Joshwa: From Juggling Soccer Balls to Juggling Beats

The 'Bass Go Boom' On Joshwa’s Highly Anticipated ID

Joshwa's Advice to Artists: "Don't Be Afraid to Be Different"

5 Joshwa Tracks You Should Know

Love Drunk Off “My Humps”:  How Nostalgia Took Joshwa Over the Hump, Catapulting His Career

Thanks, Dad! How Joshwa’s Father’s Intro to Trance Led him to House Music

A Full Experience Pass is Your Ticket to an Elevated elrow NYC

With an unmistakable flair for producing unforgettable tracks, UK-based DJ and producer Joshwa has made a name for himself in the bustling underground dance scene. He has quickly ascended the ranks, consistently churning out releases that fans across the globe love to groove to.

Embarking on his musical journey at the tender age of 13 or 14, Joshwa taught himself to produce and DJ. His entrepreneurial spirit was evident early on, selling sweets at school to purchase his first set of Gemini CDJs. His self-learning approach was fuelled by YouTube tutorials and reading music production forums, especially ones like Laidback Luke's.

As a young teen, hhe was immensely drawn to EDM. The era's music, characterized by the likes of Avicii, Swedish House Mafia, Afrojack, and Laidback Luke, played a significant role in shaping his initial musical preferences. Around the same time, he was actively playing soccer and was attending an Academy.

My Humps

Joshwa initially balanced his musical aspirations and his football career, but it wasn't long before he chose to dedicate his time wholly to his music. This decision marked a turning point in his life, as his passion for music deepened during his years at University.

Magalenha by JOSHWA

His father introduced him to 90s trance hits, inspiring an early love for the genre and his fondness for American R&B and rap shaped his distinct sound and approach to creating his own style. This mixed influence can be heard in his first release, "Shake That Thing," a catchy track imbued with nostalgic R&B undertones and then capitalizing on his momentum with his breakthrough track "Energizer," released on Sony Fodera's Solotoko in 2020. This was followed by a series of successful releases on respected labels such as Cr2, Nervous, Sink or Swim, and EMI. His collaboration with Ossey James on "Party's Jumpin'" brought him into the spotlight and onto the radar of Lee Foss. This association led to their collaboration on "My Humps," a crowd-favorite track that created a buzz around Joshwa's name.

Joshwa's ability to adapt his sound can be seen in his varied discography. His releases include the piano-infused tracks "La Vida" and "Be With You," the acid-tinged "Energizer" and "In the 1980s," and a healthy serving of tech house bangers. He attributes this variety to his organic approach to music creation, expressing that his music is a reflection of his feelings at any given moment. Joshwa continues to make waves with his remarkable releases such as "Take Me" with Martin Ikin, his EP "Bass Go Boom" on Jamie Jones' Hot Creations, and singles like "Magalenha" on Spinnin Deep and "Miracles" on Chris Lake's Black Book Records.

Despite his growing fame, Joshwa hasn't forgotten his roots. He still recalls selling sweets at school to buy his first set of Gemini CDJs and teaching himself music production. These early efforts set the foundation for his musical journey, taking him from an EDM enthusiast to one of the most exciting names in the underground house music scene.

United Kingdom

Joshwa

Alan Fitzpatrick

Greece

Angelos

United States

Harvard Bass

Kaleena Zanders

MISS DRE

Brazil

Mochakk

Canada

Simon Doty

OCHO Episode 9

Spain

Bastian Bux

Netherlands

Chelina Manuhutu

Chris Lake

Daizy

Deeper Purpose

Kerri Chandler

Lee Foss

Mau P

LP Giobbi

Sonny Fodera

Tini Gessler

Factory Town Miami

elrow Rowlympic Games Miami Music Week 2023 Edition

Cloonee

Francis Mercier

Franky Rizardo

HoneyLuv

Jean Pierre

Martin Ikin

Melé

Curaçao

Shermanology

Toni Varga

The Brooklyn Mirage

Elrow NYC: Summer Festival 2022 Far Rowest

The Fellas

Gray Area is pioneering the "Doubleheader" event series, drawing inspiration from back-to-back baseball games to showcase artists with similar styles but unique fan bases. By having one artist follow another and culminating in a collaborative back-to-back (B2B) set, Doubleheader aims to create a powerful platform for musical discovery and cross-pollination. Embracing the "B2B" spirit, the initiative seeks to introduce audiences to new sounds while strengthening the dance music ecosystem.

