Jay Dunham on Growing Your Consciousness Alongside Your Career

Jay Dunham is a Belgian-born DJ and producer who has established himself as a prominent figure in the EDM and House music scenes, attracting attention from influential figures in the industry, including Diplo, Armin van Buuren, Tchami, Oliver Heldens, Hardwell, Steve Aoki, Bob Sinclar, Fedde Le Grand, Dash Berlin, Borgeous, and more. He has performed at venues like AgeHa Tokyo, Womb Tokyo, Buuts Ha Mexico, Animal Club Tulum, and Tomorrowland Winter.

In 2022, Jay signed with Pete Tong’s prestigious Full Frequency Range Records (FFRR/Parlophone) and released his summer hit "I Got Summer On My Mind," which quickly gained popularity and amassed over 21 million streams on Spotify and massive international airplay. The success of the track opened up numerous opportunities for Jay, including a collaboration with Diplo on a remix of his hit song "Humble," featuring Lil Yachty. His latest release, Fever Dream, is a summer House and UKG-inspired banger featuring Sydney Jane (me).

I was lucky enough to meet Jay Dunham through music a couple of years ago. We met online, and after meeting in person at his songwriting camp in Belgium, in late 2022, I felt such a genuine energy emanating from him. Flash forward to this year - we have just released our song that we made together that day at Durbuy Studios in Belgium, and I had the pleasure of hosting him in person, in Cologne, as my first podcast guest. After many short conversations over the last two years, mostly surrounding our song, I got the impression that he was on a spiritual journey, and had a lot to share. To my delight, he accepted my invitation to be on the podcast, and I’m so very happy to share our conversation with you!

In this episode, Jay and I talk about his spiritual journey alongside pursuing a career in entertainment. We discuss the importance of spirituality in finding meaning and grounding in life, and how it can help navigate challenges and unanswered questions. Jay shares his personal experiences of achieving external success but still feeling empty inside, and how he turned to spirituality to find fulfillment.

Key Takeaways:

✷ Spirituality can provide answers and meaning to life's experiences and help navigate challenges.

✷ External achievements and success may not always lead to fulfillment and can leave one feeling empty inside.

✷ Exploring spirituality can help alchemize negative experiences into positive growth.

✷ Separating the art and business aspects of the music industry can lead to personal and creative growth.

✷ Being open-minded and less rigid in one's approach can lead to new opportunities and creative exploration. 

✷ Taking a break and having new experiences can help artists discover their true identity and find inspiration for their art.

✷ It is important for artists to not seek external validation and instead focus on creating art that resonates with them.

✷ Aligning goals with personal values and intuition can lead to a more fulfilling and authentic career.

✷ Listening to others and being open to their insights can provide valuable clues and guidance in life and art.