Jes Brieden went to Los Angeles around the turn of the century “on a vacation” — and wound up staying there to become one of the most popular songwriting performers in the electronic realm, with hits of her own and numerous collaborations.
But Brieden, who records and performs as JES, says she finds the actual craft of writing differs little between the between different styles of music.
As a kid I was fascinated by the mystery of vinyl.”
“I was mesmerized by the big beautiful covers and shiny black discs. They were like works of art you could actually touch. How did the grooves hold all that music and why couldn’t I see it? There was something about the crackle as the needle touched the surface that swept an overwhelming anticipation through my whole body in those few seconds before the first note.
Since being signed to Tiësto’s label and Black Hole Records, vocalist, DJ and producer JES is exactly what Trance and the world of EDM needs. With only two female DJ’s (three if you count Krewella) on DJ Mag’s Top 100 it has never been more clear that women are a forgotten species in the male-dominated and newly commercial world of electronic music. After a successful run on the Insomniac-promoted ATB Live Tour, JES is next up on the female DJ/ producer circuit.
Starchildren, rejoice! Joonbug recently had the honor of sitting down with none other than trance vocal legend JES before her set with ATB this past Saturday night at The Roseland Ballroom. JES, who has been involved in the scene for over a decade and has worked with fellow superstars such as Tiesto and Cosmic Gate, opened up to us about her musical style, influences, and more.
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It is a commonly held belief that leaders are born, not made. If this is true, then JES’ position in the world of EDM can only be described as her birth right. In a world where few have the vision, creativity and will power to carve their own distinct niche JES has excelled in exactly that. One voice and vision that has forged a career path that is often imitated, but rarely equaled. JES’ extraordinary voice and passionate songwriting has won her the respect and adoration of both the music fans and industry across the globe, releasing songs with the very cream of the international EDM crop. We got a chance to sit down with her during her live tour with ATB in San Francisco.
After a bit of a break from writing, I couldn’t be more excited to dust my keyboard off with this fantastic conversation I got to have with JES before her amazing performance at Foundation Nightclub in Seattle. JES is an absolutely incredible performer and a true triple-threat: she’s a talented producer, DJ and singer. Onstage, she has that rare stage presence that really connects with her crowd and offstage she is genuine and easy to talk to.
Honestly, I felt a bit skeptical coming into this night because I’ve felt so jaded about live performances after seeing so many studio vocalists perform live at Ultra. Too many times it seems that the songs tend to lose their ‘magic’ when you take a singer out of the studio. I had no idea what to expect for this night until I sat down and talked with JES. I left the green room with a warm glow after meeting her because she is just vibrant with energy and is always ready with a warm smile, and I couldn’t wait to see this energy translated on stage.
Renowned DJ and producer ATB has announced his partnership with Insomniac Events for the four date ATB Live In Concert Tour. For two weekends in October, audiences in San Francisco, LA, Chicago and New York will witness a unique EDM concert experience featuring a live band with a drummer, guitarist, bassist, and keyboard player. To top it off, several featured vocalists from ATB’s best hits will perform live during the show. None more beloved and well-known in the dance music scene than JES, the US-based songwriter, singer and DJ will join him on all four dates where she will debut two new ATB collaborations from his upcoming album Contact.
As one of the industry’s most established artists, JES has remained at the forefront of the EDM revolution through her resonating lyrics, vivacious live performances and thoughtfully assembled mixes. Her weekly radio show, “Unleash The Beat,” was launched in 2012 and has enjoyed runaway success syndicating worldwide on over 60 stations. She has written and provided vocals for nearly every top name in the industry, including Tiesto, Armin van Buuren, Paul Oakenfold, Above & Beyond, Kaskade, BT, Richard Durand, Cosmic Gate and Roger Shah.
After three artist albums–Disconnect (April, 2007), Into The Dawn – The Hits Disconnected (January, 2008) and High Glow (March, 2010)–and touring throughout 6 continents and countless countries, JES added DJing to her live show, often singing along to her tracks as she mixes. The second volume of her compilation series Unleash The Beat was released in August and is another shining example of the devotion to dance music that JES has held from the beginning of her career and continues to bring to fans around the globe today.
Don’t miss this unique chance to catch JES live in concert with ATB! Tickets are available now at www.atbinconcert.com.
4th October // San Francisco // Warfield Theatre
5th October // Los Angeles // The Palladium
11th October // Chicago // Aragon Ballroom
12th October // New York // Roseland Ballroom
CONNECT WITH JES:
Website: www.planetjes.com
Facebook: facebook.com/jespage
Twitter: @official_jes
Radio: www.unleashthebeat.com
The beautiful and talented, JES, signed onto Tiesto’s Black Hole Recordings back in 2007 and quickly became a force to be reckoned with. This chart-topping artist’s resume is quite a handful, collaborating with numerous world class DJs such as Tiesto, Armin Van Buuren, BT, Paul Oakenfold, Kaskade, to name a few. JES has toured across the globe, from clubs to TV shows; even wrote a hit theme for Coke Cola, which set off a series of concerts for the Beijing Olympics. Collecting awards at the International Dance Music Awards and topped as Billboard’s “Most Played Dance Song of the Decade” – there’s no sign of JES is slowing down one bit. Not to mention her massive collaboration with Cosmic Gate from the album “Wake Your Mind,” which was nominated for a 2013 IDMA award in the Best Trance Track category!
Recently EDMTunes had the opportunity to sit down with JES at her show in Los Angeles at Exchange LA. JES boasts quite the illustrious vocal career. Aside from being a solo EDM artist, JES has done many collaborations with various members of the Trance Family since the early 2000′s. Sitting down with JES was like sitting down with an old friend. We sat in a retro booth in the green room of the old stock exchange building and began the interview. Right off the bat we began conversing and laughing as I pointed out the DIY wedged sneakers that she had spray painted gold to match her outfit, simply because she didn’t feel like wearing tricky heels. Good call. JES’ bright and bubbly personality was an absolute pleasure to be around. We probably could have kept talking long after the interview was over, but it was time for her to take the stage. JES’ performance was on point as she sang, danced and manned the turn tables. JES’ angelic voice filled the room and had the crowd going nuts. She finished the performance with the iconic hit “As The Rush Comes”, there is no way to describe it, other than, EPIC.
CLICK TO READ THE FULL INTERVIEW
JES extraordinary voice and passionate songwriting has won her the respect and adoration of music fans across the globe. Over the past few years JES has been releasing songs with the very cream of the international EDM crop. She is famously known as one of the few songwriters and singers to incorporate DJing into her live performances. More recently, JES has released her compilation Unleash The Beat Vol 6. We sat down with JES to ask her some questions regarding songwriting, her career, and her latest compilation.