Jürgen Mutschall a.k.a. JamX began his dj’ing career playing „Neue Deutsche Welle“ and „Italo Disco“ diversifying into House, Funk, Soul, R&B and Hip Hop. In 1990 he became a resident at Mega Club Centre EXTRA in Koblenz between Frankfurt and Cologne.
In the mid nineties he began focusing on developing his musical career. Opening a record store called Vinyl Underground he started organising house parties in the area. While doing this he met de Leon with whom he teamed up to work on his first productions.
In 1994 he produced Alice in Fashionland / Last Autumn, under the name "Chakomo" co-produced with Oliver Rockstedt, before his decision to team up with Dominik and form DuMonde.
At the end of 1997 they had formed DuMonde and released the Trance single Tomorrow which gained widespread support from both DJs and radio stations alike . DuMonde came to the attention of German Trance legend Talla 2XLC which lead to them remixing Push’s Universal Nation and Love’s Coming Down. Founding the Chaos label to release JamX’s Das Licht, Keep it that way and De Leon’s – Hold it & Fate the JamX and De Leon partnership was producing tracks instantly sought after on the club scene.
Together with Chaos JamX & De Leon pressed on with DuMonde releasing tracks such as See the Light and Just feel free, together with a string of remixes including remixing for the acclaimed Japanese vocalist Ayumi Hamasaki which bought their talent to a market outside Germany.
In 2002 the production duo signed up with the German Record label Superstar Recordings releasing Never look back a title symbolic of their new moves forward, moves that would eventually see them creating their own respected label F8T and a string of dance classics.
For a Decade Dumonde were recognised as one of the foremost production and Dj duos on the trance scene, from production collaborations with artists such as Lange and gigs at God’s Kitchen Gatecrasher, Velfarre and other major venues globally they spent the last ten years at the top until deciding to go their own way as solo artists in December 2007.
Nowadays Jurgen is producing and Djing under the name JAMX/DuMonde with D.Mand as he co-production partners delivering amazing tracks including the stunning Unique that Armin van Buuren has selected for his top record label A State Of Trance.
Now it’s the right time for the good friends Talla 2XLC and DuMonde to meet for the ultimate hard trance anthem Sometimes on That’s Trance. The track adopts the well known ultra tough and hard metallic kick along with that deep pounding bass and earth shaking drums creating the unmistakable tough beat that characterize the DuMonde style from the late 90’s.
After our 9 hour extended feature on DuMonde music on our radio show Trance Anthology streamed on 1mix radio and Evosonic Radio we ask Jurgen to answer our interview in order to find out what the future holds for the beloved trance project and of course the background story of their collaboration with Talla 2XLC for the epic Sometimes.
1-Dimitris: It would be nice to start by telling us your 3 most important achievements or goals fulfilled in your career so far that you very are proud of.
JAMX/DuMonde: 1. I turned my passion into my career.
2. to have been to many places in the world because of the music and as a DJ.
3. that my son and his friends are coming to parties where I play and celebrate my music with many others
Jurgen with his son at Nature One
2-Dimitris: Why and under which circumstances did you took the decision to start DJing or producing electronic dance music?
JAMX/DuMonde: It was my dream to be a DJ when I was a child.
Another dream was to play my own music as a DJ and to inspire people with it. At first it was house music, but I was actually open to all kinds of electronic music. Trance/hard trance was not planned at the beginning, I did not expect that everything would somehow be so great
3-Dimitris: Can you note down the top 3 producers that have influenced your decision to get involved in the electronic dance music scene and you admire and respect them very much?
JAMX/DuMonde: There weren't really any heroes for me. I had a record store, and i liked a lot of styles there, and from a lot of different producers. But I found Non Eric (DJ Dag) very good in the early. 90s, and Jam El Mar was also inspiring.
4-Dimitris: Can you tell us the top 3 tracks from the past that have influenced your sound the most and why?
JAMX/DuMonde:La Esperanza - Sven Vath built a very Beautiful Song, the delicate transitions of the parts, the melody, and the energy, that was special.
Cosmic Gate - The Drums, I like the kick, the calm and yet the driving force in the build-up, the surprise when the sound comes in the middle section and when the kick starts again, that was special, and the two are still very nice guys.
Der Dritte Raum - Trommelmachine.
I like the energy and all elements of the song, it has everything, tribal, techno, trance, house.
