How do you advise young aspiring producers to land releases on labels like EXHALE?
I think the biggest advice I can give is to really work on your artistic identity. Try to express something real, something that comes from your soul. The results will come.
Can you tell how you started out in DJ’ing and producing?
I’ll tell you a secret that very few people know: I started getting into DJing by playing 80s music in some lounge bars. My name was DJ Josè and I was around 17. Production came later, in 2021 during the pandemic. That’s when I had the time to stop and really understand who I wanted to be in life. I started studying a lot, and I still do today and I always will. You never stop learning.
How did you submit your first demos, and did you get a lot of rejection? How do you deal with that being a newcomer?
I’ve never really been the kind of person who sends demos to everyone. I only sent them to people and labels that I felt were aligned with my sound. I was lucky enough to release music quite early on my dream label, Exhale, which I feel very emotionally connected to.
Tell us about one of your own tracks that you are particularly proud of, and why
I think it’s “Visitors” from my latest EP on Exhale. That’s the track where I told myself, “ok, I’ve really found my sound.”
With the faster and harder sounds of the now, have you changed your BPM or always kept it the same to reflect your own style?
Actually, I feel like I took a step back on this. Some time ago I was also playing at quite fast BPMs, not super hard but still fast. But it didn’t fully represent my music, so I slowed things down a bit.
What are your top goals when it comes to your career?
My main goal is to grow while staying authentic. One day I’d like to say that I created my own musical universe, always staying true to my artistic vision.
