Jan Blomqvist: "The music should still be the first topic..."

Jan Blomqvist might seem like an overnight sensation, but that belies the fact that he’s been a scrupulous studier of music for some time now. Having cut his teeth as a rock musician some years back, it’s been his transformation to the more electronic side of the scale that’s really helped propel his career in a new direction. And with 80+ shows in the last 12 months alone, he’s clearly a man who’s well able to handle the pressure. Having already lent his talents to the likes of Stil Vor Talent and Highgrade, Jan’s latest sees him crop up on Motor – a label that definitely seems to share the same creative vision.

We checked in with Mr.Blomqvist recently to find out more…

So... What have you been up to recently? Life treating you well?

Yes this summer was pretty nice so far. I was traveling a lot through Europe and I really like that. It is exhausting and a bit tiring, but I don't wanna miss all this impressions and experiences. The most impressive gig recently probably was the boat party on the Hudson River / NYC. Thanks to the Zero-Crew to bring me there by the way. The video shots that we took there were used for the music video of my latest EP.

I notice you’re pretty active on social media and you’ve amassed quite a following in a relatively short space of time. What’s your secret in that essence?

Did I? I don't know. I think it is quite normal. I play 80 live-shows a year, it is understandable that the people who liked my show wanna stay informed about the next gigs and releases I think. You can really see how the 'Facebook likes' increase on the days after the gigs, especially after band concerts at the huge festivals we get lots of new followers on this social medias.

I try to not spend too much time on Facebook and only use it for my music interests. But I have to admit it can be nice to stay in contact with some persons that you like...Do you see Facebook and Soundcloud etc as something you have to do as a contemporary artist? Or do they come pretty natural to you?

This social media platforms make it easier to stay connected to the people who like my music. They can stay informed about all the latest news and what is going to happen next. Much easier than using spamming newsletters or recreating your homepage every day. But it is not necessary I think. The music should still be the first topic which a musician is concerned about.

I try to not spend too much time on Facebook and only use it for my music interests. But I have to admit it can be nice to stay in contact with some persons that you like. Especially when you travel a lot, sometimes you miss to ask for any contacts and then I am easy to find online. Wait. Maybe that's bad.

On that note, how have you found the new Soundcloud?

Honestly I have no idea about the difference. I am not often logged in on my Soundcloud page. No need to listen to my tracks there. Also I have no time to answer all the mails on Soundcloud, I am sorry for that. I only use it as a tool to upload my tracks or sets.

You’re arguably best known for your work on Stil Vor Talent. How did you come to the attention of those guys in the first place?

I knew Oliver Koletzki from partying in Berlin. We often met at Bar 25 for example. It was always fun with him. Then I went to him and told him that he should come to see one of my gigs at Arena Club. So he came.

After that we agreed to make an EP on Stil vor Talent and I also sang on his album for one track. I like this guys, it's a bit like a family, but I haven't been part of it since a year or so. Especially Niconé I would call a friend already. Maybe we do something together again some day, we'll see...

You’ve had Animal Trainer amongst others remix the latest EP. Were those guys a pretty obvious pick for you remix-wise?

Yes they are. I like them a lot as persons. I am always happy when I meet them. And they have a good feeling for chords, tones and vocals. Sometimes djs destroy the whole idea of a track with their funny vocal mixings.

But Animal Trainer never lost the idea of my vocals, when they did a remix. But on the other hand they are experienced enough to make the remix fitting to dance floor as well. And also they are working super fast and this time we had not much time left to finish the EP, because I needed too much time to finish the original.

You do a lot of collaborations too. Are you more comfortable in the studio with someone else or working on your own?

That's easy to answer. I prefer to work alone. But collaborations sometimes make sense. You can learn a lot when you do remixes for others and sometimes you need remixes from others for a release just like in this case of my new EP.

I also like to sing on tracks that I haven't produced myself. It is interesting how the result sounds in the end. But when I have enough time I always prefer to work completely alone in my studio and then going to Felix, the piano player of my band, to finish the track together with him. We making the pianos and the final mixing together usually.

I prefer to work alone. But collaborations sometimes make sense. You can learn a lot when you do remixes for others and sometimes you need remixes from others for a release just like in this case of my new EP...You moved to Berlin a while ago. Do you still find the city as invigorating as when you first moved there?

