Artist Spotlight – Jase Thirlwall

Alias: Jase Thirlwall
Real Name: Jason John Thirlwall
Hometown: Fife, Scotland
Profession: DJ, producer, mechanical engineer
Hobbies: snowboarding, boxing, underwater goat wrestling
Affiliations: Armada, Mental Asylum, Kearnage, Outburst, Victim Helpine, Aerys, MJR Management
Working behind the scenes in trance, you are introduced to people of all backgrounds, and personalities
You meet characters of all sizes and one of them which I had the pleasure to meet was Jase Thirlwall. This Scottish talent has made an impact onto the trance scene since 2013 and comes with a big personality that is fun to be around. His charisma is next level with occasional F-bomb or two may within a conversation; but his genuine love for trance, his fans, his friends and family is undeniable.
In the grand scheme, Jase is still new to the scene, but if in the past 5 years, he has accomplished a lot and is setting a path forward that will have him playing shows and festivals around the world for years to come. The shenanigans have only just started with this one.
Welcome to L.A., 2018 looks to be a very big year for you with some big shows lined up. Where are you looking forward to play the most?
Here! No, honestly, this is the second show in Los Angeles, so because I know so many people here, it is a cool trip to play. It is always a good reaction. Hopefully I will be back by the end of the year.
Also, of course we are back in Argentina, which is obviously one of the biggest shows you could play.
You have traveled all over the world, most recently South Africa. How was that trip?
It was the best. We went up to Cape Town, went up to Kruger. We done so much stuff that you only see on television, and to be a part of that was quite epic. Things at home, the portion that goes on, has quite a personal effect. But such a beautiful place, I am 100% going to go back. It was one of the best places I have ever been in.
Two words that are often used to describe you – diverse and energetic. Do you feel these fairly represent you and why?
Diverse, I always tend to play all the tracks. Today I started to go for tracks that were 12 years old maybe. You didn’t see that because you weren’t there..
DS: I should edit this part out
JT: I had to say it. But I always try to find some older tech-trance tracks. And I try to bridge tech-trance and the current uplifting trance that is coming in. I am not a massive fan of psy-trance, however, I will play the latest Simon Patterson [tracks], it works, and the reactions were great.
If you had to pick two more words to describe you, what would they be?
Sexy and amazing.
DS: I am going to just leave it at that
Chickens, your recent project with Will Atkinson was insane in both the quality of the production and the madness between you two. How would you describe working with Will? How did this project come about?
I have worked with Will a lot of times and you know it is like, he like a brother to me. So when you are in the studio and if you are in the studio with someone normal, it goes really smooth, but sometimes you get really hesitant about throwing out stupid fucking ideas. And working with Will, when it is just us, the ideas are flowing and the tracks was coming out. And to that end a track like Chickens was born. And the best thing about Chickens was making it. It was just so much fuckin’ fun.
You are not trying to copy a generic uplifting track or a normal tech trance track. It was something we wanted to produce. No copying anything, it was just a bit of fun. And the track had quite an impact on everybody, the support was great and we achieved our goal. So until out next time.
Watching you live is never boring. You always bring energy and an occasional surprise when you perform. How do you prepare for a set? How much of the set would you say is spontaneous?
Sometimes before I play, I will stand in front of YouTube and practice my dance moves for like hours on end. You know it pays off sometimes and sometimes you get “that guy can fucking dance,” I am only joking.
I kind of look at the cloud and look at previous sets that have been played. I try to figure out what works. I mean in different countries, different things work. Classics, tech-trance, uplifting. And I try to bring everything to the table but it is about what you guys enjoy. And I do my homework, and I do look at things and think this would work. But at the same time I try to keep my ears on what is coming out and hopefully it works.
When you release a new track, what are your hopes for it? When producing, when do you feel a track is finally ready for release?
To be fair, once I finish a track I will play it out on a big sound system and listen back. It always needs something else, and sometimes it will tell you what’s the name of the track on the big sound system and you wouldn’t realize what you need. So until I am happy with it and that makes it, it always needs some more work and it doesn’t. And then I will send it to a label and a lot of times the label will come back and say it needs to be remastered, it needs this. Some labels are fucking brutal and they are real and not funny. Some labels you sad and you change it, change it, and change it.
I speak about this because I fucking pushes me off at times, but you know, it is something that more and more labels are doing now they won’t a track because they don’t like it, but because an element in that track. And they will ask if you can change this and change that. [And I am like], “No it is my track”. If you don’t want to sign it, I will take it to a different label. But it is frustrating at times, because a lot of guys on my label all connect from this because it is ultra-frustrating. But at the same time if it is a label you admire or you support, you will go back and you will make those changes and ultimately you will get that release.
Finally, if you could only live by one motto, what would it be?
I have absolutely no idea. I don’t even live by one motto, I have no motto. So to that end…I don’t really have a motto at all. You stumped me, you fucking got me!
DS: I got you on the easiest question
JT: It is not easy, it’s deep AF. I am coming here from my heart and you are just like just flush me out of my fucking bowl. But, I do what I do, I work, I wish I work full-time, so I am constantly busy. I love every aspect of this job I have and the people I meet, that parties I have. It honestly means the world to me, especially meeting like-minded people from all over the place. So I really am thankful and appreciate the fans and the people looking out for you. To that end, no it is for me a good socializing connect. I really do appreciate it.
At the end of the day, as I sat here, you interviewed me; I have my agent here and my friends outside waiting. Why we are over here at the end of the day is because of you. It really is and it sounds cliché AF, but at the end of the day because we enjoy the scene and the music. That is a good thing and I appreciate that.
Courtesy of Jase Thirlwall