FROM OUR MINDS TO YOURS: JOS (EYA)
A series of Q&As with musicians, DJs, artists, label managers, promoters and others focussing on the internal dimension of creative practice.
Editor’s note: This interview was conducted in September 2021, five months before the Russian invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022. As artists and music lovers we feel the importance of sharing a message of love. The Zabam team and Jos stand with our Ukrainian brothers and sisters. We hope peace and freedom will be restored soon! For information about how to help Ukraine, see: https://how-to-help-ukraine-now.super.site
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First aid for Ukraine by Guerrilla Bizarre
Jos is a London-based producer, DJ and label owner. He founded EYA Records (which stands for ‘Expand Your Awareness’) in 2018 and its sister series Lonewolf in 2019. From the start, the labels have focussed on supporting upcoming talents alongside better known names, drawing on Jos’s local London scene as well as his network across Europe, Ukraine and further afield. A recent VA triple pack on Lonewolf demonstrates Jos’s ambitions for the labels, as does a fresh switch of distributor from Juno to Amsterdam powerhouse One Eye Witness. Here, he speaks to us about his tour in Ukraine in summer 2021, the scene there, how to find inner strength away from home, and keeping momentum between gigs.
I understand you went on a mini-tour around Ukraine earlier in the summer. What did that involve?
Yes, it was in August. I performed in three cities (Kyiv, Odesa, and Kharkiv) in three days. Ukraine is a large country, so it involved a lot of traveling. Firstly, I landed in Kyiv and played at 20ft Radio. The morning after, I did a 5-hour road trip to Odesa with Dima aka Zolaa (who was responsible for EYA009) and friends to play for a ‘Beatcoin on Tour’ gig at Port. Straight after that, I had to catch two planes to arrive in Kharkiv to perform for Kultura Zvuka, where we put on an EYA showcase with another label affiliate, Yarik aka AC130.
Is there a lot of work involved in making a tour like this happen? Or does it all just fall into place?
Even though there was a lot of planning behind the tour it happened very smoothly. At first, a booker and resident DJ at Kultura Zvuka, Udda, approached me. She has been following my music for a while and listened to my recent radio shows and podcasts. Udda offered to do an EYA showcase with me and Yarik.Shortly after that, I discovered that she is good friends with Dima, with whom I previously played in Kyiv. I asked them if they could organise something in Kyiv for me again. Not only did we manage to arrange the radio show there, but also to align to be in Ukraine during the Beatcoin party that Dima and Sascha Shults organised in Odesa.
In the end, it was just a matter of connecting the dots and friendships. The fact that we had already built a certain respect for each other from the previous collaborations made the whole tour very enjoyable.
It sounds like a lot to take in, in a short period of time. How did you feel before and during the trip?
Looking back at this experience I can say I discovered more about myself. Before the tour, I had mixed emotions of fear and excitement. At the same time, I could not wait to reunite with my friends and meet new ones and share the experience of playing records together.
What I found particularly interesting for myself is that I was able to find inner strength and positivity throughout the tour. It is what made me stay focused between playing at clubs and travelling alone.
I believe every feeling was amplified too because of the long break for covid. Emotions were running high!
On a tour you always have that next gig to look forward to. But it must be different when you’re going home to everyday life or a day job. How do you keep momentum from one gig to the next?
It can indeed be a shock to switch from the ‘dream’ world of parties to have to deal with everyday life. It is much easier to do so when you have other gigs aligned for later in the month instead of having a long break between them.
It is crucial to remind yourself how blessed and lucky we are that we can truly express ourselves through music and be exposed to new places and people. These unforgettable memories and experiences always remain fresh and crystal clear in your head.
The other factor that makes me feel calm during the ''transition'' moments between one gig and another is staying engaged with my music and passion. For example, I love to take care of my records after the gigs, reorganising them and cleaning them properly. This activity is not only vital for the preservation of the records but also enables me to relive some moments and analyse my performances. In addition, such activities as digging, creating new tracks and taking care of your body and mind help you to maintain a positive mindset and stay focussed.
It seems something is bubbling up in Ukraine at the moment. As an outsider, what impression did you get of the artists and promoters while you were there? Do the scenes in the three cities seem connected at all or quite independent?
There is vibrant energy around the music scene in Kyiv and events are organised and delivered in a very professional way. I would like to thank the crew from Closer, the team behind Port in Odesa and organisers of Kultura Zvuka in Kharkiv for being so helpful and welcoming. I felt like they were real professionals in their field and they receive strong support from the audience and their community, which is the best achievement they could get.
Moreover, there is definitely a strong connection between the three cities. You can easily hear and enjoy sets from Kyiv’s resident DJs playing in Kharkiv or Odesa and vice versa. They always work closely together and collectively support each other at every festival or club night.
I was pleasantly impressed to discover so many great artists and producers in the scene and to see the support that established artists give to upcoming talents who are just getting to know their way in the electronic scene.
Bob and Udda from Kultura Zvuka told me that since the opening of Kultura Zvuka Shkola they had more than 200 students attending, and it is not the only DJ school in the country. Closer is running a similar project called Closer Connections.
Overall, it was an unforgettable experience. I strongly believe that all the artists and organisers I mentioned above deserve recognition for the great job they are doing.
Recommendations
I am really in love with the latest work by prolific London-based producer Timothy J. Fairplay, “The Fast Lane” on Weapons of Desire. It’s an electro-oriented double pack with a few tracks that have become absolute favourites in my bag. It's raw, punchy, groovy, romantic, and filled with esoteric pads and atmospheres. Everything I really love about a record.
Scatterbaux’s “Codex 2” is the upcoming release on a good friend's record label, Undersound Recordings. I have great memories of all the parties and music we have shared together in the past and their catalogue of releases never fails to amaze me. This one by Scatterbaux is an acid-infused electro EP with lots of space for emotions and some great analogue drum programming. Tip!
The last EP I would like to recommend is this reissue of a very sought-after release “Duster” by Toby Warren under his moniker Hi Tech Criminal, on the ever-impressive Klasse Wrecks by Luca Lozano and Mr. Ho. Originally released in the early 90s, which is for many the golden era of electronic music, this collection of tracks really captures the energy of those times. It's super creative, original, playful, and doesn't fit in any boundaries. Music that stands the test of time.
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