f: Hi Jay, it’s a pleasure to chat with you today. How are you?
Jay Vegas: Likewise. I’m good, thank you!
f: Please tell us a little about yourself. Where are you from, and how did you start making dance music?
Jay: I’m a UK-based DJ and producer. I’ve been DJing and making music for 30-odd years now. My music has been released on all the household brands: Subliminal, Toolroom, Ministry of Sound, Cream, Hed Kandi, etc. I started making music by chance. I met a guy who had a studio in his cellar in the 80’s. I was recording a demo at his studio with a band I played keyboards for at the time. I asked if I could hire the studio to record ideas for some house tunes I’d been working on. He said yes. He was also into the house, so we became friends and started producing together, and the rest is history. We’re still good friends now.
f: What was the first dance record you bought?
Jay: Haha, my memory can’t span that far back. I think it could have been Chaka Khan – I Feel For You. It still sounds great, one of the best dance tunes ever made in my opinion.
f: Who did you listen to growing up, and do they influence your music career today?
Jay: I’ve always had an eclectic taste in music. But I was heavily into hip hip culture growing up. So the majority of music I was listening to was the likes of Run DMC, Beastie Boys, LL Cool J and Public Enemy. It was probably listening to this music that prompted my interest in producing. I was fascinated how they worked multiple samples together over breakbeats or drum machines. It coincided with the time I got my first Casio keyboard, which I loved as it had built in drum pads. It also came with a music book, so I taught myself how to play a bit. Unfortunately, it didn’t have a sequencer, so I had to go through the rigmarole of having to record tape over tape using a cheap Realistic mixer that I bought from Tandy. Remember them!? Then my production journey progressed from there.
f: You’re well known for your classic Disco and House reworks. How did that all start?
Jay: I wasn’t into house music at first. My friend introduced me to the clubbing. Coming from a breakbeats background I didn’t really get the 4/4 beat. I thought it was too repetitive. After a few visits to the club , the penny dropped and I was soon hooked on that thumping kick drum. Not long after I was buying house music. It was during the time of that classic house sound in the late 80’s early 90’s. Which is now making a resurgence. That was my first taste of house so it’s always stayed with me. Later on in the late 90’s the disco house sound came which captured my imagination once again. Like with hip hop it was sampled based. So when I decided to work more consistently under the name Jay Vegas around 2010 I wanted to make disco house. Mainly because nobody else was making it at the time. So I was basically making tracks for my sets that I couldn’t buy. And over the years I’ve experimented with classic house sound too. Because let’s face it, they were the best times for house music!
f: Do you have an extensive record collection entire of classics?
Jay: Yes, it’s pretty big. It’s spread out in a couple of locations. There’s some great memories attached to them. Which is what I miss most about vinyl. You’d have an emotional and physical connection to the music. But digital has it’s advantages too, I acknowledge that. It just doesn’t hold as much sentiment.
f: Which dance track holds the most precious memories for you?
Jay: Again, it’d have to be Chaka Khan ‘I Feel For You’. But ‘Ain’t Nobody’ is my all-time favourite, although it’s a bit more down tempo. I was really into breakdancing and body poppin’, it was an exciting time growing up in the early 80’s – musically and culturally. So it’s a sentimental track to me.
f: What was your first release?
Jay: I was involved in some big house tracks from the early 90’s with other producers – who didn’t always credit me. So I guess my first actual release was when I branched out to do my own stuff with my then production partner James Ryan (the guy who had the studio in his cellar). He produced under the alias Mr Peach before we teamed up. He was signed to Olympic Records which was part of Cream (the nightclub). We chose the alias name Nu Graduates, which I remember the K-Klass boys advised us not to use – as they thought it sounded a bit like an Indie band. But we thought it was cool at the time so used the name anyway (but later changed it). Yeah, so we signed our first track ‘Brothers’ to Solihull based label Urban Hero. They were quite a cool underground UK label at the time. So it was a good first release for us.
f: Which of your tracks or remixes was the most significant labour of love to create / personal favourite?
Jay: I really enjoyed working on ‘Move That Body’ which came out on Miguel Migs’ Salted Music in 2020. Unfortunately it was released during that time of government overreach. When we lost out liberties. So I feel it missed its time in clubland. Although it was No.1 on Traxsource. I wish I could of played it out and heard it out. I drew on my influences from Danny Tenaglia, Deep Dish and Lil’ Mo’ Yin Yang. Used to love Tribal Records.
f: You’ve just returned to Mark Knight’s Fool’s Paradise single with ‘Sunshine People’; please tell us how it sounds.
Jay: Yes, Fool’s Paradise has really taken off in a short space of time, with some big releases from Mark and Grant, etc. So, I tried to make it impactful, energetic and big to follow the previous releases. To keep the continuity going and help play a small part in making Fool’s one of the go-to labels for DJs. Which is already happening.
f: The record is a new take on Brass Construction’s 1977 classic ‘Happy People’; what inspired you to take this one on for a re-shape?
Jay: Well, it was Mark’s idea for me to take on this project. His brief was to give it the same energy as my track ‘Break Ya Down’. I was initially hesitant as I know ‘Happy People’ has been sampled many times. Cheek-Venus was the main track that really utilised the sample and made it well known. So I really had to dig deep and give it my own stamp.
f: Aside from releasing fantastic labels such as Toolroom, Fool’s Paradise, Guesthouse Music, Salted Music, Space Disco, and more, you also run your label, Hot Stuff Records. How’s that all going, and who can we find on the label?
Jay: The label’s going really well. Last year was our 10th anniversary so we had anniversary remixes from Mark Knight, Hatiras, Angelo Ferreri, DJ Kone & Marc Palacios and Mattie & Omich. So it’s just going from strength to strength. I can’t believe it’s 10 years already!
f: What’s been the most successful release on the label so far?
Jay: I’d have to guess, but I think it’d be my track ‘Come Soon’. It was a Traxsource number 1 and has had millions of streams since and is still performing well.
f: What’s been your highlight gig of 2024, and where are you most looking forward to playing next?
Jay: I played at LDN East by Canary Wharf. That was different. The whole venue is constructed out of shipping containers. It was hot and sweaty, and the crowd were really friendly and up for it. My friend Hatiras has talked about getting me over to Toronto to play. I’ve never been to Canada, so that would be really cool!
f: Who are your top 5 current producers?
Jay: There’s soooo many I like. Off the top of my head, I’d say Mark Knight, David Penn, Michael Gray, Grant Nelson and Mousse T.
f: What else are you working on at the moment that you can tell us about?
Jay: I’m really busy remixing at the moment. And I’m also finishing a cover of a classic house tune that I absolutely love! Which will be coming out on Hot Stuff before Christmas. Along with a host of other projects I have on the go. All will be revealed in 2025!
Jay Vegas ‘Sunshine People’ is out now on Fool’s Paradise.