5-Dimitris: It would be fantastic to talk about your latest track with Talla 2XLC - Sometimes out now on That's Trance. Please tell us how this awesome track came about and the story behind it.
JAMX/DuMonde: A brand new song is coming soon. I had a very good conversation with Dominik de Leon.
Dominik produces very successfully in a different genre, his company is doing wonderfully and he is very happy with it. That's why after so many years we agreed that I would represent DuMonde alone and be allowed to produce under the name again.
DuMonde is now back, of course with my friend Daniel Körber alias D. Mand. Of course it's a challenge, as DuMonde was actually always Dominik's and my pen. The new task is to reach this level and even develop it further.
Daniel and I talked a lot, tested, were dissatisfied, rejected and despaired - after all, there are almost 20 years between us. But now it's done. We tried to rethink the old way, I wrote the melody and the lyrics, added Shaun Baker as the voice, Talla 2XLC is involved and the result is a track that fits in with the old songs and also the new trance / hard trance. the text is also a homage to my past and also the future, yes there are a lot of words, but sometimes not everything can be said in one sentence. it was very important to me to see this comeback for DuMonde as very personal, but this text also fits with many others and you could also see it as advice. so it will be a small rebirth of DuMonde. The fact that the title is "DuMonde meets Talla 2XLC - Sometimes" makes me particularly proud, because Talla and I never lost touch, we were always in touch privately too and we always had a lot of fun.
Now it remains to be seen whether this type of production has a chance with the trance people, but the reactions are great and we are honored by that.
6-Dimitris: How long it took you to produce it and can u describe the production process in simple steps?
JAMX/DuMonde: I think about 6 months all in all, it was somehow never good enough, but at the end of the day we were both happy
7-Dimitris: Did you had any particular difficulties accomplishing that particular track or any specific technical challenges or obstacles that you had to overcome during its production.
JAMX/DuMonde: As with all productions, personal egoism is in the foreground, how do we achieve not 80% but 100%, the arrangement and also the selection of the sound was not that easy, but in the end we were satisfied with the first track after such a long time.
8-Dimitris: If you would have the opportunity to change something in your track and maybe to do a new remix what elements are you unhappy with and you are going to change? Is there any artist that you feel would be fantastic to remix this track and why?
JAMX/DuMonde: Personally, I wouldn't change anything, I really. like Aly & Fila, this would definitely be a remix with a lot of feeling and passion
9- Dimitris: Which music composition software or hardware you prefer and why? What is your opinion of the latest movement to produce music with more analogue equipment and with less or without any digital software?
JAMX/DuMonde: Old synthesizers are hardly affordable these days. Since our hardware at the time was split between Dominik and me, I was more of a DJ and Dominik was more into it, I was left with the Waldorf Q. However, it has some sounds in it that were made especially for us by the programmer Wolfram Franke, which is why this device is a really nice piece of equipment for reviving old school sounds. It is probably a compromise between old and new.
Many young, talented producers nowadays use all the same (VST) synths with the same patches and the same techniques, so you don't stand out. We have always stood out in terms of sound technology and we want to keep it that way. It is of course much more complex, but it is worth the work for us. We have always used Cubase as a composition workstation and of course we also use all the common VST plugins.
10-Dimitris: Do you prefer vocal or instrumental tracks? If there are vocals on the track we discuss about tell us about the singer you work with?
JAMX/DuMonde: I prefer spoken texts, short and concise, I don't really want too much singing, the music should drive and speak for itself
11-Dimitris: Are there any vocalists/singers on electronic dance music you aspire to work with?
JAMX/DuMonde: Not at the Moment
12-Dimitris: Please choose the most powerful lyrics ever included in a dance track and why these lyrics have touched you so deeply and have a special meaning for you?
JAMX/DuMonde: Aly & Fila - Somebody loves you,
This is a song that really touches me. Some of our productions and remixes also touch me.
There are a lot of emotions and memories associated with them, for example Rank1 - Symsonic. When I play this remix of ours, emotions often run through me.
13-Dimitris: Can you pick your favorite top 3 record labels including the one released the track that we discuss in this interview and give us a short comment about why these labels are important to you and the music scene too?
JAMX/DuMonde: A State of Trance is a label that is very well accepted in the scene, releasing it there was a good step in the right direction. The new track will be on "Thats Trance" on ZYX. I'm extremely. proud of that, this label embodies the pure trance or hard trance style just like a few other labels, but it belongs to a very good friend of mine and that's why agreeing to release it on Talla 2XLC's label was a step I took without thinking too much, even though a few other labels were also very interested.
