Jody Wisternoff
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Jody Wisternoff

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Putting the finishing touches to his debut solo album, which is currently being shopped around to several labels, Wisternoff is happy to expand on the experiences that made him the artist he is today. He first put his stamp on the music world as one-half of Tru Funk, a hip hop/dance outfit with younger brother Sam. “I was actually 15, my little bro was 11 and he was also the rapper so he had the balls,” the Bristol native exclaims.

Jody had already reached the finals of the DMC World DJ Championship in 1986 at age 13, before forming the group. The fact that he began performing the same year I was born made this interview experience a little eerie. Appearing on the cover of teen heartthrob magazine The Face and being seen as an idol and innovator never dawned on the man himself. “While I’m sure that it was seen as a bit of a novelty to others, I didn’t really notice.”

After those days of innocence Wisternoff became an unknowing pioneer in the rave scene, as a member of Sub Love and Way Out West, his beloved tag team with Nick Warren. “[The] Sub Love days were fun ’cause I was so young and the rave scene was in full swing,” he says with admiration and a certain sense of nostalgia. “Obviously working with Nick is fantastic and we are still together, [we’re] planning to make a new album next year.” For hardened fans of dance music, who remember fondly the opening salvo Montana, it may be a little scary to think it’s been 18 years since Way Out West first emerged. The milestone isn’t lost on Jody either. “The early 90s rave era in the UK was unbelievable and was on a crazy scale. Pretty much all the young people in the country were into it. The pop charts’ top 10 was all dance music. [It’s] amazing if you think about it now.”

With the explosion of dance music across the globe he believes the unified community atmosphere they cultivated in the Way Out West days has been lost. He remembers an era when a producer could make a healthy living, when “loads of money was being chucked around” by record labels and before the “internet destroyed record sales.” With a loss of financial stability however has come a constantly-evolving scene of artists and styles, resulting in more innovation in his eyes. “The fact that there is so much creativity means it keeps you at the top of your game, and that can only be a good thing.” The expansion of dance music, however, is not reflected in the quality of the UK’s club nights, he shares. “Sure, there are some great nights here and there, [but] it’s just not on the same scale and is made obvious by the fact that most of us hardly ever DJ in the UK.”

The proliferation of recording gear is a positive for this progressive DJ/producer, while ultimately being a double-edged sword. “The capabilities of software now are beyond my former self’s wildest dreams.” Even so, Jody is quick to point out that he still favours classic hardware synths. The pulsing energy that permeated on electrifying excursions like The Gift hasn’t gone anywhere and is still evident on new single Starstrings. “I suppose I intentionally write tracks that I think will rock it at peak time. I’ve tried producing deeper stuff but it usually comes out with too much energy so I’ve decided to leave this style to others.” Subtlety is the key to this consummate producer, believing that attention to detail and avoiding current clichés is what has kept him relevant. Helming remixes on tracks like Light Of Hope and Cortina has also kept him relevant, but has done little to satisfy his creative urge. “I’m much more into writing originals these days, and there’s hardly any money in remixing anymore.”

As underwhelmed as Jody evidently is by his home-grown club scene, he’s got nothing but good things to say about our fair land. “I’ve had some of the best gigs ever in Oz. You always hope that the parties will be good, ’cause the journey is so bleeding long,” he says in that lovable British rogue. “I do love it out there, it’s such a great place to visit and I’m really excited about this tour.” His trek to Oz comes on the heels of tours in Eastern Europe, calling it one of his “strongest territories right now.” While he U.S. as a whole isn’t up to his energetic standards, New York and LA are favourites of his. “It’s an issue of juggling family life with music at the moment, as I have two kids now,” he tells us. Living what he calls “a really nice balanced life,” things have come full circle for this cheeky kid.

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