Today we’d like to introduce you to Jason Mastel
Hi Jason, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My obsession with music started from an early age when I always asked my mother to turn up the radio in the car. I started playing drums in elementary school and joined every band and ensemble I could. My inspiration ranged from Led Zeppelin to Kanye West to Daft Punk. During my freshman year of college, I went to my first ever EDM show, a back-to-back weekend of Steve Aoki and Skrillex, and my life was forever changed. Although I had always been a fan of dance music, this passion deepened tenfold after seeing these artists perform.
One of my friends taught me how to DJ and I started to produce music shortly after. What began with just hip-hop beats turned into remixes, then originals, then tracks that were good enough to be released publicly. Soon after moving from Grand Forks to the Twin Cities, I got my first label signing under Sorta Kinda Records, receiving support from artists such as Don Diablo and Richie Hawtin.
Along with releasing music came playing shows. A few came about before COVID but they started flowing heavily once everything opened up again. Around this time I met StereoGo, a fellow artist who runs Backyard Boombox, a collective in the Twin Cities that puts on monthly shows. I became a regular performer at these events, which led to my first festival performance at Bass Ribbon Pines.
Now having played multiple festivals and cities around the region, been support for artists such as NOTD and Keys N Krates, and racked up thousands of streams, my excitement for the future has never been higher.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Every artist faces struggles in their journey. Some are universal, like how to make a song that sounds like their favorite artist. Some are much more personal, like how to capture their own identity in their music and what that might mean to their fans. Although I’ve faced both countless times, I’ve always been able to fall back on my work ethic and the continuation of creation. By adhering to the goals I set for myself each week, month, and year, I know that whatever struggles I’ve overcome, and will in the future, aren’t that big of a deal.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
My biggest inspirations come from everywhere and that showcases in my music, both in live sets and my released tracks. Although dance music is my favorite, I love rap, pop, rock, indie, and everything in between. I’ve made remixes of Van Halen, Billie Eilish, and Lil Nas X to name a few. House music is my most prominent genre, but I’ve dipped my toes into others as well, such as trap and Jersey club.
My DJ sets have a bit of everything in them as well. I don’t stick to one niche but flow everywhere, playing a top 40 remix into an underground cut that may have a few people pulling out their phones to Shazam. What I’m most proud as well as what sets me apart is that you never know what you’re gonna get. Each set is 100% different but each one is more fun than the last. My music can span from a dreamy deep house track to a hype speed house one. I see some of my favorite artists, such as DJ Snake and Disco Lines, doing whatever they want and I think, ‘why can’t I?”
What does success mean to you?
Success to me is progress. Am I getting better all the time? I hold myself to a high standard so setting larger-than-life goals and then achieving them is a better indicator of success than any quantifiable metrics.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://midnightgold.komi.io/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/midnightgolddj/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/midnightgolddj
- Twitter: https://x.com/midnightgolddj
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqpKHJwDmu4wZQ2i__vJy3Q
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/midnightgolddj
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4S7Xf7V8FRnLcAHbP9PbPs?si=wbqmqiLuTe-vsqBQJHGgYw&nd=1&dlsi=3a689e6d33c744ea
