My name is Nadine from Fresh Music Freaks and I’m here with up and coming trance producer, 1st In Line (Jay Datesh). With releases on Ellicit Music and Regenerate Records and having won the 2020 Beatport Producer Challenge for Trance; Jay certainly has a promising start to his career in trance!
FMF: You’ve definitely made a recent rise in the trance scene and we’d love to know more about what got you here! What got you into trance music to begin with?
1st In Line: I only started listening to electronic music when I moved over to Europe in 2011. I dabbled a bit in techno, deep house and psy, but I fell in love with trance when I started going to the parties. The music combined with the beautiful atmosphere on the trance dance floors just made more sense and felt like home to me – I connected with it on a much deeper level.
When did you begin producing?
Well my passion – or more obsession – for trance impelled me to learn how to produce and create the trance that I wanted to hear, but I put it off for a while because I had no musical background and was afraid of ‘failing’ in a way. I can’t remember the exact year, but in 2015/16 I finally took the plunge and am enjoying the journey.
Recently, we’ve heard that your new track will be the 3rd release on Darren Porter’s new label, Reason II Rise! Can you tell us a bit about the track?
I was trying to push myself on this one, creatively and production-wise. I wanted to get away from the typical rolling baseline, create a unique melody and add some elements of surprise. Hopefully, listeners will find it as catchy and fresh as I do.
What was the inspiration behind ‘Conjured Spirits’?
When starting this track, I tried to put myself in the shoes of someone at Luminosity. I imagined dancing there around 8/9pm, just as the sun was getting low – what would I want to hear? Something groovy, a bit dirty, but still uplifting… something that would conjure the spirits from those better days that we will all hopefully be able to experience again soon.
Porter’s new label is set out to make a better landscape for producers all around. What was the main reason you chose to release your next track on Reason II Rise?
I’m thrilled to be a part of Reason II Rise because the core values, e.g. giving feedback on each demo and responding to everyone either way, really resonate with me as a producer and it’s cool to be a part of the initial growth. I’m really excited for some of the things the label has planned for this year.
As an up and coming producer yourself, what recommendations would you give to new producers to help rise in their musical careers?
I think a big thing that doesn’t get talked about enough is to get your listening environment sorted: getting proper studio monitors and also looking into room treatment. Headphones are great for some things, but require trained ears to really produce and mix well with – using only headphones will likely slow you down while learning. Similarly, if you have issues with your room and can’t hear what you are producing accurately, it can be counterproductive. At least measure the room to understand what you’re dealing with.
The other is to practice and push your skills as much as you can. Unless you are one of the rare virtuosos, producing – both on the technical and artistry side – is like a muscle that needs to be worked on… but that’s the fun part!
And finally, a question I ask all trance producers. What does trance mean to you?
It’s like a great attractor pulling me to a better, more creative, understanding and happier self.
*Featured image via 1st In Line*