Doubleheader

The Room at Superior Ingredients

Doubleheader with Joshwa & Deeper Purpose

Ben Hemsley

Endor

Hannah Wants

Eden Ibiza

Repopulate Mars

Ms. Mada

Algeria

Idriss D

Like Mee

Earth Signs

The Roof at Superior Ingredients

Joshwa Open-Air w. Idriss D b2b Ms. Mada, Earth Signs and Like Mee

Mason Maynard

Miane

Repopulate Mars (Closing Party)

Anabel Englund

Ukraine

ARTBAT

Azzecca

Biscits

Indonesia

Bleu Clair

France

Born Dirty

Carola

Disco Lines

David Guetta

David Morales

Dombresky

Duke Dumont

Eli Brown

Andy C

James Hype

Patrick Topping

Australia

FISHER

Germany

Loco Dice

Wax Motif

ACRAZE

AFROJACK

Alok

Dom Dolla

Michael Bibi

Kaskade

Hot Since 82

Paco Osuna

Noizu

Ferreck Dawn

Westend

The Martinez Brothers

Layla Benitez

Zeds Dead

Chase & Status

Martin Garrix

Lane 8

Yellow Claw

Will Clarke

Finland

Yotto

J. Worra

Dennis Ferrer

Franky Wah

Marshmello

Chris Lorenzo

DJ Minx

Las Vegas Motor Speedway

EDC Las Vegas 2023

Polo & Pan

Konstantin Sibold

Airrica

Argentina

Christ Burstein

Palestine

Sama’ Abdulhadi

Ireland

Disfreq

Ben UFO

Monolink

Township Rebellion

DJ HEARTSTRING

UK house producer and DJ Joshwa has risen the ranks into the upper echelons of the house scene on the back of a steady stream of stellar and varied house heaters. Yet, despite the inability to truly pigeonhole his sound, his production carries a signature without being firmly similar. It's a rare talent to be such an auditory shapeshifter.

His entré into dance music came via trance hits from the 90s golden age of the genre. However, his music carries a distinct influence from American R&B and rap of the same era. This patchwork of influences is immediately apparent in a recent string of highly successful releases on lauded labels like Sony Fodera's Solotoko and Lee Foss' Repopulate Mars.

Hey guys,

Here's my set from the Sterebloom stage at EDC Las Vegas! Hope you enjoy.

Cheers
Josh

Joshwa Live from EDC Las Vegas - 21/05/2022 by JOSHWA

He broke through in 2020 with the release of "Energizer" on Solotoko, followed up with releases on Cr2, Nervous, Sink or Swin, and EMI. After his 2021 collaboration with Ossey James, "Party's Jumpin," was signed to Repopulate Mars, he stayed on the ears of Lee Foss. This eventually led to their collaboration on "My Humps." The infectious Fergie sampling tech house stomper was one of the scene's most sought-after IDs for nearly a year before its release late in 2021 and helped put Joshwa on the map.

Your track "My Humps" with Lee Foss was one of the hottest IDs of 2021. How did it come together with Lee, and did you feel it was going to be this big? What about the original vocals attracted you to it?

This was a super exciting time for me and has helped shape my career in music moving into 2022! I sent Lee an early version of it. He played it out and then asked me to work on it together to finish it, which is now the track you hear today. The buzz around it after Lee and John Summit first started playing was crazy. Once people realized who the track was by, my DMs were going mental with people asking for a copy of it. Before we knew it, every DJ was asking for a copy, and it was getting played worldwide - mental feeling!!

You have often relied on vocal samples from American R&B and hip-hop, going back to one of your first releases, "Shake That Thing." Was American R&B and hip-hop your entry point into loving music? What prompted you to center your tracks around these samples?

