Tailor Jae on Unpredictability, Instinct, and Making Her Own Heaters – An MM Exclusive

If you’ve ever caught a Tailor Jae set you know to expect the unexpected. Her sets weave through grime, garage, breaks, and more with a sharp, instinctive edge that feels effortless. No predictable patterns—just a vibe that keeps the crowd hooked.

From East London, Tailor’s made waves with her raw, genre-bending performances. Since winning Mixmag’s DJ Quest in 2017, she’s leveled up from local gem to a commanding force, delivering standout sets for Keep Hush, Boiler Room, and Rinse FM. DJing is just one side of her craft, though—she’s also carving out space as a producer. Her recent track Diss One with Manga Saint Hilare is another insight into her own personal sound.

We sat down with her to dive into her early influences, shaping her sound, and why overthinking doesn’t belong behind the decks.

Could you tell us a little bit about yourself and how you got into music?

Yeah, so I grew up in Newham. I guess with the DJ thing, it wasn’t really part of the plan. I kind of fell into it.

For my birthday, I got an iPod from my brother, and then he gave me Limewire and was like, “Here’s where you get music.” I used to dance in school, so I’d always try and find really cool tracks to show my friends for our dance routines and at house parties.

When I’d play stuff, people would be like, “What’s this tune?” I didn’t know any DJs or club culture like that, but my brother played grime and stuff around the house. Eventually, I bought a controller, started teaching myself in my room, and here we are. It’s been an interesting journey — not really planned.

When you started enjoying DJing, how did you develop your technical skills, and what advice would you give others?

When I first started, I was playing EDM, commercial stuff for bars and clubs — hip hop, R&B. At uni, I got to play more of what they called “the black raves,” which were very unforgiving. You had to know your stuff. I mostly played house, but people weren’t really feeling it. So I’d watch how other DJs played, then go learn those skills. I think technically, it’s about finding your rhythm and your way of listening.

When I chop and cut tracks, I do it rhythmically — like I hear beats in between beats. Maybe it’s my heritage or how I grew up.

Advice-wise: find your own style. There are a lot of DJs now, so it’s hard to stand out. Interpret music your way — don’t feel like you have to play like someone else. Ask yourself: how do you hear the music?

How important is it to read the room and be spontaneous during your set?

It depends on the crowd. Ultimately, you’re the entertainment, and you want people to have a good time. Now, I’m a bit more selfish — if you’ve seen me, you should trust what I do. It might not be what you expect, but it’ll be good. I mostly play to electronic music crowds now.

At uni, people wanted to hear exactly what they knew. That’s different from when someone’s coming to see me as an artist-producer. So it’s all about balance. I’m more selfish now because I know what I’m doing — and you booked me for that.

Who are you listening to right now? Any genres or artists inspiring you?

I went to Ghana in December — where I’m from — for the first time during that season. It was amazing. They’re moving into the electronic space now — with genres like Amapiano, 3step, Afro House, Afro Tech. It was so inspiring and uplifting.

Tell me about your track with Manga — how did that come together?

I was second-guessing the track, but I played it to my manager and he was like, “This is sick.” Then he said we should get an MC on it.

We tried one, it didn’t sit right. Then he said, “What about Manga?” I love Manga, so I sent it to him. He came back after one take — it was perfect.
He gave it so much life. He’s a legend from Roll Deep, so it meant a lot that someone like him wanted to work with me — someone who still feels like they’re just starting out.

As a woman in a male-dominated industry — have you faced any challenges?

Honestly, when I started, I didn’t feel the challenges others talk about. Maybe it’s because I grew up with brothers who never made me feel like I couldn’t do what they were doing.
I didn’t think of DJing as male-dominated — it just didn’t occur to me.
But on the production side, I’ve seen there’s more pressure on women to be amazing straight away. Some feel forced to get ghost producers to keep up.
If we’re talking about being a Black woman in the industry — that’s a different story.

Let’s talk about that. What has your experience been like as a Black woman in this space?

It’s been tough. Lately, I’ve been feeling it more. You come up with people and see massive differences in how they’re received, regardless of talent.
It’s easier for others to go from one level to the next. Even publications — if you’re not from certain communities, you’re overlooked.

After the George Floyd protests, I got more bookings, but I was often the token Black act — first on the lineup when no one was there, and paid the least. That’s disheartening. I go to shows and I’m often the only Black person in the room — it’s isolating. But I also feel a responsibility to stay in the space so others feel they can do it too.

There are a few of us, but we’re often in different spaces, on different lineups, not given the same opportunities. I’ve done this for years, won competitions — it just never feels like enough.

What do you think needs to change — both structurally and culturally?

Honestly, it feels too far gone. When Black people wanted to throw their own raves, there were all these forms and red tape — eventually people got tired.
Electronic music has kind of been hijacked by white people — let’s be real. We’re now asking permission to be part of something that wouldn’t exist without us. People curate grime nights who weren’t even there for it. Music has become a commodity, but for us, it was life — our only option.

I really respect what groups like DLT, Recess, Aura, and One Way are doing — they collaborate and uplift each other. In electronic music, we need a similar collective. It might mean sacrificing money at first, but it’s the only way to build something of our own.

Let’s talk about your creative process — how do you approach preparing a set or producing music?

When prepping for a set, I’ll analyse the lineup. If I’m opening for someone like Chase & Status, I’ll plan to end on jungle so they can flow into their set.
If I’m just doing me, I’ll test out new tracks I’ve been making or stuff I’ve been sent. I’m very free with it now — I don’t plan too much anymore. You have to be flexible — some crowds aren’t receptive, and you need to think fast.

With production, I used to get stuck watching tutorials trying to sound like others. Now I just open a session and go with how I feel — maybe inspired by a club track or a classic. Sometimes a track comes together in 10 minutes, other times I have to come back to it. I can only make music at night — it just doesn’t work for me during the day.

Any dream venues or festivals you’d love to play? And any DJs you want to go back-to-back with?

I’d love to play Bass Coast in Canada — they’re really into UK sounds and bass music. Also Dekmantel in the Netherlands. If we’re dreaming big — Coachella would be sick. A friend of mine played it and said it was amazing.

As for back-to-backs, I’d love to do one with Spyro. He’s so supportive and helped me mix down this last track. He’s a great inspiration and has been there for me a lot.