In this interview, we catch up with Jamie Stevens, a seasoned artist with a rich musical history spanning three decades. Returning after being featured as EG ‘Artist of the Month’ in October, Jamie shares insights into his latest venture – an upcoming release with Late Night Music. Hailing from Melbourne, he is currently immersed in his studio, perfecting mixdowns for various projects. As we explore his collaboration with Late Night Music, the artist unravels the intricacies of his creative process, offering a glimpse into the rhythmic and atmospheric tapestry of his upcoming works.
Photo credit: Jamie Stevens – Official
Jamie’s connection with Late Night Music is grounded in a longstanding relationship with the label’s creators. Previously remixing tracks for them, he now unveils his original creations, showcasing a deep artistic synergy with this local gem. Without delving into specific track names, the artist guides us through the nuances of his creative journey, revealing the dance between rhythm, atmosphere, and texture that defines his upcoming release.
As we navigate his sonic evolution, we gain insights into his changing approach to music production and songwriting. From the challenges faced during the creation of his latest works to his perspectives on current trends in electronic music, he provides a candid glimpse into the vibrant world of his musical journey. Join us as we explore the collaborative magic Jamie Stevens brings to the Late Night Music stage.
EG: Hi Jamie, welcome back to EG. Congratulations again for being our Artist of the Month in October. Where are you right now?
Jamie Stevens: Thank you so much again! Right now I’m in my studio in Melbourne working on a couple of mixdowns for people.
EG: This time we want to talk about your upcoming release on Late Night Music. What can you tell us about it?
Jamie Stevens: I have known the Late Night Music boys for quite some time and previously created a couple of remixes for them, Fourthstate and Ewan Rill. I knew at some point I’d want to release something original with them because they’re great guys and it’s a solid local label.
EG: The track ‘Traag’ features dark hypnotic synths and tribal-techno drums. What specific elements or techniques did you employ to create this captivating atmosphere?
Jamie Stevens: ‘Traag’ was about a lot of sample manipulation, twisting loops around, locking sounds together to tell an interesting rhythmic story. Like all of my tracks, I spend a long time getting the groove emphasis, finding its rhythmic character, and doing what I can to make that groove feel special. Because everyone deserves to feel special, right? Atmosphere is a central part of what I try to build and in ‘Traag’ I found that in a lot of little textural elements. The lead line I tried to give it was a sense of distance and an alien-like quality. Indecipherable voices are also fascinating to me. There’s something about having a human voice in this sort of music that just does something that no amount of musical or production trickery can do. Something I also experimented with was not being too focused on a defining key. Something I love about older techno and house tracks is how random some of the samples and synth parts are tuning-wise. It creates an edge that I love and I wanted to explore.
EG: The 2nd track on the EP ‘Rivers’ pushes percussive boundaries across deep progressive breaks, layered with ethereal pads and a relentless groove. Can you describe the process of balancing these contrasting elements to achieve this cohesive and energetic soundscape?
Jamie Stevens: Well I had written ‘Rivers’ in a very different form about 5 years ago and was a little stuck with what to do with it. I know there was something I wanted to explore in it but I hadn’t yet found how to present the ideas I had in the best way. The atmosphere was always there but I hadn’t landed on the right rhythmic foundations for it to sit upon. I re-opened the project a few years later and tried a breakbeat approach and it all just came together! To be honest, I did spend a long time trying to meld the space, texture, and groove for it all to sound cohesive and not just a mash of disparate ideas.
“Deep dives and experimenting, limiting your options and expanding skills rather than a new softsynth”
EG: What challenges did you face while creating ‘Traag’? How did you overcome these challenges?
Jamie Stevens: Well, there were the challenges with ‘Rivers’ I just spoke about but I guess with ‘Traag’ it was a little easier in a way because I worked quite quickly. I managed to get ‘in the zone’ early in the process so a lot of the choices I made were not overthought. I like it when that happens!
EG: In regards to the label, how did you connect with Late Night Music? And what do you think they have that others don’t?