14-Dimitris: Do you have your own record label? if yes tell us when did you set it up, the reasons behind this decision and your top 3 releases on the label so far plus 2 or 3 releases that we should look after from your label.
JAMX/DuMonde: Yes, I have a few labels, including our label
"F8tunes" which Dominik and I founded in 2002. Most of our own songs are published there. There is also B2TR Records, which comes out now and again and which I personally like. My son Philipp also has his label Resistanc3 on this platform. He produces his own songs in the hip hop genre and writes and performs most of the vocals himself, which makes me very proud. The most successful songs are:
DuMonde - Never Look Back
JAMX & De Leon - Can u dig it
DuMonde - See the Light
DuMonde - Tomorrow
15-Dimitris: Are you planning to complete an album or mix compilation soon? if yes please give us all the details about regarding tracks and how will look and sound like?
JAMX/DuMonde: If our new music still resonates with people, we will definitely continue working on putting our style, along with other new ideas, into an album, so why not?
16-Dimitris: Can you pick up your all time favorite album or compilation and tell us why you adore it so much?
JAMX/DuMonde: My head is full of music, there are too many to name just one, but Daft Punk - Random Access Memories is one of those favorites.
17-Dimitris:How much time do you spend promoting yourself in your social media and you see this as essential tool for self promotion and getting bookings too? Which social media is the one that seems to work better for you?
JAMX/DuMonde: Every now and then I send photos out via Facebook or Instagram, and other news via these platforms. I don't think much about bookings. I only accept a few requests, only really good events and with organizers I can rely on. We used to play all over the world, and there were clubs there that we would have been better off leaving. Now I only want to play in places where I enjoy it. I'm not the youngest anymore, so I'm careful. Sometimes I play twice a month, sometimes not at all, not because there are no requests, but because it just doesn't work. I've played at so many parties and seen so much that whatever comes next has to work out, otherwise I won't do it. I don't want to be arrogant, but I give so much energy in, say, 1.5 hours that I simply can't and don't want to do that every day. Often there are requests for 12 or more hours of flying, and that's not the end of the trip, so l have to overcome myself. But when I play, my heart is in it and I love it, sometimes even with my eyes closed.
18-Dimitris: Do you have any gigs/festival performances confirmed so far for 2024 in which ones are you most excited to perform and why?
JAMX/DuMonde: There have been a few, Scott Bond's
"Reebooted" and "Nature one" were highlights.
I'll soon be playing at the open air in Garbsen am See at the "Outside World". I'm also looking forward to playing with Madwave in Bern in Switzerland and seeing old friends again in a club where l've played before. It's sure to be passionate. I'm also looking forward to the Techno Club on October 3rd. So it won't be boring.
On the other hand, I only accept a handful of offers, I have had so many gigs in my life and in so many different countries. I just want to be able to choose what I have high hopes for and it's not about the money
19-Dimitris: Please share your most funny and most serious incident that happen to you during your DJ or LIVE PA performance?
JAMX/DuMonde: Sorry, but that would go too far. I have experienced so many funny, unbelievable things in 44 years as a DJ that I simply cannot say what was the best.
20-Dimitris: Are you happy about the quality of the tracks released in your preferred music genres? Please justify your answer with your opinion about it!
JAMX/DuMonde: I have been involved with other music for years. To be precise, I very rarely play new tracks. When I started DJing again two years ago, I noticed that although the sound had been refined, trance had basically remained stagnant. I have had so many requests over the last few years. Why don't you carry on with the old, unmistakable DuMonde sound? And yes, somehow I feel like carrying on now. In Daniel I have found a great person who loves music as much as I do and especially the style and also the lyrics and melodies that I write or just hum to him. He has now understood this so well that it is moving more and more in the old direction with a new touch. The really old DuMonde style will probably no longer exist; that was just Dominic and me, but Daniel and I are rewriting DuMonde and that is opening up new possibilities.
21-Dimitris: If you expect to have a steady income from your music productions are you satisfied with the way that royalties system works particularly regarding streaming revenue? Do you believe that artists get what they deserve from streaming providers/DJs playing your tracks in gigs/radio and selling music in physical formats like CDs/Vinyl or digitally.
