T-Bone and JMX’s Jet Project merges two old-school crate diggers, b-boys, acid-house fanatics and is one of the few DJ duos left still obsessively mining gold from that mine of feeling called “house”, they release their album SO FLY on Snatch! Records in September.
These two chaps are the original house maestros of Belfast. As individuals, each artist is part of this new burgeoning Belfast scene that sees the city’s producers making their mark internationally. From the R&S funk stylings of Space Dimension Controller, to Hot Natured’s Bubba and Psycatron’s techno expeditions on the far reaches of Planet E. Jet Project truly have been in it for donkeys, allowing them to draw on years of the cities myriad of influences into a single locked groove – new-style house music with a respect for the forefathers.
This knowledge and experience has fed into their Extended Play label that has tastemakers of today such as, Jaymo and Andy George, Seth Troxler and Eats Everything now pricking up their ears to the boys sound. As Belfast’s club scene is driven underground and the conflict at the heart of dance music in the city continues to grow, Extended Play creates its own scene in reaction to this. The label has become renowned for its output and has teamed the duo up with underground legends from KiNK to Rob Mello, and spawned killer parties with guests like Stacey Pullen and Joy O. These guys are never going to be ‘too kool for skool’, the popularity of their album and their label is simply the result of a genuine long running love for house music.
“Belfast is a melting pot, now,” says T-Bone (Timmy Stewart). “So many local acts are breaking out, trying new things and getting international recognition. SO FLY is our reaction to that, our take on the Belfast house scene as well as nods to the historic centres of house like Chicago, New York and London.” Adds JMX (John McIver), “For us that’s about getting the old school/new school balance just right: fresh synth lines, 909 drum programming, a hypnotic bassline and a killer vocal…”
“…And after hearing M.A.N.D.Y drop the David Keno bomb “Upside Down” in Barcelona and finally tracking it down to being the first release on Riva Starr’s Snatch! imprint, we both just kinda knew it was a label we had to record for.” It seems the combination of peak time jump up cuts balanced with a proper underground ethos fits the Jet Project remit like a glove… Add the combination of breaking new artists as well as connecting with legends like Dj Sneak meant it was the perfect home for Jet Project.
From the simple but heartfelt emotion of ALL RIGHT, to the warehouse drama of their new single with Robert Owens, SAY THE WORD, the Jet Project’s SO FLY album takes in 20 years of house music, detroit techno, and the idiosyncratic music stylings of two Irishmen who met over a crate in a second-hand record store and remain firm friends and DJ partners today.
So Fly is aimed squarely at the dance floor, the party after and the light creeping in, Saturday night into Sunday morning and encapsulates everything they love about this thing called house.
Jet Project – “So Fly” (Snatch Records)
1. Chicago Everywhere
2. Can’t Forget You
3. Alright ft. Electric J
4. Say The Word ft. Robert Owens
5. So Fly
6. U Know
7. Body Xpress
8. Yes Yes Y’all
9. Get Down
10. Understand This
11. So What!
12. Sell Your Love
