Studio sounds: Jahday Ford shares his creative soundtrack

Ahead of Crafts' launch party on 3 November, we spoke to Jahday Ford, AKA Obeka – a multi-talented maker-meets-DJ – who will be supplying us with sounds on the night. To get us in a festive mood, the Bermudian-born, London-based glass artist has also made us a Spotify playlist, sharing the soundtrack of his intercontinental upbringing. Here, he tells us what gets him moving in the studio.

How does music inform your creative process? Has a song ever inspired a piece of your work?

Music gives a sense of hope and the ability to envision something great. It's just the way my head works, it's like a Venn diagram; in one section there's sculpture, art, design, products, installations, and in the other section there's music. But at times they do come together and blend. My mind naturally keeps them quite separate so as to not lose focus.

I'd say 85 per cent of my artistic life is work, the other 15 per cent is rhythm – pure rhythm and enthusiasm, and a sense of clarity and happiness. That's where the music comes into play. Sometimes I’ll have creative block, or I just don't have that energy. Without fail, music will spark something, but not in the way where I think 'oh, I'm going to sculpt this'. It's never like that – music is more like a catalyst for what I make, and the energy behind it.

What’s the mood of this playlist, and how do you think it could inspire other makers?

I believe this playlist helps supply a sense of focus and creative drive. It sparks energy and enthusiasm, and gives buoyancy to what you're working on. Sometimes when there's nothing happening sonically that makes you feel good, you can get lost in the mess of being an artist. Adding another dimension to your creativity, like music or dance, helps manifests ideas that you never would have thought of originally.

What are your favourite tracks here, and are they associated with any special memories?

There are a few tracks from my roots, from my home back in Bermuda; they’re the grounding on which I built my art. 'Prison Oval Rock' by Barrington Levy is a classic – everywhere I'd go, I'd hear it – chilling in my dad's car, or at the park, or at the beach, in a restaurant, or at a shop. You would always hear stories through reggae.

When I was younger, I listened to a lot of stuff from America and the Caribbean; it's a huge mixing pot in Bermuda. But when I moved to the UK, it was absolutely crazy because there are so many genres and sub-genres; it was an explosion of ideas and inspiration.

What inspired you to get into DJing alongside your career as a glass artist?

When I was a teenager, it seemed like DJing was never going to happen because I was so shy. My brother was a DJ, and I looked up to him because he was really good; he tried, and tried, and tried [to get me to start], but I was terrified. I wasn't a recluse, but I couldn't perform in front of people. So DJing came later in my life. I began with drumming, and collecting music that I loved... I always had different cuts of songs that I would get off of [file downloading software] Limewire. It's interesting because that process is probably what's now the most important part of being a DJ – you're always collecting music.