Jody 6: getting lost in the dark energy of the music

We are happy to welcome our next guest, Jody 6!

Originally formed in the heart of a laser beam, Jody 6 evolved into an electronic music artist. His Techno has a heavy groove with dark yet uplifting melodies.

Jody 6 tunes are on leading labels including: T78's Autektone, A*S*Y*S's Fe Chrome, Spektre's Respekt, and Spartaque's Codex Records.

Many top artists have played Jody 6 tunes, including Deborah De Luca, Umek, Oliver Heldens (Hi-Lo), T78, Spektre, Marie Vaunt, and Armin Van Buuren among many others.

We invited Jody for a chat to find our more about his new EP "I Want to Get Lost" on Codex. Enjoy!
— Hello Jody! It's a pleasure to be chatting with you! How are you doing today?
— I'm happy thanks, glad to be doing this interview for Radio Intense. I watch many of your YouTube sets!
— Let's travel in time. How did you first get into music production, and how has your approach to producing evolved over time?
— Generally, I'm a curious person with a keen interest in learning what makes things work. When I first started going out to raves/clubs I wanted to know how are all those ethereal sounds created. My curiosity and desire to be creative sparked my production journey.

My approach has not really changed over time, as I've always had the mindset that their is always new stuff to learn.
— Your music is known for its high-energy, driving beats - what inspires you when you're in the studio, and how do you go about creating your signature sound?
— You know when you are at a rave, in the middle of the dance floor, and you are there in that moment, enjoying the euphoric feels of the music, with a big smile on your face? Well that is what inspires my music. I try to recreate those feelings.
— We are chatting with you around your release "I Want to Get Lost" coming next week on Codex. What can you tell about the release? What is the inspiration behind it?
— "I want to get lost. In the dark corners of the room. I want to get lost." This track is all about getting lost in the dark energy of the music. I tried to create a tune with a heavy driving baseline, contrasted with a softer ghostly vocal, and some catchy fat gritty synth stabs.

Codex is one of my favourite labels. I play many of your tunes in my sets, so this is a special release for me!
— You've released music on some of the biggest labels in the industry - can you walk us through the process of getting signed to a label, and what advice would you give to up-and-coming producers who are looking to get their music heard?
— I have releases on a variety of labels including T78's Autektone, Spektre's Respekt, A*S*Y*S's Fe Chrome, Armin Van Buuren's Armada, Aly & Fila's FSOE, Ferry Corsten's Flashover, and Spartaque's own Codex and IAMT labels.

To get signed to labels like these, it helps to do the following:

  • Keep striving to get your song to be the best you can do. Try to get it to a standard that you would like to play it out in the peak time of your own set and it sounds exciting to you.

  • Get honest and detailed feedback from your producer friends.

  • Reference your track with those from your target label. Does it sound big enough? Is it similar EQ, sound, and energy wise?

  • Send it to your target labels as a SoundCloud link with a brief message about yourself.

  • Most of the time, you won't even receive a 'no' or reply from labels. Keep trying.

  • For many labels, you need to build up a relationship. They may not sign the first track you send them. But if you keep trying, they will start to notice you.

  • You may need to release on some lower level labels first, and build up to the big ones. Labels are more likely to sign your tunes if they see other labels believe in you, and they start to see your name around on other releases.

  • Believe in yourself and your music.
— You've collaborated with several other artists over the years - how do you go about finding the right people to work with, and what do you think makes for a successful collaboration?
— Collabs are valuable for looking at the track and production process from a different perspective. They can also be a fun sociable activity. For a successful collab you need someone that is roughly inline with your vision, but different enough to bring new ideas. You also need someone who is easy to work and communicate with.

You can find a collaborator by talking to other artists at events or online. Some times other artists ask me for collabs, sometimes I ask them. If another artist likes your tracks and plays them out, you know they will probably be happy to do a collab with you.
— What do you think sets your music apart from others in your genre, and how do you continue to push yourself creatively?
— My purpose for creating music is to make people around the world, enjoy this moment in time, when they listen to my songs. This is what pushes me to be creative and productive. My unique purpose for creating music and it's feelings, may set me apart from other artists.
— Looking ahead, what are your plans for the future - any upcoming releases or projects that you can share with us?
— I have plenty of events coming up all around Australia and New Zealand. I am looking at coming over to Europe some time later this year.

I'm working on new music almost each night. It's so fun. I'm excited about my Codex release, and have a whole pile of Techno releases coming up on various labels.