
DJ:
Jamez
About the concept:
Here is the thirty-seventh instalment of our series “abc plays xyz”.
The idea behind it is to ask some DJs/mixing artists if they have an artist or label in mind that they love and would like to use for a mix.
So the approach of each mix is clear: the choosen DJ/mixing artist makes a selection of tracks produced by one artist (and her/his monikers) or released on a label (and its sublabels) and creates a nice mix from it.
Find links to all instalments at our overview. Today we present you Jamez’s mix of tracks & remixes he released under several names .
About Jamez:
Dutch producer Jamez has had a hand in more good records than most of us have had hot dinners. Apart from the by-no-means trifling matter of co-producing house record – 51 Days’ ‘Paper Moon’ – he’s also been at the birth of the Trancesetters, the splendidly-named Tata Box Inhibitors, P.I.M.P., Loophole, Amfibian, Mindfunk and an ever-expanding list of inventively-spelt production credits. You’d wonder, looking at the fellow’s discography, whether he ever got any kip (we’ve been assured by his family that he does).
Jamez, for those that haven’t been paying attention, was part of a Dutch triumvirate – the other two being Dobre and DJ Zki – that helped transform European house music in the early 90s. Working closely with Dutch outfit Touché Records, they produced a series of consistently great singles of wildly differing styles ranging from the jazzy (Jamshed), deep (51 Days) and the acclaimed harder style of Tata Box Inhibitors and Trancesetters. While most UK DJ’s looked to the US for new records, oddly, lots of American DJs – Danny Tenaglia being a particular fan – championed this new European style (Underworld’s Darren Emerson was also an early supporter of Touché’s releases).
Like many a young European, Jamez was turned on to dance music via the burgeoning rap scene of the eighties, before hooking up with Dobre who, as luck would have it, had a small home-studio. Experiments in dance ensued. A meeting with DJ Zki at a radio station completed the Three Musketeers’ line-up. Early releases came out through fellow countryman Robin ‘Jaydee’ Albers’ First Impressions label, but it was through Touché Records – started with Dobre – that Jamez and his cohorts gained international recognition.
Both 51 Days’ mournful ‘Paper Moon’ and Trancesetters’ heavy-hitting ‘The Search’ were massive New York club hits. Plenty of others were staples in DJs’ boxes around the world, probably because Jamez has mastered the art of syncopated and punchy beats, mellifluous keyboards and catchy hooks. Soulful dance music, in other words. As a remixer, Jamez is no slouch, either, having turned in superb mixes of Paperclip People’s ‘The Climax’, X-Press 2’s strident ‘The Sound’, Humate’s ‘Choose Life’ and a stunning rerub of Der Dritte Raum’s ‘Alienoid’, transforming it into a hypnotically textural house cut. The list goes on and on.
After more than 100 releases on world class labels, numerous remixes and many appearances on compilations, he definetly put his mark down.
As a DJ he also did his part. Flying from one city to the other, keeping the crowds shouting for more. His mix of techno and tech house takes the listener on a journey through unknown territories, well known hights and deep smooth plains.
After a well deserved sabbatical Jamez returned to the scene in 2008, where he hooked up with Soulboy. In the summer of 2009 Christian Smith (Smith & Selway) did a remix for Trancesetters ‘The Search’. The track had big support from Hernan Cattaneo, James Zabiela, John Digweed and Adam Beyer. Together with Soulboy, they produced the track Surface Tension, which was in 2009 Kevin Saunderson’s summers favourite and was frequently heard on Ibiza Global Radio. He is frequently asked for remixes and in 2010 he launched the label Repressure Recordings. In 2012 he left the label in the capable hands of his two partners and started yet a new adventure.
About Jamez Productions:
Alex Dijksterhuis aka Jamez released under several monikers and collaborated with many other artists. So he is associated with names like Tata Box Inhibitors, Dark Territory, Trancesetters, Tatoine, Float and many more
Listen & Download:
“Jamez plays Jamez Productions” (download coming soon)
Jamez About His Choice:
it’s clear why we did this mix or
Tracklist:
01. Tetraflux – From The Past Into The Present Future (Loophole’s Future Remix)
02. Astron Nivo – Vinortsa (Jamez and Boshell Remix)
03. Jamez & Jerome – Chasing Dreams (Tatoine Remix)
04. Soulkeeper – Deeper (Trancesetters Remix)
05. Jamez – Drum Spirit (Loophole Hard Remix)
06. Oz Romita – Levelized (Loophole Remix)
07. MRE – The Deep Edge part 3 (Jamez Remix)
08. Tribal Warriors – 08 (Jamez’s Peace and Love Remix)
09. 51 Days – Tracktion
10. Oz Romita – Amsterdam Sound (Jamez Remix)
11. Fortress vs Lemonsoul – Sun (Jamez Remix)
12. Lemonsoul – I’m Cold
13. Pleasing Robots – My Mind Is Gone
14. Tata Box Inhibitors – Ribosomal (One Take Mix)
15. Plastika – Answer (Trancesetters Remix)
16. The Electric 10 – Hotel E
17. Jamez & Soulboy – Surface Tension
18. Loophole – Frantic
19. Jamez & Jerome – Sex Addiction (Jamez’s Sexy Remix)
20. Jamez – Alibi
21. Tata Box Inhibitors – Plasmids
22. Tetraflux – Okinawan
23. Jamez & Soulboy – Jullungul (Orlando Voorn Remix)
24. Float – Nothing Seems Real (VoodooAmt Remix)
Recommendations:
Lemonsoul’s EP “I’m Cold” on Rough Cut Records
“Surface Tension (The Remixes Part 2)” by Jamez & Soulboy on Rough Cut Records
“Surface Tension (The Remixes Part 1)” by Jamez & Soulboy on Rough Cut Records
“First Encounter EP” by P.I.M.P. on Rough Cut Records
Jamez’ EP “Silence (Remixes)” on Rough Cut Records
Websites:
Jamez
Jamez @ Facebook
