[INTERVIEW] Jauz Dives Deep Into His New Album 'Rise of The Wise'

Connor Phillips | July 14, 2023

Since breaking out onto the EDM circuit, Jauz has been dominant force of nonstop infectious hits and electrifying performances. He has demonstrated his mastery behind the board for massive crowds across the world, from headlining Ultra Music Festival to EDC Japan. Additionally, he has a gift when it comes to fusing multiples genres and ethereal sound design.

Now this superstar DJ-producer hybrid is continuing his hot streak with the release of his second album, Rise of The Wise. It's a mesmerizing compilation packed hard-hitting beats and catchy vocals, primed for the dance floor and showcasing Jauz's ever-evolving production capabiltiies. We were honored to link up with Jauz so he could dive into his newest project.

Check out iEDM’s exclusive interview with Jauz below.

Jauz, The Wise

iEDM: From your perspective, how does the overall sound and theme of the Rise Of The Wise compare to that of your debut album, The Wise & The Wicked? Can you explain the relationship between their titles and what the new compilation’s name represents?

Jauz: To be completely honest, I don’t think this album and “The Wise” section of TWATW share that much in common. This album, to me, is the true representation of what I feel the sound of “The Wise” always should have been. But back when I was writing the first album, I was a little too afraid and self-conscious to put these kinds of records out in a big way, like an album.

The Wise section of TWATW and this album both share an overall melodic, ethereal quality, but back in 2018 I decided to go in a more “future bass–ish” direction to capture that vibe. This time around, I wanted to truly plant the seed of exactly what I envisioned for the sound of The Wise from here on out. I’m proud of this album and excited to continue chasing and evolving this sound for years to come.

As far as the relationship between the names of this album and the previous… I don’t want to give away too much yet, but it’s not too difficult to make assumptions about what’s to come next, and I’ll leave it at that ;)

iEDM: What techniques did you use in “U Feel” to heighten the energy during its buildups and transition smoothly into the drops? What scene or setting does this heater make you think of?

Jauz: It’s honestly one of the simplest tricks in the book, but one of my absolute favorites, especially for this style of music. It’s just about making the buildups as wide and lush as possible with reverb and other effects, and then right when the drop happens, cutting it all out and making it as dry and in your face as possible. When your “drop” is so understated and minimal like this, you have to get a bit tricky to get things to truly pop. I believe the group that uses this trick the absolute best would be Disclosure. I learned a ton from their early records.

“U Feel” has the absolute exact vibe I envision when I’m writing these types of records – something you hear in a dark warehouse in the early hours of the morning. Probably somewhere in Germany, with nothing but a strobe light going off sporadically.

iEDM: “Crazy (3AM Sound)” boasts a very unique, feel-good combination of sound design and vocals. What was the inspiration and process behind this track?

Jauz: This one came together on its own. To me, it feels like a blend of contemporary house music and almost an homage to the old school electro days that I loved so much. This was one of those writing processes where I never really overthought anything, and just let it happen.

Made some weird sampling decisions and just let it ride. Did some stupid looping and FX to this and that and kept it in instead of trying to clean it up too much. I wanted it to have that raw 2009-ish feeling to it, but also to feel up to par with the sounds of music today.

iEDM: You revisit one of your classic anthems “Don’t Leave Me” in Rise Of The Wise. What makes this 2019 hit a solid fit with the rest of the project?

Jauz: I always felt like “Don’t Leave Me” was a missed opportunity. I just put it out into the world, and that was it. There was never any attention around it. Every time I play it in an Off The Deep End set, I feel like people think it’s some new unreleased record. On top of that, I wrote and mixed that record when I was moving into a new studio, and the old version just sounded like shit haha!

And I feel like this record is such a quintessential example of what I envision a “Wise” record sounding like, and it’s still one of my most favorite songs I’ve ever written. So I wanted to give it the chance it deserved but never got by re-releasing it on an album where it’s in the proper place to thrive.

iEDM: In your opinion, what message or story do the lyrics in “Just Hold On” encompass? What emotions or memories are ignited when you listen to this track?

Jauz: I wrote “Just Hold On” as the record that I want to hear when I personally go out for fun, somewhere like Ibiza. A song that isn’t necessarily a banger, just a good vibe from start to finish. Not something that you expect a crowd to lose their minds to, but see that constant shuffle and sway where they’re just completely in the moment.

It’s ironic considering as a DJ most of the time we do everything in our power to make the crowd look as crazy as possible. As a fan, I’m aware that even if I'm just barely moving, I could still be having the time of my life. So I hope people feel the same way when they hear this one.

iEDM: In reference to your early releases, like “Rock The Party”, how does Rise Of The Wise showcase your evolution as an artist and producer?

