Exclusive Interview with JAUZ

Siam2nite had the opportunity to have an exclusive interview with JAUZ, shortly before his performance at Road To Ultra Thailand 2016 on 11th June.

Where are you answering these questions?

I am writing this as I travel from Los Angeles, to Japan, to Bangkok so I can spend some time in your country before playing at Road to Ultra.

It’s very rare for me to be able to have extra days in cities that I play shows in, and I’m so excited to get to explore Thailand and drink amazing coffee!! Thai Iced Coffee has always been my favorite.

You are a 22-year old DJ and producer from Los Angeles, named by Tujamo as the Breakthrough DJ/Producer of 2015. How did you get in touch with electronic dance music in the first place and how did you get into DJing and music production?

I got into Electronic music because I was playing guitar in metal bands. I found Dubstep, which is like the Metal of EDM, and found out that I could make electronic music with only myself and my laptop.

From that moment I was hooked and I worked every day to figure out how to be the best I could be!

You play and produce a fresh and bass-heavy mix of Electro House, Future House, Trap, Dubstep and beyond. How would you describe your own music in just a few words?

My favorite way to describe my music is that there is no real way to describe it. It’s something that sounds familiar but also different at the same time.

When people tell me that they can’t define or explain my sound to people, that’s when I know that I have done my job right.

You are best known for your tracks "Rock The Party", "Deeper Love" and "Squad Out!" (with Skrillex). What other tracks would you recommend to someone that is not yet familiar with your music?

I would probably say Feel the Volume, because that is the first track that really started getting my name out there, and was the first track that people like Diplo started recognizing.

Also, on the more bass heavy side, I would probably say either my remix for Knife Party’s “Plur Police” or one of my first singles, “Pure Evil” that I made with Sullivan King, so that they can get an idea.

What are you currently working and focusing on? What’s on your agenda for the near future?

I always love collaborating with my friends and artists I look up to, so there will be a lot of that coming soon. By the time this interview is online I think my new song with Ghastly “Ghosts and Sharks” will have been released, and that’s only the beginning!

From House, to Dubstep, to Future Bass, Trap, I have a little bit of everything coming out, just how I like it :)

You have played at the biggest clubs and festivals all over the world. What were the best and the worst gigs you ever played and what were the funniest things ever occurred during any of your performances?

Honestly, I don’t know if I could choose just one best and worst show I’ve played… I think at most, if a show isn’t amazing, it’s NEVER “terrible” or “the worst.” I feel really blessed to be able to play any of these shows at all so I have a hard time really being upset if a show isn’t perfect.

And as for the best shows, it’s never about how big the crowd is, how fancy the green room is, how nice the stage set up is - it’s ALWAYS about how good the crowd is.

Some of my best shows have been tiny little rooms where everyone is going absolutely mental and I always leave the stage with the biggest smile on my face.

You live in Los Angeles – the second-most populous city in the USA, after New York City. What can you tell us about clubbing and nightlife in LA? Do you have any nightlife related suggestions for first-time visitors?

Since I’m on the road so much, whenever I’m home in LA I almost never go out! Haha. My idea of a fun night is playing video games on my couch all night and relaxing.

But if you were going to go to LA for the first time, there’s something for everyone - if you want the “real” club/rave experience, there’s anywhere from Control Fridays at Avalon, to Space Yacht on Tuesdays, to Havoc Thursdays in Santa Ana.

There are a million other clubs that have great shows all the time too, like Exchange in Downtown LA, the Observatory in Orange County, and if you want to make a trip to San Diego, Bassmnt is always fun.

If you like the more high-end, bottle service experience, there’s tons of that too. Create in hollywood has awesome artists playing almost every night of the week, as does Omnia in San Diego, and Sutra in Orange County. Exchange in Downtown LA, to me, is a perfect balance between real ravers and bottle service experience so that is always a good suggestion.

On 11th June you will make your Thailand Debut at Road To Ultra Thailand 2016. Have you visited Thailand before? What can the Bangkok crowd expect of your upcoming performance?

I’ve never been to Thailand before but I’m so excited I finally got to come here!! Every time I got to a new country/city I never know what to play or what people will want to hear, but I always just end up being myself and playing the music I always play, no matter where I am.

I think that is the best representation of myself as an artist and I think everyone will have a good time!