Q: Welcome back, Jestamang! It’s fantastic to have you with us again. Since our last conversation, a lot has happened in your musical journey. To kick things off, could you share some highlights or pivotal moments that have shaped your artistic path since our last interview?
A: We are about to wrap up our 23rd project, which is an album a month on the 23rd day. We added a couple new members this year (Big Boy, New Cat. Records, Jonas Kyle, Atlas is Alice-Lillenger, Hodge.) They represented their debut albums on June, July, September, and December (in order). I also released my debut solo album in November (Jestawomang.) We’ll wrap up with Hodge’s “23rd Xmas,” and the Jestamang compilation album “Revolution Epilogue: 2K2123 & 2K2323.” The latter is about 90 minutes and will feature one song per artist who participated in the 23rd project. It’s been a pretty productive year thus far.
Q: Can you describe the musical style of Jestamang in three words?
A: Neo-Renaissance Psychedelia
Q: How do you stay connected with your fans, and what role do they play in shaping your musical journey?
A: We believe that the journey begins with our vision. In my opinion, fans shouldn’t sway the direction with the art. If you try to please the fans or figure out what they might like, the results are meh. Immersing ourselves in our universe will connect with others just based on that. The fans can feel the spirit in their nerves if we believe in the work. So even though we rarely think of the fan output, both of us win in the end. As for connecting, we use the Internet to reach around the entire world. With the outside world, we are dedicating ourselves to performance next year.
Q: You have just released your new album, ‘Jestawomang (The Ace of Chase)’. Is there a story behind it?
A: The album “Jestawomang” mainly explores the theme of love, with bits and pieces sought to other topics. It mainly shows the perspective of the 21st century dating sphere and the trial and error of it. The one who’s still searching for the one. The confusion of it all.
Q: What is your favorite track from the album and why?
A: Zoo is probably the grandest song on the album. It ties in the concept of letting go of the concept of growing up and restriction. Zoo represents a confidence in oneself, and a search for validation of one’s own thoughts and perspective. With success, this often brings that magic to adulthood. Even though it’s not a love song, it in a way represents the aftermath of a lost love. One line in particular, “Goodbye, goodbye. Said I didn’t wanna see you die, I say goodbye,” shows that you refuse to sink with them if that’s what it comes down to. I have an objection to wasting people’s time, as you cannot beat the clock. People tend to stay in bad relationships because they don’t want to enter the unfamiliar or pull the trigger. We humans love our patterns, but patterns can be broken. If you know deep down it’s the end, you should follow your heart. All things considered, it’s a robbery of someone’s precious time, bringing them falsehood and deadness.
Q: Can you walk us through the creative process of producing the album, “Jestawomang (The Ace of Chase)”?
A: The release date of these albums are so rapid fire that we need to make sure they are ready to go (being on a month time limit per release). We’ve been preparing for years now so we can see the pitfalls that a lot of self production fall into (quiet vocals, muddy production.) One thing that is a must for us is using speakers for mixing and mastering. Headphones are really a blind way of producing in my opinion, but I learned that the hard way after I finally listened to the Jestamang catalogue through the car the beginning of this year. I was forced to remaster the whole catalogue. By the time November hit, “Jestawomang” was produced 100% with speakers. You really need to hear all the frequencies.
Q: What has been the most memorable concert or performance for Jestamang so far?
A: Performance has been put on hold due to the heavy workload of recording and dedication to the 23rd project. Our last performances were in the New England area back in 2022. Nothing too notable as of late. Covid, personal issues, and dedication to the 23rd project have halted us for the past 3 years with live shows. Stay tuned next year!
Q: Reflecting on your body of work, each song holding its unique significance, could you share a particular track that stands out to you personally? What makes that specific tune special, and why does it hold a place of pride in your musical journey?
A: Our compilation album coming out New Year’s eve has a track per Jestamang artist that worked on the 23rd project. It’ll be a double album, with the first half representing 2K2123 (Jan 2021-Mar 2022) and the other half being 2K2323 (Jan 2023-Dec 2023.) It’ll be a great introduction to us, simplifying the huge catalogue into 90 minutes. Kind of like a festival or wine tasting test. I can’t personally choose a favorite track. I don’t have a favorite Jestamang song. It’s impossible to choose. Check out “Revolution Epilogue: 2K2123 & 2K2323” to better answer your question.
Q: Exploring the diverse creative processes within the music industry is always fascinating. Could you provide insight into Jestamang’s unique approach to crafting music? From the initial spark of an idea to the finished song, how do you navigate the creative journey and bring its musical concepts to life?
A: In the beginning, throwing ideas and sounds at a wall was the way to go. Low expectations and an understanding of our lack of experience was a reminder that starting somewhere and not getting caught up in the details was a way to get from point A to point B. Now we’ve developed the sense of deadlines, delayed gratification and consistency. It all comes with practice. Also, the sooner you collaborate, the better choices you will make. We believe that bringing fleshed out ideas to people is a faster and more effective process to thrive in, but you need the collaboration to test the ego and to quit bean picking. You begin to appreciate the grander picture, and you begin to operate as a team, rather than being in it for yourself. It really is a spiritual awakening.
Q: As we wrap up our conversation, looking ahead, what aspirations or dreams do you have for Jestamang, and what message would you like to share with your fans as they continue to accompany you on this musical journey?
A: The goals for next year are to focus on making visuals and performance. As for
the message, You gotta start with the renaissance. The renaissance art is a big
inspiration, mainly because it shows the possibilities and potential that art can be transcended and brought to a higher level than our minds can even conceive of. The Internet age throws the human race into a brand new environment and artists should go full throttle with these benefits. For example, There’s a band called Bull of Heaven that’s about as boundary pushing as you can get in the digital era. With one journey being making the longest song possible. I think one of their songs is a few sextillion years long. Point being that we are literally not even 50 years into the internet age. We educated ourselves. We built this ourselves. We created our own universe. No one is telling us no you can’t do that. Jestamang’s vision could not exist without the internet. The freedom is too sweet for people just starting out, but you have to quit stalling. This Jestawomang album is just one brick out of many bricks of the vision. With Covid-19 and almost dying giving me a lot of free time, I had to seize the moment quickly and efficiently. Everyone has their own unique moments in time where you should pull the trigger on your dreams and potential. I always remind myself that tomorrow is never a guarantee.
