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A chat with People of the Light...
Next up, we dive into a compelling conversation with Jay Hill, the visionary behind the globally recognized house and techno imprint, People of the Light (POTL). Initially launched in Philadelphia as a personal outlet for Hill’s own productions, POTL has blossomed into a diverse platform known for breaking genre boundaries and nurturing authentic artist relationships.
With a commitment to soulful integrity and sonic innovation, Hill discusses the label's journey from its inception to becoming a distinctive voice in the electronic music scene, their philosophy of curating talent, and the importance of keeping creativity unrestricted. We also explore the insights and processes behind POTL’s latest release featuring Marcus, whose classic house sensibilities intertwine seamlessly with Jay's nuanced remix approach.
POTL started life out of Philadelphia and has grown into a global house & techno outpost. What gap in the scene did you feel needed filling when you launched it back in 2020?
Interesting question! Initially when we launched our first release at the end of 2019, the preliminary intent was forming the label to release my back catalogue of productions. After the turn of 2020 and the pandemic hit, I started to form a bigger vision for the label. During that time, I brought in a label partner who, at that time, was instrumental in helping to push us to the next level. We sought out to bring in other artists that not only produced high-caliber audio but also embodied a desire to help us grow and be a part of the POTL family...
More specific to music genres, around the same time I started POTL, I took more notice of how many labels fit themselves into specific boxes, e.g., house or techno or progressive, and rarely deviate from it. Don’t get me wrong, that’s awesome for them and obviously their approach has worked well for them. For us, I can’t put us into those types of creative limitations... each release is considered for quality as we’re not a quick churn & burn type label. Every release comes together in its right time, and often we meet the electronic music world with some surprises! I mean we’ll never be the label putting out the same track over & over just slightly twisted in different ways... never.
“People of the Light” as a name: there’s a spiritual undertone there. How does your philosophy guide your A&R decisions?
Fun fact, the name ‘People of the Light’ was originally inspired by a painting I saw in a museum. I had a few label names on a notepad that I ran by random friends & family, and that was the name everyone voted for! Indeed, the title aligns with our ethos and my decision-making process. Especially when bringing new artists into the label, not only does their music quality need to resonate, but also they must embody character qualities that fit with our little family... once I decided to start bringing in other artists, it was always with the hope that I would build a relationship with the artist beyond just one release.
The new EP consciously leans into classic house textures—warm chords, chunky bass, swingy drums. Why was now the right moment to revisit that sound palette? Walk us through your remix of “Club Detroit.” What elements did you strip away or accentuate to get that late-night roll? Any secret bits of gear or plug-ins that helped nail the groove?
Firstly, I must say - when Marcus first came to us, his energy & spirit was something that really stood out to me. I could tell that he has a fire within him that can’t be easily diminished. I absolutely loved every original track on this EP; it felt like it brought me back to my roots and depth of love for soulful house music. His original songs are cohesive and tell a compelling story... the feedback we received from the DJ & radio promo was absolutely incredible. Reading the weekly reports made the hairs on my arms stand up! Not to mention, he’s been so wonderful to work with on this release!
As for my remix, I just wanted to offer a bit of a different twist—a little higher BPM than the original—adding my own vibe, reworking slightly his sensational parts, yet striving to keep their integrity. The vocals are absolutely genius, especially if you’ve been to Detroit, you will undoubtedly connect with these words! I have a special relationship with the city of Detroit, so this is meaningful to me in many ways...
How do you juggle wearing the artist hat and the label-owner hat when you’re shaping a release package?
This is something I’m learning to balance day by day—flipping the hat when called for. As mentioned, initially this was just to be a label for my own stuff, but as we’ve evolved, I’ve come to understand that we are starting to build a powerful presence in this music world. After doing some stealthy navigating behind-the-scenes, I’ve found some people to align with that I believe genuinely are our cheerleaders vs. those just looking for money from us.
When it comes to A&R stuff, I try to be very transparent with our artists. There’s a lot of hiding behind certain topics in this industry. In the end, an artist would rather hear the truth from a label, either to improve their work or perhaps due to timing, than to never receive a response at all. That’s not how I operate, and I made a conscious decision to treat artists how I want to be treated.
POTL socials regularly shout out under-the-radar producers and women in the industry. How intentional is that mission, and what impact have you seen so far?
In truth, we rarely receive demos submitted by female producers. I was always open to it if things fell into place organically! Around the time I thought to myself, “it would be really great to expand our repertoire with more female producers,” I happened to connect with some here in Philly (Subjacent). As it turns out, they were a great fit in every way to bring into the POTL fam and opened some new doors for us. I’ll always be objective based upon the music itself, but always cheering for the females out there trying to hustle in this industry!
Give us a teaser—what’s next for the POTL catalog and why should heads keep it on their want-list?
Ooooohhh, I’m VERY excited about POTL018—let’s just say this next release ties into the question above! 😊
2025 is turning out to be a big year for us!