I have always loved Rap and R&B and grew up listening to this genre which is why you hear a lot of influence from them in my catalog. House music and R&B/Rap work well on the dance floor together and often create a sense of nostalgia for party-goers which gets great reactions. It's a formula that works really well, and I think that's clear after the success of tracks like "My Humps" and ACRAZE's "Do it to it," which is why we saw a surge of similar-sounding tracks following these last year.

When did you first really discover electronic music?

My Dad is to blame for this! I first got into electronic music when he played me a compilation CD in his car called 

which was full of 90s trance belters. I instantly fell in love with the sound of it and used to pester him to listen to it whenever we went anywhere.

Can you give us some insight into the early days of your career? Your first official release was in 2016, but it's safe to assume that you didn't start DJing in 2016.

I started producing when I was 13 or 14 and bought my very first set of Gemini CDJs by selling sweets at school. I taught myself how to produce and how to Dj by watching YouTube tutorials and reading music production forums such as Laidback Luke's.

I was hugely into EDM - music from artists like Avicii, Swedish House Mafia, Afrojack, Laidback Luke, etc., was really popular at the time, so I naturally gravitated towards making this. I also played football (soccer) at the time and was in an Academy, but looking back, music has always been my passion.

I pursued the football career for a while but then decided music was where I wanted to devote my time, and things got more serious later down the line while I was at University. I finally got to a stage where I was happy with how my music sounded and wanted to share it with the world.

In the last two years, your productions have varied. You've shown versatility with a few piano-heavy tracks, "La Vida" and "Be With You," acid twinges on "Energizer" and "In the 1980s," and, of course, a healthy dose of tech house bangers. Do you find you're making a conscious decision to switch things up in the studio, or is it just about what's inspiring you that day?

I don't sit down and think, 'I'm going to make a piano house track today' or 'today's a tech house roller kinda day' because I find this stifles creativity. I always try to write what I feel at that moment, and I think that's why I have a variety of music in my catalog. I think it's fun to show versatility and also means my sets never sound the same the whole way through when I play live.

Energizer

I also think an element of this is that I was still discovering my sound and what worked best for me. I have a clearer direction for my sound now because of this, and you'll hopefully hear this over the next year with my releases.

Now that you've spent some time touring, what do you think the most significant difference is between the scene in The States and the UK?

I LOVE both scenes - both are very similar, in my opinion, but the US crowds sure love to party hard. Tech house has gained huge popularity recently in the US, which is exciting for me as I can really dig deep into the tech house tracks which were popular in the UK a few years back and play them.

What are your favorite secret weapons to play out in your sets?

I have an official remix of Madison Avenue's classic "Don't Call Me Baby," which is coming out soon and has been a real crowd favorite from my sets. I cannot wait to drop this one. I've also been playing some killer cuts from these boys, which have been getting a great response - Hyde (OFC), Damelo, Thomas Garcia, VLTRA, and a few others.

Any advice to up-and-coming DJs on how to break out?

Spend the time developing your own sound and branding so people can familiarize themselves with your sound. It's easy to copy what's popular, but in the long term, you'll see better results if you have your own unique touch to your records. Don't be afraid to be different. Networking is so key, too. It sounds cliche, but taking the time to build relationships with other artists on social media and in-person has been pivotal for me. Most importantly, enjoy the ride!!!

Party's Jumpin

UK house producer and DJ Joshwa has risen the ranks into the upper echelons of the house scene on the back of a steady stream of stellar and varied house heaters. Yet, despite the inability to truly pigeonhole his sound, his production carries a signature without being firmly similar. It's a rare talent to be such an auditory shapeshifter.




His entré into dance music came via trance hits from the 90s golden age of the genre. However, his music carries a distinct influence from American R&B and rap of the same era. This patchwork of influences is immediately apparent in a recent string of highly successful releases on lauded labels like Sony Fodera's Solotoko and Lee Foss' Repopulate Mars.




He broke through in 2020 with the release of "Energizer" on Solotoko, followed up with releases on Cr2, Nervous, Sink or Swin, and EMI. After his 2021 collaboration with Ossey James, "Party's Jumpin," was signed to Repopulate Mars, he stayed on the ears of Lee Foss. This eventually led to their collaboration on "My Humps." The infectious Fergie sampling tech house stomper was one of the scene's most sought-after IDs for nearly a year before its release late in 2021 and helped put Joshwa on the map.







