:: INTERVIEWS :: JP & JUKESY

Tidy Weekender 10, 7th October 2006.

Some once told me that there are two genres of music; music you like, and music you don’t. That, to me anyway, it a good way of thinking, particularly as most genres now have sub-genres, and within those there are micro-genres. Within the genre of music I like, there are generally two types of DJs; those that wow me with clever uses of FX’s accompanied by a massive stage presence through likeable egos and guaranteed to play their trade-mark micro-genre of hard-house, and those “no-nonsense” DJs that get on with the job in hand to play a crowd pleasing set, a product of understanding their audiences current state in terms of musical progression.

Names on a line-up (and when available ahead of the event, set times) generally offer clues as to how an evening will pan-out; warm-up sets are notoriously difficult, while subsequent DJs have to pitch themselves correctly so not to burn-out clubbers too early so that DJs on after them have something to work with. Could you imagine Paul Glazby being asked to play 160 bpm of Vicious sounds as the opening set of a Weekender while Technikal has the closing Sunday night slot? Admittedly not all clubbers buy into the progression thing but even so, some promoters, and some DJs too can get it horrendously wrong; I’ve witnessed some big-name DJs clearing packed floors because their egos have served as a barrier to prevent any kind of understanding of what their audiences are up for at that moment, but for us progression fans we are happy for promoters to pigeon-hole DJs based on their styles and schedule set-times accordingly. After-all, in many cases it is often a particular style that makes DJ popular and consequently famous.

It is therefore understandable that the DJ acts which are not so easily pigeon-holed though can sometimes find it tough to make a mark on the DJ circuit and risk being overlooked. Yet the very fact they can’t be segmented or easily identified by the tracks they are playing is an indication of their versatility, a quality and talent that is often taken for granted.

Then there is the whole thorny issue of back-2-back DJing. A B2B set is often a vehicle for promoters to have a longer list of appealing DJ names on flyers to woo in punters and to wrongly justify ridiculous ticket prices. Often the end result is a disjointed set with no musical progression, or, even worse, two DJs trying to outdo each other which leaves their credibility dented as pissed off clubbers question why the back-to-back ever took place. Long gone are the days where back-to-backs used to be unusual and not to be missed special features of any line-up and the product of much negotiation and planning would deliver a truly amazing well considered set.

In my perfect hard-house world where DJs should be forbidden from doing back to backs and are scheduled on line-ups according to their style rather than adapting their style according to their schedule, JP & Jukesy go against Ru’s law. Totally. But these guys are not a random pairing. Far from it. As evidence, they signed to Tidy, are familiar features on line-ups for big cub nights up and down the country, and a popular (almost mandatory) inclusion at the Tidy Weekenders; the pairing of these 25 year olds four years ago created a partnership that is more natural than fish in the sea. It’s as if it was meant to happen. JP & Jukesy are up there with the like of the The Tidy Boys and Wid & Ben when it comes to set delivery; their appearance as solo DJs rarer than finding that your bank has made a mistake in your favour. For the majority who did not know any better you’d not know there were actually two DJs.

A chance meeting through a mutual friend some four years ago whilst out clubbing at Sundissential North is where it all began. Almost immediately the pair recognised that they had similar musical interests; both considered (and still consider) Andy Farley as being inspirational in their clubbing lives; both had taken a keen interest in DJing and both enjoyed their hobby as bedroom DJs. Although JP had played out once or twice before, this was the total of the pairs DJing experience. They hit it off instantly.

Together, they are as natural as cheese & biscuits, Batman and Robin, or Del Boy and Rodney; and like these examples JP and Jukesy are have different personalities and qualities which compliment each other; by capitalising on each others strengths they are the collective talent of JP & Jukesy. JP (Jon-Paul) for example, has a more “live for the moment” mentality, enjoys the fact he is young, free and single, and will spend any spare time out on a dance floor. Jukesy, (Adam Jukes) on the other hand is a family man who is devoted to his fiancé and their baby daughter, both of which he talks affectionately about.

