Smelly Feet Records Is A Music Platform Which Showcases Both Established And Up & Coming Artists.
No Specific Genre, Just Real Underground Music.
Smelly Feet Records Is A Music Platform Which Showcases Both Established And Up & Coming Artists.
No Specific Genre, Just Real Underground Music.
Exclusive Mix & Interview
Jay
Baptiste
City: London
Country: England
Genre: House
Release Type: Digital
Interview 1:
Jay. Before we get started - is there anyone out there that you would like to thank?
My family and everyone that has supported me from day one and has helped me progress in life.
Recently your “I Have A Dream” EP dropped online. Before the release, a video went viral featuring your track playing while Thomas Akin performed the shuffle style dance over the beats. Did this help the release in any way?
I believe it did, because not a lot of people knew about the track. They found out about the video and then were interested to know who made the music. I remember one of my supporters told me she was researching for hours trying to find my "I Have A Dream" tune, which was really overwhelming to hear. My Soundcloud was blowing up and I was hitting 1,000 plays a day. People were posting the link to the video and song. The support was crazy. I'm happy the video went viral.
"When I produce music, I visualize how the crowd would react. I listen to live mixes and focus on the elements that are most important..."
Your “Real Shifters” video with Troy Hudson. Tell us a bit about this. Could you explain a bit more about the shuffle style of dance used in the video?
The first time I discovered shuffling was when I went to Ibiza in 2013. Ever since then, I noticed that shuffling became more known in the UK. So in 2014 I decided to make a video based on the craze. "Real Shifters" is a tune that anybody of any age could get down to. The style of music and dance brings out a great energy inside of you. The concept I chose for the video was nothing but happy vibes with great footwork.
Jay. We find your productions incredibly unique. Describe what style of music this is? Where do you find your inspirations?
I listen to all types of music and find inspiration from anywhere and everywhere. I really like to push my limits in terms of music by thinking outside of the box. I will listen to classical music for the structure of my track, then garage for the types of sounds i'm going for. I know that a lot of vocals are being sampled, so I tend to sample things that people wouldn't think of sampling. My style of music is a mix of garage and house because I like hard hitting baselines with vocals that really grab your attention.
What are a couple of the big milestones that you experienced in the past that have led you to becoming the DJ / Producer you are today?
In 2013 I made many tunes but they weren't great until one day I remixed a tune called Aphrodite by Cozzy D. I played it to my cousin and he really liked it. I put a snippet on my Soundcloud and had DJs messaging me asking for the track! They played it at their events and the feedback I received was outstanding. This encouraged me to produce much more and made me the producer I am today.
"I listen to all types of music and find inspiration from anywhere and everywhere. I really like to push my limits in terms of music by thinking outside of the box."
Any future plans for your UK pressure show? Tell us a bit about when you began on the show and what it means to you.
I've been doing my UK pressure show for 2 months. I've always wanted people to hear my productions and felt radio would be the perfect opportunity for me to do that. The next step for me is to become a radio presenter for main stream radio such as "Kiss Fm" - "Capital Xtra" - "BBC Radio 1xtra" - etc...
You live in one of the largest electronic music capitals of the world. What are you doing that makes you stand out amongst everyone else?
When I produce my music I visualize how the crowd would react. I listen to live mixes and focus on the elements that are most important, like the intro's, breakdowns and drops. I work on that. Also, I try to create different hard hitting baselines every time, with sounds you wouldn't really hear in a commercial tune. I feel this allows my music to appeal to a wider range of audiences.
Aside from music, we see that you have your own clothing line. Would you like to share more on this?
When I started DJing, I wanted people to see that I was different in not only my DJing skills but my image as well. I got my friend to design a logo for me that said "J Baptiste". With this logo design I printed it on sweatshirts and wore them to my bookings, so it's not really a clothing line, it's more of a DJing outfit so that people could recognize who I am.
Jay, in a few sentences. Tell us about this mix you made for us. Where did you get your inspiration. Is there anything special you want the audience to know?
I wanted this mix to really show the UK underground sounds with a hint of "Jay Baptiste"
In this mix you will hear different styles of baselines with a fusion of melodies and acapellas that makes you want to move to the beat!
End Interview
Interview 2:
Jay Baptiste. Welcome Back. It’s been awhile. Give us an update on what you have been doing. Any upcoming collaborations? Who with?
I got a few collaborations coming up but you just have to wait on it because I don't want to say too much!
We enjoyed filming with you in London. Was the response from the video what you expected? What did you enjoy most about the production?
Most definitely. I've had some crazy feedback on the documentary and people are asking me when the next one is. What I enjoyed most was the Smelly Feet and Jay Baptiste fusion, was absolutely amazing! Much looking forward to the next one!
Let’s talk about your sound. Tell us about the evolution of your DJ style since the last time we spoke?
I always like to come with something fresh and I show this within my music. Everyone knows me for my famous track "I Have A Dream". The baseline in that tune is outstanding. I would say that would be my signature baseline, so when you hear it, you know I made it. That tune has gained me access to many bookings in some major clubs, "Ministry Of Sound" being one of them. I've also done a few all day parties which I really enjoyed! When i'm DJ'ing, I like to change up my style during mixes to keep the crowd moving!
We hear you want to expand into other parts of Europe. Where are you looking to go? What are you looking to do?
That question can't be answered as of yet because I am still in the planning stage! All will be revealed soon :)
How will your experience as an artist based in the city of London going to translate over into taking your sound and vision abroad? What is going to set you apart from the rest of the artists out there?
When my track "I Have A Dream" went viral, I've found that a lot of people respected my sound aboard and that's where my music gets played the most, so why not give my fans what they want!
Suit and tie or vest and bow-tie?
Definitely suit and tie, appearances mean a lot to me!