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Sofi Tukker

Photo credit should read ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images

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SOFI TUKKER On Crafting Their "Ideal" Coachella Set, Giving Hugs To Maggie Rogers & More

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Back in Indio for the first time since their 2017 Coachella debut, the jungle-pop duo tell the Recording Academy about their unique relationship to fashion, what they enjoyed the most about their 2019 GRAMMYs performance, and more
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Apr 14, 2019 - 2:06 pm

Whether they're performing at the 61st GRAMMYs Premiere Ceremony or about to do their second-ever Coachella set, Los Angeles (by way of New York City) GRAMMY-nominated electro-pop duo SOFI TUKKER always seem to be having a great time. Along with their 2018 debut LP, Treehouse, their funky, colorful fashion sense and otherworldly music videos only add to their infectious, dance party-ready style. 

Below, Sophie Hawley-Weld and Tucker Halpern catch up with the Recording Academy from on the ground at Coachella 2019, where they're preparing to play a Sunday set. 

How are you feeling about tomorrow's set? 

Sophie Hawley-Weld: We've been preparing for this for a long, long time. So we've been dreaming up our ideal live show, and we've finally created it and we're gonna be debuting it tomorrow. It's a really big moment for us. 

Tucker Halpern: I'm so excited. We've been really dreaming of this show for three years since we started and this is gonna be the first time. 

Your first Coachella set was two years ago, in 2017. Looking back, to what extent did you feel it was a pivotal day in your career?

Hawley-Weld: I mean, when we were the first time, we literally thought five people were gonna be [watching]. We were playing at 3pm on Sunday. It was hot that day, too. It was one of our first festivals ever. [But] it went incredibly and there were tons of people there early, dancing so hard, and I think for us that was a moment of "Wow." We really love doing festivals and kind of learnt how to do a festival set, which is different than a club show. So, that was a first. It's just really exciting to come back to a place so good to us. 

Are there any other artists that you guys are excited to check out this weekend? 

Halpern: Well in couple o' hours we're going to see our friend Maggie Rogers, which is gonna be really fun. Just give her some hugs. What else?

Hawley-Weld: [Her set] last night was incredible, personally it really blew my mind. 

Halpern: We're gonna try to see Billie [Eilish] but I think so is the whole world so that might be hard. But yeah, it's gonna be good, I'm really not gonna go crazy tonight or anything cause I'm so excited for tomorrow. I wanna be extra fresh cause we're gonna do a lot of hectic running around.

Your fashion is always fun and on point; do you collaborate with designers? 

Hawley-Weld: We like to have fun and play, but yeah, I mean we have some good relationships with a bunch of designers, a lot of really fun designers.

Halpern: We like to be colorful.

Did you guys dress this way when you lived in New York?

Halpern: We definitely didn't fit in, in the all-black scene. 

Hawley-Weld: I had no idea how to dress for winter, I suck at winter so much.

Halpern: I used to wear all black, right when we moved to New York I was an all-black-wearing DJ. Things have changed. 

Have you seen any good fashion inspo around the fest?

Halpern: I haven't seen any "no" moments. It's really like anything's a "yes" moment here. There's no way I'm gonna see someone and be like, "Do less." A lot of exposed butts, like thongs with sheer over them and stuff. I think that's the look right now, I might do it tomorrow. 

Hawley-Weld: The livestream is just gonna be Tucker's butt. 

Speaking of style and aesthetic, your "Fantasy" video is so fun and playful. Can you elaborate on the vision behind that video?

Hawley-Weld: Well, I save Tucker. 

Halpern: Yeah, she saves me a lot. Bit of a feminist hero situation going on. I drowned a couple times, in real life. It was a real rapids, that I was frolicking in. It was on another planet, similar, like near Pandora, the "Avatar" planet. Not there, but close, in that atmosphere. 

Hawley-Weld: You'd have to travel a long time to get there. We love it. I mean, we love that song and we're so excited that we were able to bring our vision to life, because it really like when we were talking about it, it was 'How can we make the most fantastical, adventure, "Avatar" world. 

