Backstage Intro: Meet Jason!

[MichaelW]

Our Community Rock Stars can submit blog posts to be published on the Spotify Community Blog. To find out more about the Rock Star Program click here. 

Hey there, @JESquare (Rock Star)! Tell us something about yourself.

I’m a Graphic Designer, and I live outside of Washington D.C.. I was a singer in a Death Metal band for two “glorious” weeks.

I’m related to Cotton Mather, on my mother’s side, of Salem Witch Trials infamy. I’m also have a distant uncle, George F Eitemiller who bought himself a permanent ticket on the RMS Titanic.

I proposed to my wife in the ruins of a Church, she might say it was a cemetery.

I’ve been making mixes since it was cassettes and I have an annual Christmas mix--now in it's 15^th year.

So, what kind of music are you into?

I’m into all genres from Classical to Death Metal. Right now I’m really into the new wave of Progressive Metal / Djent / Fusion jazz bands like Animals As Leaders, Scale The Summit, Plini, Chon, The Contortionist, Mestis and Exivious.

What's your favorite instrument, and why?

Cello, I love the deep tonal quality. It is hauntingly beautiful as a solo instrument, that just perfectly captures sorrow in a song and yet it can also be a very powerful propulsive instrument in an epic score. For example, listen to Green Days’ "Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life)" and notice how much the Cello ads to that song.

What's your inspiration for creating playlists/covers?

For my covers it’s either an image that inspires me or when I listen to a mix I can see what kind of images the music evokes in me.

For my playlists it's always for my own personal enjoyment. For instance, my brass bands mix came from me noticing I had a few songs in a mix that all were brass bands and I really enjoyed them so I created a mix around that style of music.

For my Monthly mixes I wanted something I could listen to throughout the week with, the latest, songs I was personally enjoying and hopefully someone would also enjoy.

When it’s a mix with a specific theme I really listen to how songs blend into each other and the overall flow of the mix.

How has your taste in music evolved over the years, what kind of music did you listen to at 14, and what do you listen to now?

Oh this is fun so when I was 14 I was really into Enya, Loreena Mckennitt, Spyro Gyra, Eric Johnson and Wu-Tang Clan. I didn’t like any alternative music and bands like Nirvana were way too heavy. Now I’m listening to extreme metal, bluegrass, electronics, jazz etc. My taste has evolved but simultaneously those things I liked in the past are still in the DNA of what I like now. It might not be Enya anymore but a band like Epica has touches of Loreena Mckennitt, in subtle ways.

Thanks for taking your time to chat with us. Before we go, what joke always makes you laugh?

This isn’t a joke but it’s a story that always makes me laugh. The story goes that Lincoln was stopped one day by a man who stuck a revolver almost into his face. Under the circumstances Lincoln quickly realized that any resistance was unwise. Trying to remain calm, he inquired, "What seems to be the matter?"

"Well," replied the man, "A long time ago I swore that if I ever came across an uglier man than myself I'd shoot him on the spot."

"Well," supposedly said Lincoln. "Go ahead and shoot me then, because if I am an uglier man than you I don't want to live."