[INTERVIEW] Jessica Audiffred Discusses Her Latest Releases, Founding A Records, & Ryoko Tour

Hailing from Mexico City, Jessica Audiffred burst into the US market of electronic music just a couple of years ago. Yet, she is already one of the biggest names in the realm of bass. Inciting mosh pits wherever she goes, Jessica has toured with dubstep figureheads, such as Excision and Riot Ten, selling-out arenas and dropping haymakers of riddim along the way. Additionally, she has performed at Lost Lands, Beyond Wonderland, EDC, Forbidden Kingdom, and other prime venues.

On top of her talented mixing abilities and riveting stage presence, Jessica has accomplished many feats in production and other areas of her project. She founded A Records which continues to expand its influence over the bass scene. Jessica has also put out infectious releases on Circus Recordings and Subsidia, while launching Mexico's inaugural Bass-themed radio show, Back to Bassics. Based on her impressive career so far, it is no surprise that Jessica will further her reign as “the undisputed Queen of Mexico’s Trap and Bass scene”.

Check out iEDM's exclusive interview with Jessica Audiffred below.

iEDM: How did growing up in Mexico City impact your passion towards music? Who were your favorite artists and genres during your childhood? How did you get into EDM and DJing/producing?

Jessica Audiffred: Mexico City is a major world city so I grew up exposed to so many genres. My older brother used to play new music for me every morning when he would take me to school. That's how I first discovered trance music, which led to an interest in bass music. It wasn’t long before I wanted to make the music I was hearing myself, that’s where it all began for me. 

iEDM: What sparked the idea behind MAD HOUSE and what went into planning the event? What does the success of MAD HOUSE mean for Mexico’s bass scene going forward?

Jessica Audiffred: I run my own label in Mexico called A Records. I started the label to scout and showcase talent from the region. As the label roster grew, it only made sense to start throwing warehouse parties. I did a few of those and they grew very fast. Last year we moved the event to the Pepsi Center WTC to accommodate more guests. It was a huge success and very well received by the media in Mexico. They called it a “historic moment for the country”, as it was the first ever bass event of that size put on by a Mexican national in Mexico. It has opened up a whole new market for the genre. 

iEDM: You always have an amazing hairstyle at every show. How do you decide when to switch to a new hair color and how do you pick the new color? What is your favorite rave fashion trend right now and why?

Jessica Audiffred: I have been experimenting with different colors and every once in a while I like to give my hair a break. I love when people show up to my shows with wigs on, haha. Furthermore, I love how versatile and gender-neutral jerseys are at raves, I always make sure to include one in my merch line. I have a very cool one in production now.

iEDM: How did The Ryoko Tour get its name? Do you have any pre-set or post-set rituals while on tour?

Jessica Audiffred: I’ve always been a huge Anime fan as you can tell from my Dragon Ball Z tattoos. Especially the dragons on my arms. One of my managers suggested “Ryoko” as a Japanese term for female dragon and that sort of stuck. 

iEDM: What vision do you have for your label A Records? What impact do you want it to have on the music industry?

Jessica Audiffred: I want to keep growing A Records and showing the world the amazing bass talent that comes out of Mexico and Latin America. I hope it helps the artists on the roster grow in their careers, and I hope it inspires the younger generations in Mexico to pursue their dreams. 

iEDM: What were some of your favorite parts when collabing with Excision on “Rise”? Why do you think Leah Culver’s voice blends so well with the drop and overall sound design of the track?

Jessica Audiffred: The project was so much fun from start to finish. I had the instrumental down and Leah added the most breathtaking, heartfelt, meaningful lyrics to it. Once we sent it over to Excision, he really took the track to the next level. Collaborations like this are so incredible when you really vibe with the other artists, and everyone has the same vision for the outcome. Both Leah and X are so talented, what an honor to work with them. 

iEDM: What was the process behind creating the drop in your recent dubstep anthem “Rise”? How were you able to decide when to weave the vocals in with the sequences of dubstep?

Jessica Audiffred: We decided as a team. Leah put a lot of heart into her lyrics. The final arrangement really carries that emotion. It all came together very naturally with very few takes or back & forth. Outside of some very fine-tuning, the song is powerful because it is not over-polished and it hasn’t lost the energy of its inception.

iEDM: What were some of your favorite festival performances in 2022 and what were the highlights from them?

Jessica Audiffred: EDC Vegas was a real moment for me with Bassrush. Seeing so many fans and flags at the festival, that was my starting point in the US. It was a full circle moment for me.

iEDM: What inspired the overall idea of your new single “Never Be The Same” and how were you able to bring the initial concept to life?

Jessica Audiffred: Really, my intention was to make a song for my sets and for my live performances. I sent my instrumental and melody over to Sara Benyo who is a vocalist I had worked with before and she nailed the vocal. The track has been doing really well.

iEDM: What production techniques did you use to increase energy and anticipation during the buildups in “Never Be The Same”? What led to the way that the intro and outro of the track were designed? How were you able to introduce the song with echoing effects and then have it trail off smoothly at the end?

Jessica Audiffred: Well, I like to think that the human brain needs a bit of direction or context as far as what's happening next, so I focus a lot on transitions. If you pay attention, all of my tracks have sweeps, risers, descenders, and more to highlight when a part of the track is starting or ending. For example, when you go from the intro to the breakdown or from the buildup to the drop, you will always hear a little effect to set up the transition.

In my buildups, I like to create a lot of tension and energy leading into the drop. To do this, I always layer multiple risers, background FX’s, and noises to achieve that. The key for me is in setting up some reverb or filter automations to wash out all the energy at the end of the build up. This is also a good technique is to reduce the volume of the entire build up section a couple of db’s so when the track drops, it feels that much louder. 

iEDM: Your new remix of Borgore and Tima Dee’s “Way Up” is an intense banger that’s perfect for festival performances. What attracts you to the original song and what inspired you to remix the track? What parts of the song do you think embody your signature style the most?

Jessica Audiffred: Borgore is known for cool melodies in his music so a crucial part of the track that inspired me was that: the melody of the song. The idea that came to me when I started to arrange the stems was to make a future riddim/trap style track, but with the sounds that I am known for. Parts of the songs that embody my signature style the most are the drops because I always like to add a “soft” drop and then finish my song with a heavier drop.

iEDM: What was the most challenging obstacle you faced when making your remix of “Way Up” and how did you overcome it? Which sound element or section of the track are you most proud of?

Jessica Audiffred: To be honest, making this remix was such a smooth process for me because I’ve been listening to Borgore since I first heard dubstep music. Therefore, I was very hyped when they asked me to deliver a remix. I finished it really quick; the whole process felt very natural and without any mental blocks. I’m proud of the entire track but the section that I like the most is the last trap-style drop because I feel like it catches you by surprise. 

iEDM: Are there any upcoming projects you can hint at for your fans to get excited about? Which artists would you really love to collab with for the first time?

Jessica Audiffred: Many new songs are in the works. This will be my busiest release year so far. I have a collab with DJ Diesel coming soon, a collab EP with Adventure Club, and follow-up singles on Bassrush, as well as some other big plans I can’t wait to share soon. 

iEDM: What shows are you looking forward to most in 2023 and why?

Jessica Audiffred: I will be playing my first Tomorrowland festivals in Belgium and Brazil. While I’m so excited about every show I am playing, these two have really been on my mind as I have always dreamed of playing that festival.

Photos Courtesy of Jessica Audiffred

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