Jesus Javith, also known as JÄVIT, is an up-and-coming producer/DJ from Venezuela. Now residing in Orlando, FL, JÄVIT is proving to the world that Progressive House is a genre that will never get old.
With his dad being a DJ just like him (DJ Yayo), JÄVIT has grown up around electronic music and continues to push boundaries and take risks. His goal is to make feel-good music and uplift others around him.
In this interview, we at EDM Maniac discussed his upbringing and how he is looking to put his spin on Progressive House while making the artists that came before him, proud.
EDM Maniac: Most artists begin their careers at various stages of their lives, but you grew up with your dad being a DJ (DJ Yayo). What was it like growing up this way and how do you think it has shaped your music today?
JÄVIT: He was a DJ and producer, but he also had a career as an engineer. He was an engineer by day, and DJ by night.
It was such a cool experience getting to see him coming back from work, and then he would immediately go into the home studio. I would sneak in and start playing with the little pianos and instruments there.
That’s kind of how I learned, just seeing my dad do all that. There’s so much work that goes into it, and I would witness how my dad would start a song, and it wouldn’t be finished until weeks or months later, and he would be working on the same songs over and over again.
He got to open for Tiesto in 2006, the only time that Tiesto has been there (Venezuela). I was six years old. The very next day we were going to come to Orlando. We’re going to go to Disney World. So while my dad was playing with Tiesto, I was in the hotel watching Disney.
I didn’t realize that was what my dad was doing until years later.
EDM Maniac: You were born and raised in Venezuela, what is the electronic music culture like there and how is it different from the USA?
JÄVIT: There’s so much, and America in general has so many different genres of music. There are so many different people and different cultures that are mixed here together.
Whereas in a smaller country like Venezuela, you have more opportunities to learn about the more popular genres. Electronic music has always been really popular over there.
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EDM Maniac: You moved to the USA in 2016 and took a break from music production while many artists started their musical production around this time. Do you think the break helped your overall production skills and mental health?
JÄVIT: I’ve always been a perfectionist. So I feel like when I would start working on a song, I wouldn’t get to finish it or make it sound like I wanted to. I would get super frustrated.
I had been working on a lot of music, and I couldn’t get the sound that I was going for. At some point, I realized it was too stressful.
I’m big into mental health. I graduated with a degree in psychology. The break was a matter of me trying not to compare myself and my music to anybody else, and go and do my own thing. The break ended up lasting until 2020. And I haven’t stopped since then.
EDM Maniac: You’ve been making music for over 10 years now, how has your career changed since you first started?
JÄVIT: I started with Big Room and what was super popular back then. I moved into different genres like Progressive House and Future Bass. You know, I’ve always admired all the Progressive House DJs like Alesso and Calvin Harris and Avicii. Those are like my biggest influences.
In terms of my actual brand. I started with my own name, which is Jesús Javith. At some point, I realized that my name was too focused on Hispanic culture, and if I wanted to make it internationally, I thought I would probably have to rebrand sooner rather than later.
So I took my last name, got rid of the last letter, and kept JÄVIT.
EDM Maniac: The “golden era” of Progressive House was in 2012-2016. Others say “progressive house has never died” and has continued to push boundaries in the electronic music world. What (or who) has inspired you the most to make this genre?
JÄVIT: I already mentioned Avicii, but also Martin Garrix. I think music should make you feel some level of emotion. I think Progressive House is such a versatile genre. You can do just so much with it: you can make people feel happy or feel sad, cry on the dance floor even.
There are so many Progressive House anthems out there. Most of my favorite songs are Progressive House. It just felt like the natural way to go for me.
It’s not that I don’t want to make other types of music, I would go back to Big Room at some point, that’s what I started with. But I feel like at this point, Progressive House is where I feel more comfortable.
EDM Maniac: What is your favorite track you have released so far?
JÄVIT: That’s a tough question. That’s like asking a dad who his favorite child is.
I think my track “Lighthouse.” It’s probably my favorite because I feel like that’s where I started to notice my sound and the components that make up my songs. If there was a formula for one of my songs, “Lighthouse” would be the perfect sample of the songwriting and production process.
EDM Maniac: What is your dream festival to play?
JÄVIT: I’m a big Ultra person. I was there this year. It was great, I loved it. It’s my favorite and my dream festival to play.
EDM Maniac: What’s next on the radar?
JÄVIT: What’s next for me is to release more music and more consistently. I’m working on a couple of my next releases. I’m also looking to send my music to more labels, and trying to collab with more established artists.
I feel like music is something that is just evolving all the time. And even if you feel like you’re comfortable with what you’re making, there’s always room for improvement.
