James Organ on first post-pandemic club night: "It was a monumental moment"

James Organ has been turning heads recently, and for all the right reasons. The Liverpool-based house & techno DJ made his breakthrough onto the scene just two years ago, playing to huge crowds at the some of the most popular festivals in the UK including Parklife, Creamfields, Reading & Leeds, and many more. He has even been promoted and played on BBC Radio 1 by huge industry names such as Pete Tong and Danny Howard.

You might think that the pandemic would’ve caused Organ to slow down, but the opposite has been the case. Over the past fourteen months he has been building up an impressive back catalogue of releases, collaborating with the likes of Damian Lazarus' Crosstown Rebels, Hot Since 82’s Knee Deep In Sound, and Youssef’s Circus recordings. In fact, it is his residency at Circus - Liverpool’s most prominent nightclub - that has proved the most fruitful, as he was asked to play the first live music event since last March, hosted by the iconic club.

We caught up with James Organ to ask him about what it felt like to be involved in this historic moment for the music industry.

 

Q: How have you stayed motivated throughout the pandemic, to continue making such incredible music?

A:   A lot of people ask, and in short, it’s been quite tough as I generally rely on listening to or playing live music to stay inspired. I’ve found that given we’ve had a lot more downtime over the last 12 months, that tailoring my own playlists to be strictly new / or fresh material has helped a lot, as you can generally get a lot of inspiration from listening to new ideas, melodies, structures, sounds etc.

 

Q: Do you find that the type of music you want to make has evolved since we’ve been in lockdown?

A:   An artists’ music will evolve naturally all the time for me, and this is not directly linked to lockdown. In the studio when producers begin to experiment with new synths or hardware, or learn to use different techniques the style of their music changes, and it’s a natural process. I think that this change (or evolution) is positive, and it ensures that the music we listen to stays current and fresh. Overall, I would say that yes, my sound has evolved since this time last year and I am very excited for people to hear my lockdown material.

 

Q: Have you found that your relationship with the music that you listen to has changed since the pandemic began? What artists have you been listening to most regularly?

A: No, I feel that I still have a very linear preference when it comes to electronic dance music and and the pandemic hasn’t really affected this. I do find that I tend to listen to my own music a lot more now, whether it be for referencing mix downs / arrangements / vocals / top lines etc. Artist wise, I’ve been listening to a lot of melodic stuff from the likes of Adam Port / Rampa / &ME / Rodriguez Jr / Ame / and labels like Get Physical / Mobilee / Cocoon and many more.

 

Q: How did it feel to have your playlist featured on BBC Radio 1? Must’ve been insane!

A: I am very grateful for the ongoing support from BBC radio 1 and their dance DJs; Pete Tong, Danny Howard, and Jaguar amongst others. It’s opened up a lot of doors for me musically and to have my music featured regularly on their shows is a huge honour.

 

And now, if we can move on to discuss the Circus gig you played last weekend; the first live music event in the UK since last March!

 

Q: How did it feel to be a part of such an important and anticipated event? It must’ve been a big moment for you as you’re based in Liverpool!

A: It was a monumental moment; not only to be on the line-up, but to be a part of the first gig back in the UK for almost 14 months - it was emotional. To see the crowds enter the venue, and their reactions after being able to mix with one another with no social distancing was really something.

 

Q: What was the build-up like before the event – when were you approached to take part in the event? And were there many tests to check whether the event would be COVID-safe?

A:  The build-up before the show was insane, social media was crazy for 2 weeks leading up to the gig, as people scrambled for the last few tickets. I had been approached to take part as soon as it was suggested as I am one of the Circus Residents. I was very happy to take part in this gig in particular, and to play my part in the first steps towards normality for many of my industry peers.

 

Q: How was the atmosphere on the night? Did it feel different to gigs before the pandemic?

A: In short, yes. There was a lot more emotion on display, particularly on the first day, as revellers got their first taste of what life inside a rave was like before the pandemic. A few DJ’s cried, hugged, held their face in their palms etc, it was very poignant but also lovely to see. A collective sense of solidarity between DJs and ravers.

 

Q: What’s your next move –what have you got lined up over the summer months?

A: I am about to announce a full UK club and festival tour schedule between now and December. I am SUPER excited to get back to it, as I have a massive amount of new material and I can’t wait to feel the energy from live crowds once again.

 

Q: And lastly, I just wanted to get your view on how this year has affected the music industry as a whole; how do you see the industry evolving over the coming months, in part due to your involvement in this pilot gig?

I have seen many of my close industry friends and peers take on a second job in order to get through these times, so I’m hoping this is the beginning of the end for the pandemic. I genuinely believe there is about to be a cultural boom off the back of this, as creatives not only in the music industry but film / theatre / crafts / advertising / publishing etc start to unleash their creativity and I am feeling very very optimistic about the end of the year.

Thanks for having me, my name is James Organ, and I hope to see you at a gig very soon.

 

It was great to catch up with James, and we completely agree with his point about the music industry post-pandemic - there's going to be a cultural boom and we can't wait to witness it! You can check James Organ out for yourself on his Soundcloud here. Alternatively, you can buy tickets to one of his gigs coming up very soon - just click here.

(Credit: @circus)

 

Words by Rebecca Clayton