March 3, 2024
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Of contagious energy, Jess, and only in less than 2 years, has become a crowd favorite. A curator, a selector of all that brings the feels & groove to her audience.
During our conversation, we found out that music is her creative outlet, one that aligns with her values, besides her job as a growth marketer at a Tech company.
Have you ever wondered what her Instagram handle stands for, where she finds inspiration?
Tune in and make sure to catch her wherever she’s playing soon!
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Jess, define “miscellaneous” on your own terms.
I’ve always been into different things, and it never felt like I could categorize what I do or how I feel.
I do find joy in variety and diversifying what I do at all times.
Miscellaneous has become the word that I find the most accurate in describing who I am and when I ventured into music and Djing, it was a no brainer for me that miscellaneous will have something to do with it.
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What are the key components that make up your sound?
I am so inspired by Funk, Disco and House Music.
As an Egyptian, Middle-Eastern and African female, drawing inspiration from these genres is not just about their infectious grooves, but also the profound cultural resonance they carry.
These genres emerged from marginalized communities, symbolizing resistance and freedom against mainstream norms. They celebrate diversity and inclusion with no geographical or cultural boundaries.
Blending these genres into my set allows me to celebrate these values through the joy of music and dancing.
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In what aspects do you see yourself in your own music?
The beauty of music is that it’s both personal and collective. That is exactly is why I fell in-love with being a selector and a DJ.
It allows me to narrate a story and share the music I love and enjoy dancing to with others; curating a collective experience where we exchange energy, and this is why I’m always keen to interact with as many people as I can on the dancefloor, to send and receive good energy and connect over the music playing.
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One local artist I think is growing exponentially is El-Waili – I am such a fan!
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A valuable lesson a fellow artist taught me is…
There’s one artist who I met early on when I had only DJ’d a couple of gigs and was lucky enough to be in the same lineup as him.
After my set, I was so disappointed that I had a few not-so-good transitions, but he met me with so much enthusiasm and told me that what’s more important than flawless mixing - which will get better by practise - is the music selection and leading from the heart. I always remember his words before planning for any gig I have and I have so much gratitude and respect for his overall approach and attitude towards music and dj’ing.
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What is one thing you wish your audience knew about you for certain?
It’s that I take each event so seriously. Whether it's a huge festival or a small private event. If I choose to do an event, I put my all into ensuring that people are having the best time.
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You have done a lot of deejaying. How does your experience inform the choices you make nowadays?
Believe it or not, I had my first official gig towards the end of 2022, and it has been quite a ride in 2023 with so many amazing opportunities.
I have been to gigs all over Egypt, and then some abroad in Germany, Saudi Arabia and UAE and each of them were completely different.
Some were early in the day and some were late at nights, some I played the entire time, others I played in a huge lineup.
Some were at the beach, others were at clubs or in the middle of nowhere.
Each event was special on its own.
Reflecting on what events I enjoyed the most and what were the conditions then allowed me to have a better sense of what events to go for in the future, I do enjoy day-time parties and sunsets more than night time parties, so it’s something I am trying to do more of in 2024.
I also like interesting concepts, art-inspired ones, and collaborations, so those are also directions where I’d like to explore more of.
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If you could curate a festival line-up, who would make your top 3 picks?
Tom Misch, French Kiwi Juice & Bosq
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Best Song Lyrics goes to… - Explain Why
It’s a song a dear friend of mine introduced me to and it’s called
“Such a Good Day” by Lewis OfMan.
Why? Because the lyrics is all the same, centered around one message and it's to affirm that it’s such a good day.
You can’t not remember it by heart :P