I recently had the opportunity to have a phone interview with Jason Ross, a producing DJ who talked with me from San Diego, California. With significant support from artists such as Above & Beyond, Ross is bound to storm the EDM scene with a style that combines progressive, electro, and aspects of trance elements.
Originally from Minnesota, Jason began producing at age 12; not much younger than Martin Garrix— Okay, I’m kidding, calm down. When he produced his first album, Ross donated the proceeds to the Red Cross, and admits that even though we may listen to it now and laugh, it was “definitely a starting block” to where he’s at today.
So that brings us to now. His track “Burma”, admittedly one of my favorites to listen to right now, has blown up since its release in February through Monster Tunes and has proven to be a huge success for Ross ever since. The single has made it on the Beatport charts, including Above & Beyond’s “Hello” Chart, even after its immediate release. As of today, it\’s Monster Tunes\’s #1 top selling single on Beatport. It has also gained recognition and support by artists such as Mat Zo and Paul Oakenfold. Oh yeah, and it sat nicely in MixMag’s April issue.
Jason: “For Burma, I pretty much made what I love to make. I’m all about creating epic breakdowns, then building them up into very groove-oriented/electro-type drops. I had the whole track down before the vocals, and I was looking for something to spice it up. I went digging for unique vocals, and came across these amazing samples recorded in Myanmar (Burma). To me, it made the track so much more exciting, and really added a unique edge.”
According to Ross, he felt the vocals in the song itself made it come to life, even though they came along afterwards. He feels that they add flair, but aren’t over the top. It’s a very genuine, melodic tune worth listening to.
So what’s next for this DJ? Perhaps sharing the stage with Above & Beyond, Porter Robinson, & Tiesto. Again. Or selling out another show at Cielo in NYC during a tour. While that may be uncertain for now, we can look forward to some new music from Jason Ross this May through Enhanced Records that aims to incorporate cultural aspects while still keeping the music club and festival-oriented.
Speaking of…Last minute trivia!
EDMC: Dream festival?
Jason: TomorrowLand
EDMC: What about dream collaboration?
Jason: Ilan Bluestone, Matisse & Sadko, Ivan Gough
EDMC: What was it like talking with Porter Robinson?
Jason: I got a chance to speak with Porter for a while, and he congratulated me on a great, proper set, and gave some advice: “Do what you love to do, and make what you want to make; that’s when the world will listen.”
EDMC: Music inspirations in and outside EDM?
Jason: Ilan Bluestone, Audien, Jeremy Olander, Andre Sobota, Macintosh Brown, Muse, anyone with solid melodies and good rhythm.
EDMC: Top 5 songs on your play list right now?
Jason:
1. Matisse & Sadko – Sigure
2. Daniel Garrick – Upgrade
3. Ilan Bluestone – Big Ben
4. 3LAU & Bright Lights – How You Love Me
5. Fatum & Natalie Peris – Words
EDMC: Team Avicii or Team Deadmau5?
Jason: Hahaha! Neither, I like them both.
Listen to his track \”Bruma\” as played on Group Therapy below:
You can purchase it on Beatport.
