feel like you were on a roller coaster. It wasn't one specific thing. It wasn't this banging energy. I could do that 'til the cows come home and it works.

But there are other lanes, as you say, to really weave together music. If you go to a classical music symphony, it's not one thing, is it? It really has crescendos and it has drops in it and you're on an emotional roller coaster. So it really made sense to me, if I'm going to play music that has emotional elements to it, without being overly cheesy or obvious or overdramatic, that it made sense to actually think of a beginning, a middle and an end, and everything in between. So I integrated that into what the whole thing should feel like.

I also had anthems. Music moves so fast, you might come to a party and only hear a song once. In New York, it was four parties and I decided on about ten records that I would play every single party. They weren't particularly big records at the time, but people grew into them and then were crying because they loved them so much. Then they were asking for them, after they owned them at home or streamed them. I think it was coming back to how it used to be previously for me and seeing if it resonated with people still. It does.

Obviously, I can do that through the label now, but I also do it with any track I find. Every year I try to have a few that they're identifiable with that year at that party, everywhere you go and they're moments, you know? Not fleeting moments, they actually are moments you can build on and become bigger moments.

Yeah, so there was a lot of thought behind it on my part. One of the mistakes I made, but also of the things that worked, was the first ADID New Year's parties I played for the whole seven hours. I got to tell the whole story. And still to this day, it's hard to step away from the project because I'm so integral to it. I'd like to because I'd like the other artists to be more in the spotlight, which is why sometimes I'll put myself on in the middle set and let another artist close, because they deserve it. A lot of the time you don't get that opportunity.

So I was kind of shocked to realize that your album that's coming out soon is your first full-length, because you've put out tons of great music.

Yeah. Finally, right now, when it's not relevant to do albums anymore.

I think albums are coming back, honestly.

No, no, this is the point. We wanted to buck the trend a little bit because people tend to put a collection of tracks on an album in dance music and then there's just a bunch of singles. I really enjoyed listening to albums all the way through and just because it's out of vogue right now doesn't mean it won't find the right people. So, we decided to do an album.

I'm not really a producer, that's the thing. It's not my first skillset. I have to work with people and sort of guide the ship. Everybody I've worked with is super talented. I'm sure they do quite a load. I'm just giving them more ideas and taking them to different worlds. So Lost Desert really even didn't even exist, actually. I mean, he existed as a man, but he didn't exist as an artist then. He was in the middle of nowhere ghost writing, feeling he missed the wave. We became friends and I was like, "there's a new way to catch a ride," and here we are today.

It's one thing to make a track together, but with a full album I'm sure there's points where your visions differ. What was your favorite part about collaborating on that project and what was the hardest part about it?

I thought the differences are the best part because they pull left and right. If you eat a dish that has one ingredient, it doesn't taste the same as if you throw a couple in there. And his emotional journey through life and my emotional journey and our professional journeys led to a lot of conversations about who we are as people and what's happened to us in our lives. And then we've tapped into those experiences of ups and downs, of things that you wish you'd done, but then we say, "Why don't we do it?"

And I actually got to make a friend out of it which was important on a very deep level for me. Again, the music will stay out there in the world, and I have this friendship that was built by being really honest with somebody in the studio about how you feel and just learning from somebody, actually. Patrick [Bruyndonx]—Lost Desert—has so much talent, it's so raw and just gushes out. He could make a thousand tracks in a year. But you need another person to just sit and really focus on what's actually coming out and whether that resonates out in the world. As people, our moods change on a daily basis. If he's tapping into an angry day where somebody's turned up and shouted at him, perhaps that's not the message we want to put out there in the world right now to represent him.

My favorite bit was the learning. And growing as a producer for me, because if I'm compared to Patrick, I'm still in my infancy. He's teaching me the walk. I can articulate what I want, but I'm a one finger keyboard player. I used to be afraid to do that but he encouraged it and now at least I can, again, muddle forward and we can get to where I hear something in my head.

So now, when you're producing, do you prefer to do collaborative work?

I think I have to only do collaborative. I think I'm a long way off of even making a single on my own.

"It's never too late for anybody to make music. If you feel like you have any sort of creativeness inside you, why not?"

When you first started DJing, was producing something you were scared to try?

I just was busy being a DJ, I think. I was in Hong Kong and back in the day, when I used to party all the time, my days were being up all night and sleeping all day. I didn't put time in, which is my one regret, that I didn't allocate more time to learning then because it was time I could have started on the path. But it's never too late for anybody to make music. If you feel like you have any sort of creativeness inside you, why not? I mean, you don't have to release it. Sometimes you just make it for yourself.

Honestly, I could have just paid Patrick and this could be a Lee Burridge album, but I don't like artists that do that because it's not really a representation of who you are. And I want to always big up everybody I work with. I mean, we tried to put Patrick's name first on the album, because I think he deserves that, and everybody was saying, "No, you're the bigger artist." I understand why, but I'm definitely going to make sure he gets his credit for being the true talent behind the music. I guess I'm much like an executive producer.

When you've made a name for yourself and you're good at what you do, it can be easy to just keep doing that. But it sounds like it was a great experience for both of you.

It was. Fantastic!

Are you going to make more albums together?

Absolutely. I mean, we're already starting the new one. We're both hugging each other constantly going, "Thank you so much." From me for various things, but definitely in the case of making the album, Patrick's generosity, and from him for plucking him from obscurity, I guess, and giving him the opportunity.

How did you first meet?

The real version or the lie? I said I was hiking through a desert and I heard strange sounds coming from around the corner and found Lost Desert field recording in the Serengeti. It works. I wanted it to give it some mystique. You know, we didn't say his real name at the beginning and then people buy into things, and why not?

