Beats out of the box

Published on:

03 Dec 2013, 12:00 am

J Viewz' music is an interaction between him and his fans. He tells K Bhardwaj why he doesn't believe in recording studio albums

Nothing can be a limiting factor for an artist. So while the world buys vegetables to cook, this Brooklyn-based artist gets veggies to create some music. All he needs is radish, brinjal and potatoes, a synthesiser and some wires. With his out-of-the-box thinking, he puts these vegetables on the equipment and records their sounds like that by instruments.

Jonathan Dagan, popularly known as J Viewz, is a musical genius. His Teardrop With Vegetables is not the only track that justifies his electronic wizardry. His album Rivers and Homes earned him a Grammy nomination. For one of its tracks, his team staged a wintery party scene in New York. Some 2,000 video frames from that video were printed and handed out to fans during the musician’s Israel tour. He then captured those fans with photographs (print outs) and put them together for the song’s video using stop-motion. The album was also nominated for Most Innovative Video in 2012 at VH1’s O Music Awards for music and technology. “It’s funny. When I create music, it’s the visual way. I get inspired by what I see around. I feel motivated by travelling, touring places, nature and reading. It’s the atmosphere and environment which play dominant role in my music. Idea is to just go around, have things in hand and fuse it together. I also like to connect with my fans,” he says.

The Israel-born artist is said to be redefining music in the Internet age. His videos are smashing hits on YouTube. “For Teardrop with Vegetables, I just wanted to produce sound using organic elements. It was fascinating to present them with electronic equipment. I just connected some fruits and vegetables. Then I called my friends to take the video and we uploaded it on Net. The next morning I woke up to my surprise and it was all over. From BBC to Times, everyone talked about it,” he says.

The 31-year-old artist was in Delhi to perform at a musical festival. “It was amazing. I played here some five years ago. Delhi has changed completely. Musicians are well-versed with Western as well as Indian music. They are combining some of the best works together,” he says.

Jonathan is working on his much-anticipated album titled DNA Project. It is going to be an interactive experience between the artist and his fans. “It’s very interesting. The concept is to go out of the studio, and record interesting sounds, upload them on the website and interact with audience. Ultimately, everything will be combined for the tracks. The website is yet to be announced. My idea is to record music out of the studios and make it interactive,” he shares. It is inevitable to ask about India’s presence in the project. “Definitely! I went to Taj Mahal and clicked some memorable images. I also plan to go to Delhi’s lotus Temple to record some echo sounds. I heard that’s amazing,” he says.

Over the years, Jonathan has collaborated with many musicians. His production often incorporates nostalgic elements through the use of samples, analog tapes and synthesisers, and is described as multilayered and detailed. “Emphasis on video is another part of my music. It doesn’t hamper creativity,” he says. He also revealed his fascination for Anoushka Shankar. “Her music is a perfect blend of West and East,” he says.