Music Talk : Music Industry Interviews, Advice and tips for DJs & Producers · Grahame Farmer

Music Talk 072 - Interviewing MistaJam

·1 hr 40 min·5 clips

Mr. Jam says racist abuse from neighbours made music his 'salvation' in Nottingham.

Graham Farmer opens with a big welcome for MistaJam and frames the chat as something the crew has been trying to land for a while. It feels like a proper room conversation from the start. The energy is live and loose. They trade greetings, Twitch remarks, and a bit of playful relief that the tech is working. MistaJam talks about being glad to finally make it happen and keeps the tone easy from the outset. Graham sets out the broad path of the discussion by pointing to radio, producing, and MistaJam's journey over the last few years. The conversation then moves into the practical side of his work on air. His current role on Capitol Dance comes up alongside his history at BBC Radio 1. The episode also nods to his broader profile as a producer who has worked with major acts and released notable singles over the years. A chat question about Capitol Dance gives the conversation a clear focal point. MistaJam responds by pushing back on the idea that the station is only about commercial chart dance music. He points to a wider mix of records on the playlist, including Jamie Jones and other artists who are not making commercial chart dance records. He says the station can play different shades of dance music, including underground and independent records, as long as they fit the life cycle of a 24/7 playlist service. He draws a line between what a national dance station does and what a specialist community show does. That distinction matters to the whole argument. The station's job, in his view, is to amplify and include rather than to behave like a niche late night purist slot. He explains that the listeners who want that broad, everyday dance music space should be able to find it on Capitol Dance. He also suggests that if someone wants something more specialist, they may simply be looking for a different kind of station. The exchange keeps its informal shape even while it gets specific about programming logic. Graham and MistaJam leave room for the back and forth and the chat room energy around them. The episode ends with a friendly winding down stretch and the sense of two people who know each other well enough to be relaxed but still careful about the details that matter. The final minutes are full of warm thanks, a mention that Monday is MistaJam's day off and daddy day, a full flask of tea, a dog walk, and a gentle goodbye that lands more like hanging out than a formal interview close.

As heard by us

A loose, useful dance-radio chat that still lands on real industry reasoning.

Music Talk 072 is a conversation about what dance radio is for now, and MistaJam brings enough lived-in authority to keep it grounded. Graham Farmer steers the talk from radio into producing, then through the path that took MistaJam from BBC Radio 1 to Capital Dance.

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Why you'd press play

Hear how a major dance station explains its job without talking down to the scene.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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