HEADS KNOW TAPE 015: Miss Jay
An interview and DJ from the Milan club tool champion.
Photo: Gianpiero Elia
HEADS KNOW TAPES is our mix and interview series, curated to introduce you to the most exciting innovators, selectors, and artists from New York City and beyond.
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There's no bigger proof that East Coast club music has spread worldwide than Bucharest-born, Milan-based Miss Jay's catalog. The producer's CLUB TOOLS and Blend Pack projects have become selector staples—even hitting the very area she pays homage to. On January 11th, Miss Jay released the fourth edition of CLUB TOOLS. Inside was an edit that would take her from a USB secret weapon to a name everybody should know.
Miss Jay's bootleg of Hudson Mohawke and Nikki Nair's "Set The Roof" popped off so hard that it landed right in front of Nikki Nair himself. He liked it so much that he reached out to Miss Jay for the file and ended up playing it in his Boiler Room set. The track now sits among ten others in the official remix album, which was released on Warp Records last April.
But Miss Jay doesn't only make edits—her archives also consist of original productions. On April 25th, the artist came out with her latest EP, (untitled). In nine cuts, she fuses club, trap, breaks, and hyperpop. Get a taste of her versatility in her bouncy HEADS KNOW TAPE and get to know her through the Q&A below.
I'm sorry if I’m a bit low energy. I'm so tired. I just came back from a six-hour Skee Mask set.
Oh!
Have you seen him live?
No, I haven't had the chance to yet.
It was really good. I left early though, because this was more important. I've been there since 9 am.
That's a bit long.
Have you ever played for six hours before?
I think my record was around four or five, and it was a very specific time in my life—about seven years ago. It was supposed to be a back-to-back, but my partner got drunk as shit.
That's crazy. What set length is your sweet spot?
My favorite has to be 1 hour and 30 minutes. I used to get booked for one hour, but it started becoming 1 hour and 30, and I was like, "Oh, wow. I can actually do more stuff!" All the bookings I get now are two hours, but I think it's a bit too long.
How long have you been DJing?
I started as an amateur when I was 17, like ten years ago. It became more legit for me four or five years ago, but I always wanted to be legit. I really spent a lot of time doing music things and was always dreaming about it.
You put out your first EP around five years ago, right? In 2019?
Something like that. There used to be a hidden EP in 2018, but you can't find that online anymore.
But you didn't start with electronic music.
Yes, it was anything and everything in the spectrum of hardcore and metal. I was very into that and still am.
What made you decide to switch?
Your average Romanian teen—around 15 or 16—would discover drum 'n bass parties because they were the only events that weren't 18+. I had a bunch of friends going there, apart from metal concerts. But before that, when I was 15, I went to this festival, and on the same day, I saw Chase & Status and Enter Shikari. For me, it was the perfect blend of stuff. I started going there and got a taste of dubstep and drum 'n bass, so I started mixing both [with metal]. But back in the hardcore scene, they were a bit like, "You cannot do both." So I was like, "bye."
Photo: Noemi Bifronte
That was in Romania, but you're in Milan now. Why did you move there?
I moved in 2018 to study. It got kind of crazy because of COVID, so I kept staying here. I feel like I'm on a decent level of adulting with the job and everything, so I'm staying here for now. Musically, it opened a lot of doors for me. Back home for club music, there's only one event that does it and it was one night per year type thing. When I came here, there was this social center that was doing club music every week, which was crazy for me. I love it here because even back home my friends didn't really like club music.
You do play a lot of club music, especially East Coast-inspired club. I know the visa situation makes it more difficult now, but are you planning on touring the US?
The word visa in general scares me, so let's start with that. I'd like to do a US tour, for sure. That would be sick. That or Asia.
They love club music over there. Fractal Fantasy is really holding it down in Japan with their residency.
They moved to Tokyo and it was the craziest thing ever! [Fractal Fantasy] is also my favorite label, but to see them in this "new" place, doing their thing—they get so much love out there and it makes me so happy to see it. It was the perfect location for them because they've always been technologically advanced.
We'd love to have you here, though. You're everyone's favorite.
I appreciate everyone. Thank you!
When I ask people for tracks, they always say, "Play Miss Jay" and I always respond, "Of course, I'm playing Miss Jay." I'm surprised I didn't even see your "Set The Roof" remix until I heard Miley Serious play it at a club a couple of months ago.
A lot of people know it from Miley. Infinite shoutouts to Miley. She played a big role in the fact that it got official, actually. She bought me out for her residency in Paris, then she made this recap video where she put the "Set The Roof" remix. Then I got a text, days later, from Nikki [Nair] and he was like, "Can you send me the remix? I really want to play it." And then he played it at Boiler Room and I was like, "Fuck, this is so crazy.”
