This highly versatile and prolific young producer is dead set on
dominating the international house scene while also winning over dubstep
and leftfield electronica fans with side projects like Nocturnal
Sunshine and She Is Danger.
Crossfade caught up with Miss Coles on the cusp of her first-ever American booking.
Crossfade: At 23, you're remarkably young for such an accomplished
producer. How did you first get drawn to electronic music and when did
you start producing and DJing?
Maya Jane Coles: I started producing music when I was 15, so I
guess I've had a bit of a head start compared to a lot of people my age.
I played a few instruments when I was younger, and with my parents
being huge music lovers there was always diverse and interesting stuff
playing around the house. I started DJing when I was 18 and that's when I
started getting more into house and tech. I grew up on '90s hip hop,
R&B and trip-hop and stuff, so that's what I originally made when I
first started producing.
How did growing up in London influence your sound?
I guess growing up in London opened my eyes to so many different genres
and scenes from a young age, so that comes out in my music. There's
something for everyone here and always a lot of creativity going on. I
get bored just doing one thing. I've never stuck to producing one genre.
If I like a style of music, I have to give it a go. When I was younger
the UK drum 'n' bass/jungle/garage scenes were so strong. That was
definitely a big influence at one point.
Do you think your Japanese heritage carries over into your sound as well?
I wouldn't necessarily say so. But I think the fact that I'm from London
and influenced by music from all over the world carries through my
sound.
Much of your current production style seems informed by early '90s
house. Which artists or records do you feel have been immediate
influences for you?
A lot of people seem to think that '90s house has been one of my main
influences, but that's not really the case. I've always appreciated the
roots of house, but then I'm influenced by a lot of old music. "What
They Say" was one track that happened to have a real '90s organ lead
vibe going on, but the music I'm most influenced by is the stuff I
listened to growing up like all the hip hop stuff and then a lot of
dub/electronica. I'm also influenced by a lot of song-based stuff and
guitar bands, which is why I don't just produce dance music. When it
came to dance music I listened to drum 'n' bass/jungle before house, and
then in my later teens I translated all this into house music.
Did you expect the massive international success of "What The Say"
before its release? What have been the higlights of gaining
international recognition?
I didn't expect it at all! You can never predict these things, really.
For me it was just another release and I never thought it would blow up
so much. It's paved the way for my next releases and gained me a huge
amount of listeners which I didn't have before. Those are the main
important things for me. No longer feeling the struggle of being an
unknown artist is a massive relief. And now I'm getting to travel the
world through music which is amazing.
You've also kept busy this past year with your Nocturnal Sunshine and
She Is Danger side-projects. What prompts you to take a particular
stylistic direction when you're in the studio, whether it's deep house
or dubstep?
It's been crazy recently trying to balance all the the different
projects, but it keeps me super busy all the time and if I ever get a
block with one project, I've got ideas for another. I try not to plan
what I'm gonna do in the studio too much, 'cause when I do it never
usually works out. I just prefer to let things flow naturally and that's
when the best stuff comes out. The main reason I have so many projects
is that I can never just stick to one thing. I just thought If I'm
capable of making lots of different styles of music, then why not? I
chose to use different aliases cause if I did everything under one name
people would get too confused. I'd have way too much stuff, all
completely different styles and sounds, under one name and unfortunately
it's very hard to market in that way.
How did you first hook up with Lena Cullen for She Is Danger and what
do you get out of the collaboration that you don't from producing solo?
We met through a mutual friend about 5 years ago and Lena gave me the
parts of a track of hers to do a remix. I ended up doing a drum 'n' bass
mix and she loved it. After that, we collaborated on another track but
it wasn't 'til about 2-3 years later that we decided to actually start a
proper project together. We decided we wanted to do something that was
genreless and timeless. We didn't want to set boundaries or create any
limitations before we started. That was when She Is Danger was born.
It's cool cause we both do our solo stuff too and there's no pressure,
we just make music together when we can. We're both pretty prolific
artists and working together is so easy. Collaborating with people can
often slow the process down 'cause there's more than one person's
opinions to consider and not everyone always sees eye to eye, but when
Lena and I go into the studio together it always works so smoothly and
we always come out of a session with something we're happy with.
Can you run us through a typical workday for you?
Everyday is different. My ideal week would be to spend all day every day
in the studio! But that never really happens. I'm always traveling now
with all the gigs and when I'm not away there are always meetings and
press stuff to cater to. But for me the creativity is the most important
part and it's vital that I make time for it. At the moment I'm really
trying to focus on getting my album finished, but I'm such a
perfectionist, so it's not gonna be a quick and easy process! I love
DJing, but being in the studio is the best part for me though 'cause
making music is where my passion lies.
Do you think women are on their way to making a bigger impact on the
male-dominated EDM scene? What advise would you give other budding
female DJ-producers?
Yes, definitely. I'm starting to hear more and more outstanding female
producers and there's definitely more younger women getting involved.
The production side of music doesn't seem to appeal to women as much as
it appeals to men, so I think it'll always be a pretty male-dominated
world, but it's refreshing to see more women taking an interest. The
main advice I'd give is to not let being a minority faze you. At the end
of the day, we're all just people that make music. It doesn't matter if
you're male or female, what matters is the end product.
What does the future have in store for Maya Jane Coles?
The future of MJC reaches far beyond house music. I hope to eventually
be respected as a producer by music lovers of all genres as well as the
EDM scene. I think when I eventually unleash my album it will be a true
reflection of me.
Maya Jane Coles. Thursday, April 14. Electric
Pickle, 2826 N. Miami Ave., Miami. Doors open at 11 p.m. Ages 21 and up.
Call 305-456-5613 or visit electricpicklemiami.com.
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