#edm interviews

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Behind the Beat: Chocolate Puma Talks EDM Around the World | Mix 247 EDM

Veterans of electronic music and all around awesome guys, Zki and Dobre, also known as Chocolate Puma, recently sat down for an interview

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Kennedy Jones Interview with FSEDM | NNeverNotGang

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  (Kennedy Jones with KooZ of FSEDM)

Kennedy Jones “Puts the G in Ginger” and recently stopped by Orlando for a show at Gilt Nightclub. We caught up with him backstage and KooZ got Jones’ thoughts on his rise to stardom, how it translates into his personal life, and what his plans are for the future. Have a read below, and hit the following link to get a FREE DOWNLOAD of Vamos Vacilar ft. ODK!!

What’s the journey been like for you the last few years?

The one word to describe that would be educational. You learn a lot in the experience of trying to build what it is that you’re trying to build and expand on your music output. It’s been awesome man if I can say it was perfect I’d be lying, but the best part about it is finding what makes you happy, and aligning that with what makes the fans happy. I think that artists like myself we kind of make what we think is going to make them happy and what’s going to fulfill us musically and spiritually, you know like we are contributing rather than taking and if you continue to make stuff that the crowd likes only just because they like then you’re only taking, because you’re just making money, build your brand, you’re going to have private jets and all of that, but if you are making music that fulfills you and people can see that you’re happy doing that, that naturally will spread inspiration and positivity. It’s kind of like a double edge sword. And I think finding out through this life experience in this educational journey of kind of who I am and what makes me happy, and the music that I like to make, which is really anything I want. Finding that balance of what I like to make and mixing with something that is attractive to the audience is really what it’s all about.

Now that you’ve become a superstar DJ, how do you find time to balance writing music, traveling and performing across the country?

All these people on my team play a part in that. My team is 100% instrumental in making time for me to be able to focus on being an artist and not a business man. I come from a street background, I like the business on the street. I might be the only trap producer that makes trap music and everything else that has actually trapped drugs before. I had to remove myself from that business and develop more into the art. When business is too involved I’m not able to balance that with creating music. I make mindful boundaries and I make sure I don’t cross those boundaries like not going more than 3 days without seeing my girl and my family. Another thing is fishing man. Doing normal person stuff. Taking time after long days to say that I’m going to go fishing tonight and not answering emails for couple of hours during that trip. And also meditation, such as sitting in silence. I get a lot of time on the road by myself and unfortunately I have to use that as my me time. Like when I’m at the airport and there are no fans in my near vicinity talking to me I can just be a normal guy and blend in. I try to take that time to sleep or work. Honestly what I find with myself is if I’m throwing myself into music then I don’t feel like I need time off. The number one thing I did too is that I moved out of Hollywood. I found it inefficient for my lifestyle. I needed to be closer to my family, friends core group of people that keep me grounded. I think that’s an important part of what I do, because it’s easy to get lost and become someone that’s not you, and so when you’re in close contact with those people It’s impossible for you to change.

Coming from Southern California where dance music is huge, what’s your perspective when you come over here and visit the East Coast?

One of the major things I notice across the world not matter where I go there’s no color lines. Every show I go to there’s a bunch of different people from different backgrounds, ethnicities, cultures, ages is something that I find to be a common thing. There’s not many differences when you really look at it. My whole goal playing the music that I play in my sets no matter where I’m at is for people to thing and stop. It’s not just about dancing and moving. It’s about artistically displaying something that goes what is it that I’m even hearing right now, and saving it and bringing it back home with something they’re familiar with. Take them places they did not expect to go. And do it right, don’t leave them on a hill somewhere not knowing what is happening in this set at all. I think major difference for me is that trap music is getting big and a lot of older genres are incorporated and appreciated in a lot of different markets but more in the Midwest rather than either coast right now. One thing that I find that’s always the same is the variety of people that you run across that are hanging out and dancing together and so that’s the magic of this, the whole idea. In my set I like to remind people that those cultures exist and are respected and appreciated like when I play Spanish music and middle eastern or all of these different remixes that is incorporated in my set. By playing all of these sorts of music you represent the different demographic group of people and also people from another generation. To me is finding the similarities and not the differences in people and then finding a way to flip that and put some differences out there and almost force the acceptance, enforce the idea of acceptance, tolerance and love, and I get to do that here in this form, in this space.

What are the challenges you encounter on the road when you’re doing great amount of shows a year?

