He partnered with the Discovery Channel during Shark Week. “Ever since we started the Jauz project, doing something with Discovery for Shark Week has been a huge dream of ours. The branding just made so much sense: we always have done special Shark Week stuff on our own anyway, and I knew we would need to be patient and wait for the right moment to make a real collaboration happen.”
“Discovery has been so amazing to work with and it’s been such an honor to be included in shark after dark,” he said. “I think the coolest part of the whole experience has been meeting so many people I look up to Adam Devine, Joel McHale, Howie Mandel, even Stone Cold Steve Austin.”
“I still can’t really believe I got to be face to face with all of them. I don’t think I would have ever had an opportunity to meet any of them, especially in an environment where we’re almost peers so that was really special. I definitely still fangirled though,” he said with a laugh.
Jauz and Marshmello will be a part of a special Shark Week edition of “Cooking With Mello.” “Doing ‘Cooking With Mello’ during Shark Week was so perfect. I always knew we would end up doing an episode together and I couldn’t think of a better time to do it. The effort that goes into making what looks like such a simple 90-second video is really impressive, and obviously working with your friends is always great so we had a ton of fun,” he said.
On his music and songwriting inspirations, he said, “I don’t know if there’s any specific thing that inspires me musically. I guess it depends on where I am and what’s going on in life. Sometimes it’s listening to music that really inspires me, like all the old metal music I grew up on or newer electronic music that’s totally outside of my ‘wheelhouse,’ stuff like John Hopkins or Tycho.”
“Other times, it’s just having time to unwind and do the things I love to do like play video games, spend time with my wife and my dog, hang out with my friends. Another big one is just traveling in itself. Seeing so many different places, experiencing new cultures, seeing how my music affects people all over the world is really eye-opening and inspiring,” he added.
Recently, Jauz released his first-ever tech/house compilation LP Jauz Presents: This Is Off The Deep End. “House music has always been a huge part of Jauz, especially in earlier years. Especially with how much of a moment house music is having right now I felt like it was the perfect time to really explore this part of my project and create an avenue for fans of mine who miss the older, deeper sounds and also new fans who I can hopefully help to expand their horizons and musical tastes,” he said.
The goal of Jauz has always been to help remove the barriers between genres of music and help people find different styles of music they never thought they would be into and I hope to keep doing that year after year. I think the Off The Deep End project is a great addition to that goal and I’m really excited to keep expanding on it!
Jauz performed at Electric Zoo last year, where his set was well-received. “I love New York so much and Electric Zoo is a super special festival for me. In 2017, I got to host my first ever stage takeover there, which led to the eventual creation of Bite This as a label,” he said.
“Getting to step up to the main stage was a bit intimidating but the crowd was absolutely incredible,” he said. “Electric Zoo is always extra special for me as well because it always falls on my birthday weekend and getting to spend time in New York and celebrate with such an amazing crowd is a pretty amazing birthday gift.”
On being an electronic artist in this digital age, he said, “Even though some might say it’s ‘harder’ to break out as an artist amongst all the millions of songs getting put on the Internet every day, I personally feel like it’s never been easier. There’s so much potential for instant access to brand new music every day and as long as you’re really talented and doing something unique, there’s almost no doubt that you won’t succeed.”
Regarding the impact of technology and streaming on the music business, he said, “I think a lot of people are divided on whether tech and streaming have helped or hurt music, but regardless of what side you’re on you can’t deny that it’s just the natural progression of how music would have evolved one way or another.”
“If you look through recent history every five, 10, 15 years there is always some monumental shift in the music industry paradigm that changes everything, and I think for the better. I’m not sure if electronic music would be what it is today without the Internet, without blog culture, streaming culture, all of it,” he said.
On his dream collaboration partners, he said, “I would really love to make a record with Calvin Harris, just because I’m such a huge fan of all his music. Also, recently I’ve been obsessed with watching Timbaland’s MasterClass videos, I love his outlook on making music and the team he has around him. Whether we make a song together or not I’d just love to hang out in the studio with them and see how he and his team all vibe together. Super inspiring.”
When asked if he ever performed in Greece, Jauz responded, “I’ve only played in Athens once, and unfortunately I didn’t get to spend much time there even though one of my best friends in the world is Greek and spends half the year living in Athens. My wife Joann and I did get to spend a few days in Santorini and it’s one of my favorite places I’ve ever been in my life. Dreaming about going back.”
On his definition of success, Jauz said, “Success can be so many things. Sometimes I feel like I already am successful, I get to do what I love for a living, have a great life with my wife and dog and friends, but other times I feel like I’m not even close to success yet.”
“I never want to feel like I’ve ‘made it’ because getting comfortable is how your career ends really quick. No matter what incredible accomplishments I can achieve, there’s always something bigger and better out there and the second I get to one goal that new goal immediately becomes my target. I’m so grateful for everything I’ve been able to do in life so far but I also feel like I’m just getting started,” he elaborated.
For his fans and supporters, Jauz said, “Thank you guys for being there for me for so many years, most of the time I feel like I’m still the new kid on the block who’s only been around for a couple of months with everything to prove to the world. It’s crazy to think that I’ve been traveling and playing shows now for over four years, it actually blows my mind.”
“Four years feels like it’s been a lifetime but I know I still have everything to prove and I can’t wait to see what the next four, 10, 15 years have in store for me. Glad to have you all along for the ride,” he concluded.
To learn more about Jauz, check out his official website.
