The divine art of Philosophy in COMPOSING with US DJ-Producer Jake Drescher a.k.a J-IDEAS
It’s so lovely today to talk to our composer JAKE DRESCHER who writes under the name J-IDEAS. JAKE has 55 tracks with us at RADIOSPARX and AUDIOSPARX, and his style, his talent and his creativity impresses us and our clients BIG TIME. He’s also our HOT NEW ARTIST this week (w/b JUNE 12, 2023). Check him out on our socials here:
From his studio in Indiana, USA, JAKE DRESCHER lets us into his composing world, shares his secrets, his philosophy and the ideas that inform his time at his studio decks, and away from them.
RADIOSPARX: Hi Jake, it’s great to have you here with us. While we get comfy together on our virtual sofa, let me put one of your beautiful tracks on the decks so we can relax and chill out to it, and our readers can do that too. To introduce it, it’s an ethereal, atmospheric, instrumental track called “BOP” that’s simply divine. Readers can click here to listen to it
”BOP” Track Auto-Play (radiosparx.com)
Now we’ve got “BOP” playing, readers can cast their eyes over your impressive bio:
“Based in Indiana, J-Ideas has been a music producer for over a decade specializing in Hip Hop, EDM, and Electronic genres. His productions have been featured on many highly regarded Hip Hop outlets, including HipHopDX, 2DopeBoyz, HipHopNMore, and Beattape Co-Op. A Top-5 finalist in the Music Theory Studios #MTSBeatClinic Challenge judged by Grammy-winning producer Nottz, J-Ideas specifically writes music with a focus on commercial and TV projects while providing the elements necessary to enhance visual storytelling.”
RADIOSPARX: Tell us about “BOP”. When did you write it and tell us a little bit about this lovely track.
JAKE D: I actually wrote that track a long time ago, back in 2017. I remember when I was writing it that I wanted to make a track that would sound great in a nightclub. I had the idea of a nightclub in Atlanta. Chill, TRAP music, which is clubby but ethereal. I really wanted to emphasise the 808s in the track and keep the energy high but chill at the same time. The 808s are the really brassy kicks. They’re used a lot in TRAP music. They’re named after the Roland 808 drum machine.
RADIOSPARX: Aww, thanks — it’s so good to get the background behind a piece of music. We can hear the creativity in this track and can feel the passion behind the composition. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Now we’ve got your music playing, tell us Jake about your day composing. How do you approach your day? Do you work strictly to schedule?
JAKE D: Thanks for having me. It’s great to be here. Interesting question. I generally try not to force creation. I try to relax in the morning, enjoy my breakfast and coffee, then exercise to get my mind and body fresh. When I sit down at my desk to write music, I want my mind to be clear so I can just play and let the music go where it wants to for the day. I’ll make music until I’m mentally exhausted or the music I’m making starts to stink.
RADIOSPARX: That sounds like true creativity in action. Thanks Jake. We can certainly identify the need for clarity in order to create. Tell us, so we can get some context on you, where do you live? What city? What country?
JAKE D: I live in a small town in Indiana, USA called Pekin, near the city of Louisville, Kentucky. If you drive through Pekin, and blink you might miss it.
RADIOSPARX: Wow, that sounds interesting and we love the way you say that. It made us smile. We believe that it’s a very historical town, very rural but close to the ‘Big Smoke’ of Louisville, Kentucky. It sounds like the perfect place for some peace and quiet, and great for composing, for musicians who need to be super-creative. Lovely. Tell us what technology and software do you use?
JAKE D: Thanks, yes, it is. I am a Native Instruments Machine user, pretty passionate about that German company. I can build a whole track from just that piece of gear. I love the blend of software and hardware it provides. I also have a couple of guitars that I play around with when I need a specific sound, but I definitely wouldn’t call myself a guitar player.
RADIOSPARX: Yeah, Native Instruments is so beloved by DJs and composers. Lovely. How do you get inspired to write music, and how does your song writing develop to the finished product?
JAKE D: I get inspired by a lot of things. The weather definitely inspires my work. I try to listen to as much music as I make and stay tapped into my favorite artists. I also try to keep an active ear when watching TV or movies to hear the music that is driving productions.
RADIOSPARX: Your attention to detail has certainly paid off. Fantastic. What’s your favorite musical style/genre?
JAKE D: Oh, thank you. HIP HOP is for sure my favorite genre. I love sampled music in general because it blends so many genres together. It’s always awesome going through old records and recognizing a little bit of a song that I’ve heard sampled and hearing it in full context. I’ve been put onto a lot of really great music that way.
RADIOSPARX: We love HIP HOP too. Like minds, that’s us! Tell us about your life, in music, growing up, your influences, your loves and any people who impacted you greatly.
JAKE D: Like I said I grew up in a really small town. I grew up playing sports and that taught me how to enjoy the process of practice and working towards a goal. I didn’t really start making music until college, but I got bit by the bug and I have been composing ever since. My parents were a big influence on me. They taught me the value of hard work and doing what you love.
RADIOSPARX: Awesome. Such lovely thoughts and a shout out to your parents which is glorious. We love it. Can you tell us about your approach to the business side of your music life?
JAKE D: This is something I wish I was better at. I haven’t quite figured out the business side. I try to work with great companies like AUDIOSPARX and RADIOSPARX and put myself in the best position to be successful. Being active on social media is obviously key because you never know who is listening.
RADIOSPARX: We hear you! Being an independent musician is a tough gig, but there are millions of musicians out there, plus others who want to tell the world about you. We’re so glad you’re a part of the AUDIOSPARX and RADIOSPARX family. Tell us, what would you advise a young person getting started in the music industry? How can they be different yet authentic in an overcrowded yet amazing industry?
JAKE D: Good question. Thanks. It’s simple really, or at least I like to keep things simple in terms of the advice I give. I’d say to young musicians starting out — make the music you yourself want to hear and be true to yourself and your influences. If you keep these simple rules in mind, you won’t lose.
RADIOSPARX: That’s really good advice for young musicians. We love your simple and philosophical approach. Thanks Jake. Last question now — and you’ve really given us all lots to think about — are you on the side of AI in life and music? Do you think AI is something musicians should embrace to aid their composition of their music?
JAKE D: Yeah — it’s certainly something that musicians are thinking about right now. I have mixed feelings about this subject. I personally won’t use AI in my compositions. I like the work and breakthroughs when I’m struggling with a composition. That’s part of the fun for me, the problem- solving. So, making something with a prompt to a learning model isn’t going to be part of my process. I use AI for certain mundane tasks and stuff I don’t know about as much. For instance, I used ChatGPT to compare computers to find something within my budget that’s better than my current setup and doing this, using ChatGPT has saved me a ton of time. What other musicians do with their workflow is completely up to them, their code of honor and what they deem is the most important part of their process.
RADIOSPARX: Thanks Jake — you’ve been so awesome to talk to. We could talk to you for hours, but we’ll let our readers click on the links to your music and get inside your world themselves. But before we do that, tell us, finally about the kit you use.
JAKE D: Thanks RadioSparx, here’ s my list.
· Native Instruments
· My Ibanez bass
· My Fender Acoustic guitar
· And my APPLE MAC MINI
