Metronome #075: J. Worra

Insomniac’s Metronome series features mixes from some of today’s fastest-rising electronic stars, as well as championed legends. It takes listeners deep across a wide range of genres, movements, cultures, producers, artists and sounds that make up the diverse world of electronic music.

The grind has been good to J. Worra. She’s been on it for a hot minute now, steadily etching a name for herself on the cut-throat streets of Los Angeles through an undeniably rebellious output most producers couldn’t fake if they tried. Her street cred was born straight out of the bustling Chicago scene, where she first caught the bug from the vast amount of influential talent holding it down in her hometown. It was only a matter of time before her own gigs started to pile up, but Worra had her heart set on eventually spinning beats of her own doing. A few years down the line and with a new L.A. address, J is now rolling in releases that have been swooped up by imprints from the likes of Sleazy G, Audiophile XXL, Perfect Driver and more. The hustling has been paying off big time, and so many blank pages are left in Worra’s story. These are exciting times, to say the least.

Instead of waiting for the rest of the world to stop hitting the snooze button on one of the most hotly tipped names coming out of SoCal right now, we have reached out to J. Worra to see firsthand why she’s been fast on the come-up. The best way to do so is by hearing how she handles business, so we hit her up for a savory hour-long mix of heaters she is feeling the most. In it are a few unrelelased joints of her own, which go bang with the type of baddass beats that made us pay attention to her in the first place.

What’s one thing most people should know about J. Worra?
My last name isn’t Worra; that is actually my mother’s maiden name. It is a nice little tribute to her.

Being able to call Chicago your birthplace is a pretty special privilege. How has the city informed your own artistic direction?
Being able to experience music in Chicago for so many years was definitely a privilege. Even more so was being able to learn from some of those artists. Chicago laid many foundations for me with DJing and production, because it is a huge talent pool and so rich in history. I miss it all the time!

Do you remember the exact moment when you wanted to transition from being a person in the crowd to the person controlling it?
I remember being at a festival—it was the first one I had ever gone to, and I was standing in the crowd, just in awe of the energy. It was incredible, and I will never forget that feeling. I had always listened to various genres of music, but something about hearing it live from a DJ flipped a switch for me. From that moment on, I spent any free moment I had trying to wrap my head around it.

It took you only about a year of bedroom DJing before you started landing gigs in your hometown. Did you pick up producing just as fast, or was there more of a learning curve to it?
I was very lucky when it came to DJing. I met some really amazing artists who treated me like a sister and taught me everything they knew. I was able to practice a lot, learn tricks, etc. With production, it’s a different story—at least for me. There is SO much to learn, so many different ways to do things, a million different tools you can buy to support the creation of your music. I think that the beauty of production is finding your sound and the evolution of that sound, all of which takes time. You can’t rush that.

What made you want to make the move to Los Angeles? How has it affected the progress of your career?
I chose to pick up and move to L.A. for a few different reasons, mainly because my life was kind of turned upside-down, and it was time to experience another city and to grow as a person. Plus, have you ever experienced a Chicago winter? Or a polar vortex? They are brutal.

In terms of progress, I think it has given me a new outlook on music and the overall grind. It is hard to say where I would be music-wise if I had stayed in Chicago. One of the many beautiful things about that city is that the artists there are very tight-knit, and there are a lot of opportunities to learn from others. Overall, I am very thankful that my path has led me to L.A., and I look forward to growing here.

Who is your biggest role model in life, either personal or professional?
I have a handful of people I look up to on both ends of that spectrum. Musically, I have a list of artists that inspire and motivate me. Personally, one of my friends is a badass stock trader. She is one of the top traders at her firm and dominates in a very difficult, male-centric industry. For so many reasons, I look up to her and feed off of her drive and determination.

What is the biggest motivation driving you to continually better your craft? Did you sign on to be a producer for any particular reason?
I just love making music and the positive impact and purpose you can have with that. Playing a show and seeing smiles, making music that people can feel something when they listen—it is a pretty incredible feeling. I have always loved music, played instruments, gone to concerts/shows, but I never really knew I could have a place in it. I didn’t know what I was getting myself into five years ago, but I found something I truly love.

Do you think there’s any point in an artist’s career where they can stop and say, “I finally made it”? What does one do after reaching that moment?
I don’t think that there is a destination with music, and to say you’ve made it is a silly statement. Achieving goals is one thing, but you always have to work hard and continue expanding on your craft. After you hit one goal, you can then raise the bar.

Can you share a few words on the mix you’ve created for us?
I recorded this one live and had a lot of fun with it! I threw in a few unreleased tracks of mine; one of them is a collab with San Fran artist Grensta, called “Phases.” I included a lot of artists I love, like rrotik, Maximono, Harry Judda, and Redlight.

What does the rest of your year look like?
Well, I know what the next three months look like. I have some fun gigs coming up and have a bunch of music slotted to be released—a remix for Jamie Prado that will be out on his new imprint with Astley, called Midnight in Paris. I also have a remix that I did for Vanilla Ace and Dharkfunkh, but I am not sure of the release date yet. It’s hard to say what will happen toward the end of the year, but I am looking forward to seeing it all unfold.

Track List:: Ciszak “I Want”
Fritz Carlton & Ghostea “Talkin’ Shit”
Intermodal ft. Long Legs “Going Places”
ID “ID”
Eyes Everywhere “Big Girl” (Landis LaPace Remix)
ID “ID”
TAISUN “Senorita” (Remix)
Will Clarke “The Goog”
Low Steppa & Bot “Vibe With Me”
I AM ROBOT “Ambush Dem” (rrotik Remix)
Sly One “Fiya”
Born Dirty “Check Your Bell”
Harry Judda “Backstage Pass” (Genghis Clan Remix)
Redlight “Gold Teeth”
Apexape ft. Carla Monroe “The One”
Harry Judda “Urchin”
Madly “Want”
Sly Turner “Uh 3x”
Allmostt “Booty Call”
Genghis Clan “When I Move You Move” (Maximono Remix)