JACK TRADES X HEATHER JANSSEN X CANADIANRAVERS INTERVIEW [BACK STORY, COLLABORATION, POST PANDEMIC PLANS]

Calgary-based creative force Jack Trades returns to the release radar alongside fellow Canadian musician Heather Janssen with ‘On My Mind’. The esteemed powerhouse’s latest directly follows his last Physical Presents release ‘Change Your Mind’ from earlier this March, and also serves as the talent’s fourth musical offering of 2021. Out now via Physical Presents, ‘On My Mind’ is available to listen to across all streaming platforms.

THE INTERview

CR: Hello Jack and Heather, Glad to have you on Canadianravers how are you doing?

Jack: Hello Canadian Ravers, I am doing great, thanks and appreciate you reaching out!

Heather: Hey Canadian Ravers! Thanks for taking a minute to chat with us and share the new track with your community.

CR: Tell us a little bit about yourselves, what is your story? 

Jack: I am a Producer/Musician/DJ from Calgary, Alberta and Heather is a singer/songwriter from Toronto, Ontario. It all started with me DJing and being super passionate about Dance Music and that’s when I decided to pursue it from a hobby to a real career.  I wanted to do it right, so l formally enrolled myself for Music Production/Engineering/Songwriting courses and have been producing electronic music for many years. Started off with Trance on an anonymous alias and then transitioned into Dance Pop Music with the Jack Trades brand.

Heather: As for myself, I grew up surrounded by music. I remember writing my first song at 8 years old, and teaching myself guitar around 13. I felt this urge and desire to share the things I was writing, and so I started on Youtube. I was able to grow a supportive community there, and throughout years of musical transitions, learning, and growing who I am as an artist and what I want to say (and how I want to say it), I’ve commercially released a number of singles and am now working on my biggest project to date. 

CR: The track ‘On My Mind’, tell us a little bit about the process and how you connected with Heather Janssen for this?

Jack: This was actually a follow-up to my biggest song “Kill Me Slowly” with Heather and after all the success, we just knew the magic had to be re-created. The process started from laying a few of instrumental(s) ideas and sending it to Heather. From there basically she picked one and started laying down ideas and writing to it. Then we go back and forth with the concept of the song, lyrical writing/melody and after all that, the production process begins.

Heather: Jack said it all! I remember the demo of what is now On My Mind standing out to me, when I first heard it. At the time, I was going through a relationship of my own, and the lyrics naturally wrote themselves. It came together quite seamlessly.

CR: How long did it take you to find your signature sound for your tracks? Were there any hurdles along the way?

Jack: To be honest, it took 4+ years with the Jack Trades project and it is still evolving. The biggest hurdle was figuring out the balance of keeping the artistic integrity yet sounding commercial at the same time.

Heather: For myself and my own songwriting, it’s definitely been an evolution of sound and style. I think that’s just natural, as you grow up and understand yourself more, you naturally go through phases and realizations and self discoveries. You figure out what works and doesn’t work, and what feels right. I’m confident now that I have a pretty strong understanding of what my signature sound was meant to be all along. Just took a minute to get there.

CR: What is the best advice you received while pursuing your career as a DJ/Producer and who is your biggest supporter?

Jack: Stay in your lane, focus on the music and cut out the noise. My biggest supporters have always been the fans.

Heather: Patience, persistence, perseverance. Less advice that was given, but more of something I’ve learned over time. Sometimes, slow and steady really does win the race.

CR: We know Dance/Electronic scene is huge in Canada how did that influence you as an artist? Also, which club in Canada is your favourite to attend.

Heather: The dance/electronic scene here is amazing. Especially Toronto. It’s so inclusive and warm and there are so many incredible djs/producers. I’ve been lucky to connect and collaborate with a few, which has definitely influenced my ability and love to write for this genre. Can’t say I have a favourite club/bar. Love driving in to the city and happening on hidden gems. Although, I’ve always had a good time at Love Child and Lost and Found.

