|
My Interview with Judge Jules [365Mag]
|
View this Thread in Original format
| euphoria |
http://www.365mag.com/index.php?pg=...+Music+Magazine
He's been in the scene for ages, having accomplished pretty much everything a DJ can dream of. Besides being a highly skilled DJ, he's also made waves with well received productions and remixes and a slew of mix compilations that have amassed ten thousands of copies world wide, ranking him in the top regions of any international DJ poll. We're talking about Judge Jules here, known by many as The Judge and one of the UK's most successful dance artists. Ever since 1983, when he picked up DJíng, Jules grew out to become one of the icons of dance music as we know it, touring the world for sold out gigs including some of Ibiza's most memorable parties. And there's no slowing down. Recently, Jules was appointed ambassador of Dance4Life, where he now acts as a spokesperson to warn youngsters for the dangers of AIDS and HIV.
It is a pleasure to have an interview with an artist with such history and is so deeply rooted in the EDM scene. 365Mag went for an interview with the the Judge himself to get to know more of him as a person, an artist, and as a public spokesman.
According to the diary on your website, you seem extremely busy. In what ways do you handle the pressure, and where do you find the time to manage all these tasks?
I find it important to create some form of structure to my life, which enables me to cope with pressure. Due to the amount of traveling that can sometimes take place each week, it is often easier to work whilst on the road. So, like many, I try to use my up travel time as productively as is humanly possible, keeping on top of my music and work affairs etc. The key for me is in maintaining organization, so that everything around you doesn't begin to fail and the workload becomes unmanageable. It's important to find space to keep the body and brain fresh, whether that is just staying activate with the gym or spending time with my family.
What is your equipment of preference and what are some of the reasons for this decision?
On the DJ front - Pioneer CDJ's take my preference here basically because they are the industry standard and are an extremely robust piece of kit. As turntables go they've always managed to stand up to the demands of a DJ's needs, in the same way the Technics 1210's did before them. On the mixer front - it would again be Pioneer, who has been a leading producer of mixers in the marketplace for some years now. If you were to look across a varied collection of DJ's riders you would see pioneer down as the equipment of preference.
Which do you own more of, vinyl or CD's?
I don't really own that many CDs. Most of my music is now stored digitally, being split between numerous hard drives and memory sticks. Whilst the use of vinyl stopped for me in about 2003/04, I still own a considerable amount of my old vinyl mostly because much of it has a sentimental value to me.
Would you like to recommend any new talent that is worthy of a listen?
Will Atkinson, who comes from the island Orkney just off the northern tip of Scotland .He began sending me his tracks back when he was just 13 or 14 years old and is now only 18 with a bright future ahead of him. I probably play more of his production than any other producer I can think of.
What upcoming dates in your schedule are you most excited for?
It sounds a political answer but I'm always excited about the dates in my diary. I'm fortunate that my schedule has a wide range of events; from last weekend's closing party at Judgement Sunday to my forthcoming date in Manchester, all of which give me the opportunity to experience different crowds and events.
When you bring your family members on tour with you what type of non-club related activities do you engage in?
Ibiza is perhaps the place my family frequents with me the most as we have villa on the island and it fits in well with the summer holiday period for my children. Activities range from water sports to beach games and involve a lot of cultural family activities.
Do your children like electronic music?
Well the one is very young and the other is perhaps still too young to be following in his dad's footsteps …although this doesn't stop them dance manically around to it whenever they hear it.
Can you share some of your most memorable experiences with Radio 1?
I mean I guess the majority of shows one does are mixed in a studio environment with about two to three people. So the most memorable would have to be a 'live' based show, which often involves a larger production team, and features an audience. The one show that stands out is Radio 1's coverage of the UK Love Parade, which had a stationary audience of a 100,000 people with a national listener ship being in the millions. As a radio presenter out of the studio environment nothing beats the immediacy of feedback from a 'live' audience.
How was the suggestion to join Dance4Life proposed to you, or was this something you got involved with on your own?
Dance4Life has been in existence since 2003 and already involved a number of high profiled ambassadors such as Tiësto and Paul van Dyk, so I was aware of the charity's work long before I agreed to become an ambassador. How my involvement came about was really down to the growth of Dance4Life in the UK. The organization wanted to expand on ambassadors from the UK market to help the get the charity's work into the public eye, so they invited me to come onboard and utilize my position in helping to create awareness for Dance4Life.
Is this the first charitable organization that you have joined?
No, over the years I have been involved with a number of different charities. I support Cancer Research because my mother died of cancer. Whilst I don't suffer from depression myself, I have put my support behind the charity C.A.L.M because this is a very big problem for a large majority of young male adult's men. So my involvement is to help raise awareness of the program and their work.
How did the idea for your clothing line "Heroes & Villains" come about, and who creates the designs?
I enjoy men's fashion and have always felt there is a shortage on men's fashion in the UK, so the idea of 'Heroes & Villains' was really born from this. I felt something was needed that was a bit louder and bolder for the male fashion consumer, and a bit like my decision to go into production, I wanted to create something that was new and tailored to my inspirations.
What are your hopes for this years DJ Mag Top 100 DJ poll?
I responded to all my emails and have had great feedback with regards to this year's poll, so I'd like to think I've been on people minds when they've been casting their vote. For me the poll is a firm barometer on the weather in club-land and with a substantial proportion of people's income going on clubbing. I think it gives them the opportunity to vote on the DJ's they'd like to see do well over the coming year.
Are there any other comments that you would like to address your fans with?
I would just like to say thank you for the continued support. I'm always happy to hear feedback from people about my music and gigs and answer any questions they might have.
365Mag would like to thank Judge Jules for his time and answers!
 |
|
|
| dancemaniac |
Awesome interview, I really like the guy.
Dance4Life have a new album which I just downloaded from their site and guess who features on it?????? You've guessed it; the Judge himself |
|
|
| BiG MiKE |
| Cool interview :) |
|
|
| AY STAR |
| quote: | Originally posted by BiG MiKE
Cool interview :) |
rofl
all i saw was the names "jules"
and for a few seconds i though this interview was with you
ha ha ha ha |
|
|
|
|