You guys performed at the 61st GRAMMYs premiere ceremony last Feb, and you were nominated for the second time. What was going through your minds that day? 

Hawley-Weld: Honestly for me it was really special because our families came and they were our dates and our parents haven't really spent much time together and being able to be with both of our families and have an excuse to celebrate and be together. My family lives really far away, so it was just really, really special for them all to be together and spend time together.

What's next for SOFI TUKKER?

Hawley-Weld: What's up next? So much, I mean we've been filming music videos and making music for a while and we're eager to finally be able to share it. We have a whole story arc that we're waiting to tell, and it's gonna be just, coming out slowly but surely over the next couple months. A whole new world, if you will. 

Bob Moses On Their Return To Coachella: "We Feel Embraced"

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 Monroy 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

The Do LaB stage at Coachella 2019

The Do LaB stage at Coachella 2019

Photo: Aaron Glassman/courtesy of Do LaB

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

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"Their vibe there is all about family feelings, colorful, playful and most of all inclusive," KMLN said of the special festival space
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Apr 20, 2019 - 12:46 pm

It is undeniably difficult to keep track of every artist on the Coachella lineup or the seemingly endless surprises that take place over the two-weekend event, as the fest is absolutely packed with talent and special moments. The whole desert experience is extemely well-curated, and the production value is unparalleled, so Coachella's long-term partnership with the festival and event experts at Do LaB, who create a festival-within-a-festival experience with the Do Lab stage, makes perfect sense.

Every Coachella, the Do LaB brings their colorful, fun vibes—which can also be found at their annual springtime Lighting in a Bottle fest—with their own expertly curated desert oasis experience. Their stage offers an always-stacked electronic music focused lineup, along with surprise guests that are revealed last-minute via their Twitter account and text message alerts.

Do LaB loves bringing stellar, unexpected collabs (Pete Tong and Guy Gerber linked up for a surprise B2B set during Weekend 1 this year), as well as bringing back old friends playing the larger fest (Bob Moses and RÜFÜS DU SOL stopped by to close out Weekend 1 at the stage, and Sofi Tukker hopped on for a surprise DJ set last night.). If that's not enough to get you on the road to Indio, Calif,. right now, the bumping sound system under a colorful, geometric shade structure, and playful moments brought to you by squirt guns are also pretty compelling.

We asked British GRAMMY-nominated electronic singer/producer Elderbook, who played at the Do LaB Weekend 1, along with L.A.-based dreamy-house duo Dance Spirit, Berlin-based cosmic-house duo KMLN (pronounced chameleon) and L.A.-native house music and live band blending master Justin Jay, the three of whom will be bringing the vibes this weekend, for an insider/artist's perspective of what makes Do LaB so special.

If you're at the fest, you'll want to make sure and catch Justin Jay today, Saturday, at 5:15 p.m. at the Do LaB, as well as KMLN on Sunday at 3:30 p.m., followed by Dance Spirit at 4:45 p.m., all of whom will be bringing their joyful energy, great jams and sunny vibes.

The Do LaB at Coachella 2019

The Do LaB at Coachella 2019 | Photo: Gina Joy/courtesy of Do LaB

You'll be playing the Do LaB stage this weekend, what are you most looking forward to about it?

Dance Spirit: There is so much to look forward to—the vibe, the amazing sound system, the people who are up for a trippy dance, and by the looks of it, the weather. Not to mention being able to listen to dozens of other world class musicians with our friends. The thing we are looking forward to about this set is being able to showcase and share our latest and greatest productions. 

KMLN: Do LaB is comprised of some of our closest family for over 15 years, it was only a matter of time that we could collaborate on their shapeshifting stage that sits right in the middle of the Coachella grounds. We're most excited to see everyone, it's like a homecoming for us as we've spent most of the last few years touring elsewhere in the world. It's been amazing and we're so blessed to get to experience the world but sometimes you miss you closest friends, and at the Do LaB there's lots of them.

Justin Jay: 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.

You played at the Do LaB stage last weekend, what was your favorite part about it?

