1. Journey into Music: Can you share with us your journey into the music industry? What were some of the key moments or infl uences that led you to pursue a career in music, particularly in the genre you specialize in?

Hello, and thanks for the interview.

When I was younger, I played the drums, cello, and guitar. Sometimes I would sing at house parties. At this early age, I was infl uenced by various musical genres. I loved bands like The Smashing Pumpkins but was also very into hip hop, like 2Pac.I remember waiting for the weekend top 100 charts and recording the tracks I liked – my fi rst mix tapes, I guess.

When I was around 15, I went on a day trip with some friends and was handed a cassette player with underground rave music on it. From this point, there was no turning back. It was as if I’d opened a door to another world of music, and everything else seemed bland. My friend spent most of the day trying to get his Walkman back. This led me to want to know where I could go to experience this music live. Being underage, we couldn’t hit the clubs yet, but we could go to illegal raves in the forests around where we lived. Each weekend, we’d wait for the location to come through and drive there before the police closed off the roads.

After a few parties, I managed to get a set. I’d only been mixing a few months, and looking back, my confi dence was defi nitely stronger than my mixing skills. Over the next few years, my mixing skills improved signifi cantly. I spent every penny I had on decks and new records. I miss the days of going to record shops and searching for those gems that others might not have. A few years later, I got a residency at a club in Soho called Thirst. Along with my wingman Oli Cassidy, we started building up a popular Saturday night under the alias Filth & Splendour. Because we had so many people wanting to party, we were asked by the big clubs to come down and play. That was my fi rst exposure to underground clubs from behind the booth. Over a four-year period, we played every main club in London, holding residencies at some of the classic venues: The Key, The Cross, Pacha, and Ministry of Sound.

At the same time, we launched our own progressive label called Itch. We ran it for a few years before focusing on other projects, releasing music from some of our favorite artists who have now become household names, like Christoph, Betoko, James Harcourt, and Rudi Stakker (Low Steppa). Part of me wished we had carried on, but it was another string to the bow and helped build connections I would use later down the line.

Fast forwarding to more recent times, I began focusing on my solo career and moved to Asia for a short period, where I built up a network of amazing venues which I still play at today. Koh Phangan will always be my second home, and I’ll always be grateful to the promoters who gave me the platform to start playing more international gigs.

It was also from this island that I found my love for melodic techno, and it’s stayed strong to this day. I focused on these labels and was lucky enough to hit my targets with releases on Bedrock, Suara, and Steyoyoke. This led to big tours across Asia, Eastern Europe, and Russia.

So, that brings you more or less up to current times. This year I’ve been heavily focused on new music, so watch out for a stream of new material landing soon, including my new single "Spectral Shift" out on Echoes of Time and an EP later this year with Steve Glass on Desert Hearts Black.

2. Creative Process: Your music has a distinct sound and style. Could you walk us through your creative process? How do you approach composing a new track, and what inspires you during this process?

Every studio session is diff erent, and that’s what I love about making music. I try to capture that epic dance fl oor moment in a track, bottling it up into a six-minute story so others can enjoy the same feeling again and again. The best tracks that I’ve released have come together fast and just fl owed. This doesn’t happen every time, which makes it more magical when it does.

3. Evolution of Style: Over the years, how has your music evolved? Are there any particular albums or tracks that you feel represent signifi cant turning points or milestones in your artistic development?

I started out playing hard house and trance, which heavily infl uences my music today. These genres straddle progressive and melodic techno well. I soon moved onto electronica as it became big. As I mentioned before, I teamed up with Oli, and we created the duo Filth & Splendour, peaking with a remix by Umek and Paul Oakenfold. Since going solo, it's been all about melodic techno and occasionally techno when playing Berlin.

4. Challenges and Triumphs: Working in the music industry comes with its own set of challenges and rewards. What have been some of the most signifi cant challenges you've faced in your career, and on the fl ip side, what accomplishments are you most proud of?

One of my key highlights was the livestream I did from Koh Phangan last year. For me, it was a special moment because it was fi lmed on Koh Phangan. The biggest challenges are in the early days when nobody buys your music and nobody comes to your gigs. Before you have a name, it can become very disheartening. It’s important during these times to know why you’re doing this. If your goal is to be famous, you might become very disappointed, and like many others I know, give up. If your goal is to always be in the music industry, to make music and play gigs because you can’t imagine a life without it, then you might fi nd a path that leads you to greater success. Now, I don’t make music to be famous. I’ve had more rich and beautiful musical experiences than I could have ever hoped for, and for me, that equals success.

5. Future Endeavors and Advice for Aspiring Artists: Looking ahead, what future projects or goals are you excited about? Additionally, what advice would you give to aspiring artists who look up to you and wish to carve out their own path in the music industry?

Now that I’ve started making live streams, you’ll see more of these from me. I was a bit slow to pick these up, as life makes you juggle many things, so it’s not always possible to put the attention where you want at a certain time. Now I’m locked in and focused on exciting new content, so I hope to share more experiences with you all soon.
The best advice I can give anyone is this: You have to go into this game with the right mindset, work hard, evolve, and bounce back from rejection.
Have a plan of action; don’t just sail around looking for dry land. Set a course and move towards it. Ask people more experienced than you to give you honest constructive feedback, and don’t take it personally.
Lastly, enjoy the journey and don’t compare yourself to others. Peace and love, JT.

Check out James Trystan’s new single out on Echoes of Time Recordings

Interview Courtesy: Echoes of Time, James Trystan

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