Paige‘s artistic evolution in the electronic scene is one fueled by passion, purpose, and desire.
With numerous releases and collaborations under his belt, the Tulum-based (New York native) artist continues to elevate his sound, on highly-respected DJ imprints such as Purified, REALM, and Odd One Out. His recurring teamwork with fellow producer and friend, Nihil Young, has revealed a unique force to be reckoned with, bound by ultra-creative sound design and emotional melodies that are impossible to anticipate. Blurring lines of deep house and melodic techno, the ethos of Paige’s sound has ultimately secured him as a guest DJ on Sirius XM Chill, where he revitalises airwaves on a monthly basis across the US and Canada.
The future looks bright for Paige, as he receives warm critical acclaim and ongoing support from dance peers of the highest order, such as Nora En Pure, Rufus Du Sol, Nic Fanciulli, and more. His forward-thinking production style and invigorating DJ sets look set to establish Paige as a bold presence in global dance music throughout the next year.
Balance Selections 236: Paige
Tracklisting:
01. Doc Martin, Joeski – Clouds
02. Lee Burridge & Lost Desert – Miracle De Paris
03. Sabb – Jeopardized (Audiofly Remix)
04. Night Talk – Gamma
05. Moullinex – Inner Child (Patrice Baumel Remix)
06. Paige – ID
07. Paige & Nihil Young – Scars
08. Paige – Rebirth
09. Hermanez – Lockstep
10. Denis Horvat feat. Lelah – Noise
11. George X – Ourania
Balance Selections Q+A
Name: John Page
Location: Tulum, Mexico
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Alias/Producer name: Paige
Labels affiliated with: Purified, Odd One Out, SHÈN
My last 3 releases:
Paige x Nihil Young – Drown
Calabasas – Gory Love (Paige Remix)
Paige – Rebirth
What music did you listen to as a child?
DISCO! An endless amount of disco. My dad was and still is a very passionate DJ, and disco is all I ever heard. The drums were influential to me as well — my Grandpa, dad and myself all played them, but the art of DJing is what I was exposed to the most. My dad was always playing at family parties, block parties, and just for fun in the garage. I am grateful to have learned how to DJ on vinyl, on his Technique 1200’s. Learning on analog offers a connection to the music that no other technology could compare to.
When was the first time that you realised that you liked electronic music?
As a teen, my older cousin was the first person to introduce me to house music, and I’ll never forget it. He had a sick sound system in his car and would blast classics like Louie DeVito: NYC Underground. I guess it sounded familiar to me in a way, coming from disco, so I was instantly hooked. Not long after, I was [very] underage and sneaking into New York City’s iconic club of that time – Crobar, fully immersed in club culture. There was NO looking back from that night on.
When was the first time you saw a DJ in a club?
I went to a few teen clubs, I even played some of my first gigs at teen clubs [ha], but it was that night at Crobar that changed everything for me. I was still only 17 years old and managed to get past security with a fake ID. From that moment on, walking through some sort of light tunnel, into a massive black warehouse was simply MAGIC! Victor Calderone was DJ’ing, it was completely packed — just one giant dance floor. So simple and so raw. I stayed until 6:30 am, and immediately called my mom from a payphone around the corner, letting her know I was committing full-time to DJ’ing. She hung up on me, I dropped out of college that week, and instead, joined School Of Audio Engineering in New York City.
Which producers/artists/acts inspire you?
Honestly, there are too many incredible artists to mention. I started as a DJ, so my mindset is connected to crate-digging and searching for unknown records. When you get lost in Beatport, fully down a rabbit hole, the gold you discover in the form of musical talent is endless. Right now, I find myself completely inspired by: Cristoph, Sebjak, Patrice Baumel, Bedouin, Miyagi, Cassian, Adriatique, Made By Pete… Just to name a few… LOL.
I’m also very connected to spirituality and healing. All people have experienced some form of trauma in their life, and sadly not many are aware of this or ever fully heal from it. There are some brilliant minds paving the way for healing, such as Dr. Joe Dispenza, Dr. Nicole LePera aka The Holistic Psychologist, Anand Mehrotra, Andrew Huberman, and Ed Mylett, all of whom inspire me so much. I feel the more that I expand my heart and soul, the more fulfilling and exciting my musical journey becomes.
I find a lot of inspiration living in Tulum as well. The community is so highly creative. So many young, nomadic people are here right now. The energy is contagious. There is so much motivation and drive in the air, so many people, sharing this journey of life together. We all share a positive mindset of wanting to improve ourselves, develop our unique craft, and everyone is focused on bringing something into the world that wasn’t here before. Leaving the Earth better than we found it. It’s a very special place and has allowed for so much personal growth and evolution. It has 100% influenced my sound, and for that I am so grateful.
What was the last album that you downloaded/bought?
The last album I downloaded in full is Afterlife’s Unity Pt. 3. I had some friends debut on the album, so I was really excited for them, and I always find a few tracks from the Afterlife albums that resonate with me. Realm Of Consciousness Pt. V is an incredible album as well, and Hunter/Game, Primal – Tears Apart became my obsession for a while. So inspiring. I love listening to music or books while running or on a long walk. Rather unplugged, surrounded by nature, accompanied by music and movement. That is my favorite time to listen to something new, with my undivided attention.
What is your current production and DJ set up like?
