Timucin Lam (born Timucin Fabian Kwong Wah Aluo; 25 July 1987), known professionally as Jax Jones, is an English DJ,
songwriter
A songwriter is a musician who professionally composes musical compositions or writes lyrics for songs, or both. The writer of the music for a song can be called a composer, although this term tends to be used mainly in the classical music ...
,
record producer
A record producer is a recording project's creative and technical leader, commanding studio time and coaching artists, and in popular genres typically creates the song's very sound and structure. Virgil Moorefield"Introduction" ''The Producer as ...
and remixer. He rose to fame in 2014 by featuring on
Duke Dumont
Adam George Dyment (born August 1981), better known by his stage name Duke Dumont, is an English DJ and record producer. He is best known for his hit singles " Need U (100%)" " I Got U", " Ocean Drive" and " Won't Look Back" which both reached ...
's number-one single "
I Got U". He followed this up with his own singles "
You Don't Know Me" featuring
Raye and "
Instruction" featuring
Demi Lovato
Demetria Devonne Lovato ( ; born August 20, 1992), known as Demi Lovato, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. After appearing on the children's television series ''Barney & Friends'' (2002–2004), Lovato rose to prominence for pl ...
and
Stefflon Don
Stephanie Victoria Allen (born 14 December 1991), better known by her stage name Stefflon Don, is a British rapper and singer. She rose to fame after her 2017 single "Hurtin' Me" featuring French Montana peaked at number 7 on UK Singles Chart. ...
in 2016 and 2017, respectively. Jax's debut studio album, ''
Snacks (Supersize)'', was released on 6 September 2019. It was preceded by the single "
One Touch" featuring
Jess Glynne.
Personal life
Jax grew up in a
multi-ethnic
Mixed race people are people of more than one race or ethnicity. A variety of terms have been used both historically and presently for mixed race people in a variety of contexts, including ''multiethnic'', ''polyethnic'', occasionally ''bi-eth ...
household and was exposed to a wealth of influences. His father is Turkish and gave him the name Timucin. His mother is Chinese-Malaysian.
After his Nigerian stepfather introduced him to
afrobeat
Afrobeat is a Nigerian music genre that involves the combination of West African musical styles (such as traditional Yoruba music and highlife) and American funk, jazz, and soul influences, with a focus on chanted vocals, complex intersecti ...
via
Fela Kuti
Fela Aníkúlápó Kuti (born Olufela Olusegun Oludotun Ransome-Kuti; 15 October 1938 – 2 August 1997), also known as Abami Eda, was a Nigerian musician, bandleader, composer, political activist, and Pan-Africanist. He is regarded as the pi ...
and rap with a tape of a
Notorious B.I.G. album, Jax listened to hip hop, R&B, gospel and traditional African music.
His Malaysian mother was into music ranging from
Kylie Minogue
Kylie Ann Minogue (; born 28 May 1968) is an Australian singer, songwriter and actress. She is the highest-selling female Australian artist of all time, having sold over 80 million records worldwide. She has been recognised for reinve ...
to
Luther Vandross
Luther Ronzoni Vandross Jr. (April 20, 1951 – July 1, 2005) was an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. Known for his sweet and soulful vocals, Vandross has sold over 40 million records worldwide. He achieved eleven consecutive P ...
and also influenced him. Producers like
The Neptunes
The Neptunes are an American songwriting and production duo composed of Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, formed in Virginia Beach, Virginia, in 1992. Williams often provides additional vocals on records and appears in the duo's music videos ...
,
Timbaland
Timothy Zachery Mosley (born March 10, 1972), known professionally as Timbaland, is an American record producer, rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. He has received widespread acclaim for his innovative production work and distinc ...
and
Rodney Jerkins
Rodney Roy Jerkins (born July 29, 1977), also known by his stage name Darkchild, is an American record producer, rapper, and songwriter. He has collaborated with a broad range of popular artists.
Jerkins has won multiple Grammy Awards. Among hi ...
shaped his musical horizons and his fascination with the anatomy of a rhythm section. Having initially studied classical guitar from a young age, Jax took up beat-making at 15 after discovering
Cubase
Cubase is a digital audio workstation (DAW) developed by Steinberg for music and MIDI recording, arranging and editing. The first version, which was originally only a MIDI sequencer and ran on the Atari ST computer, was released in 1989. Cut-d ...
on his friend's
Atari.
On 18 September 2020, Jax announced on his Instagram that his wife had given birth to their daughter, Lawana.
Music career
Early beginnings
Performing at
open mic clubs around London, Jax eventually came together with Ripperman, a
grime producer from
Mitcham
Mitcham is an area within the London Borough of Merton in South London, England. It is centred southwest of Charing Cross. Originally a village in the county of Surrey, today it is mainly a residential suburb, and includes Mitcham Common. I ...
, at
Brixton
Brixton is a district in south London, part of the London Borough of Lambeth, England. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London. Brixton experienced a rapid rise in population during the 19th centu ...
