Page 19 - Zone Magazine Issue 015

Ez Jstar....Ezeee Bazza! It's been ....A Longtime!
You have just released a full album called ''Dub to order'' can you tell the reader what to expect from this release?
Well there’s 2 Jstar albums just released on vinyl and digital - "Stand To Order" is a vocal album (10 tracks on digital, 8 tracks on vinyl for loudness), and "Dub To Order" is 6 dub cuts from the album; I’d say “we nah follow fashion, fashion follow we” - thats to say the album covers a variety of styles, focusing on strong melody ideas underlayed by original Jstar riddims, with performances from outstanding vocalists from within the reggae field and from outside of it, across the globe. I wanted it to be a listening experience as well as full of tracks that work on the dance floor, and the feedback i’ve had so far is incredible in those terms. It’s not a microwave meal of an album - it’s a slow cook oven bake, and you’ll experience the goodness over time... There’s been 3 videos, which is a first for me! MouseFX and the Heavy Hong Kong Crew made a fantastic video to illustrate the Cantonese track 'Baby Fan Ying' I chopped up some footage for ‘Liar Liar’ and Jody Vandenberg, has made a brilliant mashup video for the Ranking Joe heavyweight ‘Bad Boy Stepping'
You have enlisted the vocal talents of many fine artists on this project. How long did it take to complete?
Some of the tracks go way back, but in earnest the album took about 3 years in between having a baby and travelling as a DJ and tour manager.
As the work was recorded all around the globe, it took some time to get all the material to come in.
You seem to be busy touring the world lately. Does this help when it comes to linking with new artists, hearing new sounds and seeing new
cultures?
Yes certainly it helps to travel. Other cultures have different takes on how they connect to the music as the social and historical demographic frames the perception and understanding. Simultaneously that can create some very interesting outlooks, as people take the influences of reggae and develop their own interpretations to it
You were one of (if not the) original mashup artists from back in the Noughties. How do you feel about this area now ten + years later and do you still make any Mashups for release or for adding to your sets?
I still make re-edits and blends for my DJ sets, and sometimes hand them over to other DJ’s after testing them out. The ‘noughties’ was an interesting time as the vinyl movement had not yet been taken over by digital DJing and online posting, so real commitment was made into making promotional DJ records due to the cost and time of production on more basic equipment. You wouldn’t have relied on a laptop in a club at that point.
There’s still an audience for the mashups, though I wouldn’t consider a non-stop DJ set of mashups, variety is key... Other genres that came in redressed the ‘mashup’ angle of music, so we had all the jungle and dubstep reworks of reggae music, and for that matter pop or hiphop tracks - for example the “Bigger than Hiphop’ dubstep reworks, anything by the Specials, and the Jungle Cakes series from Ed Solo. That’s all a continuation of the concept.
You are a londoner living in Germany. How has this transition been? Berlin is known to be a cultural and creative hub does this help when doing what you do?
I’m splitting my time between London, Berlin (where my daughter was born and lives) and touring in lots of different
countries. Culturally, London has the edge for the music that I make, and am influenced by. Sometimes it helps to step outside to get perspective on the music, and that’s where Berlin has come into play. It has a different cultural scene, and is very electronically minded, with clubs that open and finish very late; there’s much less of a rush, and I think that reflects on the electronic music coming out of here. Slowly I’m getting into the idea of making musical tracks which are more than 4 minutes long, and that will be apparent in the releases next year. Your favourite producer / band right now? Across the board I listen to a lot of music, Adiidas and TR1 on the trap and electronic beats, Konchis (electronic hiphop from Glasgow), Kreed who produces for Gardna, anything produced by Nick Manasseh (who engineered on my album)
Your favourite place to eat when you come back to London?
I dig the Roti King round the back of Euston station for genuine Malaysian Roti Canai and The Tarik (sweet Malaysian tea) the beef rendang is great too.
Any final shout-outs or plugs?
Of course all the thanks goes to the listeners, followers, DJ’s, producers who keep me going with their support.
Big thanks go to the Reggae Roast massive, DJ Shepdog (Nice Up!) - always on the ball, Mr Benn, David Rodigan, MC Honey Brown (who MC’s alongside me so long), Don Letts, the Chapter Four crew in Todmorden, Chong Long in Hong Kong, the Step Art crew & Salah Azzi in France, Soom T, Illbilly Hitec, Youri van Driessche for his support if reggae in Belgium for over 20 years on radio. So many more...
Thanks bro, it's been a pleasure.
You can cop the new albums “Stand To Order” and ''Dub to order'' here: http://jstarmusic.bandcamp.com
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