It could have been that, but we just played together in Belgium and luckily he had been on as the warmup DJ. I really liked him, I felt that "I want to get to know this guy." I never go to after parties anymore and he said, "Do you want to come to my house?" We went and sat and listened to music all night after we played and we just really got along. Then we started talking and then I just was like, "Can I come work in the studio with you?" I took the train from London and went to the studio and we started making music. "Lingala" actually came out of that. So it's magical. It's magical to still be able to have the drive to learn, not just be, as you say, stuck in a lane where everything's fine. I like learning, I have a thirst for it.

How are you feeling about sharing the project now, your first LP?

I'm really excited. I listened to it a lot and, ego free, it's a nice album. It's cohesive and it has some really nice moments. We worked with Junior who's going to sing today, he's got an amazing voice. I have no fear because I don't think we have any aspirations for it to be number one or anything, you know? We're putting some work out there and hopefully people will find it and enjoy it for a moment. Or it'll mark people's summertimes.

I gave it to a few friends who I knew would critique me, but the worst I got was, "It's kind of an album you'd hear in a restaurant in Ibiza all summer." I think that's amazing. People will have Shazam, I don't need to just be discovered at my own gig playing a record. I think it's really important to reach other worlds and that's a brilliant place to hear music. I've Shazamed plenty of things in restaurants, so it makes me happy to think that they said that.

I like that.

No, and also everything's always out of our control. So, 100% there'll be, "This is dull, it doesn't sound fresh," because the person who's listening, it's not their jam. And other people will be gushing. I think you learn more from criticism than you do from praise. So bring all of it on. I'm going to read everything that's said and it's not to fill my heart with joy that people love it or this might do well, I actually want to read what people didn't like. And then the next album, maybe somewhere in my subconscious that will sort of spike other ideas.

What was your biggest vision or hope for this project?

That people will listen from the beginning to the end is all, and realize it's one piece of work that is a journey. And maybe win some more people into committing to an album rather than three minutes of a track or just 30 seconds. Because it's passion, it's honesty, it's truth and hopefully other people will find that in themselves.

"[My hope is] that people will listen from the beginning to the end is all…Because it's passion, it's honesty, it's truth and hopefully other people will find that in themselves."

And then what about for All Day I Dream, what's your biggest hope and wish for—

All Weekend I Dream is the next cycle.

A festival?

Yes. But we want to approach it in a different way, that it's not just relentless music. There's a lot of talk of the mental health consciousness. So we're going to approach it in a different way and actually have things for people to do, it's not just party after party. Lots of quality things that people can connect to, but they can also go sit and have dinner with their friends or go have a nap, and just approach a weekend a bit differently.

You travel a lot with ADID events and other DJ gigs. Do you have any self-care musts to stay grounded when you're on the road?

Meditation, 100%. And stretching out after the gig. When I get back to the hotel, I'll always stretch for at least half an hour because I'm old. I throw my body around and forget I'm old because my spirit is exactly the same age it's always been.

How old is that?

And then I wake up. I'm 50 at the moment.

No, your spirit.

Oh, my spirit. Oh I don't know, like two and a half with the maturity of a 15-year-old. [Grins.] I forget and I'll wake up in the morning, [saying], "Oh my legs, my back." Ever since I started stretching, I don't really suffer from that anymore. So definitely meditation and stretching.

Agoria On Making His First Album In Eight Years, Playing Coachella & The Architecture Of Dance Music

Hayden James

Hayden James

Photo: Cybele Malinowski

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Hayden James Dives Deep Into Debut Album, Feeling Inspired By Flume & Daft Punk

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"I wanted to keep it very true to what I do, which I think is very simple production but very powerful, very summery style beats as well," the Aussie singer/producer tells the Recording Academy about 'Between Us'
Ana Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Jun 19, 2019 - 11:01 am

Hayden James released his debut album, Between Us, on June 14. Featuring nine powerful vocalists across its 11 dreamy, chill-house tracks, it explores the different phases of romantic relationships in a story of like and love. But the Aussie singer/producer isn't the new kid in town. In fact, he's been putting out vibey, warm-weather jams for several summers now.

James first released his self-titled debut EP in 2013 on Aussie indie electronic label Future Classic, home to a small but mighty group of talent, including GRAMMY winner Flume. He followed with a trail of big singles, including "Something About You" in 2015, which put him on the map in both Australia and the U.S., with American dream-house duo ODESZA releasing a firery remix that same year.

Prior to dropping Between Us Stateside, we sat down with James to learn more about his vision for the project, what goes into choosing his collaborators, putting out an album versus a single, and how he gets the finished product to feel so fluid. James also talked about his biggest musical influences, which include his labelmates (Hi, Flume!), as well as the group that first caused him to fall in love with electronic music: GRAMMY winners and dance-music icons Daft Punk.

You're about to drop Between Us, your debut album. How are you feeling?

Great, amazing. It actually is out now in Australia. It hit midnight a couple of hours ago, tomorrow. I'm already getting some people commenting and going, "Oh, it's worth the wait." Because it's been six years since my first release and yeah, people have always just gone like, "We need more music," basically. So to be able to give them this, it feels incredible.

I don't think it's really hit me. It kind of did this morning; I've been up since 5:00 a.m. and through flying around a lot and the different time zones, but seeing it on Spotify for the first time and Apple Music, scrolling through I'm like, these aren't just demos on my phone anymore, people can actually actively listen to them now. It feels really cool.

What did you tweet earlier today, like, "I'm not crying, you're crying"?

Yeah. [Laughs.] I think I will later. Absolutely.

