Drum Ninja: Jojo Mayer's Honest Beats

Drum & bass zealots will not miss this. And those who disdain electronic music because it’s not “real” will have a hard time dismissing Jojo Mayer. His band Nerve extracts addictive, inspirational beats from a mix of jazz, drum & bass and jungle. Mayer himself is a beast on the drum kit – calling him a drum machine would flatter the latter.

What is your music about? Are there any stories hidden in your beats?
My music is about communicating my cultural and aesthetic concerns. It’s about innovation, life force and honesty. Every beat has a story. My beats are storytelling.

What inspires you?
AM night walks.

What’s the oddest comment you’ve ever gotten about your music?
“This is not music.” Said by a famous jazz-fusion musician.
Describe your ideal performance venue.
Any place that allows the musicians, the music and the audience to become one.

Is there any kind of music you can’t stand?
I can’t stand music that is pretentious and dishonest.

What are you listening to right now?
The Beatles, Louis Armstrong, dubstep.

Have you ever watched another drummer and thought: “I wish I could do that?”
When I was younger, all the time. Not so much anymore. I’m happy that I can offer something unique and enjoy contributions from others that are different from mine. Otherwise my life would be boring. I think it’s not so important what you can do, it’s more important what you can do with it.

If I wanted to start playing the drums right now, what’s the first piece of advice you’d give me?
Mind your attitude. Pay attention.

What would you be doing now if you’d never had a drum kit?
I don’t know. Perhaps I’d be a bass player, or an actor, or a philosopher, or a magician, a graphic designer, a comic book artist or a writer.

What’s your attitude towards repetition?
Repetition can be very powerful and effective or very boring and unnecessary. It depends what you make of it.

What’s the distance between zero and one?
Intuition. Human consciousness.

Become one with Jojo Mayer and his beats at Yugong Yishan on Oct 14.

Click here to see the October issue of the Beijinger in full.