BIJOU
1) Tell us something about yourself that your fans may not know.
A: I played baseball for 18 years of my life and 2 years professionally.
2) What's it like being from Phoenix, Arizona & how has it impacted your music style if at all?
A: I'm extremely proud to be from Phoenix and have been very fortunate to be a big part of the scene growing to the point that it is now. Phoenix has been slept on for so long and it's dope that people are finally starting to take notice that we aren't just a desert full of cacti. Musically I think it's just pushed me to work harder because I want my music to represent this city in not only a quality manner, but something Phoenix can be proud of.
3) How would you describe the dance music scene in Phoenix?
A: The music scene here is THRIVING. I've watched it to go from desert raves and small club shows to having over 10 festivals a year. It has been a consistent progression with the growth of the city overall and I'm really proud to watch it continue to grow.
4) How have you had to adapt to the music industry with COVID-19 and being forced to quarantine?
A: I made a quick pivot and immediately started doing production lessons. It's something that I always wanted to do but really never had time to do so as I was on the road for 2/3 of the year. I've been very thankful that this has been going so well and I've had the opportunity to meet so many amazing people through the process.
5) What are you looking forward to doing the most with your career post-quarantine?
A: I can't wait to get back to touring. I love time to myself and exploring and having new experiences so that's something I've really missed.
6) Your debut album 'Diamond City' is dropping on July 31st. How long did it take you to complete and what was the inspiration behind it?
A: This album has been in progress for 2-3 years now with some tracks and collaborations dating back to 5 years. I had been working on certain tracks that I knew I wanted to save for the album so they've been sitting for quite some time now. I really dug in and focused on getting the final tracklist over the last 12 months with my team to make sure this album represented not only my best, but forward thinking work. The whole concept of the album is that the fans never really get to know the artist other than through their music. So I wanted to speak to them through my music not only as BIJOU, but as Ben as well. You get a little bit of everything with this album, g house, house, mid tempo, hip-hop, the list goes on. The title is me coining Phoenix as my own and calling it Diamond city. The diamond represents my name "BIJOU" which is french for a fine jewel and I really felt it fit for such a beautiful gem that Phoenix truly is.
7) What songs were your favorite to make on the album?
A: That's a tough question as every song sits deep with me and the process for each one was different. I had a blast making Whoa w Party Favor and Westside w Fresch and Willy. I'd say the most unique one was My Woes with Splashwoe. It was our first time meeting and I flew out to LA to get in the studio with him and go over which beats we really wanted to work on. My Woes was one of 3 that we picked out but the last one we really tried because it was a bit different for his vibe. I kind of pressed on this one a bit and my whole idea was a summer vibe style of track that you could really rock to. I wanted to push him as an artist and get him out of his comfort zone as I really believe that's when something special comes together. Once we had the hook laid out we both knew this was the one for the album.
8) How would you describe your sound in 2-3 words?
A: G HOUSE MUSIC.
9) If you could only have 1 collaboration for the rest of your career, who would it be?
A: I'd have to say the legend Rick Rubin.
Follow BIJOU:
Twitter - @BIJOU
Facebook - @OfficialDjBIJOU
Instagram - @djbijou
Spotify - BIJOU
