Welcome to today’s artist interview, this time we have a dialogue with an artist whose unique take on the electronic genre with a signature fusion of styles – D.J.C. Known not just for his music, but also for his entrepreneurial strides in the industry, the driving force behind NexGen Music.
Sitting down with D.J.C. We dive into the depths of his music, discussing everything from his latest record ‘Sexy House Thang’ and the influence of his family’s musical legacy, to his unique approach to staying relevant in the dynamic landscape of the music industry.
- Where do we find you now?
Hello, and thanks for having me!
You can find me and NexGen Music at the following socials:
WEBSITE: https://www.nexgenmusicgroup.com
YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/nexgenmusic
INSTAGRAM: https://instagram.com/nexgenmusic
SOUNDCLOUD: https://soundcloud.com/nexgenrecs
FACEBOOK: https://facebook.com/nexgenrecs
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/nexgenmusic
- Can you tell us a bit about your new record and how it came together?
The super short version is that, as with many things in life, chance meets destiny.
The original sketch for ‘Sexy House Thang’ was created sometime during my time residing in New York where I was originally born. I moved to the UK when I was a wee baby, and I moved back to NYC in the early 00’s. In NYC I was able to connect with a diverse group of exceptionally talented musicians, where our chemistry made the collaboration possible. I took the approach of having each musician improvise without prior knowledge of what the others had contributed, so I gave them the freedom to jam and vibe on an early version of the sketch as they felt at that moment. The chance, no destined connection with the vocalist ‘Bijoux’ sometime in early 2019 was icing on the cake, not to mention having my then 5 and 3 year-old kids involved just makes this project and collaboration simply fabulous!
I have actually covered the full story of the concept and collaboration in our behind the scenes video. Interested readers should definitely check it out. it’s a blast!
- Can you describe a moment or experience that initially sparked your passion for music and how it continues to inspire you today?
I was raised in a music-focused family, so my passion for music was ignited at a very young age, I would say around two years old. I am heavily inspired by my late mother who sadly passed away in 2021, who was a radio presenter, high school music teacher and church music director. In London during the late ‘80s through to the late ‘90s, I embarked on an exploration of underground music, delving into the crates of niche record shops, listening to and DJ’ing on London’s pirate radio airwaves, and later DJ’ing in a variety of nightclubs, I became a part of the vibrant and ever-evolving scenes of Dance, Rave, Hardcore, Break-beat, Jungle, Drum & Bass, and UK Garage music. The decision to start a record label (NexGen Music) was one that was never in doubt, and now entering our 20th year, I am just as inspired by the music and artists that we represent today as I was when we got started all of those years ago…
- How do you maintain a balance between staying true to your artistic vision and adapting to the ever-changing landscape of the music industry?
This a great question and one that I have many discussions about. The answer is pretty simple: I have completely tuned myself out of what’s going on musically industry-wise. Period. I don’t keep tabs on what’s new, who’s hot, etc. I made that decision well over a decade ago as I found it to be counter-productive to exactly what you mention in your question, staying true to your artistic vision. I theorized that one in my position could be influenced by «what’s new, hot and shiny» and instruct (consciously or unconsciously) my artists to go chasing a particular type of «sound» because it is considered to be «popular» in that moment. Instead, I have chosen to close myself off to that noise, so I can keep my head down and focused on the music that we are creating and facilitating. These days, I learn about new music mostly through our artists. If I hear a sound or style that is new to me through them, I don’t ask them where it comes from, I just roll with it. My theory is, if it sounds good — it’s good! I should add that my sincere belief is that all good music is timeless. If anything, the time I spend seeking out music tends to flow backwards in time as opposed to forwards.
- What advice would you give to aspiring electronic music artists looking to develop their own unique sound and style?
My first piece of advice is to spend less time on YouTube tutorials on how to create or make this or that type of sound. Spend time getting «inside your machine» and really getting to know the gear and the tools that you have at your disposal, no matter how inadequate you think your set up is. Remember what you have at your disposal is likely much more powerful and flexible than what was available to music producers back in the day!
I also recommend trying to reign in any obsession that you may have with those who are considered to be the «top» artists of the moment for any given music genre. There is a very fine line between being inspired by others and trying to sound like others.
Lastly, and what I am about to say I think can be applied to any creative career, not just music. If you want to be successful, having a mindset of success and positivity is an absolute requirement in anything and everything that you do. If you are familiar with the law of attraction and positive manifestation, you’ll understand what I mean. To me, it is fundamentally critical to believe in what you are doing and trying to achieve, despite the perceived odds and barriers that you feel are pushing against your ability to achieve your goals. So in a nutshell, you gotta stay positive, which is much easier said than done.
- Can you discuss the impact of technology on your music, and how you see emerging tools and platforms shaping the future of electronic music?
As a person who also runs a tech firm (NexGen.Media), I am very well versed and aware of the impact of emerging technologies such as AI, and in fact have been using AI in other areas such as data and analytics processing for over a decade now. Recently, one of our artists had me evaluate some AI-created compositions they had scripted, and I have to say that I was pretty impressed. The industry is most definitely under threat, there is no doubt about that. However, so far in my professional career in technology, I have been a part of many game-changing technologies, such as virtualization and cloud computing, where a technology that is initially deemed to be mega-destructive has ultimately become universally adopted for its positive impact on business and society. While I do put AI into a slightly different category due to the self-learning aspect of the technology, let’s hope that the technology gatekeepers and powers that be do the right thing ethically so that we can harness these technologies to aid the advancement of humanity as opposed to the erosion of our species. As far as my own music and music that I am involved in, I have no current major fears about these emergency technologies. Well just yet, but my eyes are definitely wide open…
- What’s a project or collaboration that you’re particularly proud of, and what did you learn from the experience?
We have had a couple of “huge successes” with artists that have come through NexGen Music and have used the material they have created on our platform to get deals with major labels. I prefer not to do any name dropping as it can easily be read into that we are living in the past and/or wanting to take credit for the success of others, but if you dig through our catalogue and do your homework, you’ll make the connections.
- How do you stay motivated and inspired during periods of creative block, and what strategies do you employ to overcome them?
Luckily for me, I haven’t released that much music, which is something I am hoping to change over the next couple of years. I have easily created and harvested over 10,000 musical sketches over the past 30 years as I have been producing music since my early teens. I have so much material to develop that I can never get bored, lol. And if I did, I have tons of material coming in from our artist roster that I can get involved in for many years to come.
To answer the question more seriously though, creative block is a part of the process, and the key to managing it is to not get frustrated at the onset. My advice is to have plenty of other hobbies and priorities in life to fill the void, and perhaps paying particular attention to your personal fitness and mental health.
- What’s next for you?
‘Sexy House Thang’ is my first release under D.J.C. the initials of my full name. Honestly, when it comes to my own music, I don’t take myself too seriously. That being said and as I mentioned I need to start getting more of my music out there, and do have plans to release a multi-genre LP project sometime next year. I just claimed my Spotify profile so if any readers are interested in keeping tabs on my progress feel free to follow me!
My primary interest as a music professional and entrepreneur is to continue building and investing in NexGen Music, which is a label group and platform for music artists of various genres and styles to create and release great music and visual content.
WEBSITE: https://www.nexgenmusicgroup.com
YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/nexgenmusic
INSTAGRAM: https://instagram.com/nexgenmusic
SOUNDCLOUD: https://soundcloud.com/nexgenrecs
FACEBOOK: https://facebook.com/nexgenrecs
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/nexgenmusic
