Silent Jay has become an increasing fixture in Melbourne’s music scene over the past 12-months, and despite his sound referencing Brainfeeder and J Dilla, he actually started life as a classical jazz kid. When he’s not DJing he’s playing saxophone and filling in as a backup singer for neo-soul group Hiatus Kaiyote.
Straight after a huge weekend at Paradise Music Festival, Jay managed to break his eclectic musical pedigree down for me over an affogato. Class act.
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THUMP: So, the saxophone?
Silent Jay: I studied Jazz Improvisation at the Victorian College of the Arts. I loved it at VCA. It was amazing to get around creative, like-minded people. I made a lot of friends there, that’s where I met some of the members of Hiatus Kaiyote. In fact, I played in a jazz hip hop band with the drummer of Hiatus during the first year of uni.
People who watch you play probably don’t immediate make that passionate saxophone connection.
I was lucky to have all the right music being played when I was growing up: lots of jazz, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Cannonball—that resonated in me.
That’s probably more obvious in the Hiatus Kaiyote connection. How much singing do you do for them?
None on the album, I only sing for them in the live shows. I was in NYC when they were recording their debut, the current two backup singers weren’t with them then either. That’s probably why it sounds like it does. We’re still doing stuff though; you might hear me on some of their new stuff coming out.
Other than jazz whom did you listen to growing up?
Lots of Stevie Wonder, Earth Wind and Fire, and jazz—obviously. Something that I’ve realised has influenced me a lot, almost subconsciously, is Bossa Nova.
Your music is really beats based, lots of hip hop, lot of Brainfeeder; how do you come to making that when you grew up on a diet of jazz and soul?
I kind of saw it as a continuation of jazz and hip hop; as a way of keeping both musical styles moving and pushing it into new boundaries. Almost how jazz was when it first started, how it was new and groundbreaking. They were doing shit other people weren’t at the time. I mean I was listening to hip hop when I was in Grade 4 and hearing them reference and sample jazz. Then hearing the LA dudes pick it up and really encapsulate the essence of jazz: everything from the composition, the sound and even the colour of the music. Those guys are really good at creating worlds.
Also the fact they were this tight collective that no one really knew about who began on the Internet was cool. J Dilla was also obviously a big influence.
It’s amazing how far reaching and influential Dilla has been to producers. Almost like a Pink Floyd, but for the electronic generation.
It was really when J Dilla moved to L.A. All of the Brainfeeder crew like Dibia$e, Ras G, and Flying Lotus would meet up in the car park of the gig afterward and play shit they’ve made off Dibia$e’s boom box. They didn’t even know it was going to be a thing and everyone started experimenting even more—that’s something that struck me. You can hear Dilla in it, but in these inventive, totally creative ways. Taking Dilla’s ideas and taking them even further.
When I was listening to your music, there were a few songs that made me immediately think of Dam-Funk.
Oh man, I never got into G-Funk until recently. I did however have a cousin who has always been into it. I never fucked with it because I was always into the original funk like James Brown. My cousin schooled me though. Showing me P-Funk and Bootsy Collins, which I really dug. When I heard Dam Funk I straight away thought of guys like that; also the fact that Dam Funk’s tracks are amazing compositions—even if they are blown out to like eight minutes. It’s the whole thing about the “Future” beats style of music. It’s not just loops it’s music with dynamics and contrast.
Silent Jay will be playing Let Them Eat Cake in Melbourne on New Years Day.