Despite their different non “JP & Jukesy” lives, they have very little to disagree about. Jukesy is playfully dismissive of JPs golden tan, a product of many sessions under the sun-bed which on occasion has, apparently “made him glow and look like David Dickinson” while Jukeys’s love of Diesel (the brand, not the bus fuel) received the most minimal scorn from JP. Surprisingly though, despite his party instincts and his love of the opposite sex JP is more likely to be found in front of a big log fire whilst enjoying a country retreat while family man Jukesy would be doing the rounds in Prague, Budapest or Amsterdam.

Their first gig together came from an opportunity to perform a back-to-back at a Sundi birthday, and followed a great deal of promotion by JP through the use of cassette recorded demos. The promoter agreed to let the duo perform a back to back set which clearly hit the right notes and for JP & Jukesy an opportunity to prove themselves in a club environment. “They liked the way we played together and invited us back for another back-2-back” JP remembers. Their second performance secured a residence at the club and quickly became a popular fixture. A further booking as a back-to-back act for Sunday School in Birmingham saw the “JP & Jukesy” tag being advertised for the first time. “The promoter came up with that themselves, we liked it and the name sort of stuck” said Jukesy. So the duo became JP and Jukesy and the name has since become a regular feature on line-ups up and down the country, their ego-shy personalities, accessible and addictive tracks and a true appreciation of clubber satisfaction makes them a popular part of any promotion. It is rare to see one of them without the other when DJing; they accept DJ bookings and co-ordinate their respective holidays so that they don’t have to play separately. Indeed Jukesy said “I don’t actually know if I could play solo, playing as JP & Jukesy is all I know and I’m comfortable with that”.

Pre-planning their sets is not their style. “We agree on who is going to go first and then take it from their” JP explained. Although they have decks at home and regularly practice and refine their individual mixing skills, it was surprising to find out that JP & Jukesy have never practiced together. But then having seen them perform before, and watching them interact when doing this interview, they really don’t need to, they are really that in-tune with each-other and so accurate in assessing their audiences that I actually think to practice together may have a detrimental effect. Their success can also be attributed to the fact that jointly, they are proficient and knowledgeable DJs across the entire scope of hard-house. Jukesy loves warm-up sets and enjoys the more funkier groovy 145 bpm tracks while JP prefers something closer to 155 bpm. But no matter what speed or style, they have the ability to progress a set seamlessly from start to finish.

More recently, JP & Jukesy have been neutering new love-child in the form of Deprivation, a jointly owned and successful record label. They attribute its success to a number of golden rules; they both have to be 100% behind any potential productions and each release has two definitive styles, one for the A side, the other for the B side. Working in such away means every record released doubles its potential audience appeal, therefore they shift the double amount of units. Every release so far has paid for itself and profits are ploughed back into fledgling project which has seen collaborations and tracks from Tara Reynolds, Ingo, Daley and Digital Kid. The record label has taken a bit of a back seat during 2006 to make way for an unprecedented level of DJ bookings that have kept JP & Jukesy doing what they love; they quickly point out you can’t compare the atmosphere of a fully charged dance-floor to studio work. Even so, Deprivation is an important part of their portfolio with many ideas and projects being considered; Andy Farley and Paul Glazby top of their wish-list for possible future collaborations.

Saturday 2nd December is the next major milestone for Deprivation; the labels third birthday celebration. “It’s going to be a night of true musical progression” Jukesy informs me as he hands over a wedge of flyers advertising the house sounds of Egoiste and Dean H, tech trance courtesy of Shaun M, then a 1997 to 2000 classics set from the mighty Andy Farley. The line-up also includes, of course, JP & Jukesy who will take over from their idol to prepare the dance-floor for “Uncle” Ian M. The stage for this retrospective of sorts is Vaults in Kettering, specifically chosen because it allows clubbers to be “up close and personal” with the DJs. The event is typical of their attitude; clubber orientated entertainment based on musical progression.