No of course not, because I changed myself a lot. When I came here 12 years ago I was a naive, open minded, inexperienced music- and party-addicted kid. Now I try to stay open minded even if I am also getting older slowly, but the rest changed completely. I am even not listening to music anymore, because I am working too much on it. I am happy when it is quiet. 12 years ago I would have never said this.

So the city is not that important anymore for me. I could be happy everywhere. Also I am not at home that often anymore and I figured out that other cities also know how to make great parties and produce hot electronic music. The Berlin electronic music scene is just still the absolutely biggest in the world but that does not make it the best automatically. But yeah Berlin is still really inspiring me a lot. I wanna leave it soon but so far I haven't found a better place for me to live. As soon as I find it I am gone immediately.

Do you still buy records in the city? And do you go clubbing much or do you prefer to spend your free time in the studio?

As I am playing live only I am not that much into the DJ-game like collecting records and stuff. But I still like clubbing a lot. I am not that addicted anymore but it is still hard for me to not attend the beautiful Sunday afternoon party here in Berlin when I am coming home from my gigs. I could go there sometimes but usually I have too much things to do in the studio on Monday. Or sometimes I am just too tired to party when I come back home to Berlin on Sunday after a 3 days traveling trip. I would say I miss clubbing a bit. Usually it is the first thing I do when I have some free days. I know I should relax but usually I cant help it.

In the studio I work only. Unfortunately it is the absolutely opposite of spending free time. We have to get things done there. It can be really exhausting sometimes. Honestly I don't know what I do in my free time. There is not much free time left. I like having nice dinner with friends but that doesn't happen often anymore.

I also like to be alone and doing nothing, just thinking. Maybe I waste my time on reading stupid articles online or answering mails. Internet distraction really more and more becomes my biggest enemy. I would love to live in the wild mountains and do music only.

How do you deal with the cold in the winter though!?

I love it. It makes me being more creative. I love snow and darkness. In summer it is so difficult to work, because everybody invites me to any nice happenings all the time. In winter I can reach my producing mood much easier. But in the end I don't care the weather so much anymore.

In summer it is annoying when it gets too hot in my studio room, but that's OK also. No problem at all. I never understood the people who are complaining 'bout the weather. If they don't like it, why don't they move to a more sunny place? Nobody forces anybody to stay in the rain. Whatever. Funny question tho.

Your career really seems to have hit a new level recently. What do you attribute it all down to?

I don't like the word career. We are musicians. We are working as everybody else. We did this in the beginning and we will do this until we die. I don't understand this change of seeing me and what I am doing.

In the first 15 years everybody told me that I am a lazy guy who wasted all his time an mind on stupid beats and now suddenly they call it a career even if I did not change anything. I wanted to do music and so I did and right now I have not enough time to do that anymore. Obviously nobody wants me to do music. First I should finish my school, then I should go to university, than I should find a serious job then after university I needed a job because there was no money on my bank somehow and now when I finally could do my music, everybody wants me to to interviews, movies and playing concerts all the time. that's funny.

Has your rock past held you in good stead for a career in electronic music?

No, not really. I had to learn everything new. But I can play guitar and I understand everything about chords and melodic stuff. Of course I use this knowledge in my electronic productions. But all the other producers also know all this tricks. So nothing special.

Honestly I wish I would started to do electronic music much earlier but when I was a child it was not that easy, because it was not possible to work on a professional studio on a small Mac Book. Abelton even did not exist and Cubase was not running on our slow family computer. The only thing my parents could afford to buy me was a nice guitar and then an electric guitar later. So I did rock music and I liked it.

And how long have you actually been producing now? Do you ever draw on your rock sensibilities in the studio?

I started producing my own electronic music in 2004. before that we recorded three albums with our band, first one in 1998. I think you can call this first album production a starting point.

Your latest EP is out on Motor. Have you known the guys there for some time already or how did you end up producing on the label?

Of course I know them. We are working together since 2 years already.The last EP was just an spontaneous idea so we decided to release it quickly our selves on Motor Music, which is always a nice opportunity even if it is not a typical electronic music label.

What else have you coming up that you’d like to shout about?

I am still working on my album. I cant wait to finish it, but it will take some more time. It is difficult to work focused on it because I am playing so many nice festivals this summer. And of course I would love to come to Great Britain also soon.