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Jantsen is one of Glitch Hop's leading lights. Based in Boulder, Colorado U.S.A. Jantsen has been involved in the Glitch Hop scene since its early days both as a promoter and a producer. He has just recently finishes collaboration with Bassnectar - “Ready to Rage”. He has also worked with BreakBeatBuddha (now Propa Tingz) on the anthem “The Wrekka Track” as well as his own solid collection of originals/remixes and mash ups.
Joining him on tour are the live Duo of Karate Kicks(A.K.A Beatnick & J Silver), nz ex-pats making good in Melbourne with their new online single Damm/Under Rated will be representing some crazy live styles!
REVIEWS:
Mochipet Best of 2008: from XLR8R.com
Who was the best artist of 2008?
Jantsen from Boulder, Colorado. This kid makes some serious bass beats–slowed down, sped up. Check out out his unofficial Boyz Noise remix with Sleepyhead. It gives me hope that electronic music has a future in the U.S.
SICK!! Lovin that Ready2Rage tune! Played it at Reso and apparently Deviant was playing it in the main room at the same time... nice work dan!
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no more epilepsy raptor jesus
Hey all this is an interview thats running in street press in New Zealand!!
Jantsen is one of glitch-hop's leading lights. Based in Boulder, Colorado, Jantsen has been involved in the glitch-hop scene since its early days both as a promoter and a producer. He has just recently finishes collaboration with Bassnectar - “Ready to Rage”. He has also worked with BreakBeatBuddha (now Propa Tingz) on the anthem “The Wrekka Track” as well as his own solid collection of originals/remixes and mash ups.
This September, Jantsen is playing a series of shows in Australia and New Zealand with live Duo Karate Kicks nz ex-pats making good in Melbourne with their new online single Damm/Under Rated will be representing some crazy live styles! And DJ ShiKung who has built a tasty list of supports in his six year stint in Melbourne's club and bar scene who has recently started the Glitch This!! Parties, as well his work for Bass High Melbourne's longest running weekly dubstep night.
In celebration of all of this, I had a little chat with Jantsen to get the scoop on where this glitch-hop fiend is at.
Martyn: How long has music been part of your life for? How were you introduced to it?
Jantsen: I’ve always been really into music for as far back as I can remember. I think I was around two or three when I was coherent enough to realize that I LOVED AC/DC (due to my dad). I use to bump that shit in my Teddy Ruxpin. In my childhood I was into rock for the most part. But I also loved RnB stuff like C+C music factory because of the "dance element" of the beats.
What have been some defining musical movements/artists/experiences for you?
Oh man, there have been so many influential moments/artists etc that have inspired me in so many ways so I’ll try and keep this simple. I have been thru so many different "musical phases" in my life and have been touched deeply by all of them in some way or another. From grunge to punk/metal to underground hip-hop/ top 40 gangster rap to almost every type of world music to blues/ jazz to dub/ reggae to almost every genre and subgenre of electronic music . There have been some amazing musical breakthrough/realizations from playing hand drums on psychedelics, to dancing for 7 hours at some rave. As far as electronic music is concerned, here are a few artists that have inspired me to look at music in a new light or have just had a really profound effect on me: Akufen, Si Begg, Bill Bless, Lusine, Proem, Edit and Rusko.
When did you start making music? Why and what sort? Also, did you DJ first or produce first?
I started playing drums in a punk rock band when I was 14. But that only lasted for a few years. I basically started producing and DJing when I was 21. I would have started much earlier had I been able to afford it. When I first started DJing I played a lot of breaks and jungle then moved into IDM, techno and eventually glitch and dubstep. But I’ve always pretty much dabbled in it all. I’ve also recently started taking piano lessons to improve my productions.
What attracted you to DJing? How long have you been doing it for? What do you enjoy about it?
I just love playing music for people and turning people on to new stuff, plain and simple. I’ve been DJing for about 5 or 6 years and I think it’s better than drugs or sex! There’s nothing more satisfying to me than dropping a track (especially if it’s your own) and having a room full of hot sweaty freaks go bonkers. I also really love being able to turn people onto music that they "think" they don’t like. Sometimes hearing stuff presented in a new way can open people’s minds up to new sounds. Like taking some stupid G'd out top-40 vocal and mashing it up with something silly and giving the vocals a totally new feeling, that kind of thing changes your perception and makes you look at it in a different way. It also creates new emotions in the music not originally intended.
Why and how did you gravitate towards your genres of choice?
Right now I play mostly glitch-hop and dubstep. When I first heard glitch-hop I knew immediately that’s what I wanted to do. It just seemed to be the perfect melting pot of all the different styles I loved the most. I remember hearing artists like Bit Meddler for the first time and being totally amazed. I think coming from a popping/breakdancing background I had more of an attraction to music that was really cut up and techy. When I was a kid I had a lot of nervous tension too, so I think that’s another reason why really techy music resonated with me. Playing the drums were also a really great outlet for that type of energy. Dubstep took me a bit longer to get into. It wasn’t until I heard Rusko that I started paying attention to dub. I just felt he brought a much more fun/dancier quality to the genre that wasn’t quite there before. Now I just love the raw energy that a lot of dubstep has these days. It honestly reminds me of punk or metal in a lot of ways and that’s definitely an element I missed after getting into electronic music.
Before you started doing music, were there any early signs you would go in that direction?
Before I started "djing/producing" there were definitely signs. I was really into the scene and the music long before I started dj/producing. I was really into popping/breaking. So I would go out two or three times a week to clubs and raves just to dance. I also started buying records long before I started djing. Before the whole digital era started, the only way you could get the freshest electronic music was on vinyl. So I would go to record shops almost every day to find shit. And I’d always be making mix tapes/cd's for people. So it was a logical progression to start djing.
What are your interests aside from music, and do they bleed into what you do musically?
Aside from music I have a very deep interest in meditation and spirituality in general. However these days I’m more gravitated towards Buddhism. I also enjoy being in nature a lot, so I try and hike as much as I can, which is quite easy for me living in Boulder.
I think that there are aspects of my spirituality that translate into what I do musically, but not in a direct sense. Judging from what I said about being in nature and meditation, my music actually sounds quite a bit different from what you might think. I really cant explain why but I have a deep affinity for really grimey, durrty, booty, raw ghetto shit. I’m still trynna figure out how to balance my musical life with my spiritual life. But I think I just have come to terms [with the fact] that they’ll always be two very different things
How do you generally spend your days/weeks, how much time are you on the road etc?
I spend a lot of time on music in general. Looking for music, making music, working on DJ sets, so that takes up a lot of my time. But I also spend a lot of time hiking or riding my bike around and stuff like that. I more or less play about two shows a week, and have been doing a lot more out of state gigs lately so that’s been nice.
What have some key turning points been in your career so far?
I guess just playing bigger shows, getting more exposure. I don’t think there have been any "major" turning points necessarily. It has sort of just been a real gradual progression, but definitely upwards! It’s also been really nice to be able to work with artists such as Bassnectar and Propatingz. There should be more output from those collaborations in the future as well.
Your first time in NZ/Aus? Anything you are looking forward to apart from the shows?
It is my first time and my very excited. I have always wanted to go since I was young. So to be able to go and do the thing I love the most is truly a blessing. I’ve also always had quite an interest in aboriginal culture, so I would love to explore and be immersed in that in whatever way I can while I’m out there.
