Jeremy Sylvester: A 5 Mag Mix Vol ++007

UK Garage pioneer Jeremy Sylvester mixes Volume #7 of A 5 Mag Mix, 5 Magazine’s signature mix and interview series.

“I’ve been quite busy DJing around UK and Europe with gigs in Netherlands, Switzerland, Germany and Eastern Europe,” Jeremy Sylvester says. “A new generation of clubbers are discovering my music form back in the day via the internet, and its good to know I have inspired some of them to get into music production.”

One of the pioneer of the UK Garage sound, no moss is growing under the feet of Jeremy Sylvester. The producer and DJ has been pushing his original releases, a line of acclaimed sample packs, production tutorials as well as a healthy DJ career (even though we’re still trying to get him to the States).

Jeremy Sylvester contributed this exclusive set for our A 5 Mag Mix series, following mixes from DJ Godfather, Mr. Mendel, Naeem & Gusto, Parris Mitchell, Zernell and Kool Vibe.

Czarina Mirani’s interview with Jeremy Sylvester follows his mix below:

So what’s been going on with you lately Jeremy? The last time I interviewed you was in 2011… can you bring us up to speed?

It’s been non-stop for me ever since, especially with my Urban Dubz Music company which has now branched out into music PR and radio plugging servicing independent artists and record labels from around the world.

The label side of things is doing quite well and I’ve been consistently releasing new music from myself and up & coming artists over the past couple years which I’m really excited about. It’s great discovering new talent and helping them to create a platform for themselves. The label has released new music from the likes of London-based producer/DJ Stevie B (Snazzy Trax), Amsterdam-based singer Troy Denari, who is an amazing vocalist who has released music with Kerri Chandler and many others since, Belgium-based producer/DJ Groove Riddim who is doing great things right now.

I have released a new single featuring Sweet Female Attitude (SWA) singer Leanne Brown under my Club Asylum name and the track entitled “Reasons” saw hot remixes by Booker T, Snazzy Trax, myself, Dimitri Gatsou (Groove Riddim) and others and has now been licensed to Ministry of Sound.

In 2014, we released a new compilation album Garage Retro Classics which featured 30 of my old Garage tracks and remixes from back in the day. This is available to download on iTunes and all main digital stores. I’ve been especially busy releasing four new EPs this year, Abtrax EP, Wax EP, Vibes From The Lab and my recent release Fruit Drops EP, all available to download from Traxsource and other main stores worldwide. I will be releasing new EPs with various collaborations in the summer which I’m looking forward to.

I’ve also been quite busy DJing around UK and Europe with gigs in Netherlands, Switzerland, Germany and Eastern Europe. It’s great to see how responsive the crowd are to my music and surprising to hear how many of them know my music so well. A new generation of clubbers are discovering my music form back in the day via the internet, and its good to know I have inspired some of them to get into music production.

With all this going on, I’ve still had time to focus on creating more music production tutorials which I will be doing more and more in the future. At the moment, I have a number of videos on my urbandubz Youtube channel, but I’m currently putting together a “Deep House & Garage Music Production” course which contains 50+ video lectures to show you how I create tracks from start to finish. I’m really excited about this and I hope to share more information with you guys about it.

You’ve been quite the don of so many producer packs. Tell me have you recognized any of your sounds or patterns in music that’s being put out?

Yes I’ve heard quite a few tracks over past few years with many of my loops, one shots, patterns, basslines and synth hooks. People say to me, does it bother me?! And I’m like… no, why should it?!

The whole reason why I started making sample packs was to help people out, or at least give them some inspiration. I’ve heard my sounds on major recording artists from the USA and UK. It’s a little bit bizarre when I hear one of my sounds on top 10 chart tracks on BBC Radio 1 etc. It just makes me realise how useful and popular my packs have become. I’ve used and still use sample packs myself, so I haven’t got a problem with it. Hip Hop producers have been using samples for decades, so it’s nothing new.

I still produce sample packs, and many of them are available from my own website, loopwax.com. I’ve just recently released a ’90s Garage sample pack containing my personal collection of samples lifted from my old Akai S3000 floppy discs. Loads more packs for release are due later in the year.

So it’s still our goal to get you out here to the States! It still boggles my mind how you still haven’t been here.

I’ve been to the States many times, but I’ve never played there which is something I want to make happen soon. I get many requests to play out there, but so far haven’t made the link to make it happen. Hopefully with you guys’ help we can change that. I’m more than ready to unleash my dubplates and get the crowd rocking out there. I seem to get most of my gigs around Europe which is cool, but I’ve always got a special place in my heart for the USA. Most of my musical influences are from out there, so it makes sense me coming over.

How did you connect with Mr. Bootsauce and Stu G in your upcoming release on Urban Dubz?

I first came across Mr Bootsauce & Stu G when they sent me a demo here at Urban Dubz Music. Mr Bootsauce first words were “Big fan from LA!” and he’s been rocking to my tracks for years and has always been playing my tracks at his club night in Hollywood called UNITY which is a fantastic Deep House night on a Thursday. It attracts many great DJs such as Jesse Saunders, Colette, Jask, Kenny Summit and more.

I love what I heard, and it just so happened to be good timing as we were looking for new music/artists to sign to the label.

I immediately fell in love with the two tracks “Dynamo” and “House Me.” I quickly signed the tracks and then went into the studio and remixed the two tracks under my “Original Don” and “Sly Strictly Dubz” alias. I wanted to flip the vibe a little, to give it a more ‘Late Night’ underground UK feel to it. The original mixes have a more laidback Deep House feel.

The EP was released on the 11th May at Traxsource, Beatport and all main digital stores worldwide with support from some of the biggest club and radio DJs/stations on the scene. I’m really looking forward to this release and later on in there year there will me more new releases from Mr Bootsauce.

Essentials: Connect with Jeremy Sylvester via Soundcloud, Facebook, urbandubz.com and jeremysylvester.com.