Jordan John discusses main inspirations, creation of his own imprint and more: Interview

Blessing us all with his eclectic style of play, Jordan John is more than set on leaving a lasting impact within the dance scene. Leaving no doubt to the imagination, the man of the moment opens up about an array of subjects in this latest interview.

Constantly on the rise, Jordan John is the epitome of an artist that has been mastering his craft to the utmost of perfection. Taking listeners on the most eclectic of musical journeys through each of his releases, his ability of blending Tribal, Melodic and Techno, has most definitely helped him stand out from all the rest. Leaving no doubt to the imagination, each of his productions ooze with energy from start to finish, whilst his unique approach towards music creation, has well and truly cemented his status as an artist to watch. Gaining support from some of the biggest names within our scene, as well as performing at events and festivals on a worldwide scale, Jordan John has been leaving his own mark with each of his endeavours, and as you may have guessed, we are all for it! Partnering up with Kyle James for the creation of Halo Frequencies Label, the man of the moment has shown no signs of slowing down, and with his own imprint in the limelight, up and coming artists are offered a platform that will only help them grow as time progresses. Bearing this in mind, we could not be any more thrilled to have caught up with this fast-rising star, as he discusses main influences and inspirations, the thought proccess behind his unique style of play, the significance of maintaining a versatile nature within our community, his approach towards music production and his live performances, the creation of his imprint, working alongside various artists, his preffered DJ equipment and so much more.

Hello and thank you for joining us! Could you give us an insight on the main inspirations/influences that led to your chosen career pathway?

Sports and team collaborations have been a huge influence on me but from my early stages in life, it was apparent that Music was my true passion. My father instilled the true value of being professional and versatile in the goals you strive for. They say you need to place yourself in different positions from all angles to truly see the true worth of your primary skills. That is how I position myself in life. From my fathers DJ performances as ‘Prince Vince’ to performing as a drummer for three separate bands, at the age of eleven, when I listened to my first electronic music track by Benny Benassi where I then bought my own DJ controller to experiment blending all facets of music. I try to be a true music pioneer – whether performing in my middle school music classes, high school parties, or even negotiating my way into performing at club events at the age of 18, I constantly was determined to live out this dream as a full time artist, traveling the world and making life changing memories.

 

 

Blending Tribal, Melodic and Techno in the most immersive of fashions, we would like to know of how your style of play came to be, as well as the uniqueness and quality that stems through each of your productions?

I knew within such a saturated market that I needed to set myself apart. It was pivotal to create genre bending music, as well as perform, which became this blend of Melodic Afro and Techno. As the market tends to shift towards the age of Techno and Afro House as premier genres in Electronic music, I looked up to the likes of Shimza, Themba, Methame, Tale Of Us, Adriatique. These guys, pushing the two genres to the height of the game. I found the soothing synths, riveting ambiance and hard hitting percussion was an amazing blend of creating a cinematic journey. I have no limits when it comes to my productions, however. On June 30th, I’m excited to share one of my most exciting projects to date, ‘Who Is Jordan John’ to be released on the famous Steve Lawalers label, Evive Music. At the end of 2022, the project was sent to Steve and he immediately saw the intricate and calculated blend of elements, he fell in love and since received great support from Damian Lazarus, Bedouin and Solomun. The project is a 10 track album for 1 hour, for me to showcase a full festival or club set with all my music that seamlessly blends.

In addition to your own signature sound, you are also capable of producing music from a vast array of genres. We would like to know how significant a versatile nature can be for an artist within the dance scene, as well as your own way of influencing our community through your genre-defying releases?

This really ties into the artists I grew up listening to. Black Coffee revitalized the Afro House scene through melodic and synergetic traditional afro, Themba is one who truly took Afro House into the Club scene from ‘Where Is Themba’, Tale Of Us & Mathame were one of the leading Melodic Techno artists to create a ‘show’ out of a typically dj set. So when I think of this, I wonder, the potential of going beyond the boundaries of one genre and influencing different styles of music through co – production. There are so many different styles of sound that are really undiscovered. I believe that building with artists together, rather than competing is what keeps the dance community alive and well. Each production, I look to see where we can blur the lines of the genre, whether it’s afro, techno, melodic. Over the past few months, Ive been working on many facets of music production with collaborations featuring Space Motion, Black Motion, Tom & Collins, Roland Clark, Auguste Yepes, Dark Side Vinyl and more. Many artists, many different styles. Im immersed with excitement to share these with my fans and the world. I want to change the game and creating music with talented artists from different music backgrounds allows us artists to keep breathing fresh new air for eternity.

 

 

 

 

Leaving a lasting impact with each of your endeavors, could you give us an insight into the main thought process of creating a Jordan John track, as well as the similarities and differences that you witness when looking at music from fellow artists within the scene?

I want to open the hearts and souls of my fans around the world through emotion driven production that provides a cinematic atmosphere. I want the fans to skip a beat, tear from their eyes, and come together in harmony. Each of my sets / productions are carefully curated / produced for all music lovers to escape their reality and indulge into the music, a special time in their day to be at peace. I want to create an experience, a moment that will be with fans when they hear, for all their lives. A huge part of this process comes about learning from those who have paved the way for guys like me. I found a great way to separate yourself is to see which artists came up and ‘made it’ when the shift in genre was taking over the industry. Over the course of 3 – 4 years, you see artists such as Tale Of Us, Themba, Adriatique, Shimza and more, how they have captured popularity around the world, from changing the details within their genre to make it the best new sound. So I try to look at the unique styles from Afro House, Techno, Melodic House many of my peers produce and see how I enter the gray area and make a new style that will evolve more over time and leave me at the front leading the charge. This is well expressed in my upcoming project with Space Motion and Charlotte OC to be announced very soon.

