London based DJ Jess Bays is definitely making a strong impact towards the London underground music scene. Wether Jess is playing at the start of the night or at the end of the night, she has the right track selection to keep everyone on the toes until the very last track, its been proven…

We spoke with Jess about what her 2016 DJ schedule consists of, what her current situation is with Sam Divine as well as talking about her top highlights from 2015.

What is your current situation within the music scene?

Currently I am playing all over London and around the UK as a solo vocal house DJ! I’m starting to get European bookings too now which is SO exciting! I played Dublin & Ibiza last year, with Dubai, Dominican Republic & Tenerife already confirmed for this year. I also am A&R Manager for D-Vine Sounds which is owned my Sam Divine, who I am Tour Manager for too!

What was your favourite venue to play at last year and why?

Tough question! But it has to be Studio 338 in London. That terrace is seriously something else! It’s the closest thing to Ibiza in London. I played for ABODE to over 2,000 people, Kai gave me a Birthday set at the June 2015 party and it still makes me speechless thinking back to it now! Big up Kai and all the ravers that were in that venue at that time. It was a special moment that I’ll never forget! Ive also just recently played at Bugged Out Festival on the Wunderground stage which was pretty special!

Anything in the pipeline with your own music productions?

A lot of people are asking me this question at the moment and the honest answer is I really don’t know! I’m an absolute newbie to the production world, but it’s not a completely closed book. I will always be first and foremost a DJ, thats where my passion lies. There are a few people that I’ve been chatting with about doing remixes with so I’d say thats definitely in the pipeline, but as original materials goes, at the moment, no.

What would you class your style when you’re performing?

Vocal house is where my heart lies. I play a variety of different house genres from soulful to tech, disco to bass! I guess I’m starting to be known for my love of throwbacks and classic tracks – from Armand Van Helden to Black Box. I LOVE 70s/80s/90s tracks & enjoy being able to switch it up in a club so if you come to one of my sets then expect the unexpected!

What can we expect from you for 2016 thats different to your 2015 schedule?

My main aim in 2016 is to expand more out of London! I’d love to get Manchester, Leeds, Brighton etc under my belt and I’ve got 2 possibly 3 festival bookings too! One being Cambridge’s CT1 Festival where I’m headlining alongside the likes of Wilkinson, Shy FX, S.K.T & Sonny Fodera which I’m absolutely buzzing about! 2015 was more the year of me getting myself out there in London, and I had the best time meeting ravers and working with the best promoters that London has to offer!

Whats your favourite track to listen to away from the electronic scene?

I love a bit of Smooth FM! It’s actually become a ritual for me to listen to it en route home after my gigs, haha! Personal favs are Luther Van Dross – Give Me The Reason & The Whispers – And The Beat Goes On.

How long have you been a DJ and how did you make your break?

I’ve been DJing for 2 years now and started by taking a 3 month course at SubBass in Waterloo. They taught me the basics and also gave me my first ever set at Ministry Of Sound in London. From there I met many promotors from going out to gigs, also from being Sam’s Tour Manager I met a lot of people on the road who gave me a shot too. Sam has also pushed me to be the DJ that I am today. I gained a residency at Warehouse LDN before it’s closure which opened a lot of doors for me, and the rest is history! I had a CRAZY 2015 playing so many unreal parties and have made life long friends with many promotors. I would say summer 2015 is when things really kicked off for me!

House or Techno? 

House music alllllll night long! <3

Garage or Grime? 

Gotta be garage hasn’t it! I’m a sucker for DJ EZ and UKG classics! Nothing gets me more excited at a rave! I think 2016/17 will be when UKG makes it’s comeback – I hope anyway!

A booking you are most looking forward to for 2016 and why?

It has to be Groovefest in September without a doubt! It’s a 7 day festival in the Dominican Republic – an actual party in paradise! We’ve got a D-Vine Sounds party happening out there with myself, Sam Divine & Dantiez Saunderson repesenting! The likes of Skream, Kenny Dope, Dennis Ferrer and loads more will be playing throughout the week so it’s definitely the place to be!

Tell us about how you achieved your runner up award which was for ‘Best Ibiza Newcomer DJ’? 

I was hit up by Steve Long who runs Ibiza Clubbing Guide which is an online page that share news and party info for Ibiza. Every year they have awards and I was nominated for Newcomer DJ! It was so much fun watching the votes and the amount of support I got from it, so a MASSIVE thank you to everyone who voted for me! It was neck and neck between me and EDM DJ Modaa, we had around 2,500 each which he won in the end! The votes were so close Steve decided to give me an award too for runner up which I was presented with by Laidback Luke! Perfect end to the summer, couldn’t of been happier!

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For bookings contact: jess@d-vinesounds.com