Demuir Brings the Raw Power of Jackin' House to Beatport

Few DJs embody the spirit of house music quite like Demuir. Growing up in Toronto, Canada, his love of music started early on, and by age 16, he was playing instruments like the keys, bass guitar, drums, and more. But it was game over after he first saw a handful of dance music legends like DJ Sneak and Mark Farina — two artists that he’s now collaborated with — visit his home city’s prominent venue, Industry.. And over the past 20 years, he’s built a DJ and production career has taken him to venues like Pikes in Ibiza, Egg in London, Pawn & Co in Melbourne, Elrow in Barcelona, and release dozens of EPs on respected imprints like Classic Music Company, I’m A House Gangster, and Hot Creations.

Demuir’s extensive experience and understanding of house music is also behind Beatport’s decision to hire him as the Jackin’ House curator, which just launched as its own genre on the store.

So we caught up with Demuir to learn more about the launch, the jackin’ house community, and the genre’s significance. Demuir also unveils his plans for Purveyor Underground, as well as his new Bustin Nutz EP on Plumbed Records.

Hey Demuir, thanks for joining us! How has the Summer of 2021 been treating you?

Thanks for having me on this and in a working capacity at Beatport! The summer has been great and busy for me with clubs and festivals opening back up as well. I’ve been playing in various cities in the USA like Los Angeles, San Diego, Vegas, NYC, as well as Canada.

From a content and working perspective, my YouTube channel, Patreon, and Discord continue to grow with the production tips and masterclasses I have available. It’s a joy to help people realize their goals.

You’ve overseen the launch of Jackin’ House as a standalone genre on Beatport. What has that been like?

This has been elating for me, and for those in the community who specialize in the Jackin’ House sound. Firstly, it’s shown me just how transparent Beatport is as an organization that is willing to take feedback and turn it into tangible action.

I sent some strong feedback to Beatport to express my concerns, as an artist, on how they were doing things previously and how we can all benefit by making the genre a stand-alone. The response has been positive and welcomed.

For those unfamiliar, how would you explain the difference between House and Jackin’ House? How does one make the distinction between the two?

House has a straight and almost formulaic aesthetic, with the need for a great bassline, percussions, happy major chords (from pianos/synths), and sometimes including a vocal with great presence. This is my most simplistic definition because House takes inspiration from the same places that Jackin’ House does.

Jackin’ House, in my opinion, is all about a groove and swing that takes influences from a broad range of artistry, including Jazz, Hip Hop, Soul, R&B, Funk, etc., and incorporates a rugged style of drum work that is distinctly Jackin’ House — a filter, snapping snares, while maintaining a material presence of the influence (be it Jazz, R&B, etc.) that inspires the sound.

Why do you think it’s important for Jackin’ house to have its own space on Beatport?

It is imperative for the genre to have a “home” that people can easily find this music and attach the culture to. Having it mixed with other subgenres didn’t give it the respect it deserved. And, as a result, more Producers, DJs, and record labels will contribute to the genre and its growth.

What have the last few weeks been like since the genre launch? Do you have any reflections? Things you learned or didn’t expect?

The past few weeks have been a whirlwind of sorts with people acknowledging the move as a positive one and enabling us to hear from producers who previously moved into other genres that they will be returning and contributing to future sounds.

I certainly didn’t anticipate the gravity this would have on people with a number of posts discussing the move and how long and overdue it was. I had an idea, but not to that extent. I certainly learned not to underestimate how changes like this will impact the community.

You’re known by some as “the face of Jackin’ house.” How long have you been a part of the genre? What’s your history there?

It’s an honour to have that title, but my artistry moves through a series of genres. However, I do recognize the significance of Jackin’ House in my catalog and its impact.

I got introduced to Jackin’ mid ‘90s with raw beats hammering out of Chicago from the likes of DJ Sneak, Derrick Carter, Mark Farina, Honey Dijon, and Cajmere/Green Velvet. This wasn’t limited to what I was hearing coming across the pond from the likes of Blue Boy, Chris Simmonds, Ian Pooley, Olav Bosaski, and C-Mos out of the Netherlands. I would be remiss if I left out the significant influence of New York City homies like Kenny Dope, Todd Terry, and Hip Hop’s overall weight, all of which are what serve as my history/background in the genre. Here are three of my top quintessential Jackin’ House tracks.

Jorge Watts – Up to The Sky (Derrick Carter Remix)

I selected this because Derrick’s signature swing (aka Boompty) is heard throughout, while the track maintains a strong, soulful, vocal presence. This is signature Jackin’. He doesn’t do anything crazy with the drum work here as seen in other Jackin’ House tracks (although we all know he’s capable of it), but this one does its thing.

DJ Dagwood – It’s Time to Jack (Paul Johnson Remix)

Two Chicago natives doing the do here. Aside from the obvious vocal, Paul elevates this in a Jackin’ House sphere not only with this swing in the bassline, but Paul does some great drum work in this by interchanging the snare pattern with the claps. He’s also got amazing funk going on with the closed hat and another snare you can easily distinguish in the breakdown. This is intelligent Jackin’ House production while making it all sound so simple. RIP PJ.

Tommy Largo – Bossa Jazz

I selected this as it represents a modern approach to Jackin’, with sample-heavy driving beats from a European perspective. I strongly feel Tommy Largo is one of the foremost Jackin’ House producers from Europe and worldwide. He just sits on the groove, but you can hear little things pulling you in with each bar. This is probably one of his most jacked-up beats when it comes to the drum work, with its choppy snares and mesmerizing Fender Rhode lick peeking from the filter every once in a while

Tell us a bit more about your imprint, Purveyor Underground. When did you start the label, how has it developed over time, and what would you say has been Purveyor Underground’s most significant accomplishment to date?

I started Purveyor Underground in November of 2017 with the premise of being a place where artists can truly express themselves and be free from the typical stuff found in electronic music, in terms of what makes a successful record instead of it being all about the size of your PR budget and looking cool on social media. I also wanted the label to actively acknowledge the people and things that have inspired our sound and not be locked into the monotony of what everyone else is doing.

Rather, the core emphasis here is the freedom to put out great music without these third-party pressures that have nothing to do with the music. Everyone from Jamie Jones, Laurent Garnier, Sam Divine, and Honey Dijon has repped our music. We tend to release a raw version of tech house and Jackin’ sounds.

You’ve just released your new Bustin Nutz EP on Plumped. Can you tell us a bit more about the record?

Looking forward to this one. I’ve been a long-time fan of Kevin Knapp, so it’s great to be releasing these tracks on his label. This EP is a reflection of my irreverence to the people and things that serve no value. I will let nothing disturb my peace and pleasure in this life at any time, even if it means “cleaning house” from time to time. I won’t negotiate that. Give the EP a listen below!

What else do you have planned for the rest of the year?

I’m continuing to produce content on my platforms that assists others with production in addition to continuing my monthly radio residency, Purveyor Chronicles, on Maxximum via Radia FG every second Saturday of the month. We have some exciting guests coming to the show.

In terms of music, that is continuing along with a release on Josh Butler’s Origins label in October, and I am commencing work on the follow-up to my “House Crates” sample pack on Loopmasters, which I’m pretty stoked about!

Thanks again for having me.

Cameron Holbrook is Beatportal’s North American Editor. Find him on Twitter.