With a multitude of talents ranging from graphics, illustration and
animation to DJing, composition and record production, we asked
Jem Panufnik:
Where do you find the energy
from?
Good question! We have a 7-month old baby now too so the juggling
has reached epic proportions – as have the bags under my eyes!
Occasionally it troubles me that maybe I should be concentrating on
fewer things, but I love all aspects and they all feed off each
other. I couldn’t imagine dropping anything right now.
Tell us a bit about Jem and what makes you
tick?
Well as you’ve noticed I lead a pretty schizophrenic life, but
everything’s tied to each other in some sort of way. It’s not that
I’m incredibly disciplined either – I just seem to accidentally
take on a lot…
How important is music to you, did you play any instruments
growing up and what made you decide you wanted to
DJ?
I grew up in a musical family – my dad was a classical composer
(Sir Andrzej Panufnik) and my sister and I were very much
encouraged to learn instruments although nothing was ever forced on
us. As kids we went to a lot of orchestral concerts and rehearsals
and of course that rubbed off. My sister went on to also be a
classical composer while I got into playing the drums, jamming in
rock and funk bands and recording. I never set out to be a DJ but I
‘ve always been an avid record collector, and once I started
producing dance music, taking it on the road was very much part of
the job.
Where do you find inspiration for your
drawings?
I love chunky graphical art. I get a lot of pleasure from vintage
packaging but possibly my main inspiration comes from Filmore era
psychedelic posters and album sleeves. I admire some forms of comic
and graffiti art although I don’t partake in either (although many
people imagine I do)
To you art is....?
Expression, but on any level. It used to tear me up thinking I
needed some great cause to champion through art, but actually it
can just be as simple as enjoying a shape or form, or a scenario
that makes you smile. It’s the same in music. The legacy I thought
I’d inherited from my father, who had a very hard and often painful
life in war-torn Poland made me feel for a while that anything that
didn’t have an important message was somehow superfluous. Now I
know that if you can get a boot tapping with a great beat, that has
a beautiful action of its own. It’s just a different artistic
function and they’re not comparable. And that’s not to say my dad’s
music always demanded a serious approach – much of it is just
gorgeous on face value regardless of the background.
What methods do you employ in creating your artwork, do you
start off with drawings, templates, then add layer upon
layer?
Generally I get going in my sketchbooks and when I’m ready I’ll
start on a nice big bit of cartridge paper and ink it in black and
white. Then I scan it into Photoshop and start adding colours and
textures. More often than not the sketching part is where I have to
really work it the hardest and when I want to drop my pen and run
away.
Tell us about the sleeve and flyer designs for Finger
Lickin’ Records and your collaboration with Justin
Rushmore?
Meeting Justin and eventually starting Finger Lickin’ together was
a great twist of fate really. I’d been making music as a hobby
mainly and doing small illustration jobs since I left art school
(Camberwell) a couple of years or so earlier. We were both
inadvertently looking for a partner to help compliment what we had.
Justin has a good business head and brought direction to my
creativity. After a few white labels and house tracks we started
Finger Lickin’ with a brand and vibe very much in mind and it
became the perfect springboard for all my creative passions. It was
also one of the first underground labels to make the visual side as
important as the grooves – we spent a lot on lavish full-colour
sleeves and I think that helped us to stand out a great deal.
What highlights have there been in your DJ career - what
has been your best gig?
I guess nothing can compare with when breakbeat just exploded about
ten years ago, particularly in Australia. To travel to the other
side of the world and discover not only do they know all your work
but go mental for it was an experience I will cherish to my dying
days! As Soul of Man we played huge festivals to crowds of
thousands, in the New Year sunshine, plus were treated extremely
well. Aah happy days!
How important are vibrant colours, bold drawings and humour
in your work?
It depends on what I’m doing. Record sleeves, a few years ago at
least, were racked like any other product vying for your attention.
A major factor for commercial artwork these days is it has to work
well as a thumbnail for digital stores, so simplicity is the key
more than ever. But much of my work now leans towards a different
emphasis: since I’ve started exhibiting I’ve been painting on found
bits of wood, making sculptures, exploring my darker side…
What would a world without music be...?
Inconceivable! Music is everywhere
With so much experience in the music industry, what advice
would you give to young DJs and musicians starting
out?
The industry is completely unrecognisable now to when I was
starting out. Cheap technology and the internet has made it
possible to get your work out there – on YouTube, Soundcloud,
Facebook etc, but of course it’s made it much more competitive to
get noticed. I think it helps to have a strong visual side, to make
some short cheeky videos – anything to make you stand out from the
crowd. If it’s not something you can do on your own then
collaborate.
Following on from the Riverside Gallery exhibition, what
plans do you have in 2012?
It’s shaping up to be a crazy year! My Jem Stone project is
stepping up a gear – it’s more of a jazzy-funky-dubby trip with
crazy animated visuals (www.youtube.com/jemstonemusic). I’m about
half way through recording an album for Freshly Squeezed with some
stupendous collaborations that I think are going to surprise a lot
of people, plus I have an AV show I’m going to take on the road,
particularly the festivals this summer. I’m very excited about it
all!
The exhibition was a big hit and I’m now in talks with a few venues
to take it on the road over the next year or two. I’ve just
finished a children’s book I’m now trying to get published, plus
I’ve been asked to do some film music and I have a few film ideas
of my own with my digital artist wife, Mischa. And there are some
interesting remixes in the pipeline. Not sure how to squeeze it all
in!
www.jempanufnik.com
As featured in Unfolded Magazine Issue 06