John Summit can't resist a DJ deck. Last week, the Chicago-raised producer took a well-deserved two-day break in Los Angeles before jet-setting to Canada to play the Badlands Music festival, returning to LA for Comfort in chaos album release party and then DJing at a pool party in Las Vegas before the end of the week. The 29-year-old musician, who holds a top seat on several major airlines, says he's used to flying 24 hours a day and booking flights on the day.
“If you want me not to DJ, you have to send me to the desert with no electricity,” says Summit Rolling rock. “If there's power, I'll find a way.”
During what was meant to be a three-day vacation in the Hamptons in early July, Summit found himself once again ruling the decks at The Surf Lodge, hotel and music venue. I say I'm going to go get a drink and before you know it I'm doing a back-to-back with Alesso.
In recent years, Summit has become one of the most sought-after DJs. In the midst of the global blackout in June 2020, Summit released 'Deep End', a hypnotic club track derived from R&B singer Fousheé's viral track of the same name. Two years later, Summit released a remix of Kx5's hit single “Escape” with British singer Hayla and later collaborated with the singer on “Where You Are” a vocal track that has become a favorite of the festival circuit.
Summit's debut album Comfort in chaosreleased on Friday, draws inspiration from Jamie XX's fusion of moody ballads and dance bangers from In color, DeadMau5's progressive flavor and Summit's bread 'n' butter techno house. (Summit previewed his 12-track album during a sold-out five-hour set at the Madison Square Guardian on June 29.) Comfort in chaos, featuring artwork by Puerto Rican artist Marcos Alvarado, is a culmination of emotional, ethereal songs like “Comfort in Chaos,” “Stay with Me,” along with bass-heavy, booming tracks like “Eat The Bass” and “Resonate.”
Rolling rock spoke to Summit about his decision to play fewer festival shows, where he finds comfort in the chaos and creates his most vulnerable work to date.
You've described it as one of your most vulnerable projects to date. Tell me more about it.
I originally started out writing party and party music, drug references, stuff you hear in clubs. My songwriting back then was based around clubbing and a hedonistic lifestyle, where now I feel like I've grown up and become more comfortable with my emotions, sharing myself and being a bit more confident in general. Writing songs that go from “Tears” being about heartbreak and then going all the way to “the palm of my hands” with Venbee who is confident and conquers the world, it's a wonderful range of emotions that I would never have done . I've done.
Do you prefer to play festivals or your label, Experts Only, events?
I prefer doing my own label shows because I can completely curate the lineup with people I just love as artists and friends.
You go to a festival, every artist is in their own trailer or green. It's awkward. We're at my festival, we just have a combined stage in the middle where everyone can hang out. I like to do community stuff, but I like to do these big big shows every now and then. I'm just a nerd at heart and so is my team and we love to do crazy lighting and graphics. It feels like a giant art gallery.
What do you mean art gallery?
Madison Square Garden, for example, they just give you the arena. They don't give you any production. They don't give you anything, so you're given a blank canvas to completely create your own design and lighting and everything.
What was it like playing to a sold-out Madison Square Garden crowd?
I did five hours at MSG and then I did three hours at [Brooklyn] Naval Shipyard. So I did eight hours that night, and only had an hour and a half in between. You'd think that after a five-hour MSG show, I'd screw it up, I'd be like say thank you and everybody congrats or whatever, but actually, I got in the car and got ready to go straight to the after party.
I mean, it's a dream to play sold-out shows, but I feel like that ties into your album title Comfort in chaos. How did it feel playing Madison Square Garden?
It was really tough. After I got off MSG I was so spent. And I said, “I need a nap,” but everyone's going crazy around me. You can ask my team, I was dead in the car on the way [to the Brooklyn Navy Yard ] I say, “I can't do this. I can't do this,” and then as soon as I got on stage, I had the craziest adrenaline rush. Everyone is backstage with me at the Navy Yard and the whole crowd is going crazy. That's the whole idea, comfort and chaos are the highs and lows. But yeah, I love it.
Do you at least drink Red Bull?
No, I don't. I don't like drinking caffeine because it makes me jittery. I'm like an energy bunny, where I don't really have that much energy outside of clubs and festivals and stuff. I'm a receiver, I guess that's what I mean.
Some people walk into a room and there are those who get everyone going. That's what the crowd does to me.
When you visited the office last month, you mentioned that you were a Grateful Dead fan.
In college I painted my door [with] all Grateful Dead graphics. It's funny though because I don't even know their songs that well, but this is what I liked [was] perfectly free form and everything flows through each other. I got out of the jam phase and that's when I found house and techno. We listen to a set that goes on for four hours straight and you can't name a single song, but they're all awesome.
You just said you were going for four-hour sets, and even though you might know two or three songs, you don't know most of the songs. How do you deal with people who know your name, but not necessarily your face or all of your music?
I actually preferred it for a while because I would do (when I say 'would', the last time I did it was like nine months ago, so I'm still doing it) 8 to 10 hour sets at [Miami nightclub] Club Space. I would play the first three or four hours without playing a single record of my own. I used to go at 3 p.m. At 7 or 8 in the morning, I'd play “Sun Came Up” or “Where You Are” and the whole place would erupt. So I think it's really cool to do sets like that and get the fans in a trance.
I remember in 2020 it was like a private party that Club Space had where everyone had to hide their phones and stuff but [singer-songwriter and guitarist] Solomon did a set of 24 hours. I didn't know a single song and I'm like, “That was one of the best nights ever.”
You have lived in Miami for less than two years. What are you doing to reset?
I'm home 10% of the time. I have a really good group of friends down there, which is awesome. Then I have some of my go-to spots, like The Standard Spas is my favorite spot. It is located in the Venetian Islands. It is the best spa. it feels like a small resort. When I need to fully decompress, I go there. People think like, “Oh, you live in Miami, you have to go out blah, blah, blah.” When I'm at home, I'm the most chill, zen person ever.
When you visited it Rolling rock office, you mentioned something about downsizing and less performance. Is it true, and if so, why?
Is true. The less I do, the more time I have to work on a show. Once I feel like I'm going through the motions, and I felt that last year, the quality of my music and sets kind of deteriorates. You feel like you are in an office job in a cubicle.
It's like going from being a comedy actor to doing feature films. So it's like going from clubs to these big events. What's nice though, is if I take a little bit, like a couple of weeks, and I'm itching to play a club, I don't think there's a lot of clubs that will turn me down if I show up and say, “Hey, can I jump?
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