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During our own ADE Munch & Mingle event, I sat down with Jay Hardway for a talk on what actually matters in today’s dance music scene. The conversation kept coming back to authenticity and consistency, two things most artists underestimate. Jay opened up about reinventing his sound with his new Melodic Rave EP, why he stopped chasing Spotify numbers, and how content can be fun again once it’s just honest self-expression.
We talked about the rise of genre-blending (techno, trance, DnB), how social bubbles distort what feels “big,” and the difference between viral stats and real gigs. Jay also touched on setting boundaries, embracing your “weird,” and storytelling over polish.
(00:00) Intro & why your content has to be authentic
(02:40) The scene right now: splits, blends, and social bubbles
(05:07) Jay’s Melodic Rave EP: reinventing sound without chasing numbers
(07:32) DJ growth, TikTok sets, and getting local gigs through content
(09:57) Consistency in sound & being the same online and offline
(12:22) Use your “weird” strengths and exaggerate what’s uniquely you
(14:28) Boundaries: how authentic is “too authentic”?
(16:23) Story > polish: experiment and stop fearing the algorithm
(17:59) Hooks vs copying trends; empty metrics vs real community & gigs
(20:18) Quality stands out in a crowded market (and cringe is relative)
(21:20) Unfair breaks happen—focus on your lane and trust the process
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