Jakwob

Born James Edward Jacob in Lincoln, England, commercial dance music producer and DJ Jakwob cultivated an early interest in multiple instruments, gravitating especially toward piano and drums. During his teenage years he performed with an array of bands while his musical preferences steadily evolved. A pivotal club meeting with Rusko introduced him to dubstep, after which he launched the Wob club night; nevertheless, his energies soon turned to mash-ups and remixes circulated via MySpace. Requests for his reworkings arrived in 2009 from the Temper Trap, Frankmusik, and the Veronicas. His profile rose sharply the following year with an atmospheric house-dubstep-drum'n'bass treatment of Ellie Goulding's "Starry Eyed." Even as festival and touring commitments intensified, he sustained a stream of high-profile remixes that included Tiësto vs. Diplo's "C'mon (Catch 'Em by Surprise)" featuring Busta Rhymes, Niki & the Dove's "DJ, Ease My Mind," and Lana Del Rey's "Video Games," the last undertaken with Etherwood. Eventually Jakwob concentrated on original material, issuing "Fade" in March 2013. The track, fronted by Maiday and marked by dramatic piano, strings, and breakbeats that recalled Massive Attack's "Unfinished Sympathy," reached the Top Ten of the U.K. club chart. He finalized his debut album for release later that year.