Interview w/ DRUMxWAVE | Artist spotlight
- VINTAGE SOUNDSET
- Oct 27
- 4 min read
After starting Vintage Soundset, I've been lucky enough to meet some incredibly talented people. I was randomly added into a synthwave group on Instagram. That's how I met Jay.
His artist name is DRUMxWAVE and he's paving the way for future synthwave with his unique style and sound.
Jay was kind enough to do a quick interview and talk music with me. Here's a brief interview from the man himself!
Learn more about DRUMxWAVE in our conversation below.
Jay Cali aka DRUMxWAVE
Q: How did you get started in your musical or artistic journey?
Jay: Watching MTV as a kid, becoming a HUGE Michael Jackson fan and thinking I was going to become a singer.
Around 11 years old after a failed attempt at playing the saxophone in School band, I begged my Grand parents for a drum-set. In my heart I knew that was what I wanted to play since I’d gravitate towards them naturally.
Q: What drew you to the Synthwave genre, and why do you feel connected to it?
Jay: Back in 2014, I was Playing drums in a Synth-pop band in L.A. Called “Paper Chains”, I had no idea what Synthwave was, But looking back on it, a lot of the bands or artists I was discovering had a “Retro Sound”.
It wasn’t until late 2017 When my Buddy David Schuler Started his Project called “The Bad Dreamers” where this Modern but also 80’s sounding music just rocked my world. It was Synthwave. I instantly fell in love with the Genre and discovered A LOT of amazing artist’ during that time.
Q: Can you share some of your favorite synths or instruments that you like to use in your music?
Jay: I’m going to be honest, I’m not a “Synth Head”like that, I find sounds that Inspire me, mainly from preset packs like yours.
So I guess I’d enjoy almost all of the hardware versions. I do Appreciate some phat bass, dark pads and Bells a lot! I honestly think for me It works because I’m less focused on what I’m using and more focused on what sounds good to my ear no matter what the sound is modeled after or sampled from.
Q: What’s one piece of advice you would give to younger musicians or artists just starting out?
Jay: I personally think the best thing for younger musicians to do these days is to find out “Who they are’’ as an artist.
These days it’s so easy to get caught up in being a recycled version of what’s “Trending” and I don’t think there’s much longevity in that.
Beyond that, I would say that networking and supporting other artists plays such a big role in your journey. If you want to be “Known” then put yourself in positions to be “Seen”.
Q: What is your favorite movie from the 1980s or 1990s, and why does it stand out to you?
Jay: It’s a huge toss up between Child’s Play and Edward Scissor hands. Obviously there’s a bunch more that I REALLY love but for some reason those two movies just stand out so much to me when it comes to my childhood.
Child’s Play also came out the year I was Born so, I’m a little biased.
Q: Tell me what you're working on currently.
Jay: Right now, I’m putting the finishing touches on a new single that will cap off the year for me in terms of my releases.
Beyond that I’m working on a bunch of exciting features and starting to demo some music for 2026!
Q: What is your latest release, and can you tell us about it?
Jay: My Latest Release was my Single called
“Looks That Kill” ft. Justin Klunk. If you don’t know Justin, he’s a world Renowned Saxophone Player and Songwriter.
He has toured with many notable acts including The Midnight.
Looks That Kill, to me is a song that in my mind was a follow up to my single “Severed” as far as the lyrical content is concerned. It’s dark, it’s Moody but it’s also a song about acknowledging the fact that Yes, what I went through was “heavy”
But now I’m thriving and they’re answering to karma.
Q: What have you learned from your recent projects?
Jay: I’ve learned that through my own diverse background of playing many different genres, I can really lock in on making music that I love and with that diversity, I think there’s a little something for everyone who give my music a chance.
Q: Have you tried anything new lately—techniques, plugins, or tools—that has helped you improve or inspired new ideas?
Jay. I’m still very much a Novice when it comes to mixing. I’ve been working with my amazing friend and Producer Brian Skeel on a lot of the DRUMxWAVE material.
I’ve learned a lot from him just by studying what he does with my music. I think right now I’m just locking in and really trying to improve my static mixes, learning and mastering the fundamentals and working on my voice.
Q: What was your favorite project to work on, and why?
Jay: Man, That’s a really hard question. I don’t think I necessarily have a favorite. Each one gets my full attention and best effort. So with that, I guess I can say the last one I put out!
I can't thank Jay enough for his time and being a supporter of my work. He's really inspired me to keep going and more importantly support the synthwave community.
One of the best parts of this project is the friendships I've now made.
Thanks again Jay, you're a great friend, looking forward to hearing your new singles and hanging out when you're in Chicago!
You can support DRUMxWAVE here:
$50
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$50
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$50
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