JES

Born Jes Brieden, JES is an award-winning American songwriter, vocalist, DJ, producer, radio personality, and label head. A native of New York City, JES emerged as an in-demand dance music vocalist during the electronic boom of the mid-2000s, lending her powerful voice to Motorcycle’s 2004 massive dancefloor hit “As the Rush Comes.” That success led to a record deal with Tiësto’s Black Hole Recordings and a prolific solo career that extended well into the next decade via singles like “Imagination” (2007), “Awaken” (2011), and “Hold On” (2017). JES spent her formative years honing her craft and absorbing the rich musical culture of New York City. Upon relocating to Los Angeles, she discovered that city’s burgeoning underground electronic and dance scene and began creating her own songs, one of which, “Starchildren,” landed on German DJ Paul van Dyk’s Politics of Dancing compilation. As her profile increased, requests for collaborations began piling up, culminating in the release of “As the Rush Comes” with DJ duo Gabriel & Dresden under the Motorcycle moniker. The song became an international club hit, and eventually crossed over to the mainstream, resulting in JES inking a deal with dance music luminary Tiësto’s Black Hole Recordings. She released her debut album, Disconnect, in 2007 via the label — it was distributed stateside by Ultra — and secured another hit with the single “Imagination,” which topped the Billboard Radio Airplay Chart. The year 2007 also saw JES collaborate with Tiësto on the track “Everything,” which appeared on his Grammy-nominated LP Elements of Life. She performed the song with Tiësto on his 2008 tour, and also served as the opening act. She returned to the charts in 2011 with the summer anthem “Imagination,” and co-wrote and performed a pair of tracks on BT’s Grammy-nominated These Hopeful Machines. Two years later, JES teamed up with Cosmic Gate (“Flying Blind”) and again with BT (“Letting Go”), further cementing her reputation as one of electronic dance music’s most sought-after collaborators. In 2015 she decided to launch her own label, Intonenation Records, with the intent to retain her artistic vision and promote new talent within the EDM community. The label’s inaugural single, “Hold On” featuring JES and Shant & Clint Maximus, took home a Grammy nomination. The year 2017 was also busy, with JES’ Cosmic Gate collaboration “Fall into You” filling club floors and the announcement of an upcoming alternative and pop EP. ~ James Christopher Monger