(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) With a penchant for wild parties and musical prowess to match, it's fair to say that celebrated producer and DJ Jean Claude Ades is a bonafide Prince of Ibiza.
His performances on the White Isle attract the most die-hard Electronica fans each summer, and as the sun sets on this year's event season, Ades - known by his followers as JCA - will begin a whirlwind tour that includes a stop in Dubai on September 12 for a blow-out performance at Movida nightclub.
Success for the French-German musician has differed slightly from his EDM counterparts. While his House tracks have consistently done well on the charts, JCA has also experienced mainstream pop fame when he wrote and produced a series of number one records for Australian singer Dannii Minogue. He has also collaborated with high profile artists like The Pussycat Dolls, Nightcrawlers and Deadmau5, raising his public profile higher with each Billboard hit.
No stranger to the city's clubbing scene, JCA is headed back to town this weekend and he's bringing what's left of his Ibiza summer vibes with him. We caught up with the energetic producer to talk about the key to his success.
What is your personal background for those who might not be familiar with you or your work?
I was brought up in Italy and have lived in Germany for the past 20 years, and now my home base is Ibiza. My father was a musician and I was brought up in a musical family. I would listen to him play the piano and my enjoyment was to do the same when he was not there (I would do this by memorising the tune from just listening to him play, not having any piano lessons whatsoever). My work started early; I began producing electronic music at a very young age and my first record deal was signed in 1994 with Virgin Records - this launched my career. Since then I have produced and released over 100 records from major to independent labels as well as producing and writing records for other artists.
What influenced your early love for Electronic music and which artists do you most respect today?
Artists such as New Order, Depeche Mode, Pink Floyd and Prince were my influences. Also producers like William Orbit and Trevor Horn, who were revolutionary as they produced awesome upfront music. Comparing what has been done in the 90's to what is going on today, I do not have anyone to rave about in respect to being as impactful and impressive as the names I mentioned.
It's been a busy summer for you. What have you been up to in terms of gigs and producing music?
It has been a successful but very intense, fun summer. Other than a residency in Ibiza with my weekly party 'Be Crazy' at Lio's, on the weekends I have been touring around Europe, namely London, Barcelona, Cannes, St. Tropez, Sardinia - Porto Cervo, Riccione - Italy, Munich, Casablanca, Monaco and more.
Your Ibiza party series 'Be Crazy' has grown to be incredibly popular since its launch in 2012. How did you achieve this with so much fierce competition on the White Isle?
Hard work pays off and produces great results - this is my work ethic. I do not ever compromise on the level of my work and entertainment. It's important to be unique and keep a high level of quality as well as being consistent with giving my people the most awesome party nights, year after year.
Let's go back to the days when you helped produce a few number one records for Dannii Minogue, giving you mainstream success in pop music. What made you return to your roots in Electronica? Did you find that perceptions and expectations of you changed?
I always kept my feet on the ground and I look at the successful collaboration with Dannii Minogue as another achievement in my career. Of course it gave me a lot of confidence to keep growing as an artist, however I did not let the situation change me, as otherwise it would eventually interfere with my creative side.
You've said in the past that you never actually intended on DJing as a career, preferring the production side of the business. Was it difficult finding a healthy balance between the two?
Definitely, as touring takes a lot out of you. It also effects your focus in the studio, so it's harder to be creative. Being a great producer entails a lot of time in the studio, concentrating and not having any distractions. So it is tough to be able to do both when I am playing and need to travel on tour. I come back tired and drained and all I can do is recuperate during my rest time. So now I dedicate two time frames in February and November where I isolate myself in the studio and give my total focus and energy only on production and making the magic happen.
Let's talk music. What do you think will be the next major movement or shift in Electronic Dance Music? Is it in danger of being too commercialised?
If we are talking about the next big thing in my genre of House music, I see a fusion of Deep Tech and elements of Progressive and Trance coming back. EDM is actually already commercialised and there's been a big sell-out in the past few years. I have been seeing people who were fans of EDM moving to deeper sounds as they are also tired of it.
Dubai's clubbing scene has changed drastically in the last two years, with more international brands expanding here. How does it compare to the major European party spots?
It is definitely an emerging market and it is growing rapidly. The musical understanding of the crowd is at a very good level. They are enjoying deeper sounds and appreciating quality DJs.
What's one thing about you that would surprise people?
I love to cook!
Jean Claude Ades will perform at Movida on September 12. Entry is free. For details, call 055 174 4449.
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