Elderbrook: Coachella was amazing. It's something I think every artist wants to play and I feel lucky to have been able to myself. My favorite part about it was testing out some new material that I've wanted to do for ages. I think it went down okay! 

What would you like to share with the Weekend 2 crew about your set?

Dance Spirit: We always craft and play original music and material and we've been jamming out in the studio writing new grooves and moods that we think will be appropriate for the festival.

KMLN: Regarding the vibe to expect, well, it's a daytime set [on Sunday at 3:30 p.m.] so we'll be bringing our brightest, most playful and adventurous chameleon colors. 

How would you describe the vibe and energy at the Do LaB stage?

D.S.: We've not only played the Do Lab stage before, but also their Lightning in a Bottle and Woogie Weekend as well. They have always strived for a top quality production, and most importantly, their attention to the sound. It is booming and comfortable and a producer/engineer, it is a real joy to be able to play on [their sound system]. 

The mood is always fun and always on. It's is a shaded structure and when it gets hot enough they water down the crowd with giant squirt gun hoses. Overall, it's super vibey and fun. Their reputation brings in the right kind of heads, but also attracts new ones as well. I think they did a great job curating the stage this year, and we are honored to be asked back.

KMLN: Their vibe there is all about family feelings, colorful, playful and most of all inclusive. [We] really enjoy the variety they offer with their lineups each year. And the water guns. 

Elderbrook: The energy of the crowd was great. It was the first day of Coachella 2019 so everyone was full of energy. I love playing festivals but this was a new level!

J.J.: It's just a great, great time, you know? Water guns, bubbles, friends…And [you meet new people and] you're like, "Ah, we can be friends too." That's cool.

You've played Lightning in a Bottle before too; do you feel like the Do Lab stage is like a mini version of that within the larger Coachella vibe?

D.S.: That is a great question.  I would have to say that LiB is its own unique festival considering the fact that it is a varied curation of many genres over three or four stages. We have always played the Woogie stage at LiB and it is always a switched on dance party—so I would say that the Do LaB stage has more of the Woogie/Favela Bar vibe. The LiB festival goes further into musical territory in my opinion.

As far as context at Coachella, I would assume that the Do LaB experience is for people who are excited for the lineup or others who are looking for something new. An enticing dance floor is always more experiential and is more welcoming of participation than a pop music/band area. You [can] go to listen to a band, but at Do LaB you go to feel it and let it move you. In the end, we will let the Instagram influencers decide [laughs].

KMLN: It's true, we've played LiB five years as KMLN and we're pretty sure we've had the honor to play every one of their stages. This seemed like a good year to take a break from that and join the little LiB that is the Do LaB stage at Coachella. The main difference is at Coachella you're missing all the beautiful art, workshops, games and the adventures you can have finding strange little nooks of delightful surprises that makes LiB so special. 

Elderbrook: Yes, definitely! The whole experience of the stage and the art behind it definitely reminds me of LiB. 

What does it mean to you to be a part of Do Lab's curated Coachella experience?

D.S.: [It's] an opportunity that we are grateful for and it has motivated an intense amount of creativity in a short amount of time. Needless to say, we are excited, and dare we say one more time, excited to play on that sound system!

KMLN: It's so exciting and an honor to be playing on the same grounds as so many legends of music history. We love Do LaB so much and wanna grow old with them

Elderbrook: It means so much. Like I said, playing Coachella is so many musicians dream and to be part of it just felt amazing. Hopefully I’ll one day return!

J.J.: It means I’m gonna play my favorite stage at the festival while surrounded by friends. Even though it’s grown into a large stage, it still feels so intimate. I love how people dance on stage, as a DJ it really feels like you're a part of the party. Water guns, acrobats and veggie burgers all help as well [laughs]."

RÜFÜS DU SOL Are Ready To Go "Underwater" At Coachella

GRAMMYs

Jain

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Jain On How Coachella Helps International Artists, Honoring Miriam Makeba's Legacy & More

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We caught up with the French pop performer in Indio, where she touched on her first Coachella experience, how living abroad has informed her artistry, and much more
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Apr 19, 2019 - 11:22 am

GRAMMY-nominated French artist Jain makes upbeat yet socially conscious inspired pop music. Using sounds and inspiration from her global upbringing, Jain (born Jeanne Louise Galice) left her hometown of Toulouse, France, with her family when she was nine. From then until she was 18, she lived in Dubai, the Congo and Abu Dhabi before returning to France to attend art school in Paris, where she lives now.

