Bryan Jones is a veteran when it comes to producing music and so far, his success has spoken for itself with playing festivals such as Lollapalooza, Electric Forest, and having a BBC Radio 1 Essential Tune on Pete Tong’s show. More than producing music, his knowledge and experience with creating and lifting many projects off of the ground is priceless. Being one half of both musical duos, Golf Clap and High Caliber, and releasing stuff under his own name, there’s no question that he knows how to fulfill a mission. He’s now undergone a new metamorphosis and is emerging as Wave Point. With a new sharpened focus on house music, he’s here to showcase his passion for the genre, while also emphasizing his work as a dot connector within the industry. SPIN caught up with the Detroit based producer as he divulged in his mission as Wave Point, helping the music community, his most memorable moments, and more.
Who is Wave Point and what do you stand for?
Wave Point is my latest house music project. I previously recorded in a duo as High Caliber, under my own name Bryan Jones, and most recently as half of the duo Golf Clap. I also co-owned the label Country Club Disco at the time I was part of Golf Clap. I run the Wave Point Community group on Facebook, dedicated to helping people in the music industry with resources. I want to help people make music, make a living from it, and connect with other people who can help them on their journey. I want to make a community for people that is helpful and inclusive.
Tell us about your sound – where does your style originate from and what have been your biggest visual, social, and sonic influences?
I make and play all kinds of house music from funky to tech-house. When I was younger, I played drums in rock bands and traded my drums in for turntables and a sampler when I turned 16. Chicago house is what got me into dance music. I moved there shortly after I started DJing and absorbed that sound and culture. About ten years ago, I moved to Detroit and started playing a ton of parties here. Most of my early influences were Chicago & French house from the late 90s. Since then, moving to Detroit has given me a new perspective, and I have gained a bit more range as a DJ and producer.
Was there a definitive turning point to your success? When did you realize the magnitude of your impact within the industry/community?
As I mentioned, this is now my fourth project, so each one has a little different story for that answer. Some of our most significant moments in Golf Clap included a BBC Radio 1 Essential Tune on Pete Tong’s show, playing Lollapalooza, and having a billboard on the side of the road that everyone passed to get to Electric Forest. The Wave Point project is just getting underway, so I’m really looking forward to the journey ahead.
Talk to us about a pivotal learning moment in your career.
I was very wrapped up in house music for many years and didn’t pay much attention to anything else musically for a while. Moving to Michigan and going to Electric Forest truly opened my eyes to other parts of the music industry and different sounds. I’ve learned so much from meeting people who make other genres that I wouldn’t have known in my house music bubble. I’ve also made a lot of friends I wouldn’t have made otherwise.
How has releasing music on your own been? What led you to making the decision to move forward with this solo project?
It’s daunting starting a new project from the ground up, but it’s been very rewarding putting this album together and getting my tour going. During the first COVID lockdowns, all our bookings were cancelled and I had a lot of time to think about my future. I wanted to branch off and start something for myself and it seemed like the best time to do it.
The making of your new LP, Higher Dimension, had you assemble a band of instrumentalists/musicians – How were you able to coordinate and execute this collaboration during a pandemic?
Making these songs was a bit of an experiment. I used fiverr.com for all the collaborations. I spent a lot of time going through videos of people playing and finding ones that I thought would be suitable and skillful enough to do what I needed. I found a great bass player for my song “Feeling.” I got a couple of basslines from him. I sent him a chord progression and beat I already started and explained what I was looking for in the best way possible. After that, I got a guitar player to fill in parts. Then a violin player after that, and then a horn ensemble from Russia after that. I also hired some drummers to send me breakbeats and “amen” style beats that I could cut up and fill into my songs. Then at the very end, I got a keyboard player to fill in a few extras to wrap up the song. I actually like it more than working with people in person. You get to really audition them with their videos and see who is a good fit, and they pretty much always deliver on time because otherwise, it will lower their rating on the site.
As we’re integrating ourselves back into an open world, do you have any other exciting ventures besides music you have your sights set on?
The main thing I’m looking forward to is reconnecting with friends around the country that I haven’t seen since I was touring last. Other than that, I want to go to a water park a few times before the summer is over!
Is there anything on the horizon that you can share with us?
I’m really excited to be touring for my new album, Higher Dimension. It’s going great so far and I’m looking forward to visiting everyone again and playing the main stage at Spring Awakening Festival. I’m also in the studio a lot right now, getting my next batch of music out to follow the album. I’ll be staying very busy and doing everything I can to get myself and my music out there.
What do you wish for the future of electronic music? In what ways would you like to see it evolve?
I want more cross-pollination of music and cultures. I like when artists from different backgrounds come together on music. I’d like to see more inclusion on lineups and venues and festivals to be safe places for everyone. We still have a lot to work on, but I think things are heading in the right direction.
Any last words for the SPIN-verse?
I want to say thank you to everyone for supporting my latest musical venture! It’s been a lot of work getting it started and I couldn’t have done it without you.
Check out Wave Point’s SET below! Want more SETS? Head over to SPIN TV to keep up with all the latest and greatest DJ/producers breaking through the electronic sphere.
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