's Raw Materials Studio, and worked on releases for
Big Narstie and Roadside Gs, among others in the scene. His parents encouraged him to go to university at 18. Opting to stay closer to Raw Materials, he declined an interview at the
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the world's second-oldest university in contin ...
to attend
Brunel University
Brunel University London is a public research university located in the Uxbridge area of London, England. It was founded in 1966 and named after the Victorian engineer and pioneer of the Industrial Revolution, Isambard Kingdom Brunel. In June 1 ...
in
Uxbridge
Uxbridge () is a suburban town in west London and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Hillingdon. Situated west-northwest of Charing Cross, it is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the London Plan. Uxb ...
.
Despite a two-hour trip, Jax went from lectures to the studio daily to work on his craft, posting beats regularly on
Myspace. After graduation, Jax rented a studio in
Sydenham after not being allowed back in the family home, bought a
Mac tower from
Gumtree and worked daily to hone his craft.
2014: Breakthrough
After meeting
Duke Dumont
Adam George Dyment (born August 1981), better known by his stage name Duke Dumont, is an English DJ and record producer. He is best known for his hit singles " Need U (100%)" " I Got U", " Ocean Drive" and " Won't Look Back" which both reached ...
, he developed an interest in
house music
House is a music genre characterized by a repetitive four-on-the-floor beat and a typical tempo of 120 beats per minute. It was created by DJs and music producers from Chicago's underground club culture in the late 1970s, as DJs began altering ...
and together they co-wrote and produced "
I Got U", "
Won't Look Back" and "
Ocean Drive".
Jones features on the single "
I Got U", the song peaked at number one on the
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
in March 2014, leading to his breakthrough as an artist.
2015–2019: ''Snacks''
On 24 July 2015, he released the single "Yeah Yeah Yeah". In July 2016, he released the single "
House Work
Homemaking is mainly an American and Canadian term for the management of a home, otherwise known as housework, housekeeping, housewifery or household management. It is the act of overseeing the organizational, day-to-day operations of a house ...
".
Jax says of the track, "At the end of the day, I started making beats on a four-track, so it feels right to put that DIY energy into my music".
In December 2016, he released the single "
You Don't Know Me" based on the sampling of the
bassline of M.A.N.D.Y. vs.
Booka Shade
Booka Shade is a German house duo. It is made up of Walter Merziger and Arno Kammermeier, described as veterans of the Frankfurt electronic music scene. They have released 7 studio albums including Memento (2004) Movements (2006), The Sun & The ...
's 2005 hit "Body Language". The song became his biggest success, reaching number three in the UK and top five status in several European countries, including Germany, Ireland, Belgium and Norway. Jones continued to release songs wherein he collaborated with the likes of
Demi Lovato
Demetria Devonne Lovato ( ; born August 20, 1992), known as Demi Lovato, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. After appearing on the children's television series ''Barney & Friends'' (2002–2004), Lovato rose to prominence for pl ...
and
Years & Years. He released his debut
extended play
An extended play record, usually referred to as an EP, is a musical recording that contains more tracks than a single but fewer than an album or LP record. , ''
Snacks
A snack is a small portion of food generally eaten between meals. Snacks come in a variety of forms including packaged snack foods and other processed foods, as well as items made from fresh ingredients at home.
Traditionally, snacks are ...
'', on 28 November 2018. The EP was later expanded into Jones' first album, ''
Snacks (Supersize)'', which was released on 6 September 2019.
2020–present: Europa, I Miss U, Deep Joy and Where Did You Go?
Jax also collaborated with fellow DJ
Martin Solveig
Martin Laurent Picandet (; born 22 September 1976), better known by his stage name Martin Solveig (), is a French DJ, singer, songwriter and record producer. He hosts a weekly radio show called ''C'est La Vie'' on radio stations worldwide, incl ...
to create the musical duo
Europa. Their first song together, "
All Day and Night
"All Day and Night" is a song by English DJ Jax Jones and French DJ Martin Solveig under their alias Europa, with vocals from American singer Madison Beer. It was released on 28 March 2019 as their first single through Polydor Records and appea ...
" (featuring
Madison Beer), it was included on Jones' 2018 EP ''Snacks'' and was released as single in March 2019. They released their next single, "Tequila" (featuring
RAYE), in February 2020.
On 9 October 2020, Jones released the single "
I Miss U
"I Miss U" (stylised in all lowercase) is a song by English DJ and record producer Jax Jones and Antiguan-German singer-songwriter Au/Ra. It was released on 9 October 2020 by Polydor Records. The song peaked at number twenty-five on the UK Si ...
" alongside Antiguan-German singer
Au/Ra
Jamie Lou Stenzel (born 15 May 2002), known by her stage name Au/Ra, is an Antiguan-German singer-songwriter. Stenzel released her first single "Concrete Jungle" in 2016, which quickly gained 15 million streams worldwide. She rose to prominenc ...
. The song peaked at Number 25 on the UK Singles Chart, and a subsequent acoustic version followed. Upon its release, Jones tweeted about the song's message in relation to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identified ...
