Jelico is the co owner of Swoon Recordings and one half of Get Physical’s Stereo.type. After releasing on a number of world renowned labels like Get Physical, Katermukke’s MUKKE, Einmusik’s EIN2, LouLou Records and Just Her’s Constant Circles; George decided to launch the Jelico alias to showcase his solo work.
Jelico’s debut release dropped in October 2019 on his label Swoon Recordings as a collaboration with label founder Ryan Murgatroyd. His DJ sets have been built over many years of experience playing some of the world’s best venues, including regular appearances at Watergate & Kater Blau. His sets are full of energy and groove fueled by his ability to make the crowd move.
We caught up with Jelico to talk about his latest musical projects.
Electronic Groove: Hello, Jelico, thanks for your time today. Where are you now? How are you holding up with the whole quarantine situation?
Jelico: Hey EG, thanks for having me! Right now I am at my place in Berlin, I moved here from London in 2015. The quarantine situation has been fine, in my case. It has allowed me the time to get the Jelico project up and running. I am certainly ready for things to start opening up again, but in general, I can’t complain.
Electronic Groove: Tell us a bit about your musical background. What are your first musical memories in terms of electronica? What have been some of the artists that influenced you the most and why?
Jelico: Music became my thing when I was very young, I started playing guitar when I was 5 and ended up studying Music at University. My first big electronica memory is when my brother took me to The End to see Laurent Garnier back in 2004, which was an amazing experience. From there I became immersed in the sounds of the mid 2000s being pushed by the likes of Get Physical, Crosstown Rebels, Dirtybird and Pokerflat. My main DJ influences were M.A.N.D.Y and Damian Lazarus, back then who amongst others, provided a platform for a new brand of electronic music that paved the way for a lot of the genres that are so popular today.
Electronic Groove: Jelico, is a rather new project for you, but you are no stranger to the scene with Stereo.type. When did you figure out that you felt like you needed a solo outlet? How does Jelico differ from Stereo.type?
Jelico: The Jelico project has a similar musical philosophy to Stereo.type, I just felt like I needed an alias to showcase my solo productions. I have been making a lot of music by myself, and Bryan and I are finding less time to get together to collaborate, so Jelico has become my main focus for now. There are pros and cons to the way of working in each scenario and it is really nice to get to experience both projects.
Electronic Groove: 2019 also saw the birth of Swoon Recordings, your label with Ryan Murgatroyd. How did that come about? What’s the message behind the label?
Jelico: I’ve been friends with Ryan for a few years, we connected through Get Physical. We both had a few releases on the German label and have a similar philosophy on music. It is such an amazing imprint but they have a lot of artists and we wanted to create our own one where we are fully in control. We both love harmonies, melodies, and strong, memorable hooks, so those elements form the main philosophy of the label. Essentially music that sounds just as good listening at home as it does on the dancefloor is what we aspire to.
“I am certainly ready for things to start opening up again, but in general, I can’t complain”
Electronic Groove: Diving into the studio…What’s your set up like? Do you have any new favorite gear?
Jelico: I have been using the Minilogue XD for most of the Jelico productions so far. It works great for big synth sounds and low-end basses. I work for Native Instruments so am always using their products, quality wise NI software is hard to beat. Recently, I have been using Massive X a lot as it sounds really fresh and top quality. Maschine is my go-to for my drum sounds and programming, again NI has so many high-quality samples to play with that I don’t need much else. Ableton is great as a DAW, with its endless creative solutions.
Electronic Groove: What are your plans for the rest of the year? How do you see the landscape going forward? Do you foresee a new direction to the business side of it?
Jelico: Alongside working at Native Instruments, I will be holed up in the studio for the rest of the year making music. Looking forward to a Winter of focus. I struggle to see a new side to the business personally. Live streams looked to be getting traction back in April/May but people got tired of them. It just doesn’t compare to the real thing, without the great sound systems and other people to connect with. Maybe as VR tech improves there will be some great Electronica experiences we can enjoy at home but right now I don’t see it. I do think events will eventually get back to how they were before and people will be craving the human interactions, so for now the business needs to ride it out – as hard as it is for so many people, unfortunately.
Electronic Groove: You have quite an extensive career. What have been the hardest obstacles to overcome?
Jelico: There are many obstacles in this game, for sure! Getting music heard is one of the hardest things at the start. Best way to overcome that is to try to connect with the DJs you want to get your music to personally at events. Dealing with rejections can be very tough, especially when you think you’ve made the best track you possibly can. In those moments it is wise to take the advice on board and stick at it, you will always improve over time if you work hard.
Electronic Groove: Times have changed and the music industry has grown and evolved exponentially. What advice can you give to those who are venturing into DJing and music production?
Jelico: The key thing that remains for me is to listen to as much music as possible and define a sound for yourself. Don’t chase the current trend as by the time you get on it, it will be too late. Be patient in the studio and work hard. You will need to make a lot of music to develop your sound and skills. Listen to lots of genres and music from different time periods to build your knowledge. Of course – social media is almost as important as music these days, so it is important to have that in order, but the kids coming through now will know that more than me anyway!
Electronic Groove: Thank you so much for your time, Jelico! We wish you the best going forward!
Jelico: Thanks a lot for having me!
Jelico’s ‘All I Want’ EP is now available via Swoon Recordings. Grab your copy here.
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