Jan Kincl

Jan Kinčl is a prominent Croatian music producer, DJ, and live performer, known as one of the region's most inspiring artists. Balancing the thin line between house, techno, and jazz, Jan’s music has been released on respected international labels including BBE Records, Far Out Recordings, Sonar Kollektiv, and Get Physical, and his tracks have been remixed by Alton Miller, Gene Hunt, Kai Alcé, Trinidadian Deep, and Gari Romalis. He heads Cycle Records and Cycle Studio Zagreb, enhancing his presence in Croatia’s music culture and extending his reach internationally.

Born and raised in Zagreb, Jan emerged from Croatia’s club scene at the turn of the millennium, a period instrumental in shaping his connection to the many facets of Detroit’s sound — jazz, hi-tech jazz, and a few things in between. His work — whether in the studio or behind the decks — flows from a deep-rooted commitment to the art of DJing with the same intent: to connect the dots between eras, genres, and emotions. For Jan, DJing is more than music; it’s about bridging past and present, the fast and the slow, the soulful and the raw, creating moments that draw the audience into a shared experience.

International media have recognized Jan as "one of the most interesting voices emerging from the region." His debut album, the jazz-infused house record In Plain Sight, recorded with French keyboardist Regis Kattie, was described as “one of the most significant pieces of regional contemporary dance music.” The album received support from Laurent Garnier, Derrick Carter, Alton Miller, Jazzanova, Volcov, Tony Humphries, Lefto, Claude Young, Jimpster, DJ Bone, Mark Grusane, Kai Alcé, and many others. “The funk’s all over this project!” remarked NDATL’s Kai Alcé, while French pioneer Laurent Garnier described it as “Superb deepness!”

Jan’s productions continued to expand beyond the typical boundaries of dance music. During this period, he released a remix for Brazilian legend Ivan Mamão Conti from Azymuth on Far Out Recordings, reimagined two tracks for German jazz-funk band Key Elements on Jazzanova’s Sonar Kollektiv label, and paid homage to Croatian music folklore with a reinterpretation of Radojka Šverko’s Kud Plovi Ovaj Brod, a special 50th-anniversary release of this 1970 chanson classic.

His catalog continued to grow across labels like BBE Records, PDV Records, Get Physical, Oye Black Label, and Save The Groove, gathering support from DJs worldwide, including Alex Barck (Jazzanova), Ben Sims, Osunlade, Rick Wade, Robert Owens, Santiago Salazar, Lakuti, Lefto, Orlando Voorn, Afrikan Sciences, Mark Flash, Norm Talley, Pablo Valentino, DJ Nobu, Rainer Trueby, Gene Hunt, Javonntte, Scott Grooves, and many more.

At the 2022 Elector Croatian Electronic Music Awards, Jan won three awards, including “Best House Single” for Suede on Get Physical, along with two additional awards for his production work on two different VA compilations. Around the same time, a series of releases on Deep Inspiration Show Records found a receptive audience in Africa, leading to two tours across South Africa and Lesotho within the same year.

Currently, Jan is focused on Cycle Records, where he released the For A Minute EP — the label’s first 12” — written and produced at Cycle Studio in Zagreb. The EP features two original tracks and two remixes by Chicago house legend Gene Hunt, who noted, “I loved the way the original had such an old-school feel to it, jazzy vibes with a ’70s touch. When I was asked to do a remix, I was like yesssir! It reminds me of something that Moodymann would make. It contained a ’94 vibe, Detroit and Chicago combo.”

A new live show unit is also in motion. Jan is now joined on keyboards by Ishfaq, an Irish producer and multi-instrumentalist whose recent contributions include the Searchlight Remix of Goldie’s Sensual for the 25th anniversary of the drum’n’bass classic Timeless, along with featuring on several of Jan's tracks, including 3300 Gratiot Ave, For A Minute, and Daylight.

Alongside his own work as an artist, Jan leads Cycle Studio Zagreb, a professional sound design and music production facility, and has taught the “History of Electronic Music” at United Pop Academy’s Music & Sound department for over a decade.