Meet Teddy (Jacques Cousteau) Brown | Electronic DJ & Producer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Teddy (Jacques Cousteau) Brown and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Teddy (Jacques Cousteau), what role has risk played in your life or career?
I know risk taking very well. You could say my middle name is risk. When I was a child, I lived at the top of a big hill and I always saw a big metal structure off to the distance. I lived up the street from WKIP, a local radio station, and I grew up wondering what the big antenna looked like up close. So when I was about 5, I walked down the street and wandered into the WKIP building. I wanted to meet the person talking on the radio and I wanted to get on the radio. My wish was to have my parents hear me announce the songs..
So I snuck out of my parents house at age 5. Wandered into WKIP, walked right through the front door and walked into the studio. They were live on air. The DJ asked me “Who are you?” I was all proud and told her my name. She asked if anyone else here with you and I said no. The nice lady said come over here and help me announce the next track and say my name and where I was from. Needless to say my parents were not happy about this, since the nice lady also phoned my parents.
Here is a little secret about me. In public elementary school, our 3rd grade teacher asked our class if anyone would be interested in learning an instrument and being in the school orchestra, and I raised my hand. Later that day I was brought into a room and two teachers sat me down and explained I could never play music or learn music. They said I would never be able to learn or understand music or play music or play any instrument. I did not have the skills. Because I am learning disabled, I have attention issues. Little did they know the universe had bigger plans for me.
From that point on I made it a focal point to risk everything to prove them wrong. When I was 13 my mom came to me two weeks before starting high school and asked me if I wanted to go to school out of state. I wound up in Providence, Rhode Island going to an Orthodox Yeshiva my 9th grade year. Classes had 4 to 5 students per class. We got out of class Friday early, usually before noon. I would bike 3 miles to a place called Thayer Street.
This was the most amazing place I had ever been! I was 13 without a parent in sight for three states. I never felt so much freedom but it came at a price. We could not own a TV of any kind whatsoever in our dormitory. We were allowed to listen to music and spoken dialogue with no dirty language at low volumes. Without having a TV I gave up on keeping up with TV shows for most of high school. On Thayer Street there was In Your Ear and like 17 other record stores including a dude selling bootleg cassettes of live shows & rarities, outtakes and b-sides out of his trunk. I was so happy, I used to spend at least 2 to 3 hours in one or more shops just listening to everything every Friday and Sunday.
I was in the right place at the right time and got swept up in the wave of post Grunge and in the center of the Alternative Music scene in New England. This lasted 2 years until my high school closed and I had to take another risk. Do I go back to regular high school or perpetuate this Musical Exploration in a new place?
I landed in Silver Spring, Maryland in my Junior year. The thing about going away to high school is going home every other month meant many hours traveling on a bus. I would love playing cassettes and then CDs from start to finish and loved when the build up in songs would sync up to landscapes and scenery as well as bridges and tunnels. After all, I am from the town of Poughkeepsie, New York, a town of 2000 people at the time. I loved listening to my music so much, I did not care about TV anymore. I was exposed to all genres, all styles. In Silver Spring as in Providence they had the best radio stations. After School on Fridays in Maryland I would go to all the local music stores in Wheaton Plaza in Silver Spring. On Fridays I had a ritual. I would buy one CD a week and see one movie every Friday. Now that I was older, I had friends who had cars. I lived with a family and we had a code. When I was going to a concert we would say I was going to the library to study and I would be home late. This was a huge risk. If I was caught I could have been expelled. They did not tolerate this behavior one bit. Needless to say, I did not get caught.
One day I made my first mixtape on cassette from my CDs and cassette singles on my trusty Panasonic platinum boombox which my brother Sandy bought for my 14th birthday. Then someone gave me my first technics 1200 turntable. As time went on I grew tired of being a Bass Player in a Heavy Metal Band so I decided to take another risk & start DJing Electronic Music.
My First Paid Gig was at the Arizona Bar in Jerusalem, Israel during my freshman year abroad. It was a great time and the resident DJ was impressed with my song selection. In New York I had the platform to DJ on College Radio for hours on hours. The thing about college radio is most people didn’t show up on time so I had a lot of opportunities to practice DJing since I didn’t own proper turntables until I moved to NYC which was another risk in my life which taught me if I can be a good DJ in New York, I can DJ anywhere.
Years later I took another risk and moved to Los Angeles with $2,500 to my name. I came to LA for one reason, and as foretold by a wise lady. “Maybe the Universe had to find a way to bring you to Los Angeles and music is the real reason you were meant to be here.” This was the furthest thing from the words I wanted to hear. I took an acting class because I wanted to hone my acting chops with Larry Drake & Steven Book. In the meantime, while taking acting classes I came to accept that the Universe or some higher force or power was guiding me back into accepting music as my purpose. This was a HUGE risk. I had no intentions of making music or DJing. I wanted to be an actor.
