As the weather gets warmer and we approach the full swing of the summer season, I'm sure people are looking for the perfect vibes for sitting poolside, sipping cocktails, and hanging out in the sun. One of my favorite artists for such occasions is British producer JackLNDN. He's always posting new tracks and they're never shy of top-notch.
Whether it's a remix or an original track, Jack hooks it up with his signature flirty and dreamy style of house. He just announced his new track "Fooled Around," which rounds out his forthcoming Summer Never Ends EP. It's deeper and a little more chilled than some of his other releases, but it still has that same dreamy JackLNDN bounce. With an EP coming out and a U.S. tour approaching, we were lucky enough ask JackLNDN a few questions and get this awesome mix to share.
EARMILK: Hey Jack! Thanks for taking the time to put together this mix and chat with us. Could you tell us a little bit about the mix?
JackLNDN: Happy to be here! This mix is a little different to ones I’ve put out before. I play a lot of this stuff in the club when the mood is right. I would say it’s deeper and grittier than people are used to from me. Plenty of UK producers ended up in it, so it’s got some garage vibes alongside deeper house selections, as well as general bangers. On top, I’ve thrown in an new unreleased track called "Darkness," the title of which kind of speaks for itself, haha.
EM: Your music always has such great vibes. What inspires your sound, or what sort of things have led to the way your music sounds today?
JL: I was raised on a mixture of classical music, jazz and disco. That’s the music that my family always listened to while I was growing up, and I loved it. I think those three worlds formed the key part of my sound. It’s hard to pinpoint beyond there, because I have always listened to such a wide variety of stuff. I experimented with so many different genres and concepts when I first started getting into production, almost so much that I got a little lost from time to time. But it was worth it to find out the kind of music I really loved to make, and try and hone in on my own sound.
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EM: There are only so many chords, so many progressions, and so many different sounds out there. Your music always sounds so fresh to me, but do you ever find yourself feeling stale? If so, how do you break that feeling?
JL: When I’m making music, I always try to indulge myself and get lost in creating whatever I feel like. Naturally as a music lover I’m always in the mood for something new so I usually go searching for new flavours and vibes. I’ve found whenever I am thinking too hard about the end result or the direction that the tune is headed in, it dampens my creative flow. So I have a zero judgement rule with myself, anything goes provided I’m feeling it. It usually ends up in the right place without me forcing it there.
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EM: Another thing I love about your music, is that I wind up feeling like I'm trapped inside a blissful dream. What's one of your most memorable dreams? It could be strange, romantic, scary—whatever comes to mind.
JL: I had this crazy dream when I was much younger, after the first time I ever saw 'Star Wars.' Darth Vader scared the shit out of me, so in the dream he ended up chasing me around the death star for a bit, before I met up with a bunch of the talking cards from 'Alice In Wonderland.' It was a weird fusion of the two films, and I ended up hiding inside a rolled up carpet trying to avoid Vader. At the time is was scary as fuck.
EM: Still sounds scary as fuck! Is there anyone you've been dying to work or collaborate with?
JL: I’m always on the look out for people to work with. I’m especially interested in vocalists right now. Producer wise, I’ve been a long admirer of Goldfish, they blew me away when I saw them live. They properly play the stuff and have a sick time doing it. They both have jazz backgrounds, so I imagine writing with them would be plenty of fun.
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EM: I always imagine people in music listening to music. What tunes or artists have caught your ears lately?
JL: I’m really into Herzeloyde right now. The sound design and general ideas that he comes up with are insane. Every song on his Soundcloud is more or less a banger. Looking forward to hearing more from Royce too. Billon also appear to be unstoppable right now. When I relax though, I’m usually putting on some hip-hop or jazz, so I’m away from the dance vibes for a bit. It keeps everything in perspective. That said, I did love the new Geek x Vrv EP. Funky as hell.
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EM: It doesn't necessarily have to be a dj, but if you could see any artist (dead or alive) spin a set, who would it be?
JL: Perharps someone like Count Basie. He was such a tastemaker and general music legend in his day. I could totally picture him spinning old records at some beach bar in the middle of nowhere. Laid-back afternoon vibes in the sun with a cocktail. Yes please.
EM: Do you have a favorite getaway spot, or place you've travelled to?
JL: I’m always headed to my local park which backs up onto one of the Royal Palaces. For some reason there is never anyone in it, meaning it’s very chilled! When the sun is out I take my laptop, headphones and my mini keyboard and sit there producing for hours on end. It usually results in good vibes music wise haha.
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EM: You're getting ready to release a new EP. Tell us a little bit about that.
JL: The new EP is a continuation of me exploring my own sound, and trying new things out. Up to this point vocals haven’t featured hugely in my original stuff, so there are a couple of tracks on the EP with a top-line. I worked with a great singer called Dom Robinson on a track called "Paths." It’s really different to my usual stuff, but I’m so pleased with it as a song. I can’t wait for people to hear it.
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EM: I can't wait to hear it. Other than the new EP, what else does the future hold for you?
JL: I’m heading to The States for another tour not too long from now. Including some festivals like Mysteryland, Electric Forest, Lightning In A Bottle and more, plus I’ll be supporting Bassnectar at one his Red Rocks shows as well as hitting up the odd club or two. I’m also working on a live setup for later in the year, and having some real fun exploring my options right now.
EM: Can't wait to see you on tour! Thanks again!
Enjoy this mix that JackLNDN put together exclusively for EARMILK, and catch him on tour at one of his many shows coming up in The U.S. Check out the current list of shows below, and look for more dates to come!
EARMILK Mix Tracklist:
Billon – "Nothing"
Journeyman – "Trust Me"
Dom Dolla – "Love Like This"
Drums Of Death – "Calloutchaname"
Odesza – "All We Need (Haywyre Remix)"
Mr. Belt & Wezol – "Homeless"
Wasabi & Sugar Hill – "It’s On You (Ganzfeld Effect Remix)"
JackLNDN – "Darkness"
Just Kiddin – "Always There"
Going Deeper – "Escape"
Porter Robinson – "Years Of War (Golden Features Remix)"
Clean Bandit – "Rather Be (JackLNDN Remix)"
Elenne – "Between Us ft. Mythic"
Fabich & Ferdinand – "Souls Together"
