10 Questions with Jace Mek on music, mentorship, and living as a musician during Covid-19

Written by Jason Euler  |  August 11, 2020

Q: What do you believe makes your sound unique compared to other artists in your niche?

A: Not gonna lie, I believe I have my own niche so it’s hard to answer this, but If we are talking house music, the otherworldly, quirky sound design that I come up with is what helps me stand out amongst the others in house music.

Q: Connections can be the difference between life and death in the music industry. Would you mind sharing a story or a chance meeting that changed everything for you and your career?

A: I’ll share two that fit into each other.

1. Late 2015, I was able to get in contact with DJ Snake through twitter because he had heard of a track of mine through Diplo (I believe), and that track got in the hands of Tchami. After a few messages back and forth, that track ended up getting signed to Confession as their fourth track ever and my first of many on the label. That confession release did a lot for me. It introduced me to what would be my first manager, and it ended up allowing me to become a part of the confession family throughout the years.

2. Releasing on Confession allowed me to meet Tchami and Mercer when I went on the  Prophecy Tour for four of the Socal dates which was my first tour ever as well.

Q: Speaking of connections, how did you first get connected with Bite This?

A: I first got connected to Bite this through my old management and heard Jauz wanted to hear some music from me which was exciting, so I ended up getting in contact with the label manager and Jauz directly and after releasing my three track ‘Transform’ EP, Jauz, Ghastly, Fishy, and I competed in a COD Warzone tournament, so that was cool.

Q: How often do you think connections can grow into something more than just business? Have you ever had a business connection grow into something more like a mentorship?

A: I honestly don’t think that connections form into something more than just business extremely often. I haven’t had any of my connections become something like a mentorship. I have had numerous small meaningful conversations with a few collaborators and business associates but I haven’t had any of those turn into mentors for me. I believe that there’s always going to be the right click with the right person that you know could be more than something professional. 

Q: How important would you say mentors are in the music industry? Care to share something that a mentor has taught you in life?

A: I think mentors are extremely important. A lot of upcoming producers seem to get lost on the way and need some guidance. I know that I could have done better with a mentor, so that is why I offer personal mentorships and the classes through Kinekt, in order to teach what I know and make sure that whoever is requesting knowledge gets that and more.

Q: Your career has come full circle, and you are at a place where you can begin to mentor others alongside The Artist Path. What is the first piece of advice you tell anyone who wants to be where you are at now?

A: The first piece of advice is be yourself and try your best to not sound like anybody else. I know that if I didn’t stick to the crazy sound design, I wouldn’t be where I am today.

Q: We already chatted about what makes your sound as a producer unique, but what makes you unique as a teacher or mentor? What experiences and perspectives are you able to share with students and confidants? 

A: I have a more personal approach to teaching. The student learns what they want to learn and I will of course add to the learning experience by sharing other tips and life experiences. I don’t believe that there should be a general way of teaching anything. Everybody learns differently, especially when one is in a creative field such as music. Music is a very personal, emotional, and special asset to those who dive deep.

Q: The COVID virus has made these days quite stressful. What are you doing to cope and stay sane?

A: I’m taking this time to truly appreciate the good things in the world and in life. I’m doing a lot of self care lately as well. Taking a lot of time for myself in order to grow as a person, then as a creative.

Q: We hear often about all the negative things that have come from quarantine and the virus. Would you mind sharing a positive story or thing that has come out of quarantine in your life?

A: The mentorships have had a positive impact on my life. It’s beautiful seeing someone else grow and be better as a producer and a person.

Q: What can producers and others in the industry do during these solitary months to really jumpstart their careers within the music industry? 

A: Make quality music, establish strong connections with labels, artists, and managers, get a proper brand (logo and purpose), and learn to be patient. This music industry is tough and it takes time to get where you want to be.