I have to say, though, it took patience with this one, for sure. I did the remix maybe one week after the track came out or something like that. I heard it in the club and I was like, "Wait, what is this vocal? This is very intriguing." I was playing [my edit out], but the people were not feeling it too much. I don't know why. But then I sent it over to some DJ friends and they were super stoked about it. I was like, "You know what? I think this is okay. Let's see where this goes." But I would have never imagined it would blow up like that.
Yours is the best, in my opinion. Flux Pavillion's is second.
Flux’s is the best, to me. Me associated with Flux Pavillion is crazy.
“Everything should have a limit.”
What about a song makes you want to remix it?
There are two situations. Either it's a song I listen to 100 times a day and I need to get it out of my system—and getting it out of my system means remixing it—or I hear some interesting vocal line going on, but don't know the song too well. I try to go at it without knowing too many details about it because it's different when you hear a song twice.
Have you heard the discourse about people saying too many vocals in a set makes it bad?
I haven't seen it specifically with vocals, but I think there's an edit war right now. I don't know, but vocals are good. You connect with people easier. You can also throw a bunch of references in there. I don't see anything bad with it, but everything should have a limit. When you overdo anything, it becomes bad.
I'm surprised you say that because I'd probably describe your music as maximalist.
I guess I do use a lot of vocals.
I love it though—I don't have any critiques on you.
You can have them, though. I'm sure there are people out there that don't like my music.
They'd have bad taste. Do you come from a musical family?
Not at all.
Photo courtesy of Instagram.
What do they think about your music career?
To this day, I still don't think they believe it 100%. They thought it was stupid for a long time. But now, since I've been getting booked and doing more stuff, there's been a slight change of heart. They're still like, "You got to keep your job," because shit's so unstable. I have a full-time job plus DJing on the weekends. It's sometimes exhausting. I get back home from work and I have to take care of music stuff. This is actually the first weekend in a while that I'm not doing anything music-related and it feels weird.
What came first, DJing or producing?
Producing. At first, it was hardcore stuff, then dubstep and drum 'n bass. I got a bit better, but I was doing EDM trap. After, I was on this whole wave of Clams Casino, trying to do chill trap. Now it's club.
Which artist do you really want to play your tracks?
It's already happened—Sinjin [Hawke] and Zora [Jones]. I'm very loyal to them! Other than that, I don't know. There are a lot of artists I like, but my style of club music doesn't fit their sets very well.
You'd be surprised. I heard DJ Sliink play an Ivy Lab club track the other month.
That's one! DJ Sliink!
If the dancefloor clears, what track do you play to bring them back?
What can we expect from this mix?
Fun club stuff!
Is there anything you want to promote?
I came out with an EP on April 25th, (untitled), on International Chrome. Shoutout Jensen Interceptor and Assembler Code for this, they've been amazing. They've supported me so much throughout the process of this EP and I'm very happy with how it turned out. For the rest, I don't know. I don't know what's next. Bit of a mystery, but we'll find out together.
This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
Follow Miss Jay on Instagram, Twitter, SoundCloud, and Bandcamp. You can also keep up with her on Discord.
TRACKLIST
Ca$h Bandicoot - Like Jello
a-rot - ID
Jay R Neutron - Elevator
XQZ ME - JAMIE
KAYY DRiZZ - Pop to the Bass - KAYY DRiZZ Remix
avas - RIPCORD
ICEUNDERLORD - I JUST WANA FUCK (WAR REMIX)
Jhene Aiko - The Worst (Hoodboi Remix)
A-Par - PANDORA
Evissimax - Loud Whisper (Miss Jay Remix)
Miss Jay - Zoning Out In The Club
Hudson Mohawke, Nikki Nair, Tayla Parx - Set The Roof (Miss Jay Remix)
Jam City - The Courts
Mike G - Snakeskin Broth
JSPORT - Guillotine Drum
DJ Sliink - Pull Up
Mutant Joe - Molly Whopped (Miss Jay Bootleg)
Bianca Oblivion - Middle Finger RIP
FUZZ & Mar'One - Another Night
Janet Jackson - Go Deep (Jaymie Silk Edition)
Skrillex, Ahadadream, Contra, Priya Ragu - TAKA
Doctor P - Sweet Shop (Hamdi Remix)
Miss Jay - @t The Club
An Avrin - Snake (BABii dub)
KW Griff feat. Pork Chop - Bring in the Katz (ziggy twiss Bubbling Bootleg)
Kue & Jensen Interceptor - NÃO SE ASSUSTE
The Bug - Hammer (feat. Flowdan)
Van Boom OBJECT MAPPING (ft. Safety Trance & Evita Manji)
Moore Kismet - HOW 2 BUILD A BETTER BOY
Keys N Krates - I Just Can't Deny
CESCO - UP THE PLACE (GASZIA CLUB EDIT)
Cozen - Big Thighs
Sinjin Hawke & Zora Jones - Lurk 101
Drone - Slingshot
Miss Jay - Make A Move
KilSoSouth - KARMA
