Jaymo & Andy George: Creamfields is pretty full-on, so prepare to hit the gas!

Likeable lads Jaymo & Andy George are definitely the epitome of the modern day success story in dance music. Their reinvigoration of the provincial city of Lincoln with their club-night Moda as a rave destination du jour kick-started a career that has seen Balearic residencies at We Love…, the progression of the club events into a record label and even fronting BBC Radio One for Pete Tong and Annie Mac.

Ahead of another gloriously busy summer and the recent release of their Moda Black compilation, we caught up with them to chew the fat on what it was like in their own musical world. They discussed that beginning in Lincoln, the power of radio, Ibiza’s magnetic appeal and much-needed advice for any Creamfields newbies.

Hi guys! What are you up to right now?

Literally at the minute, we're just doing some admin and listening to new music before hitting the studio. The thing with juggling so many different parts of the business means we have to divide our time strategically. We’ve also got a big party in a warehouse up north this weekend, so lots of work getting that sorted. Variety is the spice of life and all that!

Moda Black has just seen the release of the second mix album, and you’ve been on tour to celebrate. How have the dates gone so far and what else stands out of the remaining ones left?

Super happy with how it’s all gone, Glasgow, London, Leeds, Lincoln, Leicester were all sell-outs and totally nuts. We basically hooked up with promoters we know and trust and brought friends from Moda Black along and had a party – it’s been amazing.

How difficult has it been running both labels, has it been a challenge at times to maintain two different musical manifestos? And have you sometimes wanted to sign music that didn’t quite fit the output of either?

Moda Black is our way of showing what we’re doing right now, whilst the old label found success mainly with bands we were signing – which was confusing, as that’s obviously not what we do as DJs. Moda Black was developed to reflect the music we play and make ourselves and thus has made the entire Moda product more cohesive and natural. I think that’s why things have never been as good as they are right now, everything is in sync!

What can we expect from the label in the near future?

So the second Moda Black album has just hit the shelves, which has gone really well and is hitting way more countries than the last one, so that’s great for all our artists. Now it’s back to monthly EP releases and then a new project called Little Black Book, later in the summer. It’s essentially a midpoint between a compilation and an artist album, all wrapped in an interesting concept. It’s shaping up to be seriously, how can I put this?.... HOT!

So Ibiza season is coming back and you’ll be playing for We Love once again. How big a deal is Ibiza still and how much do you enjoy being part of the We love extended family?

Ibiza is still an incredible island, realistically you can’t compare it to anywhere else. The culture there is longstanding and embraced (mostly) – it’s not just a place promoters take-over during the summer, it’s part of the fabric of the island and all the money in the world can’t replicate the history and spirit Ibiza has – I’m not just talking about the clubs, but everything else too.

As long-time regulars at We Love we’ve been visualising ourselves on the other side of the DJ booth for a long time, so to finally be there this past two years has been amazing and something we treasure.

Where else on the planet are you plying your trade in the upcoming months?

All over Europe really, with North and South America happening late Summer. Actually we’re just putting together plans for the first Moda party in New York, which should be pretty sweet.  

A little further down the line sees you appearing at Creamfields. Having played the festival before can you describe to a Creamfields virgin what to expect should they take the plunge and get a ticket?

Ahhh, we were once Creamfields virgins! Actually it was probably the first festival we ever went to. I would say that key thing to do with any festival is to get out of your comfort zone. Sometimes it works out really well, other times it’s just weird – but don’t spend all night listening to the same music. It’s easy to play it safe, but it’s better to come back having discovered something new. Creamfields is pretty full-on, so prepare to hit the gas!

You started promoting events in Lincoln, with the city having quite a strong scene at one point considering its size back when you were based at The Cell with parties like Choobe and Audiojak. How tough was it getting people through the door considering the location, and do you feel like you’ve helped create a real interest for electronic music there?

Kinda like I was saying earlier about how things work when they’re fuelled by natural passion – it was the same back then. If you really, really believe in what you’re doing, it shows and it’s contagious and soon everybody feeling that excitement too. Timing is everything though – and we were lucky enough to have a really strong contingent of music fans in the city, some local, some new (students), and it was just electric. We ended up getting people travelling from all over the UK as a result of the buzz and that’s carried on until this day… We just keep switching new venues and making it fresh. 

You’ve also got your own radio show and have regularly filled in for BBC Radio One heavyweights Pete tong and Annie Mac. How important is good old fashioned radio in the light of the internet?

I think the blog scene boomed a while back – there was a time certain blogs were becoming more important than radio plays, and full credit to the people behind them because that DIY attitude is one we can relate to. But over saturation took its toll and radio is still an extremely powerful medium to get mass exposure… It’s crazy to think how many lifelong careers Pete and Annie have helped solidify over the years. An honour, for us, to be part of them process too.

And finally what else is coming up for you both?

A couple of new remixes upcoming, one for Climbers on Off Recordings and one for Mia Dora on Moda Black – then a new original EP to follow. One of the main focuses for this year was spending way more time in the studio – time to experiment more and try new ideas without saying every track we make has to see the light of day.

Aside from that it’s almost festival season so we should probably be dusting off our wellies! 

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