I think the biggest challenge it’s just sleep. You don’t get good sleep and that’s very tough and very dangerous too. I notice myself working nonstop for so many hours where I finally say that I’m done for the day and so after that I went finishing, which right after I was done fishing in the middle of the night I came back home got ready to go straight to the airport. You have to really grip and wrestle with what you’re doing and realize why you’re doing it so that you don’t get to be that irritable, I’m tired miserable person. Another challenge on the road is not being able to meet as many fans as I want to meet. That’s a challenge trying to meet and validate everyone. My team and I are trying to find another way for us to streamline that process, because I think it’s not affective for me to come out before the show and spend time with the fans all day prior to a show, but I think a day after to have a meet up would be great. And of course the other challenge is being away from your family. You miss family things, milestones, surgeries. That’s a lot of stuff that you wish you were around. My sister is currently on chemotherapy and I really want to see her when I’m at home, but before I know it I’m already flying out again, and that really sucks and doesn’t feel good. I know she’s not happy about it and neither am I but this life is very fast and it requires a lot of attention so this week hopefully I can get back there and see her. Those kind of things are tough when you are dealing with the touring aspect of this career. On the other side of the coin you have all of these benefits of sharing love and inspiration and tolerance so it kind of balances out in its own way.

When you were a kid did you envision that you would be an electronic music producer?

Absolutely. Not so much Rave music as you would call it. More as in music in general. When it comes down to it I knew at the end of the day I’ll be involved in music somehow. I’ve played drums from a really young age, I was classically trained for percussion, and then I grew from there and started picking any instrument I could get my hand on. I knew that picking it up and understanding progression and simple math that you could figure out anything you want in music. You got to have the willingness to sit down and learn it. One thing that music has taught me from a young age is that you have go through uncomfortable moments. If you pick up a saxophone and you’ve never played before you’re going to have to sound like shit for a really long time to sound really good. That’s a life lesson that at a young age I was able to really absorb it made me really comfortable in my own skin, it made me feel like I belonged with everybody, I felt like a knew a secret that not a lot of people knew. Music put me in a stream of life that I could have never imagined I would be in. I don’t want to pigeon hole myself into the trap music, I’m producing whatever I want. I used the drums in jazz band and I didn’t want to be a jazz drummer so I felt kind of awkward about that. Then I started to realize that I love jazz drumming, but I don’t want to do this for the rest of my life and so my music teacher said to go and do other stuff instead. No one’s ever going to tell you what you can and can’t do and what’s popular and what’s not, you’re going to have to create that, and that stayed with me forever. I’m not making what’s popular right now; I’m just making what I like. I’m not going to follow the trends. I think that since I was a kid I stayed true to myself, stay true to the music that I make. I have faith in my heart that what I convey as an artist is going to be valuable for people to understand and that will live on a lot longer than a cool song that blew up one time.

Any words or messages for the fans?

I’m still here. I can’t control what the fans think of me on a scale of how famous they want me to look, but I can control what my message is and my message is that I care about the message of love, togetherness, and inspiration instead of the message of taking pictures on Instagram in private jets all the time. Both are equally as awesome to certain people, but to me the part that trumps all of that is being able to just make the music that I like and in the action of me making that music that might be unpopular or bringing up the issues that are unpopular just because I believe in that and I have the platform to do that. I don’t want the fame just by doing those actions and doing what I believe in will inspire those people in a way that is deeper than them seeing me on a stage of ten thousand people. If I see someone doing a community outreach doing good things for people, then I know what that person’s about. There is no substance of being rich. I think what I want the fans to remember is just to pick wisely about what they’re worshiping. Artists underestimate what they can do for somebody. I hope that the fans understand that when the light come on and everyone has to go home somebody could die driving drunk or of an overdose. So these are real issues we are dealing with and I want people to know that if they want help and support. They can reach out to a real person and talk about it. I care about the fans as individual and not numbers. I think dance music has become such a monster that we’re working against the machine that we created. So to the fans out there if you keep working and you have a message keep going you will be successful. If you’re working to get famous go get another job because it’s not going to work that way. For the real musicians and all the people that love music the truth is you got to earn every step of the way. For instance, I have a kid texting me telling me his life is falling apart right now, and I don’t know him, but what I do know is that he thinks I have some answers for him and I do. So today he responded to me saying how he’s got a job interview. That is true growth, health, inspiration, movement, and real work. In this modern age there is no room to be uncomfortable about uncomfortable. Like

I said a message for the fans is to keep it real never lose what’s in your knowledge and your heart. For the youngsters out there trying to do their thing don’t ever lose sight what’s in your head and in your heart.

Kennedy Jones Interview with FSEDM | NNeverNotGang was originally published on FSEDM | Full Sail's Electronic Dance Music Organization