Articles - Interviews

16 years after he formed Way Out West with fellow Bristollian producer Nick Warren, Jody Wisternoff remains firmly at the top of the global DJ tree spinning and producing progressive house and trance music for an adoring global fan base.

Describing himself a workaholic, however with more than a few things still to prove, he’s quick to stress he’s anything but complacent.

“It’s extremely important as a creative person to feel this sense of drive and to be achieving things constantly, because in this highly competitive industry it’s the only way to stay relevant. The public are very fickle, so if you want to keep playing these great gigs and living this amazing lifestyle you have to maintain a good profile,” he points out, “Gone are the days when you could have a hit record and then rest on your laurels.”

“How sensitive to criticism am I? Do I bear grudges? Er, yes I do,” he confesses.

“It’s very hard not to take it personally when someone slates you or your work. But you have to remember it’s probably just some kid sat at home behind his keyboard who hasn't got a girlfriend.”

Something of a heart-throb by repute he recently became a father for the first time (to daughter Poppy) an experience he describes as ‘incredible’.

“The old cliché’ is true, it just keeps getting better. I feel more focused and the feeling you get when you see a little version of yourself smiling up at you can be very inspiring,” he says.

“As for DJing, I’ve got another mouth to feed now so need to step it up a gear.  What I’m really looking forward to is vetting her boyfriends when she's a teenager,” he chuckles.

“It's gonna’ be like that film Shallow Grave, I’m gonna’ be harsh,” he vows, “Though if she brings back a precocious skinny DJ with a ponytail I will welcome him with open arms.”

Parental guidance issues aside, he’s chatting to Skrufff today to promote his new double track EP Lasoo/ No Longer Strangers released under his own name as opposed to Way Out West (not that it makes much difference he says).

“I don’t consciously make the tracks any differently, they are both essentially in the same Way Out West style,” he says, “the difference being that Way Out West is touched by the hand of (Nick) Warren and may contain more samples (he is a ferocious crate-digger). My solo stuff relies more on our sizable collection of analogue synths for the sound design.” (Click here to listen to ‘No Longer Strangers’: http://tinyurl.com/yyjzg6z )


Skrufff.com (Jonty Skrufff): How long did you spend working on these two tracks: do you generally bash them out pretty quickly these days?

Jody Wisternoff: “From start to finish pretty much every track I make takes a good few months actually and these were no exception. The initial ideas can come very quickly, within hours, but then I really like to take my time and the tracks go through many stages of development, such as being tested on the dance-floor a few times before reaching their natural climax.”

Skrufff.com: How much has it got easier- or harder- to make tracks over time? Have you had any periods of creative block?

Jody Wisternoff: “There can be periods of extreme creativity, where every studio session yields results, but also downtime where creative block kicks in like a mutha (fucker). Id like to think that all the travelling and doing great gigs at the weekend fills you with ideas, but in reality this can actually be quite draining and I find that after an extensive tour it takes me a good while to get back into the studio swing again. I've been making music for almost 20 years now, and in some ways it has become easier (with technology, for example). But this can also be a double-edged sword because back in the day there were more limits so you just concentrated on the important stuff rather than drowning in plug-ins. The thing to remember is to not take it too seriously. There are only 12 notes and everything has already been done in the 60's by guys with massive beards and huge modular synths, so just enjoy it and do what feels right.”

Skrufff.com: Looking at your posted dates online you're not playing every weekend: how much does playing 2/3 gigs every single weekend stop being fun? Have you had any / many periods when you've stopped enjoying it?

Jody Wisternoff: “It’s been a great year so far, with only one or two weekends off actually, and looking strong for the summer in terms of bookings. The moment it stops being fun is the time to change career. There are thousands of kids who would kill for this opportunity, so it should never be taken for granted. The only time I've ever had to take a step back was in 2006 when tinnitus became a problem, and facing the possibility of having to find a normal job put the fear of God in me. I basically had to give it a rest for a good while, which was the hardest thing I've ever been through as an extrovert Sagittarian and music lover.”

Skrufff.com: What’s your take on tinnitus four years on since you first developed it?

Jody Wisternoff: “I took a long break from DJing specifically because of it. Tinnitus is really closely related to the central nervous system, so If you are burning the candle and working yourself to the limit it will sound louder because it’s the body's way of saying slow down. However, if you learn to use it like an internal doctor, it can be a very powerful tool in guiding you to do the right things. Unfortunately the DJ lifestyle isn't always the healthiest, but hey, such is life. The important thing to understand is that loud music isn't causing more damage and making it worse (as long as you take precautions: such as earplug!) Having said that, everybody develops temporary tinnitus after exposure to loud music which is the body saying ‘be careful I don’t want to go deaf’. People like me who experience permanent tinnitus need to learn how to chill and relax, and when you learn how to do this, it becomes quieter and easier to cope with.”

Skrufff.com: How are you prioritising these days between Way Out West and your own material: what takes precedence? (how willing/ able are you to drop everything for Way Out West- eg if someone offers you both a mega festival gig for example?)

Jody Wisternoff: “It all depends which deadline is looming. I try to give as much of myself to both projects, It’s all about balance and they both feed off each other anyway. We do about one Way Out West gig a month right now, our agents and managers are well versed at the art of date juggling but yeah they do take precedence.”

Skrufff.com: Talking about the last decade to Skrufff.com in December you said ' on the whole it's been amazing as I'm still avoiding getting a real job': have you ever genuinely considered doing anything else?

Jody Wisternoff: “Only once whilst playing in Majorca to about five pissed up divorcees about 4 years ago (my worst gig of all time). But in general, nope, absolutely never. I’m very committed to the cause.”

Skrufff.com: Are you in contact with any old school friends? Have you ever been to any school reunions and/ or are you seen as being a famous alumnus?

Jody Wisternoff: “Recently, quite a few have been popping up on Facebook. It’s ways interesting to see how people look now. But no, I’m not really close to any old school friends, and I always seem to miss the reunions. As for being a famous ex pupil, I should bloody well hope so (laughing).”

http://www.jodywisternoff.com

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LqpDUFGZio (No Longer Strangers)

http://www.myspace.com/jodywayoutwest

http://www.wayoutwest.mu/ (Way Out West’s latest album We Love Machines is out now)

Article by Jonty Skrufff (http://skrufff.com): Follow Jonty on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/jontyskrufff