FROM OTHER is a weekly radio show showcasing the very best in forward-thinking electronic music. Tune in Wednesdays 10-11pm on fm.whus.org / 91.7 FM.

We have been graced with a guest mix from JΛSMINE, an enigmatic producer associated with the sugar-coated club label Manicure Records. Originally from Glasgow, the producer’s work shines out as effervescent rework and blends of recognizable (and not-so-recognizable) pop music. For this mix, a collection of UKG, bassline, and ballroom sounds have been put together into a collaborative art.

Check the audio and Q&A below: [WARNING: Explicit Language]

[soundcloud id=’227528272′]

 

It’s apparent that your name and a lot of your track titles seem to have very much to do with flowers. Is this influence something that you’ve just always gravitated towards, or is there more to it?
If you look at flowers through the lens of gender discourse, they have inherently convoluted genders and reproductive qualities, which is why I chose them for this project. There can be hundreds of genders to choose from, and I try to reflect the qualities of those plants in the work that I do.

Tell us about Manicure Records. How did your relationship with them begin?
Tom (Ghibli) and I both bonded of jam city mixes, and when he started the label, I was more than happy to work with him on developing an aesthetic. We’re cut from the same cloth.

For your contributions to the hyper intense, glistening nature of the Manicure catalog, you’re giving these vivid juxtapositions of pop, hip-hop, and more. Can you offer any insights on the creative process behind picking which tracks to work with?
All of my edits are based off of my obsession with aggression and new combinations of femininity and masculinity. Initially, I started the project as a way to f**k up the heavily male-dominated world of edits and blends with more feminine features, while trying to keep the aggression present. Lately, I’ve been more focused with trying to expand my edits to include elements of mental illness, and ways we self-medicate with music. Mainstream artists don’t really focus on things like that, so I have to pull and twist a cappella and originals into this mindset. Lady Gaga, Britney Spears, and Nicki Minaj are my favourite artists to sample from, as their lyrics can be reconstituted as aggressive or obsessive, which are inherently negative female qualities, but praised in men. I try to create solace for people to play these edits and focus on the lyrics and how they relate to their lives and illnesses.

Where do you find your inspiration? Any people/places/things that you’d like to give shouts to?
I find inspiration from anger and frustration. I’ve never had a good night out at the clubs and [I] routinely get into fights, and that’s where I draw my creativity from.

What can we expect for the rest of 2015 and 2016?
Hopefully more edits and reworks, more collaborative efforts. Its all very dependent on how angry I get with the world that I chose to operate in.

Any producers that you think we should know about?
All of Qween Beat, a New York collective of ballroom artists, [including] both producers, rappers, and MC’s (sometimes a combination of all of them).

Lastly, what can you share about the mix you’ve put together for us?
This mix is a back and forth between UK garage and bassline music and American ballroom producers. It’s a little less spastic [than] what I normally mix, but the aggression is still there.

Shout out to JΛSMINE for this! For more on Manicure Records check them out on social media: Instagram | Tumblr | Twitter