I bet it comes in waves, right?

Definitely. Yeah, for sure. And it's the first time I've ever had an album out, so, I'll let you know. [Laughs.]



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It’s finally here... my album, ‘Between Us’. I honestly didn’t think this day would come. It’s been a long journey to get here and I’m so proud of what I’ve created. ⁣ ⁣ Between Us is about those intimate moments in your life.. that energy you feel with someone. It’s a look at different stages of relationships - love, loss and everything in between. ⁣ ⁣ I dreamed of writing a record that you can press play on the first song and just let it play all the way through... no fillers - every song belonging, fitting into the story and meaning something special. I hope I’ve done this for you. ⁣ ⁣ To everyone that listens to my music, comes to my shows and supports me, thanks for waiting so long for this moment. I’m so excited to share this new music with you. ⁣ There’s so many people that helped me get here. To everyone involved in making this record with me, thank you from the bottom of my heart. You’ve helped me realise my dream. ⁣ This feels like just the beginning. ⁣ ⁣ Love, ⁣ Hayden James. ⁣

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I'm sure it's a different feeling from putting a track out that people really vibe with.

Yeah, one song and it's like, cool. But this is a whole story and it makes sense together so it's definitely... It's like I'm writing a book. And yeah, it nearly killed me. [Laughs.]

"I wanted to keep it very true to what I do, which I think is very simple production but very powerful, very summery style beats as well."

Going into that process of starting your first album, what was the main sound or goal you had with the project?

So the main goal was to not only tell this story of mine, but to keep the production the same. You know when a band or a group, they'll write a couple of singles or whatever, then they'll go for the album or they'll do the second album and there will be a change. It'll be like, "You know we're trying something different." I hate that. The reason I'm a fan of you is how you do something.

I wanted to keep it very true to what I do, which I think is very simple production but very powerful, very summery style beats as well. I've worked with a bunch of amazing feature vocalists on this, people who I've worked with previously too, so it kind of felt right to tell this story together.

I started the process about two years [ago]. I always wanted to write an album, but I actively said, "Hey, I want to do an album." That was about maybe two and a half years ago, actually. After I had written maybe 30, 40 demos, I kind of dwindled it down into 11.

What was that process like, of having to put your babies away in the corner?

I've still got them. But yeah it feels good to just choose the strongest ones, the ones that make sense together. I really enjoyed picking the order of the tracks as well, that's a huge thing for me. One of the big goals of mine as well with an album is, and you can't do this with many albums I don't think, is to listen, like press play on the first track and just listen through. There tends to be a lot of other filler songs or stuff that just doesn't make sense to the listener, which I'm sure that that'll be the case with this for a lot of it, but to me it makes a lot of sense. It was a lot of fun figuring out how they all fit together too.

Did having that "just press play and listen" qualifier help you find the sound of the album or the path of the songs?

Yeah, absolutely. These all fit together not just through the story, but also sonically as well. And they all kind of came effortlessly in that every single that I've ever done, it's been quite quick. It's often taken months to produce and make it what I want, but the actual writing of the song has always been literally a day or less with that vocalist, so that's what these songs represent too.

Where do you start when you work on a song? Is it the beat, is it an idea?

It's always different. I play piano and guitar and saxophone, so I'll just play and see what happens. I'll listen to friends' stuff and be like, "Oh, that's cool." I'll listen to older stuff as well, older electronic stuff. Or I'll have 10 or 15 demos, when I'm like, "Oh, I'm with Boy Matthews tomorrow, I'm gonna write a bunch of stuff quickly now." With literally just a couple of core progressions and maybe some different beat ideas, we'll get together and just start going and then it just evolves like that.

I was impressed by how you have nine different collaborators on the album and, even with those different inputs in the way they sound and their style, it all flows well so together.

Yeah, I think that's because I'm the one telling the story and they're helping me do that.

How did you choose the collaborators?

A lot of them through my label Future Classic. I met Shungudzo at the Future Classic x Dropbox studio [in Los Angeles] last year. I met Boy Matthews from a friend of a friend in New York the year before. Elderbrook, I toured with in the States, so there's all these different connections. Nat Dunn, who sings with NAATIONS on "Nowhere To Go" and on "Favours," she's an Aussie as well, but we had never met and have mutual friends. So yeah, it's all different connections. Some people I just reached out to on their Instagram and said, "Hey let's do something."

Were there any chance encounters, like someone introduced you to someone, but it felt naturally once it happened?

Yeah, the last song I wrote on the record is "Lost to You" featuring Farr, and the guy who sings on it is Romero. So I was in L.A. in January and kind of finishing up the album, but I felt like I needed a couple of more songs to choose from. And he is a friend of my manager actually, they manage him too but he hasn't really put a lot of stuff out yet. We had a session, I was literally flying out back to Sydney that night and I had like three hours, and we had a session near the airport, and within half an hour I was like, "This has got to be on the record." It just makes sense to me. Yeah so, that was very chance it was just like, "What?" And out here, the right time, the right place.

"Just Friends" with Boy Matthews was a really big summer track last year. Did you guys go back in the studio together to work on "Hold Me Back," or what was the process for the second collab together?

We didn't actually, because I haven't been here in the States for a little while, so we did that one just over the net and FaceTime. So I would rent out a studio here, like a Future Classic studio, or there's another one called Westlake Studios, and kinda just be on the phone with him, guiding him through what I was feeling and all that kind of stuff, and we would write together that way, just on FaceTime. And just send stuff back and forth. I think it wouldn't have worked if we didn't collaborate before and knowing how we work together. Everyone else I was in the studio with, but yeah the fact that we knew each other from before that and had collaborated very closely in the studio made it easier.

