32-year-old Jamz Supernova has grown to be one of London’s most beloved DJs, not only within the nightlife and festival circuit, but on prime radio too. In fact, she was a broadcaster long before she ever touched DJ decks, “one of my colleagues sold me his decks, so I paid him off in installments and practiced in my living room for about a year. My first gig was at a queer night in Bethnal Green, someone asked me to play some old school R&B and I was like ‘um, ok’ - because that wasn’t my plan or what I had prepared - so for the first hour I bombed. Thankfully it got better.”
After spending 12 years at BBC Radio 1Xtra, she made the move to BBC 6Music and even founded her own label, Future Bounce. What began as a small radio show of her own, soon bloomed into a major party, and subsequently, a home to underground talent across a range of sounds. Now she’s celebrating two years at 6Music and 13 incredible years in radio with a party to remember. On April 21st, Jamz will be taking over east London’s Village Underground to bring us ‘The Supernova X-perience’ with a lineup including Manuka Honey, Kampire and Quinzequinze.
And that’s not all. At the end of this month, Jamz will be at the BBC Radio 6 Music Festival alongside the likes of Loyle Carner, Arlo Parks and Christine and the Queens, happening in Manchester from the 23rd to the 26th of March.
Kicking off a new regular franchise for ES Magazine, Jamz Supernova picks her top five songs to get the party started. What better way to start your Friday night…
I don’t make music so it’s my job to share the music
“I recently came across this song doing a deepdive into 90s and mid-2000s house music. This track has a slightly gospel feel to it, it has these amazing horns that are sampled throughout - they’re also used on a Kerri Chandler track, who let Dennis Ferrer use them. This is a starting song for sure.”
Denise Belfon, Dance & Dingolay
“This is one I’d play midway through my set. When I’ve got the crowd in the palm of my hand, that’s when I know it’s time to play some uptempo Caribbean music. Even if I’m playing in quite white, European countries where people might not know it, this track is such a joy and I’ve had some of the craziest responses to it. It’s my get out of jail card - if in doubt, get Denise Belfon out!”
Chloe Robinson & DJ Adhd, Pax (Four Tet Remix)
“This is a record that fits between techno and bass music, people will literally always lean across the decks to try to take a picture of what’s playing. I love this record, I’m like ‘yeah please do take a picture’, I don’t make music so it’s my job to share the music”
The Prodigy, Everybody in the Place
“This is one of those songs that I probably shouldn’t be playing. I’ve definitely rinsed it by now, however, it bridges generations together on the dancefloor. It’s a cross-generational banger. I love seeing people in their 60s dancing alongside 18-year-olds, it’s a track that brings people together. People start smiling from the very start.”
Swordman Kitala & Village Cuts, Digida
“My last track is my most requested song. It’s by this London crew called Village Cuts, and they’ve teamed up with a Ugandan MC called Swordman Kitala, it’s a London-Uganda link-up. This is a track I won’t be retiring for a long time.”