Deprivation has a sister label; Deprived Funk is more for the groovier, more chilled side of things and provides something of a clue to where JP and Jukesy believe hard-house may, in part at least, be heading. “The sound is evolving and hard-house is at the end of a cycle” JP explains. “We all have a part in making hard-house survive and we can’t do that by standing still, the scene needs to adapt or it will just fizzle way”. Of course evidence suggests that they are right, it’s well known that hard-house in particular has suffered noise-diving record sales; there are far fewer hard-house tracks are being pressed and of the ones that do get that far, they are produced in fewer and fewer numbers in line with shrinking demand. But they also agree that the digital age will help the hard-house scene adapt, with more good quality tracks available online. “We’re seeing some really good things coming through now, and we’re really positive about the future of hard-house” Jukesy comments. “Digital download sites have an important role… a producer can’t make money from a release anymore so digital download is a cheaper method of bringing tracks out, and you’ll find that these good quality tracks by those who love the music will revitalise the scene” JP suggests. As buying manager for Hard To Find Records he is well placed to comment.

Although still early days for JP & Jukesy, they already boast an impressive list of appearances at major events and venues; yet to be conquered they quote only Global Gathering and Brixton Academy, given their progress to date I don’t think that we’ll have too long to wait. Jukesy also commented on his desire to play in Japan: “the crowds are always open minded; they love everything that’s played. Nick Rafferty played there and they loved everything, they clapped every mix”. Japan sounds a world away from a Tuesday night gig in Birmingham when the boys played out from the confines of a kitchen in a restaurant, and a pizza joined records spinning on the decks.

JP & Jukesy are enjoying a huge amount of popularity. Praising and glowing feedback courtesy of clubbers who’ve just experienced a JP and Jukesy set regularly appear via online message boards. One of their biggest fans is Sarah, Jukesy fiancé and mother of their young daughter; her enthusiasm caught me a little by surprise; considering that Jukesy spends a lot family time away from home with JP, and coupled with Jukesy supporting his family with a full time day job, it would be totally understandable if Sarah was a little resentful. In reality her attitude could not be more different, Sarah was more than happy to volunteer that she loves the “JP & Jukesy” part of her future husbands life and whole-heartedly supports it. And whilst it would be natural to think that JP’s young free and single approach may lead her fiancé astray Sarah is far more concerned that it might be the other way round. “JP’s so lovely, I worry that Jukesy will get him in to bad habits” she says with a big grin.

Although veterans of the Weekender now, TWX brings with it another milestone for JP & Jukesy as their set, recorded live, is one of three sets from the weekend to form the official Tidy Weekender 10 compilation, Anne Savage and Andy Farley also sharing that honour. “We’re absolutely delighted to have been asked, the CD will be the first ever JP & Jukesy album that is commercially available” JP said. Surely they’ve planned this set? “No, not at all” Jukesy went on to explain that they agreed a pool of tracks with Tidy in advance which had pre-licence clearance, but other than that what you will hear on their CD is JP & Jukesy doing what they do best, playing for a crowd and the only agenda to be asked back for the next Weekender. Despite having no room for error, (the recording being despatched almost immediately for CD production), the boys were quite relaxed about the whole thing.

It’s the first time I’d met JP & Jukesy. Watching them interact as they DJ is an extension of their relationship; if they weren’t fully paid up members of the “we appreciate good looking ladies” club you could be forgiven for thinking they were a couple in a loving relationship and had been married for years. The way they bounced of each other in the interview demonstrated that this is a union of two individuals that is meant to be. They are both modest in their achievements and realistic in their ambitions. And their working relationship is a model for any couple in any relationship, professional or otherwise; built on mutual respect, trust and honesty.

IMAGE COPYWRITE BEN THOMAS