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Kaz James: Keeping his vibe
Courtesy of Kaz JamesFor musician and DJ Kaz James, if there is any advice he could give to a young musician starting out, it is to stick in their own originality and be confident in their own art and skills
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Courtesy of Kaz James
For musician and DJ Kaz James, if there is any advice he could give to a young musician starting out, it is to stick in their own originality and be confident in their own art and skills.
James has stayed true to these principles since his early days as a musician and they have contributed significantly to the success he now enjoys.
'Create your own vibe and believe in what you're doing,' James told The Jakarta Post.
'I started off learning music at school but I really disliked what I was being taught to play. I just had no connection with the genre of music they were teaching. All I wanted to do was learn music that I was listening to on the radio. Music that kids my age were listening too.'
He recalled his early musical influences were from DJs and producers like Frankie Knuckles, Erick Morillo, Mark Farina and Carl Cox. These influences caused him to start dreaming of becoming a performer from his early teenage days.
'A friend of mine had some turntables and a mixer, and when I was 14, I would go to his house with my friends. We would all play records and hang out talking about music and one day being able to play in front of people ' it was a great time,' the 32-year-old Australian said.
In college, James was also active in musical activities as he played the trumpet and sang with the university choir but then again, this was not the kind of music that he really enjoyed and he took a job as a DJ at OneLove, a popular nightclub in Melbourne.
James saved enough money from his first DJ job to start traveling the world to hone his skills and to perform in other countries.
In 2004, he established an electro-music duo called Bodyrockers with British guitarist Dylan Burns.
With Bodyrockers, he had his first taste of prominence as the duo's first release 'I Like The Way You Move' became a hit in the United Kingdom and achieved popularity in other parts of the world as well.
The popularity became a launch pad for the duo to release their first self-titled album and a follow-up single titled 'Round and Round'.
Unfortunately, after an extensive tour from 2005 to 2006, Bodyrockers parted ways after the duo failed to release a second album.
After Bodyrockers ended, James started his own solo career as a DJ.
It did not take long for him to make an impact on the electro-music scene as in only two years after Bodyrockers parted ways, he was already able to release his debut single 'Breathe' and his debut album titled If They Knew.
In much of his early solo works, James collaborated a lot with other artists and musicians, from Macy Gray, Limp Bizkit to DJ Lethal.
He said collaborating with other musicians was an important element for him to enhance his career and creativity. 'It [collaboration] allows me to take in new musical influences from different genres. I like so much different music so I like to mix it up and keep it fresh,' he said.
Always a believer of the importance of freshness in music, James said he personally felt the mindset in the electro-music industry had shifted from the way it used to be during his early career.
'For me the main thing that has changed is the art form of DJ-ing. When I first started DJ-ing, it was all about who could mix the most records at once and trying to push the boundaries technically and musically giving people an experience that they wouldn't be able to get anywhere else,' he said.
'Over time this has changed and evolved for good or for bad. Everyone has their own opinion. What I do know is when I DJ people actually dance when a lot of other guys play these days people just jump up and down.'
James' unique skills and fresh performances have given him a coveted slot in LA's HARD Summer and Australia's Stereosonic music festivals. His musical style has also allowed him to collaborate with renowned DJ David Guetta as a support DJ during the latter's world tour.
'I like David a lot. I've learnt a lot from him. He is an extremely hard working and talented DJ, a great businessman and an all round nice guy. We have a lot of fun when we hang out talking music and making records. It was an amazing experience being able to release a record with him,' James said.
As James' career progressed, he said 2014 was the best year of his musical journey.
'For me this year has been very positive especially in my musical releases. I put out a track with David Guetta called 'Blast Off' which went Top Five on Beatport. I also put out a collaboration with Junior Sanchez called 'Underground Police', and remixed Oliver Heldens' 'Gecko' which went Number One on the UK charts,' he said.
'I now have my new single 'Show me all your love' coming out which is getting massive support. I also had a summer residency this year in Mykonos, Greece called 'Show Me' Mykonos. It was a massive success. I had some great guest artists playing for me like Nervo, Sneaky Sound System and Steve Aoki. It was a lot of fun.'
With only a few months left of 2014, James said that he would have his hands full working on his projects and tours before the New Year. 'I've been talking to my label and management about it and let's just say there could be a chance of a new album soon. Watch this space.'
'I've got my next three releases lined up to follow 'Show Me All Your Love' and I'm excited to see what people make of them.'
James' schedule includes a visit to Indonesia, in which he will perform at the Dragonfly club in Jakarta on Oct. 3.
'I've played in Indonesia a few times before. The last time I played there was in October 2012. I was playing with David Guetta, the show was amazing, definitely one of my favorite shows I've done in Asia. I always find Indonesian people to be so friendly, and I always have an amazing experience when I go there.'
