In The Company Of: JUS ED

(photo taken by Seze Devres)

The genuine house maestro Jus-Ed will be taking charge of Room Three on the 19th September alongside label mates DJ QU and Fred P (aka Black Jazz Consortium). So if you are yet to witness the Underground Quality takeovers in the intimate Room Three, best get on board. Jus-Ed’s label is pushing forward some of the most experimental house sounds around, as well as helping put out international rising talent such as Nina Kraviz, Levon Vincent and AntonZap. The man has such an eternal love affair with house and he’s kindly answered some questions in his own inimitable style – true to form.

Hey Ed, how are you today?
I'm exhausted, been cutting grass all day...23 houses to be exact! I have a bit of a chip on my shoulder - I like doing interviews, I just don't have the time to type them out...I taught myself how to type so I only type with 2 fingers and a thumb. But I'm grateful you folks are interested in me...so let's get cracking!

Would you care to explain a little about the type of music you play to those who might not already know?
Well, that might take way too long! What i will say is - I'm a DJ...a DJ that plays mostly house music - hard- soft- vocal-tribal-jazzy-world-classic house, that is. For you folks that use to party back in the 80s, you will get rocked like that...for you folks that partied in the 90s, you will get rocked like that. If you wanna dance and get musically and spiritually lifted, then this is what I do. I don't try to play a perfect mixing set. I play a story that takes you on a journey; it will excite you, uplift you...and free you! That’s what I do...amen?...Amen!!! hahaha

What can we expect from the Underground Quality takeover of Room Three on Saturday 19th September with DJ Qu and Fred P?
Same shit happen last time...only better! We got Fred P. aka Black Jazz Consortium with us - he is the 3rd element.

You’ve said before that you started DJing by playing at all types of house parties in Connecticut rather than in clubs. What kind of records were you spinning at the time, and is there one party in particular that stands out above all the others?
What I said is that I started DJing when I was 10 years old for our house basement or real home house parties...you know, aunts, uncles, cousins, friends where I live in Connecticut. The records I played then where funk & soul, and R&B, freestyle rap and top forty.

You have cited a wide variety of influences on your musical output and taste, how did your upbringing influence your style today?
My grandparents were and are jazz musicians, so I was raised up with music.

There's a video on YouTube of you with your son - how does music and family life work together in your mind?
It doesn't work in my mind…is this a typo?! hahaha it works in my life...in my home...it's how we live.


And how do you educate your son musically?
We live music...so he lives music...when my children show an interest in anything we feed it. But this is a trick question ‘cause if you had kids and you live music then you would know they educate you. I set the right example for my children, and I expose them to lessons of life. I observe my child’s ability to grasp music and vibe and rhythms...vocals...keep time…dance. I would have to say I educate my kids with common sense and a love for life...the music thing is just our culture, this is how we express ourselves.

What is the vision behind your label with Vic Money when you initially started?
The "vision" behind UQ was to do dope parties and introduce new underground DJs and music. House! Vic Money retired, then I pushed UQ to the next level. The purpose of UQ label is to rise up real underground house DJs/producers from the TRI State area, and try to keep house house...the way our forefathers did back in the day!

Underground Quality artist Nina Kraviz is featured on our latest fabric album by Radio Slave - is she someone to watch out for?
Yes! She has her first EP coming out on Underground Quality, UQ-023 DJ Jus-Ed presents Nina Kraviz First Time EP.

It will be out by the middle of September. Her first release with U.Q. was Voices Rmx project UQ-019 2x12 set. It truly was a hit in the underground scene and it has been licensed to two major CD compilations in Germany: Panorama Bar and Watergate. Nina is a true performer and aspires to have her own band one day...oh do watch out for HER!

The deep house style is now very much in vogue – what do you think of it becoming 'trendy'?
House music is not a trend; it's a way of life. There is a culture of house heads - TRUE house heads...world wide. We live by spiritual principles. We have businesses, jobs, and families. We are educated, we are old in years and young in years...we are free spirits! To the outsider, we are looked at as dreamers...different...even weird. But we know how to live our lives and we know how to express ourselves through music, song, poetry, dance.

Is there anyone we should be looking out for?
AYBEE from Oakland, California (UQ-025) & Tazz from Montreal, Canada (UQ-026). Check our site - www.undergroundquality.com - sign up for mailing list and first-hand news of these and more releases.

Your radio show on www.MyHouse-YourHouse.net is a glowing success…how significant was the radio for you when you were growing up?
It was everything!!!! You had to be tuned in every week to get the latest cuts! And you had to watch Soul Train every Saturday to get the latest dance...hahaha!

Going through some of your blog entries on your MySpace, we’ve noticed you’re reaching the limit with people downloading your music for free, especially from investment bankers...
Yeah, they need to be charged and fined as criminals. I wish I could find a virus to plant in my music so that when these blood suckers - well I like vampires...ok let’s say fuckin pirates - try to upload my shit it just fucks up their PC or Mac or i-Pod. The people that give my music away think they are helping me. It costs money to put these productions in motion to the tune of $1500 USD. And when you NEED to get your mortgage money back, or food money back with a profit, it hurts. It hurts me...my kids. There has to be some action taken on behalf of the people downloading the music...it's not all right. PEOPLE PLEASE DON'T TAKE MUSIC FOR FREE FROM THESE BLOGS OR WEBSITES. I was raised up that if you want something and you don't have the means to get it, you work for it...and then you pay for it...then you own it. Anything else is stealing. Pretty soon there will be no new music. What if I only play new music on the radio show, or DJ sets, never will it be for sale…the only way to have it is to show up at a club and listen…hmm now that would be some shit!

You’ve made a fair few comments on Resident Advisor too; is it fair to say that the house music community resides online rather than in record stores?
I don't know...I can speak for me - I don't shop for vinyl unless I’m overseas. There are no record stores where I live...NONE. New York is the next stop and I have kids and school started...etc. When I started back DJing, I shopped hard - I hit New York & Brooklyn and Salvation Army. And almost nobody would give me a promo...cause I was just Ed. But then I got a little popular and then the promos started to trickle in…now I got a lot of shit - some of it is good and I play it. Sometimes I get asked to do a play list, chart music...well, I can't ‘cause a lot of the music I play isn't out or it's classic house. So I'm fortunate to have these outlets or I'd be shopping on...which is not bad if you only want the top 50 records, but everybody has them...you know...so go to your vinyl store IF YOU CAN GO and tell him to give you the white labels...the local talent shit...that's what I do.

Come see Jus Ed do what he does next Saturday (19th Sept) in Room Three, as Underground Quality set up fort.