GET FAMILIAR: JARREAU VANDAL
We had the opportunity to interview Jarreau Vandal right after the release of his latest EP Suburb Superhero. He tells us about the making of his EP, his inspirations and goals for the future. Read our get familiar with him below to find out what superpowers Jarreau would have as a superhero.
Hi Jarreau, please introduce yourself to our readers.
My name is Jarreau Vandal, I'm an Amsterdam based Artist (Dj/producer/vocalist). Most people might know me from my Boiler room dj-sets or the songs I produced.
How did you spend your time in quarantine?
During this quarantine (which wasn't really a quarantine in the Netherlands to be honest haha) I've been mostly taking this moment to rest and reflect on my life. My life used to be very hectic and full of traveling, but this whole covid-19 situation allowed me to take a little break and fix things I always wanted to but never had the time for.
What and how was your first experience with music-making?
I think my very..very first music-making experience was in church at the sunday school singing and clapping with the other kids. My first music "producing" experience was at my grandparent's house. My grandfather is a musician and producer. Whenever I got a little bored at my grandparent's place I used to mess around on his set up. Back then he had like one of the first versions of the music program Logic pro and he taught me how to record whatever I was playing. I loved that shit so much that I used to burn my creations on a CD and proudly play it in the car back home. My parents were very patient with me haha.
Who inspires you and why?
This question is always hard to answer because it's so much that inspires me. I mainly get inspired by traveling to different cities, my friends, muses and different disciplines than music. If I had to mention a few artists that inspired me a lot it would be: Stevie Wonder, James Blake, Kanye West and Tyler the creator.
When did you start working on your EP?
I think I started working on my EP in early 2019. I wasn't intentionally making music for an EP. These songs made in that period just happened to fit very well together. I kind of set a goal for myself to make one demo a day. Next to that, I did writing sessions with vocalists and songwriters. Looking back at my favorite demos from that period of creation I recognized a pattern in subjects which was very suitable for a conceptual EP like the one I just released.
Did you feel inspired during this pandemic, if so then how?
Not at all. I wish I was. It felt like I had to be very productive due to all this extra time, but this thought was actually counterproductive. I just had to accept it and then I realized not making music and just living life for a while is the best thing I could have done to get inspired.
You've recently released your EP called Suburb Superhero, together with an action doll. If you had a superpower what would it be?
To teleport!
We see that you travel a lot for your job. If you could move to another country, which country would it be and why?
I've been thinking about this a lot and it made me realize Amsterdam is actually an amazing place to work from. Very central and easy to travel from. However, if I get sick of Amsterdam for a while I like to travel around Asia. Countries like Indonesia, Japan and South Korea have a special place in my heart. I recently also discovered South Africa.
Obviously, we know you as a DJ/ producer. Recently you've been singing more. Do you prefer one over the other or are they just different products of the same creativity?
I kind of see singing as the purest form of expression because the instrument you use while singing is part of your body and your voice is unique to who you are. I don't really prefer it over any of the other things I do. I kind of see it as the cherry on top that makes me a true artist instead of just being a Dj/producer.
What is your dream project or collaboration?
I would love to do a project with this band called Khruangbin. There are definitely more people I want to work with but just like the inspiration question, it's an endless list.
Paint a picture for us of how you'd like your future to look.
I have bought a house in Amsterdam, Every now and then I travel to my Houses in Bali and South Africa to do writing camps with amazing artists. I released a few influential albums and I now release other artists' music via my own label. I'll probably have some kids, I'm Vegan and I can finally touch my toes because of all the yoga sessions. By now I have completely stopped drinking alcohol and doing dumb shit in the weekends hahaha.
LISTEN TO HIS LATEST ALBUM "SUBURB SUPERHERO" BELOW