Jai Wolf sure knows how to mix it up.
The 24-year-old DJ born in Bangladesh as Sajeeb Saha has poured dubstep, indie dance, hip-hop, and other electronic blends into a sonic cauldron to create his own brand of EDM, culminating in last year’s instant-classic downbeat club hit, Indian Summer.
Wolf’s skills so impressed Skrillex that the superstar DJ tweeted “SIQ REMIX” about the underground remix Jai did of his own track, Ease My Mind, eventually deciding to release it through his own label.
And that’s just for starters. You can see Jai spin his unique EDM magic with Indian Summer, Drive, Miss U, and other banging tracks from his ever-expanding canon at Splash House, June 10-12. Wolf will perform June 11 at the Riviera Palm Springs, which will share staging for the first Splash House installment with the Saguaro Palm Springs
Before heading out west, Jai checked in with Palm Springs Life from his New York homebase to discuss what he likes about being in Palm Springs, his compositional inspirations, and how race has no bearing on how people embrace electronic music.
PHOTO COURTESY OF JAI WOLF ON FACEBOOK
Jai Wolf’s music has classical roots.
When you changed your dubstep performing/creating name from No Pets Allowed, you chose “Jai” from a list of popular Indian baby names and “Wolf” from the Dire Wolves in Game of Thrones, is that right? Are you watching the current season at all?
“Ah, you did your research I’m a big Game of Thrones fan. The current season is very exciting — especially what happened in the mid-season finale. I’m pretty excited to see how this season ends.”
Me too. When did you first visit Southern California in person, and what were your first impressions? Any locations stand out to you in particular?
“My first time in L.A. — and California — was January 2015. The first thing I noticed was how incredibly warm it was, even though it was January. I obviously did the touristy stuff like go to In-N-Out, Venice Beach, etc.
“It’s really interesting, because it’s a whole different vibe than the East Coast, and it’s always great to go back every few months. Some of my best friends live there now.
PHOTO COURTESY OF JAI WOLF ON FACEBOOK
Jai Wolf: “…it’s nice to be in an industry where my race doesn’t necessarily dictate my success.”
You performed at DoLab during Weekend One at Coachella last year, and you were at Splash House too. Are you excited about performing in Palm Springs again? What do you like about the area overall?
“I’m so excited to be back. I had a really amazing time at DoLab last year, and Splash House last August. I love the area, and it’s such a great getaway that I look forward to each time I come.”
What can Splash House attendees expect from your upcoming set?
“I’ll definitely be playing my own catalogue of remixes and originals, and I’m sure my set will be a little more vibey, since we’re going to be in a pool setting.”
I understand you started playing violin at age 5, and then stopped once you finished high school, after reaching the All State level. Are there any violinists you looked up to and still admire?
“Growing up, I did look up to a lot of violinists — Joshua Bell, Itzhak Perlman — but I haven’t been paying attention as much to the classical scene as I used to.”
Do you feel any of the classical and compositional structures you learned back then carry through in your music today?
“Classical structures definitely influence every track I create. Without that backbone to lean on in the music-creation process, I wouldn’t be able to express my ideas as clearly.”
PHOTO BY FELICIA GARCIA
The Palm Springs Air Museum will once again be a special evening venue during Splash House.
Are you pleased with how Indian culture is being embraced in popular culture? Do you feel your heritage has influenced you as an artist?
“I will say that, in the electronic community, there are a lot of Asian American producers out there who are doing well — Giraffage, Hotel Garuda, Manila Killa, and myself. I think it’s cool how people aren’t really concerned about the potential of success when it comes to race in the electronic scene, whereas in the mainstream pop world, you have a lot of executives who won’t champion a minority pop star, thinking that they would undersell. So, in short, it’s nice to be in an industry where my race doesn’t necessarily dictate my success.”
What was the very first piece of music that personally moved you and excited you as a listener, and why?
“The Four Seasons, by Vivaldi. Specifically, Summer [L’estate] and Winter [L’inverno] — they have a lot of intense and interesting moments that I hadn’t heard in any other area of classical music.”
Finally, what does your crystal ball tell you about the future of EDM? It seems like there’s such a saturation in the marketplace these days. What would it take to ensure EDM continues to grow rather than spin its wheels — or should I say, spin its BPM?
“As long as there are forward-thinking producers out there and kids thinking outside the box, I do believe EDM will be able to grow and evolve as time moves forward.”
Splash House, June 10-12, Riviera Palm Springs, 1600 N. Indian Canyon Drive; The Saguaro Palm Springs, 1800 E. Palm Canyon Drive; www.splashhouse.com