Well! It's been a while when I last did a Q & A but this will be my first as all my interviews have been related to my mix tapes that I made for the artist. This is a first of many to come of DJ's that I feel is mad nice with their choice of selections and knows how to hold it down. So ladies and gentlemen, Straight from B.C (Birmingham City), I introduce you to Jayson Wynters...
Psykhomantus: So first question. When did you know you wanted to take a travel into the world of DJing?
Jayson Wynters: In my late teens/early twenties when the House n Garage scene went into a decline(I was an MC back then) I found myself aggressively collecting/digging for more music and building up my personal library and been inspired by my uncle as he was a DJ.
P: So how would you explain what your style of music is?
JW: That's a hard one because my musical style is so varied, even within one genre.. I would however describe it as authentic, underground, abstract, raw and Avant Garde
P: What is your favourite genre in music?
JW: Is there such a genre called 'good music'? lol, I don't have a favourite, but I'm into House, Techno, Jazz, Hip Hop, Nu Soul, Rare Grooves, Fusion, Broken Beats, Electronica etc
P: I do recall seeing your mix tapes on two websites, one on Bamalovesoul, the other on moovmnt. How did you make that move and are you on other post/blogs?
JW: I've been following Bama Love Soul n Moovmnt for a while and love what both brands deliver, it was a case of connecting with them/reaching out and those guys seeing what I do in terms of mix tapes and been an 'active' DJ so to speak, so it was an honour to get asked to do a feature. Sometimes my mixes will get published on Graham Pitts blog site/radio show he's another guy that's been supportive and he does good work and I get features on other random sites that I don’t know of.
P: Now you've DJed with E Double D and DJed a few times at Got Soul, where else have you DJed and do you have a resident spot of your own?
JW: I have a couple of residencies across the city one been @ Spotlight in Digbeth Birmingham, it's a cool spot in town that's been running for a year or so and they really support good music/events across the spectrum of Deep House, Funk, Soul, Jazz, Disco, Downtempo etc
P: What's your views on the clubs/bars that you know of now a days. Are you happy with what we got (that you know of) or do you think it needs work (network game, sound system, ect ect)?
JW: This is a good question and I have a number of views on this topic.. In my opinion the state of most bars/clubs in this city are not of a standard they should be. I think we are way off the mark in comparison to places such as London or even further afield places in Europe. Nowadays some people just open up these bars/clubs wanting to make a quick buck but no thought process actually goes into the production of these establishments, such as the acoustic properties of the bar/club and how that effects the sound in the room, installation of poor sound systems or no sound systems in some cases, lack of marketing from the venues relying on promoters to bring in numbers or even club managers ripping off promoters with ridiculous hire fees etc I mean I could really go on here but I think you get the point. So yes we still need to do a lot of work albeit we have made a little progress over the years.
P: And your take with DJ technology, what's your thoughts on that and what do you prefer to use?
JW: As long as the technology doesn't promote laziness or kill creativity then I'm all up for innovation. I got into DJing when CDJs were well into the market but I've been around and messed with turn tables/vinyl from the House n Garage days so I appreciate the before and after. I suppose Like everything technology has its pros n cons and depending on the circumstances I may use Traktor Scratch Pro if I am doing a 3-4 hour set somewhere playing across the board or nowadays for my House sets it’s a mixture of Vinyl and CDs. I can adjust accordingly but I am a hands on type of DJ so I like buttons, knobs, faders etc so you will never see me solely in my Macbook or mouse clicking etc so to speak. Now where's that Sync button lol
P: Name 5 DJs that you rate and why?
JW: I don't like this question lol ... Errm, ok in no particular order
Madlib – Madlib is a F****** eclectic genius (excuse my language), his take on music is something else, He’s like the mentor I never met. His medicine shows are awesome and he’s not defined to one genre although his associations with Hip-Hop are pretty deep. This guy does music whether its Jazz, Hip Hop, Brazilian, Fusion, etc. This guy is a distraction at times & always has my attention. As a producer and DJ I love his underground approach and he always plays some shit whilst you’re doing something that makes you stop and be like ‘what the hell???’ He’s a genius and definitely underrated in my opinion and I don’t throw that genius word out for fun. I just hope people don’t realise this fact too late like they did with Dilla (R.I.P)
Frank Roger - this guy's podcasts are always on point, his mixes are always so musical n raw and very story like, I seen him live a few years back too and his set was dope
Black Jazz Consortium aka Fred P - this cat here is a legend I love his production and his mixes and managed to see him live when he came to Birmingham, again very raw and underground
DJ Mitsu - Defo one of my fav DJ/producers a couple of his Jazz mixes have prompted me to dig deeper and also really exposed me to a lot of what had been sampled by Hip-Hop producers, so for me he stood out educationally
DJ E Double D - E is a friend of mine and defo a local hero in this city, he knows how to work a crowd, is technically competent and knows riddim across the board, he's defo a DJs DJ and those who know know.
P: What else do you like to do that is outside from DJing/Music, do you have a hubby?
JW: Outside of Music I am a Kung Fu practitioner and have been studying the art for a while, spending time with family & friends, I love travelling, watching movies, playing Chess and recently I've been getting into cycling
P: Last question. What will we be expecting in the future from you?
JW: You can expect more and more music :) I have also been in the background producing for a few years, so I've been chipping away at that and honing in on my craft, so there will be some releases and possibly launching my own label at some point also
Check out Jayson Wynters "Bruk Foot" mixtape