Jochem Paap, aka Speedy J, is a Rotterdam-based techno musician whose polished blend of melodious electro-pop with a harder, more Detroit-fueled edge has been among the most highly-praised of post-rave European techno. The Dutch rep in Richie "Plastikman" Hawtin's Plus 8 label, Paap was equally well-known as a club DJ (his nom de record is in reference to his prowess on the cut) before deciding in 1997 to curtail his DJ engagements and focus on his music. His 1993 debut LP, Ginger, was an engaging blend of ambient textures and hard, crisp beats, and was immediately smacked with the "intelligent dance music" tag, aided by the inclusion of a pair of tracks on the first volume of Warp's influential (Artificial Intelligence) series. Paap has since released several follow-ups under the Speedy J moniker (G-Spot, Public Energy No. 1, A Shocking Hobby) and two solo albums in an ambient series for Fax titled Vrs-Mbnt-Pcs 9598 (just re-insert the missing vowels for a quick translation). He's also recorded a scattering of material as Public Energy for Plus 8, as well as for his own Beam Me Up! label before discontinuing the latter in 1996. He is cofounder of a Dutch remix network, dedicated to bringing Dutch electronic musicians in contact with one another and fostering collaborative projects, and previous to his moratorium on the DJ circuit was known for his commitment to bringing dance-based experimental electronic music to a wider audience, playing out often in unlikely combinations with groups like Cypress Hill and Henry Rollins. In addition to his original recorded work, Paap has also remixed tracks for Secret Cinema and Sven Väth. [See Also: Jochem Paap] ~ Sean Cooper, All Music Guide
Speedy J (born Jochem George Paap in 1969, Rotterdam ), is a Dutchtechno producer based in the city of Rotterdam. His breakthrough came with the release in 1992 of the minimal techno track Pullover. Subsequently his material became more mellow as he moved away from the hardcore sounds that were then becoming popular in Belgium and the Netherlands.
His debut album Ginger (1993) was released on Richie Hawtin's Plus 8 record label in the US, while in the UK it was part of Warp Records' Artificial Intelligence series of electronic listening music. A further, more introspective release, G-Spot followed in 1995; a live album, !ive, was also released. Afterwards his work, which included Public Energy No.1 (1997) and A Shocking Hobby (2000) became more experimental, importantly influencing the development of what is known as "intelligent techno".
"Upon first impressions, Public Energy No.1 highlights a big departure from previous Speedy J offerings... in a complete role reversal, it enters upon an iconoclastic electro territory more familiar to admirers of such other purveyors as Autechre, the Aphex Twin, Mike Paradinas and Martin Damm in his Steel persona," wrote Andrez Bergen in 1998 for Australian magazine Inpress. [1]
The album Loudboxer (2002) saw a return to a more minimal four to the floor style of techno.
Slag Boom Van Loon – So Soon (Planet Mu, 2001) (other artists' remixes of the Slag Boom Van Loon album)
Pete Namlook & Jochem Paap – pp.nmlk (Fax +49-69/45046, 2004)
Jochem Paap + Scott Pagano – Umfeld (Umfeld.tv, 2007) (released as a DVD, audio by Jochem Paap, video by Scott Pagano)
Collabs
Collabs is the name of a series of 12" vinyl EPs wherein Speedy J collaborates with a selection of techno artists. Following Collabs 300 Speedy J and Chris Liebing embarked on a Collabs tour, on which they performed a mix of live samples and turntable mixing. An album, Collabs 3000: Metalism, was released November 10, 2005, on NovaMute.
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