Maya Jane Coles

Last Night a DJ Saved My Life

 

In dance music, albums have seemed to be seen as second fiddle to singles - clubs and DJ’s dominated by ‘tracks’ but for me an artist who can craft an album is different league and Maya Jane Coles has a gift for the long player. That’s not to say she doesn’t make killer tracks, she nails that, but her musicality lends itself to a broader story that only and album can deliver.

 

Artistically she has the full package - eddy styling, almost goth, an introverted but sharp persona, open about her sexuality in a sea of polished barbies, a reputation for delivering as a DJ and producer or remixers, marketable beyond belife, international appeal… the list goes on, but her edginess in music is her greatest asset and the few interviews she’s done are a real insight on the person behind the beats, open, honest and a clear dedication to her art.

 

Self-taught on cracked DAWs before she hit 20, Coles released her first music in 2008. Her original musical inspirations coming from the Notthing Hill Carnival (London), and sitting on her Dad’s shoulders feeling the beats and rhythms. She started making music around 14 years old, building an immense library of bespoke sounds.

 

As with so many producers Coles had to work out ‘how to produce’ by herself, how to make arrangements, how to structure tracks and built her home studio over time allowing her to express her musical viewpoint to the point that she touches every aspect of her releases, playing instruments and all.

 

Her latest alias, Noctural Sunshine offers her an outlet for a darker, more bass-driven sound with a return to her early musical loves of Trip-hop, dub influences and hip-hop.

 

Having remixed people like The Orb, The XX, Massive Attack and Gorillaz her first release came back in 2008 on Franck Roger's label, Real Tone Records. She was then named by DJ Mag as one of the best newcomers that year, as her track "What They Say", taken from the eponymous EP, was also one of the most playlisted by DJs on Resident Advisor.

 

In 2011, the mass media got wind of her rise and covers for the likes of Mixmag's and essential mixes for BBC Radio 1 followed. She was names ‘Best Newcomer 2011′ at the Ibiza DJ Awards 2011 and came ninth place in Resident Advisor's annual DJ ranking. 2012 she won 'Best House/Garage/Deep House' track at the Miami Winter Music Conference 2012, 'Staff Pick: Artist of the year 2011' at the Beatport Awards, DJ Mag's ‘Producer of the Year 2011′  Mixmag's ‘Best Breakthrough DJ 2011′, FACT's 'Female Artist 2011’, and Symphonic Distribution's 'Artist Of The Year 2012’ and in November, Rolling Stone placed Maya Jane Coles at the fifteenth rank of its world's 25 most influential DJs list.

 

Her début album Comfort was on her own I/AM/ME label and Kobalt Label Services internationally in summer 2013. It featured guest appearances from artists such as Tricky, Miss Kittin, Nadine Shah, Alpines, Thomas Knights and Karin Park.

 

She produced Fabric 75 (2014), the 75th edition of London nightclub Fabric's monthly compilation album, which is where I first heard of her as it goes.

 

What caught my attention on her own productions was the balance of sadness and romance. Of her ‘Take Flight’ album she talks about the death of her Mum from cancer and how it affected her…“Afterwards I was making crazy depressing, emotional stuff, it just went deeper and deeper, but I haven’t put those on any official release. Sometimes the music that’s most personal, I don’t want to release in that moment, I have to give it enough time to detach before I’m comfortable to share it with the world.”

 

She recaptured her happiness through the music too, and DJ’ing and the need to put on a performance help see her through some dark days. Noctural Sunshine allows Maya to refocus away from the emotional sound she’s become synomous for and have some musical fun, less personal and express herself musically more.