Jauz: It’s important to note that this album isn’t a departure from the “Jauz” sound, or from heavy music in general. The mantra of Jauz from day one was always “Music Has No Boundaries,” and developing these different worlds in the Wise and Wicked universe is my way of giving fans a way to attach, differentiate, and sort of pick a side.

I’ve always had fans that liked the housier sound of mine versus the more aggressive stuff, and also had fans who always preferred the heavier music to the lighter stuff. I’ll always make all these different styles of music, and I’ll always do my best to innovate on my formula in all aspects of my productions, and in a perfect world a “true” Jauz fan would be someone who is along for the ride for all the different sounds.

But I know that’s not realistic, so my goal is to continue creating these separate experiences where I can fully express all these different sides of my music versus trying to cram it all into one album or one set.

iEDM: What were your favorite production tools and plugins to utilize throughout this album?

I used my Arturia Microfreak for multiple records on this album. I’ve never been into using hardware synths too much because I like being able to produce on the road the same way I do in the studio. However, I picked up a few synths recently and I feel like it allowed me to do some things creatively I wouldn’t normally do just because it’s not the same routine I’m always used to. Other than that, my bread and butter synths are always Serum, Vital, a ton of Native Instruments plugins, and a ton of Cableguys, Fabfilter and Waves plugins.

I’m a bit of a plugin addict – I buy 3 or 4 new ones every week, so the list is so long I can’t even start to think about what new ones I was using during each of these songs. I have my staples, but finding something that looks new or has some unique trick, even if it’s only a $10 plugin, can help me break through a creative rut.

iEDM: “Fall Into Me” closes out Rise Of The Wise with euphoric tones and infectious vocals. Were there certain factors taken into account when selecting this as the album’s final track? How do you think it rounds out the compilation?

Jauz: From the minute I finished this track, it always felt like the conclusion to the album for me. I’m not sure why, it always just felt right. It’s also so different from the rest of the album; it would have been weird to throw it right in between all these other songs that gel together.

Honestly, it always sucks choosing a final song for an album – is it going to end up being a focal point for the whole record, or are people just going to pass it by and not even bother giving it a listen? But I spent a lot of time trying to figure out the right flow through the whole listening experience, and every way I cut it, “Fall Into Me” had to be the final song. I hope it doesn’t end up getting ignored because I think it’s a really special record.

iEDM: What was the most difficult challenge you faced throughout forging this album and how were you able to overcome it?

Jauz: My biggest challenge was figuring out how to be a full time dad while also undertaking the process, writing, and especially finishing an album can be. I had already planned on taking some time off of touring this year to focus on being home with the baby and my wife Joann, and that time proved invaluable to buckling down and getting everything I needed to do. It’s definitely been an adjustment trying to figure out how to balance being both a dad and a producer 24/7, but being a dad is the greatest job you could ever have so it’s all worth it.

Jauz, The Wise

iEDM: There is always a bunch of cool merch and designs surrounding your project, along with your label, Bite This! How do you typically come up with ideas for new merch? What are a few of your top fashion trends and brands right now?

Jauz: My wife Joann has basically been the creative director for Jauz and BT (Bite This!) merch for a long time now. I used to try to design my merch as things I would wear myself, and it didn’t seem to connect as well with fans. Joann kept suggesting pieces of merch we should come up with and they would always sell out immediately, so I gave her the job!

I’m still working on more streetwear collections myself, and they’ll hopefully start making their way into production sometime soon too. Now that I spend so much of my free time either in the gym or playing pickleball or golf, most of my fashion trends have shifted to activewear brands. I’m a huge fan of ASRV, Vuori, and a lot of the new golf-streetwear hybrid brands like Bad Birdie, Malbon, and others. Yet, Nike will always be my #1 no matter what!

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iEDM: There are some highly anticipated Jauz festival slots coming up in August and September. What are you most looking forward to in regard to these tour dates? Is there anything you can hint at for your fans to get excited about?

Jauz: What’s really cool is that at quite a few of these upcoming festivals, we’re starting to roll out the beginning of the vision I’ve had for Jauz for a while. I will get to do multiple sets at the same event, with totally different vibes and experiences.

The “Off The Deep End” sets coming up will be “Wise” sets, as that’s 90% of the music I’ll be playing, and then the normal “Jauz” sets will be filled with high energy heavy bass music and classic Jauz records. And this is just the beginning, I can’t wait for everyone to see what comes next!