What was your hope going into that second song together? Were you trying to create your next summer hit?

Boy and I together equal pop music. So it's like the brother or sister of "Just Friends," a little bit darker. The theme revolves around the fact that you want to let this person go, but they're not leaving. So it's a bit darker and a bit sadder then "Just Friends," but I love it.

You talked a bit about being part of Future Classic, but I'd like to know a little more about what it's like being part of such a powerhouse indie label.

Yeah, it feels like a major label because of the incredible artists on it. It's amazing because they're an Aussie label and they've only just recently come over to the States.

The L.A. studio, I don't think it's a year old, but yeah they've been here in that office for maybe two years I think. They're Sydney guys and I knew of them because of Flume, Touch Sensitive and a whole bunch of people like that. So it's an honor to be a part of a group of such amazing artists that I look up to, and it's also great representing Australian music too, with an Australian label.

They're great people. They're so dedicated to what they do and they just got this idea of where they want to take things.

Do you feel like it enhances you as an artist creatively, being a part of that crew?

Yeah, definitely. I think because the music's so cool that people release, you feel... Not pressure, but just like, "I need to step up too and make my mark." 

Like healthy sibling rivalry with your brother or sister.

Exactly, it's like "Oh that's good! All right, sh*t." I just heard Flume's song with London Grammar and was like, that's tight, I always wanted to collaborate with someone like her. It's great too because we're all actually friends. I think all of us kinda live over here [in L.A.] now, but, we all live really close to each other in Sydney. It's pretty wild. What So Not, Flume, Touch, RÜFÜS DU SOL, Flight Facilities, we're all within like 20 miles of each other.

Do you have a good summer barbecues together? 

Absolutely, I had the ODESZA guys around last summer and they were like, "We need to move here, this is wild, you guys all live here together." And we've all got studios so we can all just hang out, and we send each other music all the time and demos.

That's cool, that sounds like being in a really good school for music.

Yeah, it's fully open, everyone trusts each other, it's good just to share other music as well, because we DJ as well, and just sharing what we're into.

What sort of music did you listen to growing up, and who are your biggest influences now?

Growing up, it was whatever my parents and my older brother would listen to. So my parents used to listen to Queen, David Bowie, Lionel Richie, the Beach Boys. I love the Beach Boys because of their harmonies and that's how I kind of got into music. My brother used to listen to Nirvana and Pearl Jam, Foo Fighters, but then he brought home Daft Punk's "Around The World." When I heard that it just changed my whole perspective on music, and I just started getting into dance music from there.

About how old where you then?

Sh*t, like, 15, 14. From there I was the biggest Daft Punk fan, even still now. There's a couple songs on my record, there's one called "Feelin'" which I'm singing on and it's got that very Daft funky vibe. And it comes from my love of my favorite album, [Daft Punk's 2001 LP] Discovery. That's [almost] 20 years old, Discovery. It's wild, I still listen to it, I'm like, if this was released now I'd still be in love with it.

It feels really classic without feeling super vintage.

Exactly. It's not so much the fact of they're telling story through their songs, but they're not relying on production of the time, which is what I try and do as well. If you can listen to a song that's five years old that you still love, that's great, it's a good song. I think for me it's important to be able to play a song on the guitar around a campfire, it doesn't have to be the electronic version of it. It's about writing songs first for me then producing at some point.

And you mentioned that the production part tends to be the longest part of the process for you. Are you kind of your own worst critic?

That's why it's taking me so long, yeah. Well, that's kind of the how of telling the story, we've got the why, with what the song is, and the how is that, well you can tell it any way you want, and that's the most difficult thing. I could've released this two years ago, but it just wouldn't have been anything like what it is now for me. So it's really important for me to be able to find that voice and get it right, through the production.

What do you think makes a good dance track? What about a good summer jam?

I mean, I love FISHER. I love just all that kind of massive builds into really simple drops. I don't write dance music really, but I love DJing so, yeah, lots of different dance music on my USB too, other than FISHER.

It's just all FISHER.

[Laughs.] It's all FISHER. But yeah totally different to writing songs, and summer songs.

For me it's like, there's a saying people say, "Don't bore us, get to the chorus." So it's just like, if there's a hook or something, I don't want eight bars of something before the first verse, it's like, let's go. I guess that's what pop music is for me as well, it's pretty immediate. And that's kind of what I figured out, when I wrote "Just Friends" and "Something About You" especially it's like, you are straight in, within the first five seconds, you're into the track you know what's going on immediately.

It takes a while to figure out, okay, why is this song so popular, what have they done? And a lot of people try and emulate that, unsuccessfully. And it's just about being unique but also figuring out, there are little things you can do, it's not a formula, it's a feeling. And the better you are at it the more you'll make it your own. So I feel like I've made a certain thing work for me.

It's kinda like your thesis statement as an artist, it can adapt and evolve but if you know, sort of the way you're going to go it makes more sense to the listener.

And it's got your DNA on it because you're writing it. And that's why there's a lot of other big pop stars out there that have people write their music for them, and you can kind of tell because it just doesn't feel right, it doesn't feel the same as what their earlier stuff felt like.

You have a big tour coming up: You're going to hit up Australia first, and then the U.S. in the fall. What are you most looking forward to about touring this time around?

Playing all the new music. When I was touring the last couple of years, it was off singles, and so what else do I play? Because when I played my live show I don't want to play anyone else's music, I like playing only stuff I've touched, so it's like remixes, edits of things. For years I've played demos of some of the songs that were on the album, I would just say "Hey, here's something new" and just see what the crowd reaction was. But now that I have an album that's probably the most exciting thing, I'm pumped about playing that live, but also bringing it to so many different cities in a new way as well. It's a new show, so I'm really excited about it.

