see j cross once a month at smart bar along side alfonz de la mota and most mia chicago members.
M.I.A:: sum up your drum n bass background for us.
JCROSS :: I first got into drum and bass in my mid teens after hearing a few mixtapes by artists such as Andy C, LTJ Bukem, and Doc Scott. At the same time I started going to raves in Indianapolis and around the midwest, mostly in Chicago. After seeing a bunch of regional DJ talent, I wanted to give it a whirl myself. My first purchase was Metalheadz "Platinum Breakz" (still one of my favorite albums) and with some other releases at the time, I learned how to DJ with a little help from some friends, mainly techno DJ's Adam Jay and Shiva. I think this is why I have a bit more fluid style than most DNB DJ's, because Indy didn't really have a big jungle/DNB scene, so I learned watching techno and house DJ's. Through the years, I've stuck with it. I've never lost my passion for DNB, although I did take some time off DJing in the mid 2000's after moving to Chicago.
M.I.A.:: what kind of drum n bass do you favor in your sets and why?
J CROSS :: I don't favor one particular style, I'm a strong advocate of not sticking to one individual sound. I appreciate all forms of DNB, from hard, nasty dancefloor business to smooth EZ-listening style liquid stuff. Obviously if I'm playing to a packed club/rave, I'll go heavy and get people dancing. If I'm playing to a more laid back audience, I'll favor the smoother stuff and get a little sexy with the vibe.
M.I.A.:: your a resident for M.I.A. at their smart bar night, how have you noticed the night progress?
J CROSS:: The Smart Bar night we run is by far the most consistent club night I've ever been associated with in playing DNB. The crowd is always mixed and up for pretty much everything. Some people in attendance are old pros at going out to DNB nights and are familiar with the music. Others just wander in because of the club's popularity and I appreciate the opportunity to expose them to music I love, and hopefully gain a few fans in the process. Throughout my residency, I've noticed a bit more diversity as people learn about what we're striving for, and I always try to make as many people sweat as I can, just get that dancefloor as packed as possible!
M.I.A.:: you have a good number of mixes out for download, do you feel this has helped you move forward in the dnb scene?
J CROSS:: It definitely is an advantage when someone wants to learn what I'm about. Back when I started DJing, you had to put a lot more money and time into promotion, copying mixtapes and CD's, tracking down promoters and getting them into the right peoples' hands. Now, promotion is as easy as uploading mixes and spreading the word via online interaction. On a negative side, this floods the market with subpar material; on the positive side, it's easy for me to send my material to anyone, anytime, anywhere. I try to have as much quality material as possible for this very reason. The more I have out there, the likelier someone is gonna notice just one of my contributions and search out other material. Obviously if I have so much material, I'm consistent and talented.... and obviously dedicated and passionate in my work.
M.I.A.::. what producer are you feeling at the moment?
J CROSS :: My favorite producer at the moment is probably Dose. He reminds me so much of one of my favorite producers, Break. With every release, his production values and ideas take it to the next level. He's going to be a major influence on people in the future, and hopefully he'll stick around and deliver consistently.
M.I.A.:: your from Indiana but live in Chicago, birth place of house music, how do you see drum n bass fitting into the edm scene?
J CROSS::I appreciate other forms of dance music, and consider all of them to be equally important. I prefer a mature way of looking at the EDM scene, and appreciate it when other scene's reciprocate and appreciate us. We all influence each other a great amount; personally, I can be just as influenced by a good night out listening to rock or techno or classical or hip-hop and take that flavor and add it to my own music. I prefer not to agree with the misconception that DNB is a bastard within dance music. Some people throughout the evolution prefer it to be this way, but I only see it having a negative impact in the long run. I like everyone to have an appreciation for good music, and well done DNB is definitely good music. I want people to enjoy what they hear, not to be scared away by noise that they don't understand.
M.I.A.:: how hard is it to be a drum n bass dj? and what keeps you motivated to stick to your guns and stay true to jungle drum n bass when so many have moved on.
J CROSS:: I'd say the most difficult part about playing jungle/DNB is getting people past the notion that it's something "weird" and alien to their musical tastes. I've actually been motivated quite a bit by other artists and DJ's abandoning the genre throughout the years, whether it be to follow the trend at the time, such as dubstep is now. I want people to notice what an exciting genre DNB is, and there are a lot more sounds then mid-90's jump up or late-90's neuro stuff. That's what most people associate with DNB, as it was most popular during the time when those sounds were dominant. As long as I'm still excited by new sounds and ideas, I'll continue playing DNB. I don't see a light at the end of the tunnel, as it's been so long since I started, and there are more talented artists putting out great music year after year.
M.I.A.:: what kind of equipment do you prefer to see in the booth when you arive?
J CROSS:: I always appreciate a pair of Technics 1200's, a pair of Pioneer CDJ's, and a solid, simple mixer without too many bells and whistles. I don't need any fancy FX or anything. If they're there, I'll use them, but sparingly. I prefer Pioneer, Rane, or Allen & Heath mixers. Above anything else, clean crisp monitors. If you're not gonna have proper sound, what's the point in having a good DJ? And all of this equipment should be functioning properly. I can't count the number of times I've shown up for a gig and been deterred by some technical problem beyond my control. There's nothing more frustrating.
M.I.A.::. you recently placed 3rd in the M.I.A. "sound clash dnb battle" how do you feel your set went?
J CROSS:: I feel like I'm good enough where I should have been first, but I understand why I finished third. I should have been last! I tried getting a little too fancy with my opening mix, trying to quadruple drop four complicated tunes, and jacked it up. One of the most important things I've learned over the years is simplicity sounds best, and for some reason I got in over my head and wasn't thinking straight; won't do that again! After that I just decided to wing it and the rest went fine. I was relaxed and played as smoothly as I usually do. I respect everyone in the competition, especially the DJ that won. Dustin Dioptrics is a wicked DJ, one of the best.
M.I.A.::. where do you see j cross and M.I.A. in 5 years?
J CROSS:: As I keep getting more and more into production, I hope to be making a living in DNB. Most likely in London if I'm successful. Rocking an M.I.A. showcase at Fabric on a Saturday night.
Thank you J cross for taking the time to let your fans and peers know more about you, you can fan j cross here.
http://www.facebook.com/jcrossdnb
and here is his latest mix http://soundcloud.com/miadnb/j-cross-september-2011-m-i-a
No comments:
Post a Comment