Jayda G Talks Her New Climate Documentary, Blue Carbon – Wonderland Magazine

“The Human Spirit Is Incredibly Resilient” – the DJ and activist discusses her new documentary, and staying positive in the face of climate adversity.
House music fans will likely know Jayda G from behind the decks. The grammy-nominated DJ, writer, producer and podcaster’s infectious energy and unique DJ style has led her to an impressive underground electronic music career, performing on stages like Glastonbury, Dekmantel and Coachella.
But there’s another side to her that you may not know. The same Jayda that has blossomed on festival stages internationally is also an environmental toxicologist. Having graced us with her music internationally, she decided it’s her time to give back by creating the feature length documentary Blue Carbon, which took her to the front lines of the climate crisis, meeting communities whose lives have been heavily impacted by climate change.
Described by Jayda as “science you can dance to”, the doc was filmed in the USA, Senegal, Vietnam, France, Colombia and Brazil, exploring the new potential of oceans to absorb a large amount of carbon from the atmosphere. This Blue Carbon, can be found in salt marshes, seagrasses and wetlands, and is becoming an increasingly attractive investment for big corporations looking to offset their emissions through carbon credit schemes – which as we see in the film, has mixed results for locals.
Ahead we chat about how to stay positive in the face of climate adversity, and why the climate-conscious amongst us often feel like we’re operating in an echo chamber.
Read the full interview…
I’ve never seen a DJ get so lost in music behind the decks. How often do you visit clubs and what do you think our dancefloors are missing right now?
I don’t go out as much as I used to because I do tour a ton. I live under a rock. There’s Jayda G and Jayda Guy and when I’m not Jayda G, I’m Jayda Guy where it’s like I come home, I’m in sweatpants, my hair is messy. I’m chilling with my friends. None of them work in music, a lot of people work in tech or as doctors and nurses. I don’t go out on to dance floors as much as I used to but as a DJ, because of social media and phones obviously there is a bit of a slight disconnect that can happen on the dance floor because people are more preoccupied with being seen at the event more than enjoying the event as itself and that’s something I’ve experienced for a while now and it doesn’t seem to be letting up. I think that’s also a reason why I try to get lost in the music. I am conscious that if I’m doing that for myself that hopefully allows the audience to do the same. It gives them freedom to express themselves. People are needing to let loose in some shape or fashion and dancing is just really therapeutic.
What’s one thing in your career that was easier than expected, and one thing no one prepared you for?
Gosh, that’s a very good question. I think strangely enough the easiest thing I’ve found is actually DJing. I find it very easy. I think the part that is not easy for me is the expectancy of an artist to be all the things. Yes you’re DJ, but also you have to look good doing it. And you
Also have to have a skincare routine, and a cool fit to go with it, and a makeup routine and all the things that happen with social media. And as we all know it’s not that you’re just there with a phone… Now you have to be a videographer and an editor. I’m not good at all those things. It’s sold to you as this thing that should be easy, but I don’t find it easy. I find I really struggle with it.
If I wasn’t who I am, I would not have social media straight up. I definitely feel the pressure to be visible, but I’m conscious how much I show and what is worth showing. I remember someone suggesting “you should maybe do a video of you doing your meditation practice”, I meditate every day, that’s something I do for my mental health and I’m like I’m not doing that. No one needs to see a video of me meditating, that’s for me.
The film is created by BAFTA and Emmy-winning director Nicolas Brown, with original music by Wu-Tang’s RZA. Tell us a little about how the three of you worked in collaboration.
Okay straight up with RZA, we still haven’t met, it was actually a lot more separate than you would think. But the cool thing about RZA is that he is one of the main founders of Hip-Hop, period. Some of the scenes and how the music was composed was just magical. Music is about connection and he is into the environment, which is huge to have someone who is as legendary as him even look our way, just I think really sets a new precedent when it comes to environmentalism, encouraging people to care about how our decisions impact everybody. The environmental world can really be an echo chamber, we end up talking a lot to the same people or the people who have the exact same interests and value systems as we do.
When you buy carbon credits, who do you buy from?
It is called “gold standard”. And so what we would do is we would use a calculator to figure out how many miles I flew and what my carbon footprint is, and then calculate how much money that is worth, then that money [goes] to a cause that would help to fight climate change. But the cool thing now is after the film, I now delegate that money to the blue carbon projects in Colombia because I do know 90% of that money is going to the people that I actually met which is really freaking cool. It really warms my heart that it exists and that I got the chance to meet them. In terms of the festival goers, something we’ve been trying to do this year is like, if I’m donating X amount to an environmental cause, I ask the festival to match it. I don’t know why a lot of festivals don’t like to talk about what they’re doing on the back end to be more sustainable. My guess is that it’s because they may be worried that they’ll be criticised, but I think it’s just really important that we talk about it so that we can learn from each other. That’s the biggest thing, nobody’s perfect and it’s so important to try.
Definitely. Do you think that cancel culture plays a role around how people are afraid to just be honest and open up about their touring schedule, or for festivals, how they fund and source the energy for projects? Do you think people are just afraid?
I think there’s a level of being afraid to talk about it and not wanting to look like the bad guy. At the screening on Tuesday, I was talking to another artist who said she just doesn’t know enough. [She said] “I also just don’t feel like I’m educated enough to actually talk about these things, so I just don’t” and I found that a real shame because there’s so much power in just admitting that. Yes, I happen to have a background in biology and ecology but not everyone has that and that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t talk about the environment. Because the one thing we all have in common is that we live here on Earth and it’s our home.
One thing I took away from the film is that you seem to be positive in spite of it all. We all know the feeling of being overwhelmed when it comes to the climate crisis, and some of the stats and things we see in the film are pretty bleak. What keeps you going?
That’s a good question. Look, if we are going to get into the doom and gloom it makes you depressed, that’s the reality. I did a degree in this – it definitely is depressing. Hearing those depressive stories day in and day out does not [help you to] get out of bed every day. I really do believe if we concentrate on the stories that are positive, that’s going to help more people to be like, there are things we can do. I also think the human spirit is incredibly resilient, and there’s a lot of strength in that as well.
Hope is really important. Throughout the film Nicholas would ask me, “What makes you hopeful?” and I’d just be like, “how do I answer that question? That’s a really hard question to ask when we’ve just been to Senegal and we’re seeing climate refugees and this shit is fucking hardcore, you know what I mean?” So I would be lying if there weren’t dark days for me as well.
Song you can’t stop listening to right now/song of the summer?
I’m known for really liking my old tracks. One song I’ve been playing out a lot is called “Mighty Power Of Love”. It’s like an old 90s house tune by a DJ duo called “Mood To Swing”. It’s such a cool song because it goes power power power power, and it actually talks about Mother Earth and being kind to her.
What’s next for Jayda?
Everything, all of the above. We’ve got the film, we’ve got the podcast called “Here’s Hoping” which is out now. You’ll actually be the first one to hear, we have a new single coming out soon, “Feeling Alive”. I’m really pumped for this song, it’s like a house banger. I’m just on this trajectory of hope, of positivity. I always have [been] but with my last album it was around grief and death, and now I’m rising out of the ashes going back to more positive notes because they give me a lot of life on the dancefloor and I hope it gives people that as well.
Blue Carbon is now available to stream on Waterbear for free.

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