Jackmaster

A product of the underground, his independent spirit remains intact, while he is equally at home sharing centre-stage with the likes of Seth Troxler and Jamie Jones at DC10 in Ibiza or Ben UFO and Mike Servito at a Numbers warehouse party in London. His lack of musical prejudice, and open-minded approach and ability to adapt to any given situation, underpinned by a knowledge of underground house and techno bordering on the obsessive, are just some of the reasons why year after year he has retained his popularity with the masses. An equally important factor is his wide-ranging taste, and ability to surprise: something that makes it impossible to know for certain which musical direction his sets will take. It is also worth pointing out that Jackmaster is one of a handful of DJs on the international scene who has remained at the top without the need to produce or remix, relying almost exclusively on his innate skills and talent on the decks to thrive and prosper. You never know exactly what you’re going to hear with Jackmaster. The element of glorious surprise is crucial to his sets: from the lost Dance Mania gems he spends his time unearthing to forgotten Disco tracks to straight-up house and techno sets, the Numbers co-founder has more options up his sleeve than just about any other DJ out there – and a rare knack for connecting seemingly disparate styles into cohesive sets that continually impress. 

“I don’t do eclecticism just for eclecticism’s sake,” he states firmly.

Jackmaster has been obsessed with music ever since his early years working at the legendary record store Rubadub in his native Glasgow, a place he continues to cite as the source and starting point for his unmatched sound. A self-confessed super fan of Prince and dedicated collector of disco and funk gems and rarities, Jack was involved in collectives and labels like Dress2Sweat and Wireblock before founding Numbers with his friend Spencer. The label has released material from some of the biggest names in electronic music including SBTRKT, Jamie xx & Jessie Ware, whilst also pushing cutting edge sounds from the likes of SOPHIE, representing underground legends Lory D & DJ Deeon, and pushing Glasgow’s brightest talents in Sparky, Rustie and Denis Sulta. Since the very beginning Jack’s sets have been an object lesson in versatility and imagination; as can be seen on the now infamous mix series ‘Tweak-A-Holic’, his many contributions to websites, clubs and benchmark music platforms (a DJ Kicks compilation, three Essential Mixes, Fact, Resident Advisor, Fabric) and, of course, countless sets at festivals around the world. No other DJ combines passion, knowledge, energy, honesty and humour better than Jackmaster. What you are guaranteed to get is a master selector’s instinct for creating and riding the energy of a crowd: few can get a dancefloor as hyped as Jackmaster. “I don’t think about music in terms of genre, I think about it in terms of energy levels,” he says – and as his star has risen over the past few years, this has been on perfect display at parties from Glasgow to Berlin to New York, and from superclubs such as Berghain and Fabric to his three summer residency at Circo Loco in Ibiza. 

At the heart of Jackmaster’s wide-ranging sensibility is a fundamental honesty: he believes in neither following trends nor the concept of guilty pleasures. His commitment to both honesty and energy encapsulates what can make dance culture life-changing and thrilling: it’s about the clubber on the dancefloor reacting instantaneously and truthfully to the music. Few cater to that dancer as effectively as Jackmaster – no mere “crowd-pleaser”, but someone always guaranteed to please the crowd.