Jain made her Coachella debut at Gobi stage last Saturday, her first U.S. show of the year, and will be returning this weekend for round two. Not only that, but Jain just dropped her first new music since her 2018 album Souldier, a single called "Gloria," which she has been playing on tour in Europe.

We caught up with Jain on the ground in Indio, where she touched on her first Coachella experience, how living abroad has informed her artistry, and much more.

You had your Coachella debut yesterday; how did you feel to share your music at this festival, on this platform?

Well, it was amazing and this show was really cool. We have a lot of fun with the crowd, so I couldn't have been going any better. I was feeling really lucky to be there today in this festival because it's one of the biggest festivals in the world. And in France, it's well known also. Because always there are French artists that are playing over there. So we were really, really happy.

The international contingent of artists on the lineup this year is really strong; what does it feel like to you to be a part of it?

It was amazing because for me to be able to play as a French artist. I'm from a little town from the south tip of France, to be able to play in Coachella and meet other artists from all over the world and to connect with people that I love from my hometown is something amazing. And it shows the real power of music is to be united with something that everybody loves. And that's why music is so international. And I think it's great that a big festival like Coachella makes this actually. It helps a lot of artists.

Yeah. I agree. Were you able to check out any other artists at the festival? Was there anyone you were really excited about?

Yeah, I saw a lot of shows actually. I saw Anderson .Paak; for me it was one of the best shows that I've ever seen. And I saw Childish Gambino. I saw the Boyfriends. They are Australian, I think.

You spent time growing up around the world. How do you think living in these different place inspired your art and music?

It really gave me this need to express myself. Because when you are a teenager and you have to be new in a new high school and make new friends and make friends again, sometimes you get this feeling of loneliness. And for me it was why I was writing music, it was because I felt lonely and I wanted to make kind of therapy with it. So I don't know if I would have done music if I haven't traveled. So the traveling and discovering new countries meant everything for me and my songwriting.

Do you feel like that caused you to grow up more quickly? To have a more mature themes or ideas with your music?

Yeah, I'm definitely sure about this. My music would be very, very different if I haven't traveled. And it's true that when you're young, you're fast and there's no concern with people, actually. When you're doing music and you're young, you can be in a band with different people with different stories also. And that's why I really loved it.

You released your sophomore album, Souldier, last year. What did you wish to communicate with that album?

For me, Souldier is the part two of [debut album] Zanaka, the rest of my experience in the Middle East. The two albums work together. For me, Zanaka was more about when I was 16, 18 years old, and Souldier is the rest. I really wanted to put music that I was listening to and I was listening to—Arabic kind of music, hip-hop, some Rumba from the Congo. And I really wanted to make people travel by listening to my music. I always write about something that moves me. And something, it can be something bad or something sad like the killing in the nightclub of Orlando. I always try to put some optimism in it. I try to heal myself.

Your music video for "Makeba" was nominated for a GRAMMY at the 60th GRAMMY Awards. Can you explain the story behind that specific song and video?

When I worked with [French directors] Greg & Lio, for me it was really important to shoot it in South Africa because [the song's subject, musician Miriam Makeba] was from South Africa. And we were about to shoot this video in Soweto, which is outside of Johannesburg. It's where she grew up, actually. I really wanted for people to know her and to be able to share her legacy of music. 

That's so cool. Is that something that's important for you, to share stories of other female artists or other people that might not have a platform like you have?

For me, it's really important because I was listening to Makeba since I was three years old. She's really part of my music intention. And when I grew up, I realized that actually a lot of my friends didn't know her. When I like an artist, especially a female artist, I really try to support. I think it's really important these days.

Mon Laferte Talks First Coachella Performance, 'Norma' & More

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 Monroy 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.

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