Hey Jack! Welcome to Raver Mag. Where are we speaking to you from?
Hello! And thanks for having me! Coming to you from my home in sunny San Diego, California.
For those who aren’t familiar with you, could you introduce yourself and tell us how you got into music production?
I actually grew up as a cellist in an orchestra and learned music theory in a symphony, then transitioned into rock music as a guitarist in a garage band in high school. I had quite an extensive classical and rock music background and knew I had to use my musical background to create something special. Covid showed me that I could no longer wait to chase my dreams and I needed to commit to learning music production. I bought Ableton soon after and immediately fell in love with deep and melodic house music production. I launched the PEPPERJVCK project in 2021 and have released tracks with labels like Loudkult and Purified since then.
Your new track ‘Believe’ has just come out on Purified Records. Can you tell us how this one came about?
This track definitely holds a special place in my heart; as soon as I heard the incredible vocal it reminded me of one of my biggest influences, Rufus Du Sol. I knew I wanted to accentuate the emotion behind the lyrics and the intense delivery of the vocal with dark sounding synths and big atmospheres. From there the track really wrote itself with the main focus being centered around the beautiful vocal.
The track has been played all over the world by Nora En Pure, including in her DJ Mag Top 100 stream from Bali! How did it feel to get this support from her and Purified Records?
Wow, what a mind blowing experience it’s been to see it played at so many major events! Really unbelievable to see my track played at Ultra Europe, Amsterdam Dance Event, DJ Mag Top 100, and others. I was so hyped by the support, I bought last minute tickets to multiple Nora En Pure tour stops in California and was able to thank her in person! Nora’s team has been amazing throughout the process and I’m very grateful for their trust in the project.
Do you have any studio rituals?
Great question – I always fire up my neon artwork hanging on the wall, listen to a few of my favorite tracks at the moment for inspiration, give my two Cavalier King Charles Spaniels a pet, and get to work.
How do you find inspiration when making new music?
For me, making music is about connecting the listener to an emotion and creating tracks that resonate with the audience’s feelings. I like to reference tracks that give me that same feeling of intense emotion, and use this inspiration to channel my own soundscapes and creativity into new projects.
If you could pick any artist from any genre to collaborate with, who would it be and why?
I’d have to go with Elderbrook. His voice and productions are so impressive and the quality is so consistent across his tracks.
What records that are really working in your recent sets?
I’m obsessed with the new Nils Hoffmann, Kasbo, and Vancouver Sleep Clinic track ‘Running In A Dream’.
What other projects are you working on at the moment?
Working with some exciting vocalists on more deep/melodic house projects!
Biggest moment of 2023?
Definitely seeing people dancing and singing along to my music at Nora En Pure’s sets around the world. That’s the best feeling a producer can possibly have and it makes all the hard work worth it.
What hopes or goals do you have for 2024?
I’d love to focus on collaborations with other producers and vocalists. Really motivated to hit the ground running in 2024!
