Posts tagged JES

This week we celebrate 150 radio show episodes of simply great dance music by inviting one of the very icons who got us involved in the first place, JES.

Only one artiste has single-handedly worked with Tiesto, Armin Van Buuren, BT, and Gabriel & Dresden and earned mainstream recognition in the Billboard Decade End Charts and Dance Airplay song of the decade.

JES ventured into the scene as Motorcycle (with Gabriel & Dresden) back in 2003, voicing the record “As The Rush Comes” that every dance music lover has memorised by heart. Her first solo album Disconnect (2007) then spawned chart toppers such as “Ghost,” “Heaven,” and “Imagination.” And this year she released the new album High Glow that we personally adore. It features outstanding pieces such as “Awaken,” “Lovesong,” and “See Through.” This album continues to produce singles and remixes, and she has also 2 new tracks with producers Richard Durand and BT.

In essence, every record that JES touches becomes gold. So we think there’s no better way to celebrate our third year of Radio KUL than to have the soulful and edgy queen of Poptronica to guesthost. Here is the warm up interview with JES.

JES

Hi JES, it’s great to be speaking with you. Where are you currently and what has been a recent highlight?
I am in Los Angeles now, but I have been going back and forth to NYC. I try and work in both places, writing in NYC and recording in Los Angeles at my studio. We just finished the video to my new single “Closer” and that was definitely a highlight.

Let’s talk about your track with Richard Durand “NYC.” We personally think it’s a great record, and it’s been included in the new In Search of Sunrise 8 that Richard Durand compiled. Haven’t there been enough songs written about this great city?
There are never enough songs written about NYC in my opinion. I love NYC so much that I was really excited to write something about it. It’s fast paced and edgy and I wanted to put those elements in the song. I got to get a little soulful on this too, which is another great element of “NYC.” I was able to give it a little attitude and sing out.

We think given the chance, you could work with just about any producer you choose to. Are there any that catches your attention currently?
I would love to work with Timbaland one day. There are a few pioneers of EDM like Moby and Underworld that would be fun to create something with. Also, I like seeking out some lesser known producers to do collaborations with. It’s all about inspiration what that person and you do together.There are some big names out there but I still always have my eyes and ears open for people that I can create that magic with. There is some very interesting new talent and since the Internet is global, it is very easy to collaborate.

Your latest album, High Glow, is a real gem. How long did it take to put this album together, and what are some of your favorite tracks?
Thank you so much. I am so happy people are liking it. It’s a little different from the kind of songs people know my voice from, so it was exciting to make. It took about a little over a year. I wish I could say it was a faster process and I would like to in the future focus and make an album in a three-month period. I’m aiming for that but I’m always on the move so we don’t get to stay in one place too much. We recorded in UK, Holland, NYC and LA for this one. In hotels and studios, which was a fun,interesting and sometimes crazy process.

What was the motivation to remake “Lovesong?”
Covers are a fun thing. You know the song, so it feels really good to sing them. They evoke a certain feeling because they represent such a time and place you remember. I have always loved The Cure and try not to do too many covers, but when I heard the original “Lovesong” on the radio I decided to look up the chords and was just initially playing around with it. I liked the way it felt when I played it, so I decided to just try and see what it would sound like if I made it into a more modern Rocktronica version. Being in the clubs and touring and always listening to EDM, I just naturally went that direction with it. I was holding on to it for while and I had submitted it to my record company. When I was finishing the High Glow album I thought “Wow this sounds so good I should put it on there.” It became the lead out single for the album.

“The Light In Things” is featured on BT’s new album These Hopeful Machines. Tell us about the making of this track.
After touring with BT on the Elements of Life tour, we had started a couple of ideas on the road. I held on to them for a while and just one day it kind of clicked for me what I wanted to do. I thought a lot about wanting to write something with a lot of hope and it’s funny, I didn’t know what the name of BT’s album was yet. I was a little nervous, I wanted to do something really good.” The Light In Things” was the first song we finished sending things back and forth to each other. I really love that song so much even though more people know about “Every Other Way,” I hope people will listen to that one too. We really liked the way that one came out so much we decided to meet up at his studio. It’s so much nicer to be in the studio when creating with each other. There are so many ways to do it these days, but that is always fun to be in the same room! That was the time when we came up with “Every Other Way”. BT has a lot of instruments all over the place and we created the loop that is the supporting vibe to the song. It’s a very special song and I was really inspired to do something beautiful with BT because he is so talented. You just bring out the best in each other.

Having achieved so much success with every track and earning all the accolades, do you feel creatively pressured when making music these days?
I do! I mean I always want each song and record I make to be better than the last one. To grow as an artist and to make something my fans can relate to and touch them with… I know some people just want to make music for themselves, but I really want to make music for everyone else! I know we are all so much alike and I do get some joy from trying to connect us through music. For myself, I want to feel like I’m getting better at it, so yes I do feel pressure. You also get a lot more criticism each time you put out a new song so I feel that too!

Thank you so much for being part of our 150th episode. This is truly an honor. What can fans expect from the show?
Well I’ve enjoyed being part of the show. Thank you for having me. It’s incredible to have the music reaching you so I thank you for the support! We are going to be playing some new songs and some old songs talking a little about what I will be up to and give a little background to the music.

And where will you be performing for the rest of the year? Any more releases coming up?
Well, I will move around the globe. I will be in Las Vegas, Denver for Global Gathering, China, India, Russia, NYC, Egypt and the Middle East… and hopefully Kuala Lumpur! I played there with Tiesto at the Formula One races and never forgot what an amazingly beautiful place it is. We are adding a lot of shows so be sure to visit Planet JES or to follow me on Twitter. There is MySpace and Facebook too.

Lastly, a message to your fans from around the world reading this.
Please write me. I can’t tell you how inspiring you are all to me. I go on and read messages and it makes me feel so connected to each other. You make me want to write more and I thank you for supporting the music.

JES will guesthost Radio KUL 150. The first hour will be mixed by Simon Lee & Alvin and hosted by JES with a selection of some of her discography, followed by a guestmix from Stoneface & Terminal. Airs Friday, 23rd July 2010 at http://www.radiokul.com/ and available as a podcast on iTunes and on Mugasha. Radio Hi-Tec Netherlands and 1Mix Radio UK will also stream the show live, see website for schedule.

High Glow is out now on Black Hole and Ultra.

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