Jasper James: The Ransom Note Mix

5 Minute Read

Music

Proper house music from the Glaswegian DJ.

House music seems to go through various trends, new iterations, reworks and phases. Jasper James has seen them come and go.

The Glaswegian DJ and producer was practically raised on the stuff, growing up around the Sub Club family and cutting his teeth at local parties and in small, dimly lit crowded basements long before it ever became ‘cool’ to be a DJ. His musical repertoire was taught by his father, Harri of Subculture fame. However his own ability to read a room and command a dancefloor remains very much his own.

Over the years he has evolved beyond the Glasgow underground playing globally and receiving acclaim before going on to release music on Optimo Trax, ESP Institute, No Art and Steel City Dance Discs amongst others.

This mix showcases his versatility in the booth as he weaves between shades of house music – demonstrating a deep rooted knowledge and respect for the origins of the genre.

Listen and read the interview below:

Please introduce yourself

I’m Jasper James, DJ, producer, Glasgow-based and proudly trained in the art of making people dance despite the weather. I’ve been playing records for years, but really it’s just what I’ve always done — digging, listening, messing about with music and seeing where it takes me (usually somewhere with a sticky floor and a big sound system).

Who are you, where are you and what are you?

I’m Jasper, I’m in Glasgow, and I’m someone who’s been lucky enough to turn a deep obsession with music into a job. Mostly a DJ, sometimes a producer, always a punter at heart.

What does your music sound like? Can you draw what you think it sounds like for us (an image from the old internet is acceptable)?

Like Glasgow nightlife in a blender. Part Subby sweat, part whatever gets your gran tapping her foot. No rules, just tunes that make folk forget it’s Baltic and lose the plot a bit.

Where was the mix recorded?

At home, on my setup: two 1210s, two CDJ-3000s, an Allen & Heath Xone:96 and a four-pack of Tennent’s for creative lubrication.

What would be the ideal setting to listen to the mix?

In someone’s kitchen at 3AM. Eyes like saucers.

What should we be wearing?

Anything green and white is acceptable.

What would be your dream setting to record a mix: Location/system/format?

Paradise Garage in New York with the original Richard Long & Associates soundsystem. That rig was built for pure physical impact. Two 1210s, a pair of CDJ-3000s, a UREI 1620 rotary mixer, and a bag of records and I’d be in heaven.

Which track in the mix is your current favourite?

Driss Bennis Pres. OCB – Thx (The Sequel) [Metroplex]

What’s your favourite recorded mix of all time?

In all honesty I’m not a big mix listener. I usually just end up obsessing over my own, tweaking them until I’ve gone in circles. But my mate Sean put me onto a Ken Collier mix recorded live at Heaven in Detroit and it absolutely blew my socks off. House anthems start to finish. Flawless mixing, proper lesson in groove, energy and flow.

If you could go back to back with any DJ from throughout history, who would it be and why?

Probably Spencer Kincy aka Gemini. The man, the myth, the absolute enigma. My dad actually played with him once in Waterford, Ireland, and they ended up sharing a flat for a couple of days. Said he was sound as a pound, full of energy, dead friendly. They must’ve looked a right pair cutting about together too. Gemini was about 6’5″ and my dad’s more… compact. There’s a recording of the set floating about online somewhere. I need to dig it out.

What was your first DJ set up at home and what is it now?

Started out with two Technics 1210s and a red FSM-600 mixer. Still got the decks but now it’s a Xone:96, a pair of CDJ-3000s and Mission 770s. Basically a wee club in the living room — much to my neighbours’ despair.

What’s more important, the track you start on or the track you end on?

The end, definitely. The first tune sets the mood but the last one seals the memory. The one they remember mid-comedown, staring at the ceiling, still humming it hours later.

What were the first and last records you bought?

The first 12” I bought myself was Hey Boy Hey Girl by The Chemical Brothers. Grabbed it on my lunch break from primary school. The last one was the Just Wanna Dance EP by Mr G.

If this mix was an edible thing, what would it taste like?

Like a Mitsubishi. Chemical, a bit minging on the way down, but with a surprisingly decent outcome if you hang in there.

If it was an animal what would it be?

A seagull from Glasgow. Nicking your chips, squawking over the tunes and dive-bombing the dancefloor without warning. Bit of a pest but somehow always gets away with it.

One record in your collection that is impossible to mix into anything?

Honestly nothing’s truly impossible. It just depends how stubborn (or deluded) you are. That said, there are definitely a few records in my collection that test your patience and your ego.

Anything else we need to discuss?

Think we’ve covered it all. If not, you know where to find me.