Blessing us all with not only your music, but also your live performances, we would like to know of any rituals that you may have pre, during or post a show, your preparation leading to an event, as well as the energy that you showcase in order to deliver a set that is out of this world?

As I’ve mentioned before, I see my performances as more than just a set, but a cinematic journey. Like a movie, there are constant takes, research and emotion put into film. I look at my performances this way. I put a tremendous effort into building a moment that is everlasting and relieves any negative energy from their day. I dive deep to gather unheard sounds, seamlessly blending together, that leave the crowd in question, ‘What is this?’ In a good way haha. The best films bring out the bundled emotion within us all. I express this on the stage myself, actively moving with the crowd, music and my inner feelings that express utopian joy. My stage actions and reactions have not gone unnoticed it seems. Over the past few months, I was able to begin my production career with the famous Mo Black, Hurry Up Slowly, Sneja, and the journey continues with upcoming releases on Evive, Einmuzika, Yoshitoshi and more. I always felt I came up into this industry as a ‘DJ’, performing internationally before any releases, similar to the likes of Nic Fanciulli. I believe this made me a performer before a producer which has allowed opportunities for me to play at the likes of Savaya Bali, Audio Geneva, and more high profiled international venues throughout the world.

Partnering up with Kyle James for the creation of your imprint, Halo Frequencies Label, could you give us an insight on how this initiative came to be, as well as the overall feel of working alongside Kyle James and the impact he may have thus far on your career within the dance scene?

Kyle and I met a while back when he was the Director of New York label, Deep Root Records, where he spent 4 years building the label and artist Francis Mercier. After some time, Kyle wanted a transition. After myself just parting ways with old management, we both kind of started a new transition at the same time which led to us connecting back in June 2022. We both had the idea of starting a new label and chasing this crazy dream of becoming a world renowned team but on our own terms. Kyle was a driving force in Deep Roots’ rise, leading the charge for years by heading their Music, Events, and overall label / hiring operations. Kyle not only understood the potential in my career, we also had a similar way of how we think and move within business and life. We clicked and became brothers along the way. It’s important to click with someone when you not only go into business but when you communicate every day, all day. I knew with Kyle’s past experience in the industry coupled with my own business savvy mindset and musical presence, we had the potential to change the industry we know today. The most important thing I found in this industry is to find your people, the ones that always have your back no matter what. Kyle and I really look at this as a partnership. We both learn and build together every day. We’re a team, not in competition with each other. We lift eachother up and learn from both our experiences in life. We both actively invest, plan and network to create as many new business opportunities / relationships as possible. I was just entering the industry and building a network, how the industry moved, and how to run a label / event series. Kyle’s experience allowed us to tie everything together. I knew we both could learn and build new opportunities for the both of us. He was here for my first record release at the end of 2022 and now we are on our world tour while releasing my most special projects to date. Kyle was highly strategic in his moves, ensuring each one positively impacted our mission. Even when it wasn’t directly leading to new opportunities, the people we connected with, he made sure there was always a potential for some magic to appear.

What equipment do you use in your studio to create your productions and which one do you favor over most and why?

When it comes to producing timeless tracks, inventing a fresh new sound and incorporating a variety of elements stemming from other genres, its important to have high quality equipment that diversifies your tones and separates it from everyone else.

Roland Handsonic – Use for percussion/bongos/fx

Roland TR-8s – Use for percussion

Native Instruments Maschine – Use for percussion/fx

ASM Hydra Sonic Synth – Use for arp, atmospheric sounds

Matrixbrute Synth – Use for FX, Arp, basslines, Melodies (my baby)

Moog 37 Synth – Use for heavy hitting stabs, basslines

Besides the impact that you are leaving as an artist in the dance scene, we would like to know a bit more on Jordan John as an individual, the qualities that you value the most as a person, as well as an overview on your life outside music?

My music is a reflection of myself and what my life revolves around. So I find everything I do outside of music, is reflective of how I work in music. I am very into fashion. After touching down for my Asian tour in Bali, I found an amazing designer. I quickly went to work and created my own fashion line of beautifully intricate designs and patterns. Long hanging top, like a Kamino but complemented by light silk pants. My clothing represents my emotions and energy. I am always out and on the move. I love to travel to new places and meet new people. I’m a businessman at heart, so I love connecting, making new friends and incorporating new cultures into my life through travel. I do this for myself and to spread the cultural love around me. And through the packed schedule I have, I always give my best to everyone I meet, as you never know what he or she may be going through. Being attentive, loving and personal with others speaks loud to how we should all present ourselves to others. I pride on spreading positive energy and helping others the best I can to positively better the lives around me.

With 2023 in full flow, could you maybe give us any hints on any future productions and/or live performances that are in the works, as well as what your fans can expect as time progresses?

As I mentioned earlier, I have some amazing projects in the works that I can’t wait to share with the world. My Album released on June 30th via Steve Lawler’s label is the first project where I find I get to produce my range in sound. There’s so many avenues to work with this project that has seemed to garner a lot of attention from my peers and the industry. In June, I plan to perform at Savaya Bali premiered by 1001 Tracklist for a fully produced live stream show to showcase my album. I’m currently on tour in Bali and heading to India, Hong Kong, France then Ibiza before kicking off the fall in Colombia. Over the course of the summer I am introducing new productions featuring Space Motion, a Progressive Techno track with incredible vocals by the famous Charlotte OC. As well as my collaboration with Dark Side Vinyl, Sharam on Yoshitoshi and Einmuzik on his label Eimuzika. I have many more projects underway to showcase around the world. Stay up to date through www.Jordanjohnofc.com to catch my new music, merch and shows.