Your track "My Humps" with Lee Foss was one of the hottest IDs of 2021. How did it come together with Lee, and did you feel it was going to be this big? What about the original vocals attracted you to it?




This was a super exciting time for me and has helped shape my career in music moving into 2022! I sent Lee an early version of it. He played it out and then asked me to work on it together to finish it, which is now the track you hear today. The buzz around it after Lee and John Summit first started playing was crazy. Once people realized who the track was by, my DMs were going mental with people asking for a copy of it. Before we knew it, every DJ was asking for a copy, and it was getting played worldwide - mental feeling!!









You have often relied on vocal samples from American R&B and hip-hop, going back to one of your first releases, "Shake That Thing." Was American R&B and hip-hop your entry point into loving music? What prompted you to center your tracks around these samples?




I have always loved Rap and R&B and grew up listening to this genre which is why you hear a lot of influence from them in my catalog. House music and R&B/Rap work well on the dance floor together and often create a sense of nostalgia for party-goers which gets great reactions. It's a formula that works really well, and I think that's clear after the success of tracks like "My Humps" and ACRAZE's "Do it to it," which is why we saw a surge of similar-sounding tracks following these last year.




When did you first really discover electronic music?




My Dad is to blame for this! I first got into electronic music when he played me a compilation CD in his car called Rush Hour, which was full of 90s trance belters. I instantly fell in love with the sound of it and used to pester him to listen to it whenever we went anywhere.




Can you give us some insight into the early days of your career? Your first official release was in 2016, but it's safe to assume that you didn't start DJing in 2016.




I started producing when I was 13 or 14 and bought my very first set of Gemini CDJs by selling sweets at school. I taught myself how to produce and how to Dj by watching YouTube tutorials and reading music production forums such as Laidback Luke's.




I was hugely into EDM - music from artists like Avicii, Swedish House Mafia, Afrojack, Laidback Luke, etc., was really popular at the time, so I naturally gravitated towards making this. I also played football (soccer) at the time and was in an Academy, but looking back, music has always been my passion.




I pursued the football career for a while but then decided music was where I wanted to devote my time, and things got more serious later down the line while I was at University. I finally got to a stage where I was happy with how my music sounded and wanted to share it with the world.




In the last two years, your productions have varied. You've shown versatility with a few piano-heavy tracks, "La Vida" and "Be With You," acid twinges on "Energizer" and "In the 1980s," and, of course, a healthy dose of tech house bangers. Do you find you're making a conscious decision to switch things up in the studio, or is it just about what's inspiring you that day?




I don't sit down and think, 'I'm going to make a piano house track today' or 'today's a tech house roller kinda day' because I find this stifles creativity. I always try to write what I feel at that moment, and I think that's why I have a variety of music in my catalog. I think it's fun to show versatility and also means my sets never sound the same the whole way through when I play live.




I also think an element of this is that I was still discovering my sound and what worked best for me. I have a clearer direction for my sound now because of this, and you'll hopefully hear this over the next year with my releases.












Now that you've spent some time touring, what do you think the most significant difference is between the scene in The States and the UK?




I LOVE both scenes - both are very similar, in my opinion, but the US crowds sure love to party hard. Tech house has gained huge popularity recently in the US, which is exciting for me as I can really dig deep into the tech house tracks which were popular in the UK a few years back and play them.




What are your favorite secret weapons to play out in your sets?




I have an official remix of Madison Avenue's classic "Don't Call Me Baby," which is coming out soon and has been a real crowd favorite from my sets. I cannot wait to drop this one. I've also been playing some killer cuts from these boys, which have been getting a great response - Hyde (OFC), Damelo, Thomas Garcia, VLTRA, and a few others.




Any advice to up-and-coming DJs on how to break out?




Spend the time developing your own sound and branding so people can familiarize themselves with your sound. It's easy to copy what's popular, but in the long term, you'll see better results if you have your own unique touch to your records. Don't be afraid to be different. Networking is so key, too. It sounds cliche, but taking the time to build relationships with other artists on social media and in-person has been pivotal for me. Most importantly, enjoy the ride!!!

Joshwa

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