Jordan a.k.a Mjoi is a UK-based producer and DJ, with a penchant for bass-heavy tracks across a variety of genres including Dubstep, Drum n Bass and Glitch Hop.
Following 2 well-received EPs in 2019, and the release of singles Air Raid and Rise Up this year, we wanted to sit down with Jordan and talk about what is to come from this exciting up-and-coming artist.
Hi Jordan. Why don’t you start by introducing yourself to our readers?
Hey, I’m Jordan, I go by the alias Mjoi (pronounced M-joy). I produce and DJ predominantly bass heavy electronic music.
I see you’ve just released your new single Rise Up on July 15th. Tell us a little bit about the track.
So as you know, we’re in the middle of a global pandemic (what joy). I’ve spent a lot of this time going back to my early days of getting majorly into Electronic music, right back to when Dubstep was fresh and taking over in 2011/12.
Rise Up is my homage to Dubstep’s origins of ‘Dub’. With all the modern elements I could try to bring. It’s probably the most naturally produced track for me.
Do you think this is a sound that we’ll hear more of from you in the future then?
100%. In my opinion, Dubstep in the past few years has been about who is the loudest/heaviest. I think it’s time it starts to evolve; which I think often starts with understanding the roots of the genre itself.
I’ve been looking into artists doing this kinda thing in the past few years. A massive standout is Chase & Status with their album RTRN II JUNGLE. Production has come such a long way since Jungle’s original peak, and their modern take on it was incredible.
I hope to do the same with Dubstep (and other genres) if I can.
It’s great to hear such ambition from a young artist. What do you think we’re going to see from you over the next year or two?
I’m mainly focused on singles right now. I’m currently finishing up 2 singles, which I’m buzzing to put out. Fingers crossed, they should be coming out before the end of summer. After that, I want to go into a hole of producing for the rest of the year. I’m hoping to have a pool of songs ready to pick from next year, whether they come out as singles or an EP.
I’m going to focus on making tracks for myself, making sure I fully enjoy what I’m putting out.
Sounds like you’re a busy man. How are you finding working on your music during the current pandemic? Has it affected your output at all?
Mjoi released his second single of 2020, Rise Up, on 15th July.
It’s been… interesting. In terms of output, I expected to finish more tracks than I have. But I’ve learnt a lot more about where my style is going and what I actually want to make. It’s been frustrating, but it was a necessary evil for sure. I’m still coming out of that phase, but I’m excited to feel like I’m nearly over that bridge.
Same goes for the working on music. With working from home, I was expecting to be fully on it everyday. But in reality, spending the day and night at your desk takes more of a toll than I originally thought. Commuting to and working from an office makes a pretty big difference.
Do you feel more focused now then?
Kind of. I’m getting there! It sounds cliché as hell, but I’m learning to enjoy the process as opposed to always aiming for the final result. So I’m slightly more focused, but getting better.
What’s your favourite part of the production process? Has that changed?
Building out the main drop, main drums, sound design, even the little FX! Just getting that initial loop going. And that’s changed really recently. I found that I was quite backwards with my production methods. I used to produce entire tracks at once, usually have an idea for a breakdown or maybe some chords to work with, and just build everything straight away. I learnt the hard way how counter productive that is. You end up in a round hole, square peg situation almost every time, then, it’s only by deconstructing that you get anywhere. That’s been a fun one to figure out.
Mjoi has firmly established his position as one of the best up-and-coming dubstep artists in the UK.
Do you think that change in your process will influence how you perform songs live?
Not particularly. DJing is, for the most part, centered around the ‘drop’. I’ve flipped my production methods to work more in favour of building that section. In all honesty, I’ve never really thought too much about how I would DJ a track whilst I’m producing it. Maybe the occasional sanity check when I consider switching the tempo up.
Having gone through these kind of changes in your career, what’s the best bit of advice you could offer to someone just starting out?
Finish tracks frequently and hold on to them (for a little while). It takes time to get to a level that you feel happy with, and the truth is, your first productions are probably going to suck. I think it’s wise to have a pool of tracks that you enjoy listening to, before you start putting them out into the world. Ira Glass said it better than I ever could.
That’s some great advice, and a good note to leave it on I think. Thanks very much for your time Jordan, it’s been great chatting with you.
You can keep up with Mjoi’s new music by following him on Spotify where you can now stream new single Rise Up. Alternatively, checkout @mjoimusic on Instagram.
