Jesse Rose — West London to Panorama Bar, One Sub-Genre at a Time
Jesse
Rose
One of the most complete careers in British house music. Four labels. Two hundred releases. Six years at Panorama Bar. A Fabric residency that started by filling in for DJs who missed their flights. BBC Pete Tong Hall of Fame.
I was born at the tail end of the 1970s in London's Ladbroke Grove. Raised on a healthy dose of Motown soul, jazz and eighties funk. My musical influences as a young teenager were reggae sound systems on the streets around my house. Notting Hill Carnival and London's infamous pirate radio stations all made a massive impact on me and I think you can still hear their influence within my tracks today. I started to make music at the age of 14.
The biography of nearly every globally renowned House and Techno DJ reads pretty much the same. They'll start by telling you how they got into music as a child listening to their parents' vinyl collection — which probably includes Motown, Funk, Soul and a bit of Disco. Coming from West London they probably listened to Drum and Bass from their local pirate radio station and the reggae Soundsystems they'd pass on their way home from school. Their career will have kicked off in their early teens with a few local DJ gigs, maybe in a regional UK city like Bristol, maybe they promoted some parties and then later started a record label. Or even four.
Said producer must have put out their first release on an uber-cool indie label, something like Derrick Carter's Classic imprint. Then their career might have taken off when they started twisting the format of House music with a fellow producer and a new label imprint. Let's use Dubsided as an example. Some of them might have followed that lucky streak with constant plays at a legendary London club like Fabric. In a bold gesture they may have even moved to a city like Berlin and started a monthly residency at another legendary club, something like Panorama Bar. At that point they'll have "broke through" by influencing a culture entrenched in one style — Minimal Techno — to a new one: Chunky House and Techno.
Remixes from massive Rap and Dance acts to the most respected underground artists. Everyone from electronic legends like Underworld, Armand Van Helden, Simian Mobile Disco, Cassius to rappers like Childish Gambino, Joey Bada$$$ and Kendrick Lamar. And oh yes: "Cool band Hot Chip made up a rap about my name for my debut album."
Moved to Bristol, started DJing and running club nights with his close friend. This was when he started earning a reputation. Released the mix CD Tec-House Living on the Subversive label under the Deeper Sound Of Bristol moniker.
Returns to London. Meets Dave Taylor, who would truly change him from DJ to producer. Their first collaborations caught the ear of Derrick Carter. At Fabric, he started by filling in for people who missed their flights or were ill. Magic times.
Front Room (2001), Made To Play, Play It Down, A-SIDED (2015). The track A-Sided on Dubsided helped create a sub-genre, shifting house culture from Minimal Techno to Chunky House.
A six-year residency at Panorama Bar, one of the most prestigious club slots in the world. Fabriclive 85 was mixed in New Jersey, Los Angeles and Sydney — mid-world tour, in the middle of the night, finding decks wherever he could.
Biggest inspirations?
Hip-hop, the sea, the 808 toms.
Best part of WMC 09?
The Made To Play party at the Shore Club — peeps were going nuts from start to finish. And Benga at the White Room and Rusko at the Mad Decent party. Dubstep done properly.
Best WMC experience?
The mini burgers at the Standard and hanging out with friends by the pool.
Plans for 2009?
Touring for my new album "What Do You Do If You Don't?", lots of singles and remixes, and my remix album later in the year on Made To Play.
Favourite tracks at the moment?
What can we look forward to from Made To Play?
Favourite venues all over the world?
Our Made To Play night at Panorama Bar in Berlin, Sub Club in Glasgow, Goa in Madrid, Fabric in London.
Anything else you'd like to share?
Always be careful when jumping into a plunge pool. You could be limping like Shrek for weeks.
"I was in the middle of a six-month tour of the world when I was asked to do the Fabriclive 85 mix, so I was constantly finding decks in the middle of the night in these far-flung locations, to have a mix and make sure it had the right feel. I actually ended up mixing the compilation in New Jersey, Los Angeles and Sydney."
Co-founded with Chris Belsey. Launched careers including Solid Groove, Trevor Loveys, Jamie Anderson, John Tejada and Stefan Goldmann. The foundation of everything that followed.
Home of the Panorama Bar residency releases. Oliver $, Riva Starr, Zombie Disco Squad. Lots of 808 toms. The creative engine of the Rose label ecosystem.
The label that consolidated his influence on the international house and techno scene. Responsible for launching some of house and techno's biggest names. Global reach from a West London beginning.
Named after the track that started it all. A-Sided on Dubsided. The sub-imprint that closes the circle on a career built on chunky house, honest techno, and the 808 tom.
His stuff got stolen in Ibiza, including the backup drives. He had to start again from memory. He mixed it live, in three parts, stitched together, on borrowed decks found in the middle of the night in far-flung locations. He wanted it to sound personal. It does. One of the most honest accounts of how a Fabric compilation actually gets made.
One of the most complete careers in British house music, written by the man himself
The biography Jesse Rose wrote about himself is one of the most self-aware pieces of music industry writing we have come across. It is also, under the self-deprecating comedy, completely accurate. He did all of it. Four labels. Two hundred releases. Six years at Panorama Bar. A Fabric residency that started by filling in for DJs who missed their flights and turned into one of the most consistent underground club relationships in London's history.
Antakly Projects met Jesse Rose at the Standard Hotel pool at WMC 09 — which is, genuinely, one of the better ways to meet someone who has spent a decade helping build the infrastructure of contemporary house music. The answer to "biggest inspirations?" was hip-hop, the sea, the 808 toms. There is nothing more to add to that.
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