Exclusive Interview with 'DISCJOSE'

The lead single from Discjose’s upcoming album is called “Blu.” The song has a groovy, gloomy, and melancholy vibe with a hint of broken hearts. Danny G Felix of Malo Malo provides incredible trumpet harmonies on the song, along with Horatio Luna’s fatty, juicy bass lines and Yianni Adams’ gorgeous guitar production.

You will be transported back in time by Discjose’s gritty, crunchy vocals and lyrics, which don’t pretend to be flawless. Check out the single “Blu” and the exclusive interview below:

1. Can you tell us a bit about where you all come from and how it all got started?

DISCJOSE: I grew up in between Sydney and the Northern Rivers (Byron Bay), spent most of my younger years being an energetic and rebellious kid. Though my father is an accomplished jazz drummer, I never felt connected to it until I was about 22-23 years old when I was brought into a collective called The Regime by my dear friend Ziggy, I soon after quit my job as a trade apprentice and became a full time musician, begging my journey as a band member and some time after a producer and solo artist.

2. Did you guys have any formal training or are you self-taught?

DISCJOSE: I briefly went to a private music college in Sydney but I only completed 1 trimester in theory and performance, it was very helpful in some ways to learn some basics but I found it was not for me as general academic approaches have never really worked for me. I love the idea of music theory especially in jazz but it is not my strength, I find strength in raw performance with a microphone and a mixer at hand.

3. Who were your first and strongest musical influences and why the name ‘DISCJOSE’?

DISCJOSE: Growing up my parents were always playing Michael Jackson, the Beatles, Earth Wind and Fire, Bill Evans, John Coltrane and James Brown. I think I was incredibly lucky to be flooded with the best music of this time, much of it being African American artists. As I found my own music influences I loved the Gorillaz, Eminem and Justin Timberlake in my younger years. Shaping what kind of sounds I wanted to make with my voice. One of my biggest influences by far is Marvin Gaye.

I chose the name DiscJosé because my alias growing up was Jose, I knew I wanted that to be part of the name, it has a few added reasons and meanings. 1: DiscJose is “DJ” which is a big part of my live analogue production I do live and in the studio. 2: when you say “Discjose” I sounds like you could be saying “disco’s aye” like “you like disco’s aye” or “you like Discjose”. 3: it has never been used by any artist before, its completely unique and makes my life a lot easier in that regard that I never have to worry about getting put on page 5 of google.

4. What do you feel are the key elements in your music that should resonate with listeners, and how would you personally describe your sound?

DISCJOSE: The key elements in my music production that separates me from other artists is that most of my music is unrefined and raw, first takes and improvised, using a range of techniques, from very organic sounds to the fattest electronic 808 kick drums and bass grooves, It’s important for me to not judge my music too much and just release it, the more I hold onto it the less of its original essence is held. It’s very vulnerable music. Maybe the people who stumble on me in real life or the internet will connect to that aspect of it.

5. For most artists, originality is first preceded by a phase of learning and, often, emulating others. What was this like for you? How would you describe your own development as an artist and music maker, and the transition towards your own style, which is known as JAZZ?
**DISCJOSE**:
I never had much of a chance to emulate artists as I wasn’t a trained instrumentalist, something I use to do sometimes for fun would be rip off my favourite hip hop or house grooves and breaks to sit with it for a while. I definitely don’t make Jazz music but the dissonance and harmony of jazz is my greatest inspiration and aspiration, respect and gratitude to my favourite jazz artists and friends around Sydney and Melbourne.

6. What’s your view on the role and function of music as political, cultural, spiritual, and/or social vehicles – and do you try and affront any of these themes in your work, or are you purely interested in music as an expression of technical artistry, personal narrative and entertainment?

DISCJOSE:

I spent time with my band writing lyrics and sentiments about revolution and the agenda of love and expression, its so important and especially in a live setting can change peoples lives and remind them of how important community is. It always comes back to your local community. In my personal music endeavours as DiscJosé and my other closest project “Hausm8s” its less about the content of the lyrics and more about the freedom of the expression itself, that wasn’t a choice, its just what has flowed out of me.

7. Do you feel that your music is giving you back just as much fulfilment as the amount of work you are putting into it, or are you expecting something more, or different in the future?

DISCJOSE:

I have given a lot in the last 6 years to music and to people, mostly for free, mostly for the feeling, for inspiration for myself and the 1000’s of people I have performed to, as I have found myself more and more I am learning how to value myself more and realise that I have given myself to music and with the right head space music will begin to give back to me, but taking from music was never the intention at the start. Putting value on music can vastly change the way it is expressed, I am very grateful for all of the time I got to be a musician that was purely giving with no intention of taking or making, it has taught me so much and I would recommend anyone young who has a chance to give to the funky thing!

8. Could you describe your creative processes? How do usually start, and go about shaping ideas into a completed song? Do you usually start with a tune, a beat, or a narrative in your head? And do you collaborate with others in this process?

DISCJOSE:

Music has always been more fun and more juicy as a collaboration, though I have spent endless hours by myself on my computer or my MPC, indulging myself in silly sounds and never ending drum loops. My process usually starts with a sound, or a snare, the words come later if there are any words. I love chaotic process’s that end with something that some would call polished and others might call noise.

9. What has been the most difficult thing you’ve had to endure in your life or music career so far?

DISCJOSE: Covid was obviously a massive hurdle for my band being a festival and touring focused project but it actually was a massive vehicle for my introverted self to express and my solo sound was massively influenced by all the time inside during 2020-21. Death, change, love and loss are all a part of lol of our journeys and I’m grateful for all the lessons learned. Being a musician has made my life harder in some ways but it has given me the greatest gift of hearing my inner world and making my outer world.

10. On the contrary, what would you consider a successful, proud or significant point in your life or music career so far?

DISCJOSE: My proudest moments have been playing Bluesfest, getting my act “Hausm8s” booked for Strawberry fields, touring across the east coast, to New Zealand to play my 808 with a 20 piece, spending time in Melbourne and meeting my Jazz heroes of the modern age. As proud as I am of these moments ive experienced and things ive achieved I’m sure the best is yet to come.