When you would play demos and stuff did that sort of affect your creative process or editing process?

Definitely. I remember before "Better Together" was released with Running Touch I would structure it a bit differently live to make it build a bit longer and play some base notes on the SPD a little bit differently, and I'm like, "Actually, that's really hot, that's gotta be in the track." So yeah, playing something live changed a few things for me for sure.

Any hints you want to give to fans about the tour? What to expect, any special guests?

Yeah so I've got a couple of people. Especially on the West Coast I've got a whole bunch of people from the record. They're actually going to come and sing at the shows, which is cool. I love that, when I go and see a group and they've got the singers that actually perform on the track come out. So that's really fun. Brand-new production as well, the lighting thing that we've been working on with my Aussie guys for like six months.

What are you most excited about for next year?

I'm pumped for the album but I feel like there's a huge weight that's been lifted off me now. That's done and it's so exciting, and I feel way more confident.

I think that's one of the big things for me is, when you release something, there are people out there on the internet that will just shade you, and you're just like, "Aw, I feel horrible." Which is tough, and you've gotta learn just to say, "F*** off." Like, who are these people? So releasing the album, now I feel really confident because I'm so proud of it, no matter what anyone says or thinks about it, to be honest.

I'm just using that energy and writing a whole lot more. I'd love to do a couple of collaborations, first up. I want to release another two singles this year after the album. I've been speaking with the Gorgon City guys, the ODESZA guys. I have a whole bunch of stuff in the works already.

GRiZ Talks Pride, Snoop Dogg Collab, Detroit's Music Scene, Giving Back & More

Justin Jay

Justin Jay

Photo: Brittney Christie

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Justin Jay On The Joy Of DJing, Expanding His Horizons, And How Fans Think He's Still A College Freshman

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"I think DJing is beautiful because you can just wing it and be in the moment; be present, go with the vibe," the Los Angeles native DJ/producer told the Recording Academy in an exclusive interview
Ana Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Apr 23, 2019 - 11:11 am

Los Angeles native DJ/producer/singer Justin Jay is all about expanding dancefloor horizons. Specializing in joyful, melodic house music, often with live instruments, he first appeared on Claude VonStroke's hugely popular Dirtybird label in 2011, when he was just a freshman at USC, and has since started his own label, Fantastic Voyage.

Nowadays he's been busy touring across the U.S. since January and will drop his latest album, Everything Will Come Together Pt. 1, on May 17. With his most recent show at Coachella's Do LaB stage during Weekend 2, we caught up with the West Coast DJ on the ground in Indio to talk about what the fest means to him as a Californian and an artist, coming of age in the L.A. dance scene and more. 

You'll be playing the Do LaB stage here [on April 20]. What are you most looking forward to about playing at Coachella, at Do LaB?

Being from L.A., Coachella is something that you grow up with. I also went to college in L.A., at USC so, independent of playing, Coachella is a festival that I love attending.

I've been for my fair share of years, and the curation of the lineup is just always amazing. You can see so many amazing acts that you would never see in one place, and that's the best part. That in combination with all the homies, because I still have a lot of friends who live in L.A. and a lot of friends who come back for Coachella. Friends and music, that's all you need, right?

What has been your favorite part of this weekend so far? Anyone you're super excited to scope out?

My two must-see acts are actually both playing right now, Mac DeMarco and DJ Seinfeld. I really love both of them. I got to see Mac on Wednesday at the Echo [in L.A.], it was one of the best shows I've ever seen. It sold out immediately. I set an alarm when the tickets went on sale, sniped 'em.

DJ Seinfeld is also awesome. He did a show a couple weeks ago that I was at, and we got late night dinner afterwards and became friends, I really like him and I like his music. Those two are up there for sure.

But a lot of my favorite moments are just…[the discovery]. A lot of my friends have very strong music tastes and a lot of conviction behind the artists they want to see. I'm kind of an easygoing homie who gets dragged along to stuff I've never heard of and am just, "Oh, my god! This is amazing."

Can you speak to what Do LaB means to you as an artist and how it plays into Coachella as a larger curated event?

I haven't been to the Do LaB yet this year, but throughout my times here at Coachella, even as the stage has evolved, the Do LaB has always been one of my favorite parts of Coachella. And my senior year of college, I played the Do LaB and, dude, I had friends on stage with water guns and, a chunk of high school friends here and chunk of college friends here, and it just felt like I was surrounded by homies. I'm just excited to be back in that environment, and the artists they curate; it's just a great experience.

It's just a great, great time, you know? Water guns, bubbles…

It's like you're playing a party for your best friends, but also a ton of other people are there and vibing out with you.

Yeah. And you're like, "Ah, we can be friends too." That's cool. [Laughs.]

Are all your friends going to come out for your show next weekend?

You know, we're a little bit older, so it's probably not going be as filled with friends. [Pauses.] It's funny. I have a lot more appreciation for the friends who still come out to festivals and stuff. Not even if it's for my music, just in general. I'm like, "Dude, you still can put up with the heat and the schlepping and all that stuff for the music?" And that makes me really happy.

What's also cool is, I feel like having been touring and putting out music for a while, I feel like I've become friends with a lot of people who I met through the music itself, you know? As opposed to school, or whatever. So I really love that too. In that way, maybe I'll have more friends because of all the people that I've met who, you know, say, "Dude, I saw you in this place and we're coming to Coachella." 

Speaking of friends, what does being a part of the Dirtybird label mean to you? What was the shift like for you, going from college-dorm producing to being part of that family?