CR: Which Canadian artist would you love to collaborate with in the future?

Jack: They say shoot for the stars – none other than The Weeknd’

Heather: Joni Mitchel, through and through.

CR: What do you like to do during your down time when you are not producing music? 

Jack: Podcasts & Fitness. Have to keep your mind and body fit.

Heather: Literally anything creative. Painting, decorating my home, cooking and baking, diy projects, writing, hiking, running, staring at Pinteres. Anything that’s sure to inspire.

CR: If you had the opportunity to open for one major artist, who would it be, and which venue would it be?

Jack: It would be Tiesto at the Zouk Nightclub in Las Vegas

Heather: Adele, Carnegie Hall. 

CR: Are there any projects that you are working on? Any exciting post-pandemic plans?

Jack: Always working on a lot of projects but there are 2 in particular very excited about! Cant spill the beans just yet but can tell you one of them is with someone who is a close friend and a previous collaborator. Post pandemic would love to go out there and actually play my music live!

Heather: I’m keeping my lips sealed, but myself and my team are working on something that’s really close to my heart.

Heather Janssen

Texting or talking? Talking

Coffee or tea? Tea

Hard liquor or Wine? Depends on the night. Both, equally.

Cake or pie? Cake

Hot dogs or hamburgers? Hotdog

Xbox or PlayStation? Whichever one lets you play Mario Kart.

Movie theatre or arcade? Movie Theatre

Guitar or piano? Piano

Marvel or DC Comics? Marvel

Dog or cat? Dog (Huskies have a special place in my heart)

Hot weather or cold weather? Something in between.

Jack Trades

Texting or talking? Talking

Coffee or tea? Coffee

Hard liquor or Wine?

Cake or pie? Cake

Hot dogs or hamburgers? Hamburgers

Xbox or PlayStation? Xbox

Movie theatre or arcade? Movie Theatre

Guitar or piano? Piano

Marvel or DC Comics? Marvel

Dog or cat? Cat

Hot weather or cold weather? Hot Weather

FOLLOW JACK TRADES:

HANNES BIEGER X CANADIANRAVERS INTERVIEW [PLUGNS USED IN THE EP, SKILLS DEVELOPED, EQ ENJOYED THE MOST]

Hannes Bieger continues to push the envelope of what he can do in the world of electronic music, his expanding catalog will show listeners his musical mastery. The Berlin-based talent primes himself as an artist to watch as he continues to refine his sound with each subsequent release. Hannes Bieger has been dedicating himself to his craft and technique for the past few years, taking fans to his vivid and enthralling soundscapes. As a follow-up to his last release ‘The Heart’ EP on Poker Flat, the German powerhouse talent reveals a new infectious EP, ‘Droids’ via John Digweed’s Bedrock Records. We got a chance to sit down and talk about his unique skills unfold in this EP.

THE INTERVIEW

CR: Hello Hannes, Glad to have you in Canadianravers how are you doing?

HB: Hey! A pleasure to talk to you. All is good here, how are you?

CR: Growing up were there any artists who inspired you into becoming a Producer/DJ?
HB: This is a fairly long story, but to cut it short – I started playing guitar when I was ten years old because of Keith Richards. I always wanted to be a musician, and in the 90s I got really interested in electronic music. First I was into Trip Hop: Portishead, Kruder & Dorfmeister and the likes, and I started to get interested in Deep House in the late 90s, with St Germain, Metro Area, Masters at Work etc.

CR: Tell us a little bit about your EP 'Droids’, did you create the plugin from scratch or were they pre-sets created beforehand?
HB: I mostly used hardware synths on this track. There is a 16th note bass from the Moog Modular, a TB-303 bassline, the main lead is a layer from the DSI Prophet 6 and the Moog Matriarch, there is a line I created with the super weird Motor Synth from Gamechanger Audio, etc. So all in all it’s a very analogue track!

