transmitLIVE 2011 artist:
// Jules Chaz
Without question, one of the most exciting musicians on the West Coast electronic Hip Hop scene is Jules Chaz. Signed to avant dance imprint Wagon Repair, Chaz's debut Toppings marks the label's first foray into the post-hop sampledelic beat continuum inhabited by artists like Flying Lotus, Madlib & Daedelus. Located in Victoria BC, the homegrown jazz percussionist turned Hip-Hop producer has been gigging in BC for the last 15 years as a drummer/percussionist in various groups. Chaz's musical incubation is varied & deep, encompassing Latin and jazz as well as reggae/dub.
In 2010, Chaz released his eagerly anticipated debut, Toppings. The album was produced in part in a studio he shares with another member of Victoria's burgeoning music scene, Danuel Tate, keyboardist for Cobblestone Jazz. "The place is packed with Hammond organs, vibraphones, drum kits. It's a nice big studio." A lot of the material was also home made. "I have a son who's five years old. I put him to bed and then work on music. I have a little digital workstation. It has a couple sample pads, but that sampler doesn't even have sequencer. I mostly record things in real time, then compose on the go." Keeping it lo-fi, he adds, "I use a Moog, a vibraphone, lots of nice percussion. I made snares and kicks out of my own drum kit. I like using the gear like a dub studio." When he's not making original sounds, he's very deliberate about incorporating others' work. "I sample things that I've studied for years, that are part of my life. I don't go out digging just for the sake of putting out records."