So, it was crazy. Eight years ago, my first week of college, I'd just moved into my dorm—we're talking like day three—I got an email back from Claude VonStroke on a demo I'd sent over on SoundCloud. It was the most surreal moment of my life, I did a lap around my dorm.

How fast did he respond after you sent it?

Maybe a couple months? I had sent demos and demos and demos, it just takes time. He's touring, you know, but he does listen to everything. I never imagined that I'd hear back on anything and he hit me up. I ended up putting that song out maybe a month or two later, and slowly but surely began doing shows with the Dirtybird guys.

So it was released on Dirtybird?

Yeah, back in 2011. Good year. So that was my freshman year and no one liked house music around me. Everyone was just getting into EDM, which was awesome, because honestly, it was a pivotal year. I grew up DJing high school parties before then, and I would have to trick people to dance to anything that didn't have rapping or singing.

People want vocals, or they think they want vocals, right?

That's what was significant about EDM is that, when it got into the college culture, it felt like there was this new openness to stuff that wasn't pop or wasn't rap. A lot of EDM songs that people liked didn't have any singing, you know? Like [Avicii's 2011 hit] "Levels." You know, it has, [singing] "ohh, sometimes," but the part that everyone dances to doesn't have singing, doesn't have lyrics.

That was a defining shift, at least being in L.A., because prior to that, people we're like, "This is boring." Like, "This doesn't have words," you know? That was a big thing, at least for me, when I was in high school and I had to trick people into dancing to dance music. But regardless, by the time I was in college, I was really into house music and techno and Dirtybird, stuff that was emblematic of underground dance music at the time.

Related: Elderbook, Dance Spirit, KMLN & Justin Jay Discuss The Magic Of The Do LaB At Coachella

Were you tapped into those communities in L.A. then?

I was starting to go to warehouse parties. I was seeing Ian Pooley and Jimpster, and guys from Europe who are into deep house and techno guys, too. I saw Marcel Dettmann and Ben Klock when I was underage, and it was super fun. But what was so dope and what's so interesting is between then and now, even by the time I was a senior in college, people were starting to get into house music.

And now, Fisher, I feel like, has the same sort of cultural weight among college kids that Skrillex and Avicii had when I was in college. It's just a cool time to be into music, you know?

Are you close with Claude [VonStroke] now? What's your relationship like with Dirtybird?

You know, I was so awkward for so many years being like, "I am such a huge fan." I could not even say a word. I feel like he's been really supportive, especially of the stuff I've been doing that's not Dirtybird. For instance, I started a label a couple years ago called Fantastic Voyage. The main concept with it was I had a bunch of friends that we were making music together, and I wanted a sort of Dirtybird community, where it was a bunch of DJ artist guys, except for us, we could all play as a band together.

Last year at the Dirtybird Campout, Claude let me have about four hours for a takeover where I got to curate the lineup. And I began with my DJ set, and then other people's live shows, and then it all culminated with a big band show at the end. And I really appreciate that because dude, there's guitars, there's live drums, there's lots of singing. And that's not indicative of a lot of the music people expect when they come to the Dirtybird Campout. The crowd was super receptive, with people singing along and stuff. I'm just so grateful that I could take those kind of risks and do that with the support of someone like Claude, you know?

There was a very deep moment of affirmation where, at the Campout last year, there was a press Q&A thing and Claude was introducing a bunch of artists who are on the label. And he was giving out, off the cuff, these superlatives. He was like, "Ah, this is Justin Martin; he's the happiest dude. And these are Walker & Royce; they're making the craziest music." He was just saying nice things and then, when he got to me, he was like, "This is Justin; he's the most creative." I was like, "What?!" [Laughs.] I was like, "Dude, get out of here, man!"

Are you still the youngest on the label?

People always think that, but nope. Dude, people are still like, "Oh, are you still 18?" No, I'm definitely not the youngest, but yeah, I feel like there's this ongoing thing with musicians where it's like, I don't know. For me, when I was in college, I actually took a lot of my career stuff very seriously because being into house music 10 years ago, everyone in L.A. who liked house music was late 20s, early 30s, and I was 19.

I'm 26 now, and it's weird because I'd be on YouTube hearing interviews with my favorite DJs, and they would say, "You gotta pay your dues, you gotta know your records." All of my favorite DJs were late 30s, early 40s, double my age. And so, I was very uptight, no drinking, just very professional. And then ironically, after I graduated, I started loosening up a bit more, just feeling like, "Oh, I guess I don't have to be so serious."

I still don't really party, but I don't think that's what's important. I think it's just being able to have fun with it. The reason why I brought all of this up is because I feel like this is kind of a "Benjamin Button" situation, where it's like, the older you get, the more in touch you get with [your inner] little kid. I see that in Claude sometimes where I'm like, "That dude's like an eight-year-old in a dad bod," but in a great way. I mean that as a compliment.

What do you think makes a good DJ set? 

You know, it's funny. I think, in terms of a set, [pauses] the real magic is kind of this elusive lightning in a bottle sort of thing. Pun, because of Do LaB. But for real, I think DJing is beautiful because you can just wing it and be in the moment; be present, go with the vibe.

"I feel like that's one of my favorite principles of DJing, that sort of tricking people to like stuff."

It's like no one's expecting that you have to play that one thing, right?

Yeah, not for me, thankfully. Other people, I don't know. That doesn't sound too fun. You just get to be present and hopefully trick people to like some stuff they haven't heard before, whether it's old music or new music that hasn't been released, or stuff that's outside of people's tastes. I feel like that's one of my favorite principles of DJing, that sort of tricking people to like stuff. And I feel like that's kind of me with the band, right? It's people thinking, "Oh, house music," and then there's drums and guitars and singer-songwriter moments and stuff.

