Jmii: The Ransom Note Mix
Barcelona is a city of taste, culture and excellence. This is notably reflected by much of the music which stems from the city, the parties which exist there and the buoyant nature of the scene itself. JMII is one artist who has found himself at home amongst the sprawling streets, green parks and winding alleyways. Having released on Hivern Discs over a number of years he is now very much a staple member of the crew, his latest solo project titled 'Thrills' whipped up quite a frenzy with its melodic aggression and dancefloor orientated enthusiasm. We caught up with him to talk music, personal projects and more. Read the interview and listen to the mix below:
Please introduce yourself…
My name is Jami Bassols, I’m from Barcelona and I’m working as JMII. I just released a record on Hivern Discs, it’s called ‘Thrills’ and it contains some of the best music I’ve been able to make during the last 2 years or so.. That record and the one I released previously on NVH could give you an idea of what my interests are at the moment. There’s some 80’s post-punk and Industrial influences in there, there’s some Chicago House also… I used to be into Ambient music for a while but I don’t think you can hear any of that on these records…
Can you draw what you think it sounds like for us, an image from the old internet is acceptable?
I’m not any good at drawing so better check ‘Thrills’ cover. I think Christian S (who’s also responsible of two remixes on the record) made a very good interpretation of the music.
How did you meet the guys from Hivern Discs?
Barcelona is not a big city. If you’re into music you will end up knowing every other music freak around. That’s what happened with the Hivern Discs. We had some friends in common and followed their blog and label from the very beginning, so it felt completely natural to send them music.
How would you describe the Electronic music scene in Barcelona?
The existence of a proper scene in Barcelona has been discussed many times before. I don’t personally think we have a strong scene due to a lack of venues and public but we can’t complain either, specially if we compare ourselves to another cities in Spain where people is all about botellón and Reguetón. Barcelona has a good amount of people doing music on their own, there are some good labels, a couple of very good record shops and a healthy tourist-fuelled festival scene which grows bigger every year but doesn’t represent what Barcelona’s nightlife is during the rest of the year.
Tell us a bit about the Aster and Olde Gods projects, past, present and future…
Aster was my first project with Pedro (now working as Pedro Vian). We learnt a lot and tried many different angles during the years we worked together. That lack of focus was the main reason we began our separate projects. At some point we had an idea of what we would exactly to do musically speaking and pursuing that ideas separately was a good choice for the both of us. On the same time we stopped working on Aster I began collaborating with Pau Guillamet on Olde Gods. That project came alive almost by accident. I just sent some music to Pau for vocals and he returned those songs with more than that. From that point the project has evolved a lot and now we’re facing the release of our third record together which is called Haru Matsuri. With Olde Gods it’s all about playing live and having fun making our own version of US-inspired House with a Pop touch. There is a song and maybe an EP coming out on a very nice label but you’ll hear about that when the time comes.
Where was the mix recorded?
I recorded this one on my studio. It’s the third version. First version was too dark and difficult and the second one was a little bit too mad. I like this final version because it represents what one of my Dj sets on a club would look like nowadays. Although I’ve been enjoying some more mental music lately I always try to stay away from too-smooth mixes by playing some unexpected and non-protocolary material. That and finding my own perspective is something I also try to apply when making music. Staying away from boredom and straightness has always been one of my main goals in music.
What would be the ideal setting to listen to the mix?
Reading/studying, travelling by car or chilling with friends at home after a good party. Combining those three situations would be ideal.
Which track in the mix is your current favourite?
There’s an unreleased Olde Gods track in the middle of the set that we finished a couple of days ago. I like how it sounds and works very well as a border between the most mental part of the mix and the second one, which is a little bit more weird.
What was your first DJ set up at home and what is it now?
I bought a couple of super cheap second hand Akiyama turntables. They were belt driven and completely shit, it was almost imposible to beat-match two records with them, but they served their purpose for a while. Akiyama was a Spanish brand for low budget sound equipment. They sort of tried to fool customers with that Japanese name. Lovely memories.
What’s more important, the track you start on or the track you end on?
I normally focus on the second and third track. That’s the moment when you hook up a listener into your mix (or when you loose its attention).
Upcoming in the world of JMII…
There are a couple of remixes finished. One of them is being pressed as we speak and will come out on MM Discos, the record label from my friends Moon & Mann. I’ve been playing a version of that Remix on my Live shows and it worked pretty well every time. Looking forward to see that record out. I also have a new Edit of a very well known Chicago classic coming out on a label from Valencia and a new original track on a compilation you should be hearing about soon. There are also plans for new releases but nothing I can confirm yet.
Follow JMII on Facebook HERE.