JAMX/DuMonde: I think that many artists today can be happy to get any money at all for their old productions. Back then, there were occasional re-pressings of individual LPs or CDs. Then you could buy them. Today you can listen to almost any song at any time and the artist gets a few cents for it. Of course it could be a bit more, but at least it's something. Yes, the billing system of radio stations, for example, could be better monitored because they also earn their money through advertising and by playing old or new songs. They fill their programs with music, so they should also bill properly.
22-Dimitris: Please note for all the new talents that read this interview to get some inspiration from you any technical tips in relation to your DJing or music productions. Also any piece of personal or music business' advice that has helped you to progress even further and is worth telling to the new upcoming talents.
JAMX/DuMonde: I can say with a clear conscience. I learned my job. At first I earned very little money from it. I always had to make sure that the dance floor was full, always had to make sure that the cash register was full at the end of the evening. We always had to make sure that people were happy when they went home, we learned how to mix, how to make good transitions, how to observe the dance floor, how to bring our feelings into the evening and how to have fun ourselves. Everything took place in the club, 7 days a week. During the day we went to record shops and listened to new music. In the evening we hoped that these new records would work in the club too. Today there are very few clubs, only big events, so this path to becoming a good DJ is no longer so easy. All I can say is get your friends, throw parties, make sure you have fun that evening and don't pretend. Do what your heart tells you. If you want to be successful, do good marketing and you'll be in business, it's a shame but true.
23-Dimitris: Many producers and DJs offer online masterclasses or teach to music production & DJing courses. Do you believe is essential to take part in any of these courses to develop your skills? Are you are offering any of these services? or other related services like ghost-producing or mastering? please tell us about these activities
JAMX/DuMonde: I think that courses that deal with production, to learn the craft, are definitely good, but they don't give you a hit, they just teach you how to produce. With DJing, that's exactly what it's like, you learn to make transitions, maybe make transitions in the right place, but that doesn't make you a good DJ, as I said, a good DJ works from the heart and reaches his audience, of course these courses aren't for that. I don't offer these courses.
24-Dimitris: Is there a club classic that you would like to remix or rework in 2024? Do you attempt often to do your own bootlegs of classics?
JAMX/DuMonde: Daniel and I have just re-released Ayu - Trauma and also Never look back, but these are only intended for my DJ set and will not be released.
25-Dimitris: How much do you care if your fans or followers like your productions? Do you struggle with the audience reception of your tracks and is this thought adds extra pressure on you and discourage you too?
JAMX/DuMonde: It is important to me to keep followers or fans of our music, but ultimately I produce from my head, my feelings, and I do it in the hope that we like it first and foremost. If someone else doesn't like it, then that's just the way it is. You can't please everyone's taste anyway, but of course I'm happy when the music is well received and when people really like it.
26-Dimitris: Can you describe your music as certain music genre such as trance, house, techno or your music exempts these categorizations? What is your opinion about hybrid styles and artists who are attempting to mix influences from various genres in their tracks?
JAMX/DuMonde: My or our music is hardtrance, driving, full of emotion and energy until the tender middle part, after which it just goes off and with a smile on your face.
27-Dimitris: Is your music business your full time occupation and are you able to make a leaving out of your music business (DJ/producer/label owner/teaching or mastering tracks)? If not what other jobs are you doing in order to support your income?
JAMX/DuMonde: No, not anymore. I work normally during the day and I really enjoy it. I'm also a youth football coach and I do that with heart and passion. We only produce music on the side, but of course we do it with the necessary seriousness and passion.
28-Dimitris: Do you believe that audience should be banned from constantly taking photos or videos during DJ sets or are you happy with these activities?
JAMX/DuMonde: No, why? Of course it is sometimes uncomfortable when you have just sweated so much and then you just look so worn out but that's life. Beauty is fleeting. Age comes anyway, so if you want to take photos, go ahead and do them and if the photos turn out nice, so what?
29-Dimitris: Do you prefer small clubs or huge festivals to perform? in which festivals or clubs you aspire to play in the future?
JAMX/DuMonde: I like both, a small club with 400 people and a party crowd is great. Festivals like Nature One are always great, everything is fun when you have the right people, no matter how many there are.
Dimitris: Your message & wishes for Flux Bpm Online readers.
JAMX/DuMonde: Thank you for your time and interest if you have read it. I hope you stay loyal to Dimitris and continue to support Flux as you have done so far. All the best to you!
Thanks so much to Jurgen for his friendship, support with fantastic music and his precious time devoted to answer in this long and very informative interview.
