Following the success of his first EP on the LA-based label Culprit, London DJ and producer Jozif has put out a new release with what we consider a timeless sound. With three original tracks and a remix, available digitally on Aug. 29, his Standard Rising EP will further establish him as a significant talent within his niche.
Jozif wrote “Standard Rising” for his gig at the Culprit Sessions party at The Standard Hotel rooftop in L.A. With disco vibes all around, the track emulates every positive element a rooftop party has to offer.
“Guitar Player”, which is actually the A-side of the EP, follows through with the same retro funk as “Standard Rising”. It’s a track that could easily suit most settings – a beach sunrise celebration, an intimate nightclub or a crowded festival.
“Benny Benjamin” gives us a slice of American history in R&B and jazz. Though the track sounds more modern than the others on the EP, it tells a story about Benny Benjamin, Motown’s first studio drummer, told by his fellow band member in The Funk Brothers, Richard “Pistol” Allen. The Djebali remix pairs nicely with the original.
We linked up with Jozif to hear more about the concept behind the EP and what his production experience was like. Preview Standard Rising below, and read what he had to say.
EP Name: Standard Rising
Record Label: Culprit
Release date: Aug. 29, 2012
Genre(s): House
Concept or theme behind EP: My previous EP for Culprit (The Lady B EP) was a very self indulgent, ‘musically’ driven, personal EP that centered around one particular person or moment in my life, and how it had affected me over the past 12 months. It wasn’t something necessarily that the DJs would play in the clubs (Lady B’s Serenade was a beatless Orchestra piece!) so when it came to write my second EP for the guys, I wanted to just do a straight-up, simple but effective, club EP.
The guys run this amazing roof top party in LA on top of the Standard Hotel – hence the name Standard Rising. This year was my second time playing there so i wanted to write something that totally summed up and encapsulated that roof top — beautiful sun shine, beautiful people, beautiful views.
Actually, The first track on the EP (“The Guitar Player”) was written over 12 months ago. I played it as my last track when the Culprit guys and I were playing together at Sonar 2011. As soon as the breakdown kicked in, Andrei signed right there and then!
There is a silly YouTube video from that gig of me somewhere with my doing some really bad air guitar and drums! 
EP production experience: Overall the EP took a good 12 months to come together – “Guitar Player” was the one that actually took the most time even tho its probably the most simple.
Favorite Track of the EP: Benny Benjamin
Artists supporting EP: Craig Richards, Dyed Soundorom, Wolf + Lamb, Jek K
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