Due to the sheer frustration and needing a creative outlet I rebranded myself as Jacques Cousteau. Which was a huge risk as well as not showing my face when I perform. Since I launched this project I have worn a costume concealing my face and body since Jacques Cousteau’s first performance September 20th, 2014 at Exchange LA. Since then I have reached for the stars. I have made friends with artists I looked up to growing up.
In the beginning I would hit up every single artist I bought music of. Some were receptive and some were not. I did however make a lot of close contacts with artists I was discovering along my musical journey and now I am friends with some of them and all through music.
One of those people was my friend Wasabi who lives in Greece. He is also the person who recommended me to Shoutout Socal. Since I became Jacques Cousteau I have reached out to all high and low and it has taken me on the most excellent adventures. It’s funny when the universe wants you to do something, it will make all lights in your path green and will guide you to the right place at the right time. Everyone you meet in your life you were meant to. Until I accepted music, until I took that risk my life was just ordinary.
So when music entered my life wholeheartedly, it became my world. I have taken all risks that were thrown at me. Now I have played more shows than I can count. I have made so many friends through this artistic ability. I have made naysayers into believers and I have made people feel again through the music, meanwhile the risk I take is not playing an open format. The biggest risk I take, and I take it every performance is playing French Touch, Nu Disco & The Funky Music blended into what I call, Luxury House since it is only the rarest and finest cuts for your audio pleasure.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My Art is an Audio Visual Experience. Growing up I have gone to over 400 concerts since I was 14 and I have always been fascinated by musicians that could breathe life into music and give you an experience you will never forget. I was also fascinated by musicians such as David Bowie, Kiss & Arthur Brown who wore costumes (the original Musical Cosplayers) and The Bootie Parties in Los Angeles at the Echoplex. One thing that separates the good from the greats is the live performance. I know I have witnessed it time and time again. Throughout my life I was always studying performers and what they did, especially musicians. Some musicians give more life (energy) to the tunes on stage than others. I used to sneak backstage at every concert I could and chat with the bands, ask tons of questions and just take it all in. They loved my energy talking about music , I even got asked to go on tour with HED PE because of my energy. I made it to Philadelphia (the third gig) and hopped a bus back home (my Almost Famous days).
One of the best performers of all time was Scott Weiland from Stone Temple Pilots. Eddie Vedder from Pearl Jam is another artist that breathed life into tracks you’ve heard 1000s of times. I always wanted to give a performance at this level.
I went to City University of New York Queens College and I have a degree in Media Criticism & Film Production. Through understanding how media works, I applied my knowledge to my then hobby of music and never looked back. Also growing up surrounded by music my brother and sister played, it helped me a lot as well. My sister was big into The Cure and club music which meant I was exposed to this as well. My brother showed me how to make mix tapes. He was a lot older than me, as was my sister. I was the youngest of 3. My Dad was an Engineer for I.B.M. in Poughkeepsie and my Mom was a Teacher, so we had a lot of free time on our hands growing up.
When I was very young (my mother stayed home till I went to kindergarten) my mother would play music for me on vinyl and we would dance in the basement for hours on end, everyday. So when I play music and dance it is coming from the most genuine loving place. My mother would play a game called title and artist. She would make me memorize the title and artist of all the records she played as well as every song on the radio. I enjoyed music and I enjoyed dancing and for as far back to my childhood this is my core memory.
I was always a bit of an introvert, however I felt emotion in music at an early age and understood this concept. In College Radio I was responsible for going through as many as 100 to 200 CDs a week to see what new music we should play at WDCC in Poughkeepsie At State University of New York Dutchess College radio station. I could go through 200 CDs in about 3 hours, enter (ADHD) and hyperfocus. This skill is one thing that makes me stand out. I can hyper focus on crate digging for hours. I start at the surface and go deep into rabbit holes very quickly and the deeper I burrow the more diamonds I find. I Like to keep things fresh and by doing so I really do not replay the same song twice in my sets. When I DJ I strive to have the freshest and tastiest tracks possible. I want the highest quality music possible at all times. Now besides the music being top notch it needs a few more ingredients to work. The music that I choose has emotions woven into the music. By listening very carefully to tracks I can feel emotions within songs.
By weaving all the emotions collected into a journey I like to take the listener/ audience on a journey, a healing if you will. I do not pre-plan my sets, everything is done live. I will rehearse relentlessly to know my material but I need to feel the emotion and energy of the room to know what kind of journey I need to take a roomful of people on. This is different every show. No two sets are the same and I do not replay tracks. So every single live set I look at as a challenge. I look at it as a strategic challenge.
Now you may ask why did I mention audio visuals? Well I wear a shiny disco costume that I use to my advantage by working with the lights in the club. It is not a far stretch from stage lighting for theater or TV or film. When I play I make the most of what I can and try to really bring added production value wherever I go. And yes, it is hot inside of the costume.