CR: For your tracks is there a method you follow or just create based on playing around with the instruments to get that right sound?
HB: I don’t have a method I’m always applying. Sometimes I just play around with my synths until I find something interesting, which is the “Keith Richards method”. He once described songwriting as putting a finger up in the air and waiting until something wraps around it. Sometimes I start with a drum groove, and sometimes I already have a melody or a musical concept in my head before I go to the studio.

CR: This is a three-part question, your first instrument, your recent instrument, and your favourite instrument.
HB: As far as synths go: The Moog Rogue, The Moog Model 10, and the Minimoog. What can I say, I just love them…?

CR: How long did it take you to create your studio the way you imagined it?

HB: It’s an ongoing project and it probably will never stop. I have a setup which you can call a studio since probably 1998 or so. Since then I have been developing and refining it. My
current studio is my third studio in Berlin and the second one I have is purpose-built. My dream is to build my next studio on an island…!

CR: How has your music/producing style developed from when you started to where it is right now?
HB: When I started with the straight bassdrum around 1999/2000, I was making very jazzy Deep House, along the lines of the influences I have just mentioned. From 2006 to 2017 I took a break from producing, to focus only on my mixing business. When I started again I pretty much skipped the jazz, the acoustic percussions, the Fender Rhodes and the Fender Bass. It’s a lot more techno now. Although I have the feeling, I often aim to make Melodic Techno, and the result turns out to be more like Progressive House… ;)

CR: If you had to choose between a Digital and Analog EQ, which would you choose?
HB: It depends on what I have to do. When I need to clean up a recording, I absolutely love digital EQ for its versatility and precision and transparency. However, when I want to paint with a thicker brush, when I want to create a sound, ultimately nothing beats a great analogue EQ.

CR: What do you like to do during your downtime when you are not producing music?
HB: I like food and cooking, I’m a good chef. And I also like to hang out in nature, preferably on or close to water. Riding boats, wake surfing, snorkelling, scuba diving, just relaxing on an island….

CR: What are some of your goals for 2021, anything our followers should know about?

HB: I hope I can play as often as possible, now that our scene is slowly waking up again. I am working on an exciting album project which I have to finish by the end of the year. Can’t wait to share all the details, but it’s too early for now!

Lighting Round

Texting or talking? Talking

Coffee or tea? Coffee

Hard liquor or Wine? First wine, then hard liquor – but no beer

Cake or pie? Cake

Hot dogs or hamburgers? Hamburgers

Xbox or PlayStation? None

Movie theatre or arcade? None

Guitar or piano? Both

Marvel or DC Comics? None

Dog or cat? Cat

Hot weather or cold weather? Hot weather

FOLLOW HANNES BIEGER

HYDRAULIX X CANADIANRAVERS INTERVIEW [IMPOSTER SYNDROME, SUBGENRE NOT GETTING ENOUGH ATTENTION, DOWNTIME]

After a career spanning the better part of a decade, Hydraulix is ready for his biggest artistic venture yet with his forthcoming debut album. Bass fans worldwide know Hydraulix as a household name, most recently from his time touring across North America in support of Liquid Stranger and performing speaker-knocking live sets at festivals like Lost Lands, Bass Canyon, Wobbleland, E-Zoo and more. Often seen releasing via Wakaan, Hydraulix has been sought after by such major labels as Never Say Die Records, Disciple, RAM Records, and Circus Records, to name a few. After years of earning the widespread respect of the industry and the die-hard fans, Hydraulix’s long overdue debut record is sure to make massive waves for bass heads everywhere.

THE INTERVIEW

CR: Welcome to Canadianravers, Damien! How are you? Tell us about the history of your name, Hydraulix.

H: The name actually came about when a duo partner and I stopped doing our hustle together and I needed a solo name. I couldn’t come up with anything but another friend of mine actually had a list of names he was going to potentially use and Hydraulix was one of them! He was kind enough to gift me the name.

