Jackman Jones has been making a name for himself on the dance music circuit, whether it’s with his Mixcloud show Groove Station, or his bouncy dance production which display his love of garage and house. While we wait for the clubs to reopen, we thought we’d have a chat with the DJ to talk about the importance of music and creativity in times of crisis.

How are you coping with the COVID-19 lockdown? Are you finding ways to express yourself as an artist through those times?

I won't lie to you, this COVID-19 chaos is a pain in the behind. Right now, the Groove Station, my one-hour weekly house music podcast, is still going on strong. I also have several releases coming out in the next few months, as well as a few internet radio guest spots. For the past three weeks, I've been doing a weekly Facebook live video where I talk about strength, faith, and the belief that the COVID-19 chaos will end.

On the weekend of April 4, I took part of a virtual music festival called MusicUnite. 24 DJs, 2 days, all of us spinning one-hour sets and raising money for COVID-19 emergency response supplies. I'm also thinking of doing a one-hour live set on my twitch channel.

Tell us a little bit about you. How did you get started in the music industry?

Well, in my younger days, there were two reasons I went to the clubs. One, to dance to the music, and two, to hang with the DJs. I have always had a great respect for DJs. In 2007, I met one of my best friends and mentor, DJ Duck, and I was MC-ing a lot of the parties he was doing. In x-mas of 2009, I had a conversation with Duck about making a new years resolution to be a DJ and the rest is history.

As far as production goes, my first major project was in 2013 when I did a remix for Montreal artist Kaila Picard, for a track on her first EP Hot Mess, which launched her international career. After that, I did some more remixes for two other Montreal artists, Vani & Seca and Nalou, as well as an original track with local artist Miss Jay. It led me to form a duo with Montreal artist Mel Yelle, we called ourselves Melotika.

Tell us more about Melotika?

In 2015, I was in an experimentation type phase when it came to production. I wanted to do something different. I put out an ad on Kijiji looking for artists to collaborate with. Mel Yelle was actually the first to answer. I met her on the Danforth, at a coffee shop. She was mad because she had met with other producers before and they were giving her the runaround, but I told her I'm interested in a collab, nothing else. I had done an instrumental already and showed it to her. She liked it, so we agreed to work on the song which we called Downtown Summer. After that, we decided to be a duo and work on more tracks. In 2018, after two and a half years, the EP Unaware was born. Before the EP was released, we also did live shows with rapper Krosst Out in Toronto, Ottawa, and Montreal. That was the first time I had performed as a DJ in front of a live audience. Doing live shows with Krosst Out and Melotika was so much fun.

In 2017, I started once again to do my own material, which lead to three deep house track dropping in 2018, I Want It ft Apryll Aileen, Move With You and Touch The Sky. Sadly after the EP was released, we both agreed we were going in different directions and we went our separate ways. Both Krosst Out and Melotika have releases new material since then and have done well, while I have focused my efforts in the house scene. Nevertheless, it was a great experience which has lead me here.

What do you think of the dance music scene in Toronto?

The house music scene in Toronto is full of talented DJs and producers, I have featured some of them on the Wednesday Night Shakedown and Groove Station. Up until the COVID-19 disaster, there were many events you could go to every week. There are places like Revival, One Loft (now called Uniting People Soundbar), Coda, Nest, Vertigo, Remix and Lune that are regular spots, but more recent events have been taking place in various venues. My fav place is CTRL Room. I do my events there. It's a small space DJs can rent out for their own parties. It's also live-streamed, so the world can watch. At CTRL Room, you can be yourself, have fun, and listen to some great music.

There's also Deep N Disco at Waylabar, a monthly event run by Rob Daboom and the Marrs Barrs which features Joe Navarro and  Chico U from BIG Fun Productions and Sandra TO, an upcoming DJ and dancer. And let’s not forget the Secret Garden, a weekly house music event also run by Rob Daboom and the Marrs Barrs at Joe Bird, on the patio at the waterfront, and the 1lvl1 parties run by Paolo and Pietro, which are sometimes at CTRL Room. Both the Secret Garden and the 1lvl1 parties feature the best DJs from around the world, as well as some local figures.

