Jessica Skye embodies the fusion of wellness and electronic music. As a yoga instructor by day and DJ by night, she has spent the past decade bridging these seemingly disparate worlds. Her journey has taken her from teaching mindful movements to commanding dance floors at venues like Ministry of Sound, Creamfields, and Sisyphos.
Photo credit: Lindsey Childs
In her latest venture, ‘FluōState: Reimagined I’, the LA-based artist demonstrates her ability to blend spiritual wellness with electronic music. This collection of ambient remixes transforms tracks from her previous albums ‘FluōState 001’ and ‘FluōState 002’ into meditative soundscapes, drawing inspiration from her background in yoga and meditation.
The album showcases Skye’s artistic evolution, reimagining high-energy club tracks into serene compositions. Influenced by classic after-hours compilations like ‘Back to Mine’ and ‘DJ-Kicks’, the project weaves together elements of trip-hop, acid jazz, and ambient music, culminating in a deeply immersive sonic experience.
EG caught up with Jessica Skye to discuss this innovative release and explore her distinct perspective on the intersection of wellness and electronic music.
EG: Hi, Jessica! Welcome to EG. It’s a pleasure to have you here with us. How have you been? Where are you right now?
Jessica: Thank you so much, feeling really good, recharged, and excited for the year ahead. I’m currently in sunny LA!
EG: First of all, congratulations on the forthcoming drop of ‘FluōState: Reimagined I’! Excitement must be skye-high. What was your inspiration? How did this come about?
Jessica: This project started when I was curating a yoga mixtape for Apple Music. I wanted to open my mix with some ambient meditative sounds, so I took the stems from Virgo Rising (a track from my first album ‘FluōState 001’). I removed the percussion and stripped the whole tune back to its softer elements. I loved how it sounded and wondered what other tracks could be reworked into more downtempo versions.
It’s a sound I’ve always wanted to explore, and I really enjoyed every moment of producing this body of work. I’ve pulled a lot of inspiration from the after-hours style compilations I used to listen to in the early 2000s, with the likes of Air, Thievery Corporation, Massive Attack, and Moby being some of my earliest go-to artists when I wanted to relax.
EG: What can your fans expect to find on ‘FluōState: Reimagined I’ as a whole?
Jessica: It’s a six-track EP with chill and downtempo reworks of six previously released records. Namely ‘Virgo Rising’, ‘Moon in Aries’, and ‘Turiya’from my first album ‘FluōState 001’, and ‘Enter Nyx’, ‘Mindgames’, and ‘Tropic of Pisces’ from my second album, ‘FluōState 002’. It’s the kind of music I like to listen to in the morning (while burning incense and drinking coffee), or any time I need a moment to myself to feel a little calmer.
“Over my career, I’ve really noticed how teaching yoga and DJing are essentially the same job. You’re holding a space for people to move and relax, and always using music as a medium for shifting and carrying the energy of a room”
EG: What was the process of converting your dance-floor-oriented tracks into chill and downtempo pieces like? Did you find it harder or easier than expected? What do you think about this duality in your music?
Jessica: ‘Virgo Rising’ was the track I started with. I originally thought I could just remove the drums and percussion and it would be as easy as that… Totally wasn’t the case. I wouldn’t say it was hard; it just gave me an opportunity to expand my production. I’ve always straddled the two worlds of wellness and dance music. I spent a lot of my early career DJing in clubs until around 3 AM, then getting up and teaching yoga the next morning. So that duality of energy definitely shows up in my music. I think I’ll always do chill and downtempo reworks for my dance records going forward. I love both lanes equally.
EG: ‘FluōState: Reimagined I’ seeks to bridge the gap between electronic dance music and wellness and is obviously inspired by your work as a yoga and meditation teacher. What makes for “good” wellness music? Are there sounds that tend to be more “beneficial” to these practices?
Jessica: Working between the two worlds of wellness and music is super inspiring. Over my career, I’ve really noticed how teaching yoga and DJing are essentially the same job. You’re holding a space for people to move and relax, and always using music as a medium for shifting and carrying the energy of a room. So a lot of my music can be used in either setting and is always designed to take you on a journey.
For instance, in any yoga playlist, there will also be an arc of energy, opening with ambient meditative music for the setting, building up to a peak, then coming all the way back down. When it comes to producing wellness-inspired music and finding sounds that are beneficial, I like a lot of ethereal vocals, soft keys, and organic percussion that you might find in a wellness setting or even spiritual ceremonies. In previous releases, I’ve used tongue drums (‘A Luna Lullaby’), and even recorded my own sound bowls for one of my ambient tracks, ‘Somnus City’ (both tunes on ‘FluōState 002’).
“When it comes to doing things for your well-being, I’d recommend giving yourself permission to take time for yourself. Even if it’s just 5 minutes”
EG: Being a yoga and meditation teacher, what is the one thing you’d recommend everybody to work on?
Jessica: When it comes to doing things for your well-being, I’d recommend giving yourself permission to take time for yourself. Even if it’s just 5 minutes. Life moves quickly, and we all get pinched for time, so start small. That’s one of my favorite things about Apple Fitness+ where I lead Yoga, Mindful Cooldowns, and Meditation practices—if you’re feeling stressed, overwhelmed, or even super tired… you can give yourself 5 minutes to reset with a Mindful Cooldown. It’s a great way to take some gentle movement and includes a short meditation at the end (and the music is really soothing).
I’ve finally got into a routine where, for most weekdays, I set my alarm for 6 AM, feed the dog, and then meditate for around 15-20 minutes. I’ve recently started journaling, and if I can fit it in, I might read for 5-10 minutes while drinking my morning coffee, burning incense, and listening to some chill tunes, before taking my dog out walking for around 60 minutes. I used to read interviews where people would talk about these indulgent self-care morning routines and could never understand how they’d fit it in. I almost didn’t believe the things they were saying… But now I’m one of them, and it’s all about making the time for yourself. For me, it’s simply setting my alarm a little earlier to get it in, and now I can’t imagine starting my day any other way.
EG: Thank you so much for your time, Jessica! We wish you all the best for the future. Take care!
Jessica: Thank you so much.
Jessica Skye’s ‘FluōState: Reimagined I‘ is now available on Platoon. Stream and download here.
Follow Jessica Skye: Spotify | Soundcloud | Instagram
