The Nocturnal Times Exclusive Interview: JES

There are quite a few unique characteristics about the international musical talent, JES, which set her apart from the rest. Beginning her exploration of dance music while she was an assistant engineer, she first listened to Paul van Dyk’s “Politics of Dancing” mix series, and the rest is history.

JES is an artist above all else. She’s continuously innovative, always creating, and her passion shines through everything she touches. JES is also known to many from her early days working alongside Gabriel & Dresden as Motorcycle where she provided vocals for one of the biggest dance songs of all time, “As The Rush Comes.”

Focusing on solo projects and productions, JES has now set out to conquer more in the music community with the unveiling of her new record label, Intonentation Music. We sat down with JES to discuss her early career, her latest endeavors, and where she sees herself in five years in this Nocturnal Times exclusive.

The Nocturnal Times: How did you begin exploring dance music? Who were some of your earliest influences? 
JES: I definitely danced my way through the clubs of NYC while I was growing up. Dance music was always a part of my life but I was writing and recording more in the rock and pop music world.

My first experience of working on Dance Music was with a co-worker at a studio where I was an assistant engineer. He was deeply into raves and trance. I had never really heard that type of dance music before and I decided to write a song and record a track with him. At the time I was influenced by the music of Bjork , Peter Gabriel, Massive Attack so it was a huge departure for me but it felt very natural. Our first song ended up being included on Paul Van Dyk’s “Politics of Dancing” compilation album and my career in electronic music began to grow from there.

TNT: What sparked the creation of your own record label, Intonenation Music? 
JES: Being an artist it is important to continually grow on all levels. I wouldn’t say that I really enjoy the business aspects of music but I have come to understand it. I always wanted to have my own label so I could have more flexibility with the music I release. I am also very excited to find and release music from other artists. I will continue to release music with all of the labels I currently work with as well, but I wanted Intonenation to be more of an artist statement. It will be a way for me to release some of the music that doesn’t suit the other labels.

TNT: What goals do you have in mind for the label?
JES: The most important thing for me is to release great music and become a brand that people can rely on. I’m aiming to hit a consistent release schedule and we are currently seeking out artists to support, encourage and develop. I recently wrote and recorded a song for a movie called “Sky Stand Still” and I would like to have some releases like that from Intonenation. We had run a competition to find a new a new release and I was pleasantly surprised by the quality and diversity of the music that was submitted. Hopefully we will be able to make Intonenation a label that will inspire fans and artists alike.

TNT: What are some of the biggest benefits to starting your own record label?
JES: Being able to control release schedules and the promotion and distribution or your songs is a huge benefit to an artist. It also enables you to use the revenue to create more releases and solidify the brand and it’s identity. Having a more hands on approach to the music lets you have a clearer picture of what your music is doing. It’s a lot more work and probably not something that every artist would want to do but work and responsibility have never deterred me.

TNT: The first single releasing on Intonation Music on April 13 is “Hold On.” Did you consider any other productions for the debut release?
JES: I was set with the original version. Shant and Clint did an amazing job with the production and I love how it turned out. We will be releasing a remix package (I know my trance fans are waiting for a trance version!) very soon with some great alternative mixes. The remixes are all very different and I couldn’t be happier with the package.

TNT: How did “Hold On” come to fruition?
JES: I have been working with Shant & Clint for a few years on some different tracks and I had known them for a long time. I am a big supporter of their work so we started working on this song together and I loved the way it came out. It was a message of hope with a universal meaning and I think it was a great song to launch the label with. As the label and song came together the timing of it pointed to “Hold On” being our first release. We finalized the production and we mixed it and mastered it with Luca Pretolesi (Studio DMI Las Vegas) and set the release date and campaign.

TNT: What can you share with readers of The Nocturnal Times regarding the next release on the label?
JES: The next release from Intonenation with be the “Hold On” remix package. We have just signed the winning track from our label launch competition so that will be coming out very soon as the next big release. I have been working on a new release of my own that will be the follow up to “Hold On.”

TNT: Looking back at early career memories, what can you share about your Motorcycle days?
JES: Sometimes it seems like only yesterday! We had some great experiences working together and we did have a lot of fun car testing all our tracks! We did some touring together and spent days on end recording… just being creative. We got to make the music video in London, which seemed like a huge thing at that time. It was special to be able to share the surprise of a hit song together. I don’t think tracks become big in the same way anymore. It grew very organically over a longer period of time. We were all pretty crazy kids and we were definitely having a lot of fun.

TNT: As huge supporters of Gabriel & Dresden when is the last time you worked alongside the guys? Are there any plans to work with G&D again on future material?
JES: The last thing that we did together was a show at the Maquee in Las Vegas. I do still speak to Dave from time to time. We have talked about doing a song together but we haven’t had a moment when our schedules allowed it yet. It would have to be the right song but I don’t think any of us would rule it out!

TNT: Where do you see JES five years from now?
JES: In 5 years time I hope that my label has grown into a bigger family with a wide diversity of great music being released. I might be travelling with a larger family posse 😉 and my live show will have evolved with more live elements and maybe a band, oh and a Grammy would be nice too!

Thank You Nocturnal Times! X JES

For more information on JES visit officialjes.com.

JES is on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.