Jamie Stevens: As I mentioned at the start here, I’ve known the lads for quite some time. I met through gigs in Canberra where they are from. What I admire about them is their taste in what they release and how they have a really solid aesthetic. You can tell they spend a lot of time on each release. The support of local artists mixed with internationals is also great. To be honest, I am extremely honored to be their 50th release!
EG: You’ve been releasing music for over two decades. How has your approach to production and songwriting evolved over time?
Jamie Stevens: It’s actually been three decades now. Ouch! Over that amount of time, you can imagine there has been every change imaginable. I could write an entire book on this but I’ll just touch upon a couple of things. One is that there was a certain playfulness and naivety when I started making music as a kid. Limited access to equipment, very little knowledge of how it all worked. I didn’t need much at all, I just wanted to make interesting sounds. I had a mono synth, a drum machine, and a Tascam 4-track Portastudio. I just made music and wasn’t constantly wanting a new synth every 5 minutes. I think this is what taught me about appreciating what these machines are capable of doing and making the most of what you have. We are incredibly spoiled these days and live in an age where we can basically get what a multi-million dollar studio could offer as a free download. It’s learning about how to effectively use our tools. Deep dives and experimenting, limiting your options and expanding skills rather than a new softsynth.
Songwriting-wise I feel I’ve hit a stage when I’m trusting in myself a lot more. I’m not musically trained and have had to develop my musical sensibilities slowly over time and it’s only relatively recently where I feel I don’t constantly second-guess myself. I’m quite a perfectionist and I was just talking to a friend about this earlier today agreeing that it’s a massive tug of war allowing yourself to finish a piece of music (that’s famously never finished), telling yourself it’s ‘good enough’ and getting so caught up in the voices in your head telling yourself it’s never going to be good enough. The struggle is real but I’ve gotten SO much better at it simply because I love releasing music for people to enjoy. Obviously and importantly, it has to hit my own self-constructed ‘standards’, but I refuse to be paralyzed by the fear of it not being good enough.
EG: What are your thoughts on the current state of electronic music? What are some of the trends that you’re excited about?
Jamie Stevens: Honestly, I think it’s ridiculously healthy right now. With the number of artists releasing music growing exponentially, there’s obviously just as much average music as there is brilliant. The merging of so many different genres under the broad umbrella of electronica is really exciting and I’m absolutely onboard with seeing what new combinations have cultural and emotional weight. Being exposed to new ideas and artistic endeavors is one of my favorite things about being an active artist and teacher. It’s an exciting time for music even if it’s not all brilliant (which can be said for just about every generation).
“I refuse to be paralyzed by the fear of it not being good enough”
EG: What’s your take on Social Media and how it’s used, specifically for artists and labels?
Jamie Stevens: It’s part of the current fabric of society whether we like it or not. To a large degree, artists and labels have to engage with it simply because old platforms and methods of delivery of music just aren’t the same or have vaporized. Everyone knows this. I’m not the greatest and keeping mine bang up to date but I’m getting better! It will be interesting to see how social media transforms and mutates both in what we as consumers want it to be and what the developers anticipate what we ‘need’.
EG: What advice would you give to aspiring electronic music producers?
Jamie Stevens: Listen to a wide variety of music, read, write, listen and listen deeply, and absorb everything you’re drawn to. Think about why you are drawn to those things and incorporate that in your work because that is you. Learn your tools, experiment, and make mistakes. Don’t feel the need to make one masterpiece before releasing it nor should you release everything that comes out of your speakers. Keep making music, finish ideas, and don’t fall into the trap of making 500 16-bar loops. Finish the ideas, learn from them, and move on. Surround yourself with artistic peers you trust and admire, trust is important, and be honest with each other about your work but at the same time, don’t make your music to appease them.
EG: What are your plans for the future? What exciting projects do you have in store for us?
Jamie Stevens: I’m working on an album that is about 80% finished, spoiler alert: it’s not progressive house, a few EPs, a load of remixes, and a host of new collaborations. Oh, and a new live show. 2024 is going to be rather busy.
EG: Thanks for your time and all the best!
Jamie Stevens: Thank you very, very much for having me!
Jamie Stevens ‘Traag’ is out now via Late Night Music. Download here.
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