He rocked Sonar By Night in Barcelona at the Minus showcase and has recently released his debut album Twilite for the same label. Prepare yourself for a glimpse inside the world of JPLS...

ATL: Hi, and how the hell are you today?
Hi...I am absolutely horrible today. It seems that I continually sacrifice things for my techno. Now, I have gone way too far and possibly lost someone who was very close to me...as well as near the edge of financial ruin. The money, of course, is nothing compared to female I have treated so poorly.

ATL: Let's get started then. First musical memory?
Ok! I can recall listening to Pink Floyd with my father at a young age. But, at a later age I heard a copy of Josh Wink's "higher state of consciousness" and I was completely floored by it.

ATL: Have you ever played Ireland and if so where, when and how was it for you?
No, but I did spend some time recently in the Dublin airport. The people seemed nice... but I was hoping to see some alcohol-fueled rage as my delusional American mind would imagine.

ATL: Now, what prompted you to get fully involved in dance music?
I really enjoy the abstract nature of techno. For me, I have a hard time dealing with fairly strict and concrete ideas. So, something as abstract and approachable as techno seemed to fit me well. There is also something quite appealing about a dirty warehouse with so much bass that I cannot breath comfortably.

ATL: What's been your best clubbing experience?
Maybe anything when I was a young kid at a Chicago warehouse party. Being totally fried and really rebellious was a great combination. Plus, there seemed to be a sense of mystery about the techno back then... no internet to download sets or look up information on people.

ATL: We regret to inform you that your house is on fire, you can only carry one piece of vinyl or CD out, what will it be?
My first record... Program. Anything else can melt into a mass of plastic.

ATL: For non dance music, what are you listening to at the mo?
Not much... if anything I listen to the Doors to completely clear my head... or maybe some reggae.

ATL: So, do you have any famous DJ mates and if so, who, and what are they really like? Go on you can tell us...
Well, I guess my fellow artists on Minus would be my mates... Troy is incredibly supportive and a total freak about Taco Bell. Gaiser is super supportive as well and my favorite to get totally drunk with.

ATL: What is really the best club in the world?
Smartbar in Chicago. I've seen so much great talent in there over the years... and almost always with Skoozbot so that place is kind of important for both of us.

ATL: Your criminal record - whats the worst piece of music ever played out?
During a crazy afterhours set I started playing music that wasn't my own... I tried to bring in one of Skoozbot's unreleased tracks but it was total crap. Ha! Just kidding. I only play my own music as a live act so I would have to answer with one of my tracks. Maybe it is one of the Twilite tracks that was never released.

ATL: Who is the best DJ in the world and why?
Richie Hawtin... easily. I have never heard anyone come close to the technical level he continually exhibits during his sets. Plus, now that I know him better, he is always looking for brand new technology to push things forward. This is incredibly important to me since I view techno as future music still. I have absolutely no respect for anyone who praises a DJ for just using vinyl. This would not be evolution of the art in any sense to promote that. Now, its not that I look down on someone using just vinyl. I can respect that. But be willing to push things further. This reminds me of how, for some weird reason, I keep getting asked questions about Marco Carola (who I really love as a DJ). It is always the same question of "What do you think about Marco playing minimal?" As far as I see it, if he was playing the same material as 10 years ago we would all be saying he was completely boring and not evolving. But instead, he has changed his style somewhat... and this is something I think is incredibly important in what we do. (btw, I refuse to accept 'minimal' as a genre but I decided to not answer this for the sake of not going too far off topic).

ATL: And when will we see you again then?
Possibly never. I haven't decided if I want to become a total recluse and just produce or not. If anything, maybe you will see another record of mine out in the next 6 months. Or, maybe I will be back in Europe this fall continuing my tour of abuse and insanity ;)