Jason Peters: The ‘Ransom Note’ Mix

Music

Jason Peters has been part of San Francisco’s fertile music scene for over two decades.

The producer and DJ, who also operates under the guise of JP Soul, is the man at the helm of Roam Recordings. Born in 2001, with a brief hiatus between 2007 and 2012, the label was initially focused on spotlighting artists within his home city. But after the rebirth, he decided to take his search further afield and take the music policy in a new direction in the process.

The sounds that make up the label’s catalogue mirror Jason’s tastes completely; the goal has never been to make it big, it’s always been about representing the music that he loves and making sure that it gets the recognition it deserves.

Just like Jason’s own productions, which also appear on the label, the music is dark and hypnotic, cosmic and driving – sounds that’ll take you down a wormhole. There are a lot of labels and artists treading similar terrain these days, but Jason was spearheading this new wave of exciting and unique dance music a long time ago.

To mark his new release, an EP with remixes Prins Thomas and The Juan MacLean, we asked him to contribute to our main mix series. Get locked in for an hour of psychedelic rhythms and synth-laced dance cuts that sum up Jason’s musical world…

Ransom Note · Jason Peters: The 'Ransom Note' Mix

Please introduce yourself… Who are you, where are you and what are you

Hi, I’m Jason Peters, I’m from San Francisco, and I run Roam Recordings.

What does your music sound like? Can you draw what you think it sounds like for us (an image from the old internet is acceptable)?

Where was the mix recorded?

This was recorded at home.

What would be the ideal setting to listen to the mix?

For me an ideal setting would be anywhere that you can let your mind wander: a car ride, a long walk.

What should we be wearing?

Jean jacket vest and a bandana.

What would be your dream setting to record a mix: Location/system/format?

A dream setting would be outside at a festival for an extended format with a bunch of friends mixed in with the crowd. Any decent system would do.

Which track in the mix is your current favourite? Yikes!

What’s your favourite recorded mix of all time?

I wish I could find the one from Astroboy from around 1993 as that one inspired me a lot. I’m also curious how I would feel about it today. But it was legendary back then.

If you could go back to back with any DJ from throughout history, who would it be and why?

I guess it would have to be Andrew Weatherall. There are a lot of legends to choose from but his sound has been the most influential to me and the label.

What was your first DJ set up at home and what is it now?

One Technics 1210 black, one belt driven Gemini turntable, a crappy mixer, and some crappy big speakers. Now I’ve got two XDJ-1000s, two Technics 1200s, a Rane TT57, and a UAD Apollo to record. Wouldn’t mind some upgrades but it does the job and I’d rather put money into synths.

What’s more important, the track you start on or the track you end on?

Well I want to say the track to start on as that one sets the mood but, um, I close this mix with my latest track so…

What were the first and last records you bought?

The first record was something called Deep Grooves Vol 4 I think. It was ok. It was a little harder to buy records in the early 90s when I lived in Buffalo NY. Then I found Satellite and they would play records over the phone. That’s how I shopped before the internet. The last vinyl record I bought was Lipps Inc How Long because it was sampled by a singing cactus that someone bought for my daughter that later we found out the lyrics in Polish are about cocaine.

If this mix was an edible thing, what would it taste like?

Meatballs. I have no idea really but now I’m hungry.

If it was an animal what would it be?

A lizard. They seem kinda trippy and I’ve been seeing them a lot lately.

One record in your collection that is impossible to mix into anything?

Nothing is impossible to mix if you don’t mind a dramatic entrance 😉

Upcoming in the world of …

My latest release Lost in Space with remixes from Prins Thomas and The Juan MacLean is just on Roam Recordings. I also have a more psychedelic techno leaning project with my music partner_Mr_Jenifer under the Psybody moniker release planned for early Summer of ‘22.