For this music producer and curator, nightlife beats and journalistic / scripted storytelling function as one: DJ CMD+JAZMINE is in activation mode! [Cover photo: MTHR TRSA]
Thotyssey: Hello CMD, thanks for chatting with us today! We’re already at the beginning of the end of summer, how did the season treat you?
CMD+JAZMINE: The summer was quite a delight–a lot of reflection and evolutions in both my sound and life. I feel like I spent so much time outside, it’s hard to go back in… but I’m lowkey ready for hibernation season.
I hear that! Did you get to do any outdoor DJ gigs this summer?
Aside from two sets on friends’ rooftops, no proper club sets. But summer isn’t over; hopefully somebody would think of me to make that happen!
How might you describe your DJ sound today, when you’re in total control of the night’s set?
I’ve been producing music for about 15 years and working in documentary journalism for 10, so in my DJ sound I borrow a lot from narrative storytelling. I set up each set as if it was a soundtrack to a film where the listener is the main character: playing with ambient rises and falls, vocal samples that tickle the ear and feel familiar and string the story along, and jittery breaks with hard drums that lock you into a groove.
Sounds like there’s much to discuss, so we better start from the beginning: where are you from originally, and growing up did you always have these duel interests in narrative and music, or did that evolve over time?
I grew up about an hour and some change outside of Chicago, and moved to the city proper before making my way to New York. When I was younger, I used to listen to the radio a lot with my dad and grandpa… particularly when they would go around hunting for scrap metal to sell. With my grandpa it was mostly talk radio, so I loved hearing people speak and tell stories, revealing themselves to strangers. With my dad, it was almost always music–particularly rap, Chicago house, and disco. I felt that the two always wrapped around my brain and totally formed my sonic DNA, and only got more complicated as I got older.
How did music producing and DJing start for you? And, is there a story behind your name?
I come from a visual and performance arts background, so my form of sonic creative practice came from building sound works for the gallery, which naturally led towards experimenting with music. I made music for commercial clients for years until roughly three years ago when I released my first project under my current artist name, CMD+JAZMINE. The name comes from the command function on the computer keyboard. It reveals a new mode, use case, or identity under a previously assigned function… so I felt that my artist project was a different side of Jazmine that was unlocked.
I imagine it must sometimes be a challenge to divide your time and effort between creating original music and curating DJ playlists.
A little bit! I keep a pretty rigid schedule when it comes to producing and digging for new sounds. I typically dig for new records and digital releases twice a week after work, and produce music on weekend mornings.
Do you often get to spin your own compositions into DJ sets?
Each set, I try to sneak at least one of my own productions in there!
There’s been talk this whole post-pandemic era about people’s continued antisocialization and lack of engagement with their environment, and a waning of interest in music and concerts in general. But at the same time, music-centric venues are really packing in the people nowadays, and DJs are finally being allowed to do their thing again without being treated by patrons like Spotify. What’s happening, from your point of view, as far as what folks are doing and why?
I think it’s twofold. One, people are itching to go out and have experiences and press flesh against lovers and not the glass of their phones. But two, there is still the continued social currency of the smartphone-created image. I see it when I have a set where I simultaneously see someone lose themselves on the dancefloor while moments later, someone gripping an iPhone with the camera app open, asks for a request. There’s this desire to connect and control, to film the viral moment, and I think that sense of control comes from the screen-mediated antisocialization and hyper-personalization that went overdrive from 2020 until the present day. I think phone-free dancefloors are one of the best trends happening in clubs today because it makes a statement in how to treat music and the spiritual release of dancing.
What can you tell us about your own original music?
I recently released a four track EP with Subsista Records titled The Agony of Being Seen, which is a concept record that follows a woman who gets trapped in a wormhole in a warehouse rave bathroom. The sound is a blend of dub techno, hard house and jungle, and was such a fun project to release as I’m having a bit of a shift in my sound lately.
Other than that, I have a few collaborative projects with artists I respect coming out in the coming months, as well as my third full length album coming out later this year. All of my projects are time capsules filtered through my own life experience, so expect cinematic club music that feels like a movie unfolding behind your ears.
Gorge! You’ve also got some DJ gigs coming up: on Monday you’ll be at Brooklyn hotspot Bossa Nova Civic Club for Hard Drive with DJs Estro, Henry R and Senoritajuicy!
I’m so excited because the night is going to be nothing but full throttle breaks, hardgroove and hard house. I’m gonna do a mixture of vinyl and digital selections, and it’s all about making people move with the precision of a locomotive.
Bossa is such an important venue to me. It’s one of my favorites in the city, with great sound and a great crowd, and it was one of the first I ever danced in after transitioning. So it holds a special place in my heart.
Looking ahead to the 28th, you’re partaking in Rat Girl Summer at Jade in Brooklyn!
That’s going to be a b2b with my girl Petal (our b2b group is called Sugar + Spice). Our sound is the melding of sweet samples and melodies with earth-shattering drums. We’ll likely play some fast tunes, so expect the club music you know and love.
Great nights for all! Okay, let’s end with: what’s your best advice for a baby DJ on the scene who wants to make it big in NYC?
Hone in on the unique elements of your sound, share your shine, learn the history of what you play, and respect your fellow community members. Dancers are trusting you with their physical and mental state. Treat it with care.
Thank you, CMD!
Check Thotyssey’s calendar for DJ CMD+JAZMINE’s upcoming appearances, and follow her on Instagram, Bandcamp and SoundCloud.
Thotyssey 