, and an inability to see family and friends due to national lockdowns. He said "i miss u is finally out in the world we all miss something right now and i miss u is supposed to highlight that and remind ourselves that it's ok to feel this way sometimes."
In January 2021, Jones promoted Irish music producer Emmet Glascott & singer Molly Morgans remix of Jones' song '100 Times' on his Instagram story.
On 4 June 2021, Jones released the song "Feels", the lead single off his second EP ''Deep Joy'', which was released on 2 July 2021.
On 13 August 2021, saw the release of "
Out Out", a collaborative single with fellow English DJ
Joel Corry
Joel Corry (born 10 June 1989) is an English DJ, producer and television personality. He came to prominence in 2019 with the release of his single "Sorry", featuring vocals from Hayley May (who was not credited in the official music video), whic ...
and featuring the vocals of singer
Charli XCX
Charlotte Emma Aitchison (born 2 August 1992), known professionally as Charli XCX, is an English singer and songwriter. Born in Cambridge and raised in Start Hill, Essex, she began posting songs on Myspace in 2008, which led to her discovery b ...
and rapper
Saweetie. The song peaked at #6 on the UK Singles Chart.
On 4 February 2022, Jones released the song "
Where Did You Go?" featuring
MNEK
Uzoechi Osisioma "Uzo" Emenike (born 9 November 1994), professionally known by his stage name MNEK (, ), is a British singer, songwriter and record producer. He has been nominated for a Grammy and a Brit Award, and has received the ASCAP Vangua ...
.
On 18 March 2022, Jones collaborated with
Mabel and
Galantis
Galantis is a Swedish electronic dance music production, songwriting and DJ duo consisting of Christian Karlsson and Linus Eklöw. Karlsson is also known as Bloodshy as part of two other musical groups, a duo (Bloodshy & Avant) and a trio (Mi ...
on the song "Good Luck".
On 4 June 2022, he participated in the
Platinum Party at the Palace, performing with
Nandi Bushell
Nandi Lily Bushell (; born 28 April 2010) is a South African-born British musician, singer, songwriter, and social media personality. She became known for her drumming skill by posting cover versions of popular rock songs to her YouTube and Inst ...
and
Stefflon Don
Stephanie Victoria Allen (born 14 December 1991), better known by her stage name Stefflon Don, is a British rapper and singer. She rose to fame after her 2017 single "Hurtin' Me" featuring French Montana peaked at number 7 on UK Singles Chart. ...
, as well as
Mabel and
John Newman to mark the
Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II
The Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II was the international celebration in 2022 marking the 70th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II on 6 February 1952, the first British monarch to ever celebrate one.
In the United Kingdom, the ...
.
Discography
* ''
Snacks (Supersize)'' (2019)
Awards and Nominations
{, class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
, -
! scope="col" , Award
! scope="col" , Year
! scope="col" , Nominee(s)
! scope="col" , Category
! scope="col" , Result
! scope="col" class="unsortable",
, -
!scope="row" rowspan=4,
Brit Awards
The BRIT Awards (often simply called the BRITs) are the British Phonographic Industry's annual popular music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain", or "Britannia" (in the early days the awards were sponsored ...
, rowspan=2,
2015
File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the April ...
, rowspan=2, "
I Got U"
(with Duke Dumont
Adam George Dyment (born August 1981), better known by his stage name Duke Dumont, is an English DJ and record producer. He is best known for his hit singles " Need U (100%)" " I Got U", " Ocean Drive" and " Won't Look Back" which both reached ...
)
,
British Video of the Year
The Brit Award for British Video of the Year was an award given by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), an organisation which represents record companies and artists in the United Kingdom. The accolade is presented at the Brit Awards, an annua ...
,
, rowspan=2,
, -
, rowspan=2,
British Single of the Year
,
, -
,
2018
File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...
, "
You Don't Know Me"
(with Raye)
,
,
, -
,
2019
File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...
, rowspan=2, "
Breathe"
(with Ina Wroldsen
Ina Christine Wroldsen (born 29 May 1984), previously known simply as Ina, is a Norwegian singer and songwriter. She was a part of the electropop duo Ask Embla with Icelandic producer and songwriter Arnthor Birgisson.
Career
Wroldsen's career ...
)
,
British Video of the Year
The Brit Award for British Video of the Year was an award given by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), an organisation which represents record companies and artists in the United Kingdom. The accolade is presented at the Brit Awards, an annua ...
,
,
, -
!scope="row",
Ivor Novello Awards
The Ivor Novello Awards, named after the entertainer Ivor Novello, are awards for songwriting and composing. They have been presented annually in London by the Ivors Academy (formerly the BASCA) since 1956, and over 1,000 statuettes have been a ...
, 2019
, Most Performed Work
,
,
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jones, Jax
1987 births
Living people
English house musicians
English multi-instrumentalists
English DJs
English songwriters
English record producers
English people of Turkish descent
English people of Malaysian descent
English people of Chinese descent
Musicians from London
DJs from London
Electronic dance music DJs
Remixers