Shaped by formative years in New York City, Jon Billick’s path into House music was forged on the dance floor. A three-year residency at West Village staples Le Souk laid the foundation for a career rooted in groove and craft. Early exposure behind the scenes at Ministry of Sound and Hed Kandi America further sharpened his ear, giving him a front-row education in the evolving language of Electronic music.

Hi Jon! How are you?

Doing well! Thank you so much for this opportunity.

How did you first get into Electronic music, and was there a moment or track that made you realize this is what you wanted to pursue?

I had an interest in music from a very young age. I’d say the earliest memory I have of hearing and enjoying dance music was at a local roller-skating rink. Songs by Abba, Crystal Waters, C+C Music Factory, and Inner City, were all the soundtrack to some of the best times of my youth. Fast forwarding to my early teen years, I started to play live instruments in different bands with friends but eventually found artists like Daft Punk who totally changed my world. Once I began digging deeper into Electronic music consciously, discovering Trance, Deep House, Electro and so on, I was hooked and started on the never-ending search for the perfect track. More than anything, electronic music made me feel happy and connected to the world in a way that other music I was into at the time, did not.

Who were some of your earliest influences, and how have they shaped your approach to producing and DJing?

I was living in New York City when I started to educate myself more on the labels and artists making house music at the time. I interned at the Ministry of Sound / Hed Kandi offices for a few years when they had a North American office and record label. It was a perfect storm of learning about past and present producers and DJs. Once I was able to go out to the clubs, I loved seeing Louie Vega, Danny Krivit, Todd Terry, and other great New York artists. I also really loved the sounds coming from Amsterdam and Paris at the time, labels like My Love Is Underground, Tomorrow is Now Kid!, and earlier Slapfunk releases. When I first started DJing out at events and parties in New York, I was playing more lounge and happy hour sets. I developed a love for Deep House through those years and building sets early in the night as a DJ. I loved the Bargrooves, Café Del Mar, and Hed Kandi: Served Chilled compilations. They were massive inspirations for my sets back then and definitely have a lasting influence on what I make and play out now. I love the combination of soulful and groovy, alongside raw and driving rhythms; it’s the sweet spot.

How would you describe your music to someone hearing it for the first time?

House music inspired by the classics of yesterday with a contemporary finish.

Walk us through your typical production process; do you start with rhythms, samples, chords, or something else entirely?

Every track has its own way of finding itself. Sometimes I’m asked by labels for a specific style they might be looking for; whether that is a vocal driven tune or a more experimental arrangement. When I am starting original projects without this prompt, the inspiration can come from anywhere. Often it’s a quick clip from an old sample or a specific drum sound that gets the project in motion and guides the final outcome. Typically, my goal is to get the drums and bass locked in early on. If those elements work effortlessly and the groove is locked in, then the rest of the track can start to build on top.

While I’m still very much an ‘in the box’, digital-first producer with limited studio space, a lot of my sound is inspired by classic House. It’s almost necessary for me to use those same sounds in my tracks. Mainly I’m using digital plug-ins. The Roland Cloud, for example, helps me sonically combine yesterday and today. The SH-101 or Jupiter-8 are places I like to start with for simple melodies and bass lines that feel more ‘authentic’ and rooted in the beginnings of house music’s sonic shape. Next to danceability, it’s important that there is some kind of connection to past and present within my projects. I generally work with a ‘less is more’ mentality and know my project is finished when there is nothing more I can remove that will dramatically affect the overall feeling or flow of the track.

You’ve played in clubs around the world — how does performing live shape the way you write music back in the studio?

I am always grateful for the experience of playing somewhere new. Those opportunities present a fresh perspective on what people are listening to and gets them dancing. Playing out internationally over the years has been an incredible privilege and 100% inspires what I write when I get return. More often than not, it’s the occasions where tracks that I love are also resonating with the crowd that I find the most motivating. That connection to strangers who live thousands of miles away is the core of what fascinates me and keeps me participating as a DJ / Producer. Testing out some of my own productions that may or may not already be released, is another factor to playing out that helps guide my time in the studio. I don’t always have the time or place to test out my final mixes on club systems or larger monitors, so there’s always an element of hearing my tracks out for the first time and experiencing a crowd’s positive reaction that feels magical.

How do you curate your sets? Do you plan every transition, or do you let the crowd guide you?

When preparing sets for a live audience, I like to have a variety of playlists and transitions that I know work well, ready to go. However, the venue, energy, and crowd will usually dictate where the music goes, so not everything is planned. Sometimes as an opening DJ, you’ll need to get the crowd going and that’s always the funniest slot for me. That can be achieved in a variety of ways that aren’t always obvious after you play the first few tracks of the night. There’s always a level of pre-preparation that takes place and I know the vibe (generally) of what I will play before the set. I really enjoy having great playlists and transitions on cue, while at the same time allowing the crowd to dictate where and when those will take place during my set. Over the years of building my sound behind the booth, there are several tracks and transitions that I feel are essential to my sound and are whoppers when mixed anywhere, anytime. Again, I try to blend past and present so there’s always an aspect of recycling but in new and interesting ways that happen in the moment.

How do you balance staying true to your artistic vision with evolving trends in electronic music?

I appreciate the classics; they were once an evolving trend in their respected years. I believe all creative mediums are cyclical yet evolving at the same time. They culturally mirror the times in which they were created but always take inspiration from years before; just like in fashion, art, music, etc. Both in my DJ sets and productions, I feel it’s important to balance both old and new influences. Sticking to core past inspirations grounds my sound in a way and then adding inspiration from current trends helps to evolve my projects. I believe an artist changing their sound over the lifetime of their career is a positive thing and shows awareness of one’s own personal changes and external shifts in society.

What do you want listeners to feel or take away when they hear your music live or on streaming platforms?

The most important thing is that the music makes listeners feel something. It could be an emotion or the simple nod of the head and tap of the foot. I always try to convey some kind of emotion in my tracks. Sometimes it’s more obvious, like a vocalist singing a clear emotion or story. Other times it’s more conceptual and quieter. The emotion is there and the mood is set, but more ambiguous and up to the listener to translate in their own way. A lot of House music and Jazz is attractive to me because there isn’t really an emphasis on vocals or ‘storytelling’ in some sense. The instruments make up the energy and convert a feeling that is more introspective and can have a variety of meaning to different people. I think that’s really interesting and something I think about when I’m sitting down to produce or preparing a DJ set.

If you could sum up your artistic mission in one sentence right now, what would it be?

Make people happy through House music.

What’s next for you in 2026? New music, shows, or artistic experiments?

I have a few releases coming out in 2026 that I am looking forward to it. The first one is out in February with a return EP on theBasement Discos. I had the chance to play in 4 different countries this year, and I’d love to be able to continue to grow my touring opportunities in the next one. I will for sure be back in Amsterdam, at ADE for the conference and to play our annual, Amsterdam Dennis Event at Café de Gaeper. Of course, I’m always evolving my production sound, so there will be a variety of new flavors in upcoming releases. I’m also working on a batch of fresh collabs with some friends and colleagues that we started later in 2025. Self-releasing is something I’ve never done, but next year could be the right time to launch another label focused on growing my creative potential and taking more risks. In any case, the main resolution will be to keep having fun!

From releases on labels such as theBasement Discos, ESUOH, GLB DOM, and Rhythm Vibe to support from heavyweights like Kerri Chandler and Cinthie, Jon Billick’s work continues to resonate far beyond his hometown. Whether opening the floor or closing the night in cities like Berlin, Paris, or New York, his approach remains consistent: House music built for connection, movement, and longevity on the dance floor.

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