Next up we speak to Marcus the producer of the latest POTL Records! You cut your teeth in the city that birthed House. What aspects of that lineage are you carrying forward on tracks like “Soul Revival” and “When I Fly Towards You”?
Yes, my Chicago musical foundation definitely had a profound effect on this release. Most of the elements in these tracks like the big funky rolling basslines, the spacious atmospheric synth pads, and the lush melodies, were shaped and influenced by records I spun and heard in the 1990s and early 2000s after hours and loft parties. I wanted the songs to best reflect the underground deep house scene of that time which was quite vibrant and a subculture of the midwest rave scene. Intimate and groove-heavy deep house that brings to mind the diverse crowd of Chicago northside sophisticated “hippie types” and the free spirited south and west side dread-heads that often came together to enjoy these grooves. The music of these gatherings emphasized more chilling out, head bobbing, and community togetherness. Music for “the party” after the party often extending to the wee hours of the early morning. The dark scenery of a loft and smells of incense burning are envisioned. Music of self-reflection and spiritual connection..
Why “Perpetual Gruv”? Was it born out of a specific club night, a jam session, a mantra?
I came up with “Perpetual Gruv” because music like this never dies. No matter what the new trends that may come about in music, even deep house, these sounds will always have a place in deep house lover’s hearts .Perpetual means ongoing. Thus, the grooves or “gruvs” are eternal.
Is the title a nod to the Motor City’s heritage or something more personal?
I believe you are referring to the song “Club Detroit.” I started making each of these tracks between 10-15 years ago. “Club Detroit” is actually the youngest of the three original tracks I produced regarding their original construction of such. This track was made in 2014 or 2015 I believe. “Club Detroit” was influenced by the sounds of Detroit House at the time. The minimalist nature of the track and the 303 synth raw melody was a very prominent sound in the early to mid 2000s in Detroit. I moved to the Detroit area from Chicago in 2001 and presently still live here. The track originally had a bit of a faster tempo and did not have the interview snippet in it. That was something I put in recently. Listening to it again in 2023 made me realize that something was missing. The track didn’t have the name “Club Detroit.” It just had a number like many of the unfinished tracks that I have produced. After stumbling upon the interview,,cutting the snippet, and adding it to the track, it inspired the name “Club Detroit.” Everything in that snippet is true and perfectly describes Detroit.
Paint us a picture of the session that birthed “Soul Revival.” Hardware or in-the-box? One-take jams or meticulous arrangement?
“Soul Revival” was a track that I originally loved to hate. It was one of my favorite tracks that I made. However, I could find any direction to go and thus couldn't finish it. It was basically just the track without the vocal sample. So it had a deep soulful feel to it, but it quickly got boring and super repetitive. In 2022, one of my friends who produces hip hop tracks shared some vocal samples with me. Him and I share samples and track ideas every once in a while, if we hear something the other may like or may use still to this day. I quickly found the vocal samples that were perfect for this track. With the incorporation of the vocal samples to the heavy deep groove, it revived the track. Thus, how I came up with the title “Soul Revival.
Kerri Chandler to Todd Terry is the comparison that keeps popping up. How do you keep vintage sensibilities while still sounding 2025?
Both Kerri Chandler and Todd Terry are two of my favorite producers and were staples in my record collection throughout the years. Yes, they both have been big influences on my sound. Particularly when I first started crafting these tracks.
My son wanted his friends to hear some of the music I had made. I originally had no intention to release these songs. After they had suggested that I release it. That made me reflect and think maybe I could dust these bad boys off and breath some life into them. I’m a DJ first, so although I retired from playing at clubs, festivals, and underground events, I never stopped recording my DJ mixes and sending them to people I know or playing around with music production. So, over the years, I have fell in love with South African Deep House music and this inspired the slow tempo and also made me add the percussion on “When I Fly Towards You.” So, I took these older tracks and gave them a somewhat modern feel.
How did the link-up with Jay happen, and what surprised you most about the label’s process?
God is good! I found POTL Records (thus Jay Hill) by being an avid music listener and consumer. Oftentimes, when I am bored, I will go to online music stores and streaming portals and listen to random samples of tracks. So, I happened to come across James Chang’s latest release on her label at the time. I think it was on her sub-label imprint POTL NOIR. I liked it and thought it was really interesting. Thus, this made me start to scroll through the label’s catalog. POTL reminded me a lot of my former label (Random Access Recordings) that I had founded. The music was very expressive, versatile, creative, and even a bit experimental, but yet very dope. I instantly felt like it was the perfect label for this release. I thought it would add some debt to her catalog and like many of the other releases, this music had a good story and narrative behind it. So, I shopped the release to her and by the grace of God, she signed me. Both of our intuitions were right I believe. POTL was a good fit for me and I was a good fit for POTL. I’m blessed that Jay was willing to take a chance on an old “has been” like myself and share a bit of my musical expression to the world. She has been an absolute joy to work with. We have developed a really good friendship.
Hearing someone strip your work to its “naked parts” can be nerve-racking. What was your reaction the first time you played it on a big system?