Kind of surprising people, right?

But not just surprising people. You know when you're having a good time on the dance floor and you stop thinking, you're just having fun? That's the moment where the DJ might put on some song that you, if you heard the same exact song eight hours earlier as you were waking up, you would be like, "This is weird; I don't like this." But when you get caught up in the fun of the party and you're with your friends, it's just a good time. Those are the moments where you can get tricked into being exposed to something new that you end up falling in love with.

So, for you as an artist, it's important to you open people's minds a little bit each time?

It's like pushing people a little outside of their comfort zones but still having a great time. That's the balance, right?

Jan Blomqvist Talks Playing Coachella, Berlin Techno & Covering The Rolling Stones

Jan Blomqvist

Jan Blomqvist

Photo: Christian Dammann

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Jan Blomqvist Talks Playing Coachella, Berlin Techno & Covering The Rolling Stones

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The German electronic artist, who made his debut in the festival's Yuma tent this Sunday, gets deep into Berlin's club scene, his desire to bring joy to the dance floor, the story behind his latest album, 'Disconnected,' and more
Ana Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Apr 17, 2019 - 4:13 pm

German singer/producer Jan Blomqvist makes ethereal house music with the intention not only to get people dancing, but also feeling and perhaps thinking. His latest album, 2018's Disconnected, which is inspired by his time spent at Burning Man, is based around the idea that in order to stay focused and healthy sometimes we need to remove all distractions.

Since November, he has been touring across Europe and the U.S. in support of the album, along with his live band on most dates. After he wraps up his second weekend playing Coachella, the band will join him for three dates in Mexico, after which they'll offer support to RÜFÜS DU SOL on several of their U.S. tour dates.

We caught up with Blomqvist from on the ground at Coachella 2019, not long after he played his one-man-show Sunday afternoon in the Yuma tent, the fest's well-loved house and techno stage.

You performed here at Coachella in the Yuma earlier today. How was it? How are you feeling?

Honestly, it was pretty difficult today because my moog was totally out of tune. If you know what a moog does, that's what they do. They just get out of tune and f*** you at the worst moment, and I tried to figure out and then I was so focused on retuning the synthesizer that I made so many mistakes on the right hand with the other instrument. It was really exhausting for me, but I think my friends here liked it, and the people in the audience which came later, were happy, so I'm happy as well, but a bit disappointed because I could have played better.

Did you realize it was out of tune when you started playing?

It was not out of tune in the beginning. This is the mystery about the moog. Nobody knows why they do it. You can use all other synthesizers, doesn't have this feature. I think they make it to sound more vintage, like in the '70s. And so that was my problem today, and I think I made it okay, but I'm looking very forward to next Sunday, to make it a 100% performance.

That's true, you have round two. Was it your first time performing at Coachella?

I've played at Do LaB before, but some people told me it doesn't count.

It definitely counts. When did you play at Do LaB?

I think so too. At night, two years ago. It was packed, like 600 people or something. It was cool.

So this was your first year on the main Coachella lineup. Well you have next weekend too, and at least no one knew that it was out of tune.

I hope so. I heard it immediately, and so, yeah, that's what I got stressed, and it's never good to be stressed on stage. That was my disappointing point of the day, but in the end it was still a good show, though, and it was a good energy. And as long as it's not totally failing, it always brings you further.

Have you been able to check out any other music at the fest? Is there anyone you're looking forward to seeing tonight?

Yesterday I wanted to see Billie Eilish and Bob Moses, but I worked way too late.

You get smarter when you getting older, so next time I have one week free before Coachella, also before Burning Man and then I'll have time to check out stuff. This time I played three shows and was in four cities. Yeah, it was stupid. I was traveling five days a row. It doesn't make sense. If you do Coachella or any big festival then you should focus on that and the other gigs can wait, honestly.

And DJs are humans, too. They need to have fun, right?

Yeah, but officially not.

Who are your biggest musical influences? What kind of music did you grow up listening to and what are you listening to these days?

I grew up with vinyls, with Bob Dylan, Rolling Stones and Mick Jagger. I think that's normal in our generation. Our parents had vinyls and we just played them. I'm still a huge Bob Dylan fan. I don't like Rolling Stones as much anymore, but I like Mick Jagger's solo project. It's still pretty amazing. He's old and has so much energy. He's kind of an idol. If I'm 75, I want be like this. And later on, of course, I got into normal things like Blur, Radiohead, Nirvana, Björk. I went through all this rock, hip-hop things, and then I moved to Berlin, and suddenly I was totally a techno addict.

What year did you move to Berlin? Was it at the beginning of the techno scene there?

In 2002. Everything was there. It was just a bit more underground than now. All the clubs are really set up in Berlin right now are exactly the same age, 17 years.

Which club is your favorite? I know, it's a hotly debated topic.

It depends on the day, really. On Sundays in Berlin it's the best; Sunday evening in Berghain is amazing. Monday in Sisyphos, Sunday at Kater Blau, Wednesday at Watergate, and it also depends on who's playing.

Berghain can be really amazing but can also be a sh*t show, and I don't want to talk bad about any DJs, but sometimes, in my opinion, it's really good and sometimes it's really bad, but the club's unbelievable. I have never seen any comparable club in the world. It's like made of a Tarantino movie. You come there and you feel like you'll get bitten by a vampire. I've been there, I don't know, 100 times, and still when I'm coming there I'm still like, "What the f*** did you build here?"

