Showing Up Over and Over: Jim Rider on Creative Consistency
Jim Rider’s music carries the kind of quiet confidence that only comes from staying grounded over the long haul.
A longtime contributor to All Day I Dream, Rider’s process reflects something rare in dance music—patience. His track “Dust” on the new Spring Sampler builds slowly, pulling from the same palette that’s made his catalog so dependable: deep rhythm, focused synthwork, and melodies that actually stick.
In this interview, Jim opens up about what it takes to show up consistently—not through some forced grind, but by staying available when creativity calls. He talks through settling down in Mexico City, why producing for others sharpened his own ideas, and the habits that keep him from drifting too far from the moment. His process is less about breakthroughs and more about staying close to the work—long enough to get lucky.
What has to be in place for you to do your best work consistently?
It helps to be settled. I’ve moved around a lot the last few years between London, Ibiza (for the last 3 summers as All Day I Dream resident), and Mexico City, but I finally settled in Mexico City since January.
We have a studio in the apartment which has been really helpful and means I can just work whenever I like. If nothing’s coming out, it doesn’t matter too much—I don’t have to force anything due to spending money on studio time. Mood is also a massive factor. I definitely make my best music when I’m at my happiest.
How do you recognize when you’re actually giving it your all—versus just going through the motions?
I usually do, to be honest. Production-wise, as I mentioned before, if I’m not feeling inspired and nothing is clicking, I’ll do other stuff in the meantime. In terms of playing shows, I realize how extremely lucky I am to do this for a living, so I always give it my best.
Have you ever dropped the ball on a project you cared about—and what did that teach you?
To be honest, no—not in my music career at least. I always try and finish every track I start (regardless of if I release it or not) as I feel it’s wasted time otherwise. I’m pretty sure I must have in my old day job though, haha.
What systems or habits help you stay sharp enough to meet the moment when it matters?
I’ve recently started producing music for other people, which has really helped me sharpen my skills and has helped with my own music. I’m always learning new things as I go.
It also comes with that added responsibility of working for other people, which is something I haven’t done for a while—so there’s a degree of timekeeping and general professionalism needed.
What stops you from mailing it in, even on the off days?
My love for music, probably. I grew up playing the drums, my mum is a folk musician, and I’ve been working in and around music since I was 21—on club bookings, festivals, then in advertising (still with a music and culture focus), and now as a full-time DJ and producer.
So it’s in my blood. I don’t really know anything else, haha.
Have you ever surprised yourself by how dialed-in you were during a session?
I think most artists (of any kind) will tell you that they have “purple patches” where everything really comes together and they produce their best work. I tend to have little runs where I’ll finish 8–10 decent tracks (in my opinion, haha), then I might struggle for a bit. I remember Pharrell saying “Don’t stop making music because you never know when creativity will strike” (or something along those lines), so the best option is to just show up and see what happens. The beauty of creativity is you never know what’s going to come out that day.
What does “being prepared” look like in your day-to-day as an artist?
For me, keeping on top of promos and always listening to different types of music is key in order to keep your palette as broad as possible.
Also, taking advantage of opportunities that arise and meeting as many people as I can. Nothing is handed to you, so as much as you enjoy the fun, creative bit, you need to forge relationships as you go—it’s a business after all. In terms of preparing for shows, I play a lot of my own music, so I’ll be finishing tracks and making sure I dig deeply for music so I’m not playing the same stuff as everyone else.