What are the most important things for you when you DJ? What advice would you give to a young DJ?

One is the music. When I prepare for a gig or for the Groove Station, I always ask myself, "What would the audience want to listen to?" I always choose music that I think will get the people moving on the dance floor. Two, before you go to a gig or event, always know what the set up is and have a backup just in case. Three, be yourself and don't be afraid to experiment and try new things. Four, believe and feel the music you are playing. Five, have fun!

For young DJs, first, come up with a really cool and marketable name. It could be part of your name, or it could be a name that defines who you are, or maybe a nickname you've always had. Two, figure out what music you want to specialize in, but also learn about music from other eras. Know your music. Three, learn off vinyl first. That's where you learn the fundamentals and the art of DJ-ing. Four, develop your own style that will set you apart. Five, learn from experienced DJs, and never stop learning.

How do you approach DJing VS music production?

I approach both the same way. With production though, I like to experiment more, add my own flavor to it. I'm big on stabs and chords to give my music more punch. With DJ-ing, I love being in front of a live crowd, so it's a huge rush for me, whether it's 5, 50, 500 or 5000 people.

What are some of your favorite production tools at the moment?

I've been using Maschine my whole career. It's very simple to use and I believe I'm one of the few out there that uses Maschine to do tracks from start to finish. I also use two plugins, Captain Chords for melodies and Serum for synths.

Which artists inspire you at the moment?

Brock Edwards, Duskope, Col Lawton (who I just collaborated with), Tony Fuel, Trevor Gordon, Y-No. Concinnity, Martin Depp, Trade, DJ MJ, Sebb Junior, Scott Diaz, Freemasons, Block & Crown, David Penn, Low Steppa, Dirty Secretz, JT Donaldson, Todd Terry, and many others. I'm also a big fan of Pogo House records, Smashing Trax records, and Phoenix Records.

Can you talk to us a little bit more about your show Groove Station?

The Groove Station started in January 2018. Before that, I had a weekly 2-hour live show called The Wednesday Night Shakedown on allbeatsradio.ca. It was a show that featured different genres of house music from artists from all over. It also featured other DJs’ mixes. However, preparing for a two-hour live show is time-consuming, so I decided to do the Groove Station which is one pre-recorded hour, and it has basically the same philosophy as the Wednesday Night Shakedown. The Groove Station features garage, underground, funky, deep, and soulful house music from all over the world. I feature DJs and producers from all over.

The Groove Station represents three things. One, the respect, love, and admiration for all the DJs and producers who are a part of the house music family. Two, unifying and building bridges with DJs and producers from all over. Three, that feeling house music gives me.

Can you talk a little more about the Nuthin But House parties you do at CTRL Room?

I used to spin at CTRL Room for 3 hours in late 2018. After a falling out with a the owner of a club where I did monthly parties, I decided to start doing a bi-monthly party at CTRL Room where I would invite other DJs to come and spin with me. It's BYOB, no cover, there are food and snacks, and nothing but good vibes. It’s live-streamed from a small space. The concept is something that was done in the 80s and 90s. It's all about having fun in a non-judgmental, no drama type of environment.

My two partners, Zoe Thorn and Detroit Trickster (who are DJ residents) bring creativity, fun and excitement to the party, and we have special guests who bring their own flavour. The last one I did was the best one yet, and once the COVID-19 chaos ends, I plan to continue the events. I'm also trying to add new concepts to the events to keep it fresh.

What’s coming up for Jackman Jones?

Currently, I have two tracks out with Pure Beats Records, Bounce To This ft Chris Hercules and Deeper. I have two more tracks on the way with Pure Beats, Go Ahead, which comes out on April 17 on Traxsource, and on May 1st on all other digital platforms. The other one as yet to be announced. I just finished a collab with Col Lawton, which will be released on his new label, Deep Fix Recordings, in the summer. Also, I have another track called Believer which is signed to DJ Trade's new label Trademark Trax, which is coming out soon. I will also be working on a collab with fellow DJ Zoe Thorn and another collab with gospel singer Cor Reid and I'm working on two tracks of my own as well.

Follow Jackman Jones

Facebook | Instagram | Mixcloud | SoundCloud