CR: Can you get a little more into ‘IMPOSTER SYNDROME’, the creative process, and what was the inspiration for this album?

H: Imposter Syndrome is something I’ve always dealt with since I’ve had any form of success. Feeling like I didn’t deserve what I had because I wasn’t doing anything too special in my mind and still aspired to be better. So, the album was my way of pushing myself and making myself realize that what I’m doing is unique and something I should, in fact, be very proud of.

CR: You collaborated with some heavy hitters in the industry; can you tell us more about that?

H: I was super fortunate to get to work with so many talented people and funnily enough when I told people I was writing an album everyone was super supportive and excited to be involved. It was really a lot of fun and I got to work with a few people I’ve really wanted to for some time.

CR: During your childhood, did you play any instruments and how did that influence your decision to pursue producing/djing?

H: I was a drummer boy down in my parents’ garage because they wouldn’t let me have my kit in my room haha. It’s been a while but it’s one of the only instruments I’ve really stuck with. It was more playing on my cousin’s turntables at a young age when I started to realize production and mixing was something I was super interested in. I’d always be hassling him to show me how to mix a track.

CR: What makes Dubstep more exciting than other genres?

H: I wouldn’t say dubstep is more exciting than other genres. I really enjoy everything from house to dubstep to drum and bass to even some classic electro anthems. I think anything that’s got a good bassline really catches my ear. I will say dubstep was some of the first music that made me want to learn how to make music though. Dubstep will always hold a special place in my heart.

CR: Before your track is released do you listen to it repeatedly to see if anything is missing?

H: This is such a curse. I listen to it so many times. Usually, by the time it’s coming out I start questioning if it’s even good anymore. I feel this is the curse of the producer though. You have to be particular without being too particular. But yes, I listen to my tracks entirely too much haha.

CR: Which subgenre do you feel doesn't get enough attention?

H: Neuro. It baffles me some people don’t appreciate this more. Maybe it’s a producer thing to really appreciate neuro as it’s so sound design-focused and might go over some people’s heads. It’s so complex and hard to make.

CR: What is the best advice you've received as a DJ/Producer?

H: Don’t overthink things too much. We get so focused on what everyone’s doing and what’s the hot thing of the time. Just have fun with it and enjoy what your doing. Try not to overthink it and have some fun.

CR: Which venue are you most eager to visit now that everything is open again?

H: That’s tough.. I’ve got a lot of places on this tour that I’m super excited to visit, but going back to Lost Lands in Columbus is super special. It’ll be awesome to play see a whole bunch of my bass music homies.

CR: As you relaxed and recharged, did the lockdown help you come up with musical ideas?

H: In some ways, it helped in other ways it didn’t. It got me not so focused on what everyone was writing and let me just enjoy the process but at the same time, I wasn’t able to test any of the music out on crowds which meant I really had to trust I knew what was up.

CR: What do you like to do in your spare time when you're not producing or DJing?

H: I’m a big gamer I love my Switch, you can catch me on that quite a bit. I also love to shoot some hoops on my basketball ring out back and can also catch me playing a bit of ping pong.

CR: What makes you happy?

H: My girl, my puppy, friends, family, writing music and playing shows. These are the things that bring me endless joy.

CR: Do you have any projects in the works that our followers should know about?

H: I don’t wanna give away too much as I just dropped the album. I definitely have some cool stuff coming down the track. It’s so funny I just dropped that album and we already planning a bunch of the next stuff.

Lighting Round

Texting or talking? Texting

Coffee or tea? Coffee

Hard liquor or Wine? Hard Liquor

Cake or pie? Pie

Hot dogs or hamburgers? Burgers all-day

Xbox or PlayStation? PlayStation

Movie theatre or arcade? Movie theatre

Guitar or piano? Piano

Marvel or DC Comics? Marvel for sure

Dog or cat? Dog

Hot weather or cold weather? Cold

FOLLOW HYDRAULIX