Cologne-based house talent Sharam Jey has made a lasting impact on the global club scene, thanks to strong productions and an incredibly consistent DJ career, though it might be his Bunny Tiger imprint where we have seen him at his best.
The label has released music from Beatport chart toppers like Purple Disco Machine, Miguel Campbell and Teenage Mutants, and have recently revamped Sharam’s own 2012 classic Love Hurts.
The 2020 remixes of Love Hurts brings edits from Vanilla Ace, Phonique, Roberto Palmero, BAKKA and Aiwaska.
We spoke with the Bunny Tiger boss to ask about the release, what projects he might have in the works, his opinion on the pandemic and more. Get the full discussion below.
You just re-released your 2012 original Love Hurts alongside some big remixes, why was 2020 the right time to revamp the project?
Love Hurts is a special one for me. It was supposed to be the first Bunny Tiger release, due to some scheduling issues it ended up being number two. But still it’s in my top 5 Bunny Tiger tracks. I love the simple, melancholic and deep vibe of it. It also got huge support back then from Jamie Jones, Solomon, Green Velvet, Patrick Topping and Richy Ahmed. So I thought some remixes would be perfect now.
And it includes edits from Vanilla Ace, Phonique, Aiwaska and others, how did the remixes come about?
It’s a special song and of course I was looking for remixers who really dig the track. And eventually the ones involved are all buddies of mine with which I am in contact with regularly. So it was a gut-decision.
It comes on your own label Bunny Tiger, where you have released everyone from Purple Disco Machine and Miguel Campbell to Teenage Mutants and Betoko, what can you tell us about what we can expect on the label in the coming months?
I still have lots of stuff coming. The already mentioned Love Hurts is out now. And at the moment we are scheduling more of a series with classic tracks remixed with the next one being Over Me by Tapesh and myself, it will include remixes from DJ Glen, Bob Musella, Visage plus Charles Ramirez & J. Nandez.
And will we see Sharam Jey release original music with any other labels before 2020 is out?
I did release a lot of my stuff on other labels the last few months. For example on labels such as Solar, Toolroom, 8Bit, Kittball, Flashmob Records and Solotko amongst others. And I just released a collaboration with Andruss and Bob Musella on Toolroom called Rise On My Soul. Plus at the moment I am working on new tracks and we will see where the right place for this new music might be.
The world is of course hurting right now, and live events more than most. How have you been coping with not being able to play in clubs?
At first it was of course a tense situation as I was about to tour 25 gigs in the US and South America. And like for so many artist and musicians that was of course a huge setback. Lots of things needed to be managed. But for 2-3 weeks now I am trying to make the best of this situation. For example I am working on tracks and projects I wanted to push for a long time.
And what are some of the biggest things you miss in general while in isolation?
Actually besides playing live I do not miss that much. Quite the contrary, because I really got time to stay with my family which is usually difficult when I am touring.
What advice would you give to an aspiring DJ, someone just starting out that now faces a pandemic and might consider moving on from DJing?
Eventually you should do this job with full commitment once you decide to start DJing. So I would say that you should not let yourself be intimidated by this pandemic. The love for music is the most important thing here.
And one track, from any genre or era, that you think helps people get through times like this?
On the whole a track like say Imagine would fit in these times. But for me personally Wawa by PP Diaz is my track of the moment. He is a Mexican DJ and he produced this track during the pandemic and lockdown. And all profits will go to Mexican charity helping fight SARS-COV2 in Mexico.
Thanks a lot for talking to us, before we go, is there a message you want to share with the world?
It might sound cliche but stay positive. It’s essential that we all look forward to better times. And of course stay healthy!
Sharam Jey’s Love Hurts 2020 Remixes are out now on Bunny Tiger.