The desert is calling us and the time to experience Gem & Jam is quickly approaching us. The first major camping music festival in the United States, Gem & Jam Festival is set to take over the Pima County Fairgrounds from February 3rd to the 5th with an absolutely POPPIN’ artist lineup. They recently put out their daily lineups showcasing the artists and the days that they will be performing, check out it below!
We were able to get some time and do a TCE exclusive interview with one of our favorite artists and most anticipated acts at this years Gem and Jam; Canadian funky bass music producer: Defunk. This electronic music producer has various genres he dabbles with from; gnarly dubstep and experimental bass, to the funky stuff, sprinkled with some instrumental feels & house vibes, and then of course being Canadian, Drum and Bass. Not only does he mix in dope songs but he performs live over some of the tracks with a very unique instrument, the ‘Roli Seaboard.’ (More info on his instrument can be read in our last interview with Defunk back at Shambhala in 2018.) His performances are always one of a kind and are catered to the crowd and we couldn’t be more excited to see what he has in store for Gem & Jam! Check out our Chronic Electronic exclusive interview below!!
Defunk Interview:
- Have you played at Gem and Jam before? If not, and being from up north in Canada, have you heard much of this festival? This will be my first time attending and performing. I’ve heard quite a bit of good things about this festival and its location from friends and fans in the scene, and it’s been one of my top 10 events to experience ever since.
- Gem and Jam is an amazing blend of live and electronic music acts, with some artists even blending both together, kinda like you actually. – Can you bring us any insight on what kind of performance you will be putting together? Such as, will it be a mix of your favorite tracks or a western themed mix or focused on more of the funky live style? I develop unique sets for every single show I perform at, depending on time of the day, what type of show it is etc. I’ll be putting together something special for this, and probably bringing out more of my funky jams from the discography and some more classics that feature more rock and soul, mixed in with some of my heavier new bass music.
- Is there any artist on the Gem and Jam lineup you would hang out for and watch their set? Do you as an artist still find joy in kicking it at festivals and watching performances or are you usually too busy to do so? I love sitting by the sound booth and checking out some of my favorite artists’ sets. It’s a really good way for me to gain inspiration for new music, see what limits are being pushed by artists out there and see what crowds are really into. I’m a huge fan of LSDream and Haywyre, and I’d love to check out what they’ve been up to.
- I love to see all these artists that you collab with. If you could choose one artist on this lineup to collab with, who would it be and why? LSDream for sure. We’ve played out each other’s music in the past, and I think our bass music with a tinge of funk really aligns in a lot of ways. I think it could be a very fun collaboration because I bring a lot of bright and in your face drum and bass elements into my music while he brings a lot of deeper trippy sounds into this music.
- You get down with gems and minerals? What is your favorite if so? I can’t say I know much about that particular area actually haha, but I’m always up for some new knowledge.
- Are you excited to get wild out in the desert of the Wild West? Absolutely. I’ve been to Arizona several times and I truly adore the scenery, the weather and the culture. I’ve loved the food and the people down there and I have a wonderful experience every time I’m down, so I’m really looking forward to experiencing a festival in that setting.
- Last question(s). Drum and bass has been gaining momentum in the states as it has been a big part of the culture in Canada and Europe for multiple years. Do you have any idea why it may have taken a bit longer to see DnB blow up here compared to other spots in the world? I used to come down and try out a DnB song or two here in the states and I noticed a lot of people didn’t know how to dance to it. It would literally stop the dancing to a certain degree. I think crowds in the states hadn’t been exposed to enough after the dubstep scene really took off and took over EDM around 2011, and it probably seemed a bit alien once people started trying to introduce it for the following years. It’s been a part of the EDM culture in places like the UK, New Zealand and Canada for many, many years so we are pretty well versed in it.
- Who are some of your DnB inspirations? Some of my favorites in the DnB genre would have to be Dimension, Camo & Krooked, Millbrook, Culture Shock, Sub Focus, Subsonic, Justin Hawkes
Gem and Jam Ticket link