So I actually stopped DJing for a little bit when I moved to Los Angeles and had my turntables and vinyl shipped to Los Angeles. I took some time to enjoy living here in Los Angeles. The Universe however started sending a lot of clear signals and the next thing you know I am performing again. Before I rebranded myself I played vinyl sets in Los Angeles for fashion Industry parties and at Onyx with my then roommate. As time went on a lot of people told me I had to update to digital. I was very unsure how this would play out. However the Universe sent me more messages and I started to listen. I upgraded my equipment to digital and 18 months later I launched Jacques Cousteau. In the Beginning in 2014 I played with a lot of DJs who no longer do music and or produce tunes and I have been blessed to play in Los Angeles and abroad for the past 8 years and be accepted by my peers and the stars I look up to.
To me it’s so strange that this thing I ran from always finds a way to get me involved and when I do. I feel I’m in the right place and I love feeling the energy of the crowd when I blow their minds. My music is very sample heavy so I will also make sure to take you on trip down memory lane. My musical knowledge is very vast and I love finding 2 for 1’s as I call them . That is where the track is an absolute banger and has a recognizable sample. I love finding tracks with classic Hip Hop, Classic Rock, Classic Synthwave and 80’s music meanwhile keep it 4 to the floor also known as 4/4 time. I learned a long time ago there are two types of music. Music you like and music everyone else likes. Through DJing I have found a third type. Tracks the audience will like. These are the diamonds I find for every set. These are tracks that make my high sensitivity sensors go off and make the hair on my neck stand up and give me goosebumps. I love showing these tracks to people and watching them drop their defenses and have a good time and smile.
It’s really crazy that this is my gift. It is so much fun to see people smile. It is even better when you see people in a bad mood come up to you after a show, give you a huge bear hug and have them tell you. I needed that thank you.
I want the world to know that this is a unique experience catered to each show. Everything is built off the feeling of the crowd. The whole intention is to take you through a cascading feeling of joy and happiness from your memories and make you feel loved. This is my gift, my love of music comes from the bond I share with my mother and when I play I radiate this vibe. I shower the crowd with good energy and I feel the good energy returned 10 fold.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I would pick my friends up from LAX. I would take them right to 26 Beach for brunch, possibly Dupar’s maybe Messhall. I would take them for a drive up PCH and take a spin through Malibu up to Port Hueneme and check out the view from the pier. Or maybe take the ferry to Catalina and enjoy drinks by the ocean while taking in the aquatic life in the crystal clear water. I would then head back to the mainland and head downtown or maybe head back to K-Town and go to EMC for dinner. I would then take my friends downtown to check out Exchange LA or maybe stay in Hollywood and go to Academy or Sound nightclub and dance the night away. I would take my friends the next day out to Brooklyn Bagel for breakfast and head out to the Palm Springs aerial tramway to take in the view and go for a hike. We would then head back to Melrose and go to Ta eem Grill or Dr Sandwich and grab a Laffa Shawarma. I would take my friends on a tour of all the modern graffiti by Banksy, Mr. Brainwash and Shepard Fairey on Melrose and surrounding areas. Then head over to show them Mr. Brainwash’s ever changing studio exterior art installation on La Brea. Then off to a roof top bar on the west side and enjoy a drink while taking in the sunset. After dark we would head downtown to an underground venue or maybe to a show I am performing at and then go to the after party!
We would spend a day at the beach or the Annenberg beach house before sending my friends on their way with new memories to cherish from their time in SoCal!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I wanted to give a shoutout to Wasabi aka Stamatelos Dimosthenis. He was one of the first people I looked up to who really helped mentor me in the international music scene and production. Others chatted with me however we would talk for a long time about music and labels and artists and built up a good rapport with very similar goals. He is very insightful and helpful. It helped me navigate the music scene here and abroad. He helped me understand things on a much larger level. Roland Clark for being real with me about music and what it really takes to make good music. To Evan Sanchez at Exchange LA who took a risk on me and let me debut Jacques Cousteau at the top venue in Los Angeles after asking literally every promoter every Friday and Saturday night for 2 years. For Monty Jameson for taking me under his wing and helping introduce me to the right people in Los Angeles. I also want to thank Groove Affection radio. I want to thank Rob Made, label head of Sleazy Deep & Sam Young aka Vanilla Ace. I want to thank 20Mission and Ben Greenberg for repeatedly booking me in San Francisco. The DJ collectives I have had the honor to be a part of Club House Events, Poler Nights, Boogie Nights, S.C.E.E. (So Cal Edm Events), Madame of the mix & B Real Television.

I want to thank my fiancé Samantha for allowing me to follow my dreams and be supportive, trusting and understanding.

I especially want to thank my mom Cassia Brown for seeing my gifts very early in life and supporting me and nudging me to hone my gifts and special abilities and never giving up on me and being supportive since day one and giving me life.

Instagram: @TedBrownMedia

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/tedabrown

Twitter: @TedBrownMedia

Facebook: www.facebook.com/musicjacques

Youtube: @TedBrownMedia

Other: www.soundcloud.com/Ted-Brown-Media www.mixcloud.com/Jcousteauedm info@tedbrownmedia.com

Image Credits
Brian Morris (cover Photo) J.Richphoto Suzied lady Ultra media William Delgado Anthony Michael Gamboa