An artistic disposition is a quality that everyone seems to have.
But only a few have found a way to open that mindset and broaden it even further.
Jen Rimaz has achieved the latter and not only thrives in one art form, but two. Based on the mood and aesthetic background of her clothing label, it is quite evident that Jen isn’t just another personality who flows in the same stream as everyone else. Not only does her sense in fashion set her apart from the rest, her exclusive taste in music has extended the boundaries of sound for DJs who are new to the industry.
From handling her own growing empire, to spreading the wonders of honest-to-goodness house music, Jen has definitely broken down the limitations of art in a city that has a hard time accepting art as a main factor for an actual career due to the traditional or mainstream influence that has been passed around in society.
Step into Jen’s world, and you might just step out with an epiphany to embrace your own individuality. We all have to start somewhere.
• I knew you as a DJ first; but you actually have your own clothing brand and, at the same time, you do tattoo art as well. There seems to be a lot on your plate. How is a regular day for you like?
Nowadays, I’m mostly working on my clothing brand so I’m up quite early; but since I’m not a morning person, it takes me a while to wake up! I usually try to find a spot where there is internet and work on my crowd-funding campaign with Indiegogo. My days can go from hectic and busy ending late to chill and mellow. Everything is quite spontaneous.
• Which one do you prioritize the most?
Blanqtribe is my priority. I need to be able to focus on that 100% but to keep sane I do DJ once in awhile, just to keep me from getting lost in my clothing brand.
• What is Blanqtribe all about? I love the idea that you’re adding in a hint of steampunk in your designs.
Blanqtribe revolves around slow fashion and using sustainable materials produced by weaving tribes around the Philippines. The designs are mostly influenced by Asian street fashion. And because I’m a huge Sci-fi fan, steampunk had to be added in my designs too!
• Who influenced you to join the DJ industry, or did it just come naturally?
Patrick Rizarri gave me my first lessons and from there, I just self-taught, watched the pros here do their thing and learn from them.
• For someone who is dedicated to her own genre and isn’t swayed by mainstream pressure, do you find it difficult to keep up with the industry?
I just do my thing and don’t worry about what anyone else thinks. I don’t feel I need to keep up with anything. For me music isn’t a trend, I play what I love, and as long as I can still enjoy what I play, that’s all that matters.
• What are your thoughts on today’s mainstream music? Everyone seems to be clinging on to electro dance music (EDM) these days.
EDM is not my cup of tea; but to be fair it has opened the doors of Dance music to the public and I can’t fault the genre for that. Just please never ask me to play David Guetta 2.0!
• What was the biggest challenge you encountered during your endeavors?
The biggest challenge was not to be viewed as just a real DJ and also having so few women in the industry makes it difficult, but not completely impossible to overcome.
• What is the highlight of your career?
Playing for Lifedance was probably one of the highlights for me. It was a great learning experience and it was seriously a lot of fun!
• Are all your tattoos designed by you? How many do you have, and are you planning to add more?
I usually have my clients give me an idea of what they want and we work together from there. I have a total of 19 tattoos and I don’t plan on stopping there. I still need to finish my Harry Potter sleeve!
• Is there anything exciting we should be expecting in the near future?
Just keep an eye out for Blanqtribe ;)