Jay has a really good ear and is quite the visionary. I’m not going to lie, I was a little skeptical at first about Jay tapping Myles Serge to do a remix for this release. I was very familiar with Myles Serge's work being that he is from my neck of the woods here in Michigan. I also love techno. He is an amazing techno DJ and producer. I have tremendous respect for his artistry. I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised when I first heard the remix. My man Myles understood the assignment and came through with a super duper dope remix and rendition of Soul Revival. He did the damn thang! When Jay pitched the idea to me that she wanted to include him in on the project, I initially thought he would want to remix “Club Detroit.’ But he wanted to really challenge himself and picked the deepest of the bunch and he hit a homerun without a doubt. He rose to the challenge. His track has received a lot of accolades from many of the “who’s who” in the electronic dance music industry. Jay Hill also made a killer remix of “Club Detroit.” Shout out to her! She gave it an entire new flavor and feel in only a way she could. The stuff this woman does with vocals blows my mind. I have said that she needs to do a master class on it to teach us all. This release totally exceeded my expectations thus far. It’s been truly a blessing indeed.
What was the biggest musical argument you had during the project—and who won?
Marcus: While I wouldn’t necessarily classify it as an argument, there was a point during the waiting process where I tried to lobby Jay into just releasing an instrumental version of “Club Detroit.” I just didn’t think it would go over well with listeners. After a few email conversations, Jay convinced me that we should release the version with the internet snippet. Jay Hill is a very open minded person. She gave me a lot of creative freedom and listened to suggestions. I love that about her. After everything was said and done, we decided to release both versions. Thank goodness she convinced me otherwise. “Club Detroit” has proven to be one of the most popular tracks on the EP.
Vinyl versus digital: POTL has flirted with wax releases before. Where do you both stand on pressing this EP?
Marcus: As someone who’s run a label and released vinyl, I get the allure of wax and its tactile charm, warm sound, and the recent comeback it’s made with collectors and DJs. But for this EP, I’m perfectly content with it being a strictly a digital release. Vinyl pressing and distribution is a very pricey gamble. You can still create a rich experience with good promotional and high-quality audio digital files for DJS and deep house music listeners alike. Digital is practical and scalable solution, especially being this is my “comeback project.” It’s obviously up to Ms. Hill what happens in the future. But I’m very happy with this release just as is.
Which city is quietly killing it right now for deep house parties that more people should experience?
Marcus: Deep house is absolutely thriving in South Africa right now, with Johannesburg and Cape Town leading the charge as the beating heart of the scene. South Africa has essentially grabbed the deep house baton from Chicago and sprinted full speed with it, blending local influences and infusing the music with their own cultural flair, making it feel both fresh and deeply rooted. I absolutely love it. Most of the deep house I spin these days come out of South Africa. I hope to visit there in the future.
If you had to trade one piece of studio hardware with each other for a month, what would it be?
Marcus: I primarily use software for my production. However, I would love to own a TR-909 and a real TB-303. I used to watch my cousin make tracks with those machines. There is something so nostalgic about the idea of just twisting the knobs and pushing the buttons of these machine directly to manipulate the sound, versus the midi-controller. The sounds are a bit more edgier and warmer than coming from a daw (at least from what I remember).
Name one deep-house record each of you wishes you’d made:
Marcus: Man. There are quite a few. I’m going to show my age here, but if I had to pick one, I would have to say the Master’s at Work Remix Dub of Björk's song "Violently Happy" from 1993. That still gives me chills to this day when I hear it. Whew!
Dream remixer, any era alive or dead?
Marcus : Masters at Work of course.
One label outside POTL you’d love to collaborate with in 2025?
Marcus: Sanelow Record Label out of South Africa. I’m happy to announce that my next EP will be released on Sanelow Record Label. The name of the release is “Deep Rooted.” It pays homage to my musical roots being from Chicago (the birth place of house) and at the same time, it is about paying respect to Africa where many of the elements and rhythms incorporated in deep house originally come from. This is the first time I made music with such extreme specific focus on direction. I put more emphasis on self created sound design instead just using recognizable presets and samples. The EP was specifically made for Sanelow. So much so, had they turned the release down, most of the songs would have probably never been released.
Sanelow Label doesn’t explicitly brand itself as "experimental" in the avant-garde or sound-art sense, but its sound can be explored through an experimental lens due to its diverse and boundary-pushing approach to house music and related genres. I love the unique and versatile sounds from the amazing artists on their roster. This release is quite different than ‘Perpetual Gruv. It's much more influenced by the music I play and listen to now. I tried to showcase my versatility and make a release that would complement and fit their massive catalog. It's a perfect opportunity to showcase my progression. Please be on the lookout for this one. It will be my final release of 2025.
Finish the sentence: “House music in 2030 will be
Marcus: … alive and thriving beyond what we can imagine today.
Artist Social Links:
www.facebook.com/marcus.watkins.357
www.facebook.com/mylesserge_official
www.facebook.com/myles.clark.902
Label Social Links:
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