Living in New York pre-pandemic, my Dad helped me build such a dope studio. He’s a DJ for fun but a carpenter by trade. I never got to fully finish it or add analog gear, but my setup was: iMac, Focal Twin6 speakers, Apogee Duet Audio interface, M-Audio midi keyboard, GIK acoustic panels. My favourite synth is Sylenth. Plugins I love are Echoboys, Crystallizer, and Valhalla. Right before the pandemic, my wife and I sold everything we owned and bought a one-way ticket to Los Angeles. I planned to rebuild a studio once I got sorted on the West Coast. Once the pandemic hit, our plans changed. We decided to move to Tulum, Mexico instead. Since then I have a small mobile setup of just laptop, headphones, AKAI mini and Ableton. I am excited to build a new studio, but honestly, working out of your comfort zone allows for new creativity. All in all, grateful for what I have.
What releases do you have on the horizon?
I’ve never been more connected to a musical direction and vision than I am right now, so everything coming up has me so excited. I feel a very important part of music is finding people you vibe with and are inspired by, it’s more enjoyable that way. I like to release a lot of music every year. Otherwise, so many projects sit in the hard drive, and never see the light of day.
I have some very exciting collaborations on the horizon, with some incredible vocal features, including the iconic Jem Cooke. This one I cannot reveal too much, other than I am shook over what we created together. It’s a blessing to connect with her. My next release is a two-track EP landing on Yotto’s Odd One Out imprint on March 9th, absolutely buzzing for that one. I have this crossover, hybrid melodic track with Fredrick Ferrier as the title track. Track two is featuring Megan Kashat – it is an ID in the Balance Mix. The sound of Paige is deeper and more organic for 2023.
This Summer I’ll release a collaboration with Dosem & Nihil Young on Nora En Pure’s label. Really excited for that one too.
Where can we hear you perform?
My next show is February 24 – a headline at Elsewhere in Brooklyn. It’s always a bi deal to play in your hometown, and this is my first big headline in my city in the last few years. The following weekend, I hit Dallas and Houston with Yotto on his Growth Tour. He is touring his new album, we just played in Denver together last week and it was mental. I really enjoy supporting him, the vibe is always on point. From there, I fly to Bali, Indonesia for my debut show in Asia. Bali has been on my bucket list, so it’s a blessing to be invited to play at El Kabron, a beautiful cliffside beach club in the south of Bali.
I tend to obsess only about the ‘next’ show. When I start thinking about ‘a few’ shows or touring, it’s mentally too much, so I procrastinate and wait until the last minute to finish folders of music for the night. No idea why. But right now, I just plan per show, one after the next, do visualizations, and manifest a beautiful party. It’s been a successful process, really enjoying it.
I also have a monthly show on Sirius XM Chill and my Paige Selects playlist on Spotify which I update regularly. I do love making DJ mixes, so if anyone is reading this: Yes, I’ll do a mix for your channel.
Tell us more about the podcast you made for Balance?
I really love this mix. I started it while on tour over the Summer, but never had the time to finish it. Once settled back into the jungle of Tulum, I listened to what I started and wasn’t deeply connected to it. Felt called to delete and start over. The mix you hear now is an expression of music that speaks to my soul, currently. It has a mood and energy that represents my sound and frequency. Hard to explain, but you feel it consistently throughout the mix. It was made in Ableton Live, and took a few hours to make. Between searching for tracks, getting the right order, bouncing a few versions, and nailing the final, it probably took 5 hours.
A standout track is my ID with Megan Kashat that I mentioned earlier which is releasing in two weeks. I’m just obsessed with this sound right now, and this is a track that’s been in the works since 2020 already. I’ve deleted the project and started over so many times. It’s rare that you do that and absolutely love the final version, so I’m incredibly grateful with how it has turned out. It’s really fun to play live, too. Megan crushed the vocal, with a spoken poetry that I love, and she’s been super supportive with me taking forever to finish it.
My Recommendations
The top track in my DJ wallet currently is:
Usually ID’s, from myself and friends — for me it’s exciting to play something I know no one in the crowd has ever heard. A really special track I could play over and over again is: Jeremy Moore, Manu Gonzalez – Acuerdate, released by Hot Since 82’s imprint. It’s so sexy and smooth. Has just enough of everything that I look for in a club weapon.
If I could recommend only one of my tracks for you to listen to it would be:
Paige x Nihil Young x Lauren L’aimant – Alchemy
The three of us have collaborated many times, but Alchemy is close to my heart. Lauren’s vocal is polished yet mysterious. Our production packs power, but is quite spacious and clean. Less is more with this one. It’s technical but not overcrowded. It works really well on the dancefloor. You’ll hear this is my sets… maybe forever!
If I could recommend only one track for you to listen to it would be:
Porangui, Liquid Bloom – Preparing The Path
Listening to sound bowls and meditation music at night has become one of my favorite rituals. I created a playlist on Spotify called Highly Meditated. Every time this song comes on, it touches me in such a deep and beautiful way. I find it so moving and so inspiring. It’s 15 minutes long.
DJs — listening to this music after a show, while in the hotel, is so soothing. It allows the ears to relax, the mind to slow down, and signals the body to call it a day. Give it a try, you have nothing to lose.
Highly Meditated – Spotify playlist by Paige
The last movie I watched that I really liked:
The Alpinist. It is my favorite documentary I’ve ever seen. I’ve watched it at least 10 times, and looking forward to the next 10 times. It’s hard to say anything else but: It’s the greatest documentary ever made. Free Solo is a close second.
My favourite TV show:
Dr. Joe Dispenza: Rewired. I don’t watch TV or Netflix anymore, I have a subscription to a platform called Gaia, it’s kind of like conscious Netflix. I watch it on my laptop here and there for inspiration and good energy. A piece of advice I’d give anyone and everyone: Throw that TV out the window, it’s a waste of life. Go live your life and spend quality time talking to loved ones and in nature. If you’re going to watch anything, find something positive. It’s life-changing.