There really is no stopping Jamie Jones
Jamie, now with over 1.2m Facebook and 575,000 Instragram followers, is still considered the most influential and important dance music producer / DJ working in the world today.
And believe me, he deserves it. I should know.
I showed and played Jamie basic harmony, chord voicings as well as some structural songwriting techniques during our period working together.
Following our first session, I could tell he had an exceptional talent for melody, writing riffs on the fly, arrangement skills for building texture. This despite the fact that his keyboard technique was at a very rudimentary level.
I have long wanted dance music, or EDM as it is now known, to adopt a more musical, melodic and interesting harmonic structure rather than the robotic grooves that so often dominate. I poured this aspiration into our sessions.
It was an intensive learning curve for Jamie I’m sure. More techniques than I’ve ever crammed into regular hour long sessions. And no doubt an eye-opening cornucopia of creative possibilities was opening up for Jamie, which he’s later confirmed with me.
Essentially it was a crash course in music theory and music making; based around keyboard and synths but covering arrangement, harmonic progression, riff-making, bassline construction etc.
Following this, we had intermittent sessions as Jamie was abroad touring, such was his draw. It isn’t an exaggeration to say that house and techno have become more musical in recent years. And all critics praise Jamie’s melodic and harmonic invention.
During all of our sessions, he was like a sponge, soaking up ideas. Better still, he had a receptive, modest and mature attitude. This, despite the fact that he was already enjoying major success even before our sessions.
That is VERY unusual, as in most cases, success goes to artists’ heads and they behave in an arrogant, ‘know-it-all’ manner.
Jamie and I are still in touch and text occasionally. These days he’s based between Ibiza and LA, and has told me he misses London.
He told me recently that if he comes round, he’d like another session or two.
Do you think maybe we could again nudge EDM into becoming just that bit more musical? Or at least get the music critics to notice it again? Listening to his music now and comparing it to how it sounded before we met, I know I have played some part in his work sounding more arranged and flowing. Lee Foss, his DJ compadre, even confirmed this to me in an Instagram post later! Quite how much part is debatable, but ultimately it doesn’t really matter. Dance music has been nudged forward both more melodically and harmonically. And that’s all that matters.
Here is Jamie Jones live, doing what he does best. Overlaying parts, synth and drum. And slowly working his savvy crowd up, taking them to whatever place the music dictates.