Do you feel like it's the same as when you first moved there? What about the techno and house scene has shifted in Berlin as it's become more of a destination?

It's definitely shifted. In the beginning, it was minimal only. It was super hard for me to get gigs, and the clubs even told me like, "Yeah, your music is nice, but nobody wants to hear this piano sh*t."

It was more like trance kind of minimal?

No, it's just minimal. I mean, Richie Hawtin did it in a really good way, and there were many people that tried to copy him and failed totally, that makes it really boring.

Berlin is changing all the time. That's what I love in that city. Since 2010 the music is super open and you can play everything, and I like that. It was really hard for me, the years between 2002 and 2006 or 2007. It was like every club played exactly the same music for like five years, and I was like, "What the f*** did you do to your DJs?" DJs should be free, right?

Why do you think it was kind of like restricted like that, and what do you think made it change to more open again?

I have no idea. I ask myself this question still.

So were you just trying to do your own thing? Did it make you want make even more different music?

I tried to break this because I think musicians should be free and you should give them a chance and a stage and just to make them play and I try to convince other musicians to not do just only one kind of music. I mean, the city is big. I cannot imagine that for four million people, everybody wants to listen to the same music. It's bullsh*t.

So, I tried to work harder and to get the gigs, and then finally it worked. Nicolas Jaar came and he was, I think, 17, and then everybody was like, "Whoa, he's 17 and he plays such good music." And then suddenly everybody was like, "Oh, we want piano in the club. Oh, what about vocals?" And then suddenly everything worked, and now Berlin is pretty open-minded when it comes to music, it's generally an open-minded city, I think.

That is interesting how sometimes it's one group or one artist that does something kinda new, that other people have also been doing, but for whatever reason, they catch on.

I mean, [that] was the same with Kurt Cobain, right? Suddenly, he came and then it was suddenly called grunge and there was a completely new genre. It's always like this. Somebody has to open the door and then it works, but the music is there before, of course, it just needs some one character who opens it.

What is the message or vibe you generally try to share when you play your music live, in both your tapered down club setup or in the band-backed live setting?

I mean, in the end it's just all my tracks and the band's just performing my tracks, so it's kind of the same music. But with a band, we play with breaks in between and not so much focused on the transitions and playing slower tracks, like 100 BPM sometimes 110, way more vocals. When you have a real drum set on stage, with real cymbals, it creates a completely different vibe. And with the band we have six synthesizers on stage, I think, and when I play solo I just have one.

So if the one gets out of tune…

Yeah. [Laughs.] Actually, it never got out of tune doing the whole recent tour with the band. Maybe that's why my tuner wasn't working.

"Every human has the same desire of just dancing, laughing and having good music, and that's the point, you have to make them happy. That's your mission as a musician. It's a responsibility."

What's your main purpose when you perform?

I want to make people cry but then laugh at the same time, to give them an edgy feeling that makes them really melancholic but then give them a super positive bass and kick drum. Like a good movie with a happy ending.

And, of course, dancing is important and just being happy. I mean, that's what you need all over the world, doesn't matter where you are. Why are clubs existing? Why is electronic music so big? It's because every human has the same desire of just dancing, laughing and having good music, and that's the point, you have to make them happy. That's your mission as a musician. It's a responsibility. You cannot go onstage and tell them, "F*** you. I don't care." You really have the mission to make them happy, and that's the job.

Can you talk about the inspiration behind your last album, Disconnected? It feels like the songs all have a story behind those ethereal beats, and I'm especially curious about "Synth For The Devil," which takes from the Rolling Stones song.

I mean, this song just came to me. I was here, actually, around the corner, like 50 kilometers from here in the [RANCHO V in Pioneertown, Calif.] studio, recording two tracks for our Disconnected album. Then suddenly J [Bowman] was there and Felix [Lehmann, co-producer] and I and my studio company, all just working just for fun on the Rolling Stones thing, just as a break, to have some fun. And then Jay came in like, "Wow, this is the track. I'm the best solo player for this track in the world." I was like, "Okay. Can you play it?" And he played really the best [guitar] solo ever, not totally tight, but nice. And yeah ... And then the idea come up and, "Okay, let's record it." And then we send it to the label for Mick Jagger and Keith Richards and they said "Yes."

Did they say they liked it?

Yeah, they liked it. And they answered in one day. We were like, "Okay. What the f***." Okay, then we do it. It's tough. I'm still not 100% convinced if this was a good idea or not because to cover tracks from these big characters is sometimes not a good idea, but when I play it live, it's fun. I think that's the most important thing.

And the Disconnected album. For me, it's important to have a concept album because then you have things you can talk about and that whole thing is more focused, and it's like you have a red line to follow. It's even easier to write lyrics, to write the music.

I was at Burning Man and asked myself, like, "Why are the people coming to this desert to make this huge festival just in an environment which is not easy. There's no water, no electricity, there's nothing. It's gets super hot in the day, super cold in the night. Why there?" And the only answer must be that people need to disconnect from their real life somehow, and the question is "Why is it so important to flee from your life?"

This whole album is about "why do we need to disconnect so much?" I think our generation suffers a lot from this virtual life that we're living in 50% already, and many people cannot even distinguish which is real, which is not, especially in Coachella. You can see so many people who think Instagram is more important than your real friends, and we have to question what our generation has to ask themselves like, "Where do we want to live in the next years and can we make it? How can we make it," and reflect yourself, "What can I do? Am I still real? Am I fake?"

And I don't want to give answers, I just want to give questions or lyrics to make people think, to reflect themselves. The album should be a mirror for the audience.

Agoria On Making His First Album In Eight Years, Playing Coachella & The Architecture Of Dance Music