Other hits such as ‘Answering Machine’ and ‘Flash’ brought Jones more acclaim, but you won't find him playing the first of those nowadays on account of its gratuitous swearing. Now a practising Christian, he has gone on record before as saying that he prefers to spread more positive messages. Religion often informed his work even back at the start, with tracks like the 1998 classic ‘Preacher Man’ hitting hard with its raw drums, but also featuring an extract of a sermon by Baptist preacher Reverend CL Franklin.
Rather than slip into the role of a heritage act playing the hits, Green Velvet has remained relevant by hooking up with several contemporary artists over the years. There have been tracks and US tours with DirtyBird boss Claude von Stroke as Get Real, he has dropped hits with Sonny Fodera, and put out several singles with Eats Everything, HI-LO and, most often, Patrick Topping, including enduring gems like ‘Voicemail’ and most recently ‘Mad Motion’.
In 2022 he sat alongside fellow Chicago titans Honey Dijon and Terry Hunter and brought real authenticity to Beyoncé’s GRAMMY-winning and house-infused album ‘RENAISSANCE’ by providing a sample for ‘Cozy’. His love of a bold and provocative vocal hasn't diminished either, with tracks like ‘Sheeple’ alongside Prok & Fitch musing on mind control, government interference and the rise of technology.
Importantly, Jones has never lost his edge in the DJ booth: to hear him play is to be dialled into a twisted soundtrack designed for maximum impact, be that with loopy house vocals or more dark and instrumental techno. He continues to play many of the world’s biggest stages but also takes his La La Land Experience to packed out crowds everywhere from Miami Music Week to Printworks in London. With credentials like these, Green Velvet's impact on the evolution of our scene cannot be compared.
Record numbers of votes were counted from 231 countries in this year’s Top 100 DJs poll. Read the full Top 100 DJs 2024 list here.