SAAND
[Lovecast] In an industry with so many new artists breaking into the scene it is hard to distinguish who will be the next big sensation or who will be the next one to drop that new killer tune. London native Jobe is the artist to look out for this year. With amazing releases on Sinq, Electronique, Sleazy Deep, and Resonance, Jobe has easily become the name on the tip of everyone’s tongues and the sound in everyone’s collection. Jobe has dreamt of being a full time artist/DJ for so long, and finally his dreams are within reach.
Jobe’s passion for music started at a young age when he began making mix tapes of his favorite UK top 40 tracks to listen to on his paper routes. In his teen years he listened to hip-hop, and as he grew older his musical tastes progressed to include drum and bass, dubstep, funk, breaks, nu-disco, and house music. Jobe says “house has remained my favorite genre, there’s just something about it, I can’t get enough.” In the beginning he drew inspiration from artists such as Sasha, Loco Dice, and Gui Buratto. Today he looks to the likes of producers such as Rebel, No Artificial Colours, Maceo Plex, Huxley, and one his personal favorites, Maxxi Soundsystem.
Jobe’s slow, deep, emotive, bass-heavy sound is fresh, unique, and incomparable. For that exact reason many labels are jumping at the chance to sign him. Jobe has dedicated the last few years of his life solely to music production and the work that has come out of it is a true testament to his passion and commitment. In addition to continuously fine tuning his production skills, he would also like to see himself breakthrough as a DJ, rocking dance floors the world over.
Jobe aims to make music that is timeless. It’s an acute challenge in an industry with many trends that are often abandoned for new sounds after just a couple of months. Jobe is determined to tackle his goal and make music that resonates with listeners years later. Jobe loves house music and the industry, and he is in it for the long haul. Some may say that 2012 is Jobe’s year, but I say 2012 is only the beginning!
We had a chance to catch up with Jobe during his busy schedule of playing gigs and making music…
Where are you from and where do you live now?
Originally from Newcastle in the North of England, currently living in East London
How was the music scene growing up? How has it influenced your music and shaped you into the producer/dj you are today?
There’s always been a thriving house scene in Newcastle ever since I was really young, so I’ve been surrounded by house music all my life. I also loved Hip Hop during my teenage years, it probably came from playing a lot of basketball. You can’t be a baller and not listen to Hip Hop, it just doesn’t work! It wasn’t until I got to university that I really started to broaden the genres I was listening to. I started listening to funk/soul, breakbeat, drum & bass and dubstep. I think those genres still influence my production in some way.
How is the music scene where you live today?
It’s London, so the music scene is amazing. That’s one of the main reason I moved here, once I’d made the decision that I wanted a career in music, it was clear I needed to move to London. It’s a constant source of inspiration.
When did music production become a serious part of your life? When did you know that you were going to continue on doing this professionally?
I started DJing at 22, my friend was given belt drive decks for Christmas and I got the chance to mess around with them. It was obviously a lot of fun, and a year or so later I bought my own decks off a friend for £20!! I fell in love with those things. Having my own decks was the catalyst, I started buying vinyl, learning to beat match and delving further into the music scene. I was DJing in the local bars whenever I was lucky enough to get a set. Music started to become my outlet, I made friends with other DJ’s and we’d get together for mixes whenever we could. All night mix sessions at the weekend became the norm. I’ve got such fond memories of DJing in the early days, it was just an amazing experience. After a few years of playing in the local bars I was starting to get bored and wanted to take it to the next level. At that time the DJ in the purest form was dying out and the producer was taking over. It wasn’t until I moved to London that I decided to step away from DJing and start producing. That was the turning point for me, I made a conscious decision to go after the dream of DJing full time, and to do that I needed to be a successful producer. So I spent 4 years producing, initially I was making more minimal techno (my secret love!), I managed to get a few tunes signed but I never got any decent exposure. The most influential step I’ve ever taken was to take an Ableton course in the evenings, it allowed me to move away from Reason, and I started exploring the deep house/nu disco sound. My tunes came on leaps and bounds and I was finally starting to get some positive feedback. It was enough to give me the focus I needed, so I stopped going out, I stopped going to the gym, I stopped watching TV! Any spare moment I had I was producing, and from there things started to take off.
Do you prefer to work alone or do you like to do collaborations?
I prefer to work alone. It is cool doing the odd collaboration, the results can be great, but I much prefer to create my own original material.
How important is where one lives for a career in music production?
I suppose the internet has made it less important to be in the right place, but it’s important to find inspiration, and I find that’s easiest when you’re in good clubs, listening to other DJ’s and producers. So from that perspective it’s vital to live somewhere with a thriving scene.
What advice would you give to aspiring producers?
Try and create your own sound. It’s too easy to start copying the popular genres and you end up making generic tunes. I’ve fallen into that trap myself, but it’s so important to push yourself and try to go your own route. The best producers in the world are the guys who’ve carved their own path and stood out from the crowd.
Can you tell us one record or song that has changed your life?
I can’t say there’s a single piece of music that changed my life, I guess the music scene as a whole has shaped my life. One of my favorite tracks ever is by Moderat, called Rusty Nails. I’ve listened to it countless times and it still blows me away every time. That’s the level I’m trying to get to with my own productions, but it’s going to be many years before I get anywhere near those guys.
What are the best things about being on the road? Worst? Best moment on the road?
Haha, well I haven’t really been on the road! I’m just starting to DJ again after producing for the last few years. My last gig was Romania, in Bucharest. That was incredible. I’ve never really traveled abroad alone before, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. But the whole experience was amazing, you meet so many great people. The gig itself couldn’t have gone better, the crowd was really up for it, so it was a pleasure to play for them. I think I’m going to love being on the road!
Is there anything special coming up here in the near future that people should know about?
Nothing that stands out, I’m playing in Malta in a few days, which I can’t wait for! It’s the first time I’ll be headlining at a club, so it’s going to be pretty exciting! Production wise I’m sitting on a lot of new tunes, just trying to find the right labels to work with. So once they’re signed I’m looking forward to sharing all this new material!
What is your drink of choice?
It changes depending on the mood, but I’ve always been a fan of a cold beer. Nothing too extravagant!
Tell us a little bit about this particular mix.
I always enjoy putting a mix together, it’s just a great chance to get all of your favorite tracks at that time and create something that represents your sound. So that’s exactly what it is, all of the tunes I’m feeling at the moment, with a few of my own unreleased tunes thrown in.
So here it is lovers, a behemoth of a mix from the colossal Jobe. Enjoy!!!
Tracklist:
Empire of the sun – We are the people (Fabø remix)
JOBE – Something About Disco
Mat.Joe – Safe Flight (Audiojack’s Closed-Eye Hallucination)
Groove Armada – Oh Tweak To Me (Original Mix)
Mark Knight &Funkagenda – Shogun (Jimpster Mix)
JOBE – Switch Off
John Monkman – Noisily (Original Mix)
JOBE – Forever
Avatism – Constants
Dashdot – Lowbotic Fabric (Matt Fear Remix)
Tom Budden – Rock Tonight
JOBE – The Red Pill
Coat Of Arms – Don’t Be Down
Harry Wolfman – Feel My Love (Original Mix)
Zee & Eli – Let It Feel
Jack Dixon – Lose Myself (Original Mix)
-Sand