Veteran house and electronic music DJ and record producer Jody Wisternoff, famously known as one half of the progressive house duo Way Out West, has not left much unproved in the EDM (electronic dance music) scene.
Since having spun the console at 13 years of age at the finals of the DMC World DJ Championship in 1986, the musical daddy dabbled in diverse musical genres early on in his career experimenting with hip-hop, rave, dance and techno.
Defining his sound today as “purely house”, Wisternoff very recently dropped his first debut album “Trails We Blaze” on the Anjunadeep label.
Arab News got hold of the busy jet-setting DJ prior to his awaited support act at Above & Beyond’s biggest global group therapy session of Trance Around The World 450 radio show by Submerge this November.
Arab News: Jody, this year has perhaps been your busiest with touring and the release of your solo debut album “Trails We blaze” on Anjunadeep. How has the association with Above & Beyond’s label been so far?
Jody Wisternoff: “So far, so good! I really feel we are on the same wavelength musically. They’re a very professional and great bunch of people to work with, and there are a lot of exciting things planned for the future. I’d already released a couple of singles with them, and when I decided to write an album I gave them the first option, as it just seemed to make sense. They are genuine exponents of dance music with emotion, which is fine with me.”
AN: What’s the sound essence of Trails We Blaze? I mean, the melodies are warm, progressive, sometimes smooth and edgy. Also, how different was the creative process while recording your first debut album?
JW: “I’m very much into contrast, from the music I make to the way I program my DJ sets. I like things to take the listener by surprise, and not be too predictable. I suppose that is the running theme throughout the album. As for the creative process, it was pretty much the same as every Way Out West album I’ve made with Nick (Warren) in the past, which is a laborious yet enjoyable few years of extreme emotional highs and lows.”
AN: Now that you’ve embarked on your own solo career, would you rather be known as one–half of Way Out West, or break ground as a solo artist?
JW: “Both, really. Way Out West is still going strong; we are currently working on the fifth album together. Also, I put out my first solo track in 2006, so this is nothing new to me.”
AN: How much has the EDM scene evolved today from when you started out “raving” on the crowds in the early 90s?
JW: “Pretty much everything has changed. When I started out, the Internet did not even exist! As for house music, I think we are at an all-time high. Obviously, I have a certain feeling of nostalgia for the old stuff, and some people may say there are no new classics being made as good as Papua New Guinea, Song of Life, Dark and Long, etc., but I disagree and think we are in a golden age of creativity right now.”
AN: Best dance destination you’ve played at?
JW: “Cinema club in Budapest.”
AN: Which three tunes are currently burning your turn-table?
JW: “Frank Ocean’s “Pink Matter” (MANIK Skeleton rework), Jody Wisternoff feat. Pete Josef’s “We are Heroes”, and “Latch” by Disclosure.”
AN: What’s your “save the day” track if you can’t get a party started?
JW: “Starstrings!”
AN: You also write your own music. What’s the best place to go looking for inspiration on a day when you’re dealing with writer’s block?
JW: “Writer’s block strikes quite often, especially after a long tour. The best way to conquer it is to just battle through. The only place to truly find inspiration is from within.”
AN: You’re a family man now. Has fatherhood changed anything about the way you work, or the music you produce?
JW: “It has basically made me really tired all the time, haha. But seriously, I wouldn’t say it has changed my musical style at all, although it does make you appreciate the beauty and purity of life, and I’m sure this has a positive effect on the melodies I write.”
AN: You will be seen performing with Above & Beyond at their most anticipated Trance Around The World (TATW) 450 radio show celebration in Bangalore, India. Are you excited? What are your expectations?
JW: “Of course! I played in India a few months ago and had a fantastic time. The crowd was super enthusiastic, and they’re really hospitable people. Hopefully, this will be the same, except on a much larger scale and with my record label friends.”
AN: Unforgettable gig you played at this year, or yet to come?
JW: “Hopefully Above & Beyond’s TATW450 (Submerge) in Bangalore, India on Nov. 10. Apart from that, Sundance in Ekateringburg, Russia was amazing!”
AN: Will you be playing out anywhere in the Middle East soon?
JW: “Tel Aviv and Dubai in the near future.”
AN: Finally, if you had to play just one track to save your life, which one?
JW: “Leftfield — Song for Life, of course!”
You can track the artist at: www.jodywisternoff.com. To catch him live in concert at the #TATW 450 group therapy session, visit: www.submerge.in.
