DJ/Producer James Juke Is Ready For The World To Meet James Juke 2.0 – Magnetic Magazine

Kristi Forrest • May 24, 2024
James Juke is a relative newcomer to the electronic music scene but has already made a big impact worldwide as a respected DJ and Producer.
I had the opportunity to talk to James about where he came from and where he is heading next.
James Juke, an artist from San Francisco, has a steadily growing fanbase. His music reaches audiences across major cities worldwide, with some of his fastest-growing markets being some of the biggest dance music meccas in the world, including London, New York City, Sydney, and Los Angeles.
Juke’s work is a modern homage to disco and house music, influenced by the Midwest and New York sounds. His tracks nod to jackin’ and classic garage house, blending vintage elements with a contemporary edge. His music has quickly caught the attention of key figures in the dance music community, including well-known artists like Disclosure, Rimarkable, and Demuir.
Inspired by his early experiences on dance floors, particularly a memorable night in Buenos Aires, Juke’s passion for music production grew. Observing DJs skillfully manage the crowd’s energy fueled his desire to create music that evokes the same dynamic atmosphere. His releases on labels such as Brobot, Spacedisco, and the Basement Discos aim to keep listeners engaged and dancing until dawn.
You started your career in San Francisco, then made the move to Brooklyn. Tell us how
you’ve managed to stand out in New York amongst 1000’s of other DJ/Producers?
Although the New York club scene is a crowded space, I was very lucky that a couple of
tracks from my first 3 EPs (namely “Where the Party Starts” and “Win or Lose”) stood out and
caught the attention of a couple local DJs/promoters, namely boyyyish and Orson, who were
excited to give me opportunities right after I arrived. A month or so after settling in, I met Astro
Raw (of LION BABE) and began working with them and producing their recently released album, House of LION BABE.
Around the same time, I was also getting booked to play some great direct support sets back in San Francisco with Mike Dunn and Channel Tres, which somehow caught the attention of some other nightlife people here. I say all of that to underline how important all the hours I spent alone in the studio in my apartment in San Francisco were in opening doors for me here in New York. From there, it’s been all about organic connections and relationships with numerous local DJs, producers, and promoters. I’ve been surprised at how supportive everyone has been for
the most part.
You spent several years as a successful model during your college years. You played
your first DJ set in 2019. What inspired you to start DJing, and is modeling a distant
memory now?
I kicked off my modeling career in 2017 as a way to express my creative self and hopefully gain
some opportunities to connect with other people and travel the world. A photoshoot I did for
Vogue Italia stands out as an experience that I never thought I would’ve had when I started.
There were things I enjoyed about it, such as collaborating with exceptional
photographers, working with creative stylists, and transforming into a character in front of the
camera; however, at that point in my life, it wasn’t feeding my soul in the way I had hoped.
Ironically, it was while I was living in Argentina and focusing on modeling that I discovered my
love of house music after seeing Folamour, Honey Dijon, and Dusky within the same month.
After returning to The Bay Area, I bought my first DJ controller and DJ’d a couple of small gigs in
2019, but it wasn’t until the pandemic that I began to take it more seriously. With the extra time, I
downloaded Logic and began teaching myself how to produce music.
I had no formal musical or technical background, so, needless to say, the learning curve was immense, but I was instantly hooked. I spent countless hours digging for music and reading books about the history of club
music. If I think about a big turning point, it’s when I enrolled in Demuir’s Patreon, where I had
monthly 1-on-1 sessions with him for a few months. This new obsession left little space for
anything else, so modeling has been in the background ever since. With that said, I’ve been
contemplating re-signing with an agency because I miss that form of artistic expression.
You spoke on social media about the opportunity to DJ in Germany at Golden Pudel
and Golden Gate. Did you find the audiences to be different in Germany than US
audiences? How do you think that experience will influence your future sets?
Those two gigs in Germany were profoundly fulfilling and validating. I felt such a deep presence
from the crowd and a genuine love and appreciation of the music. Even more, I perceived that
the audience in Germany was more attuned to the role of the DJ, the type of people who
implicitly says, “Take me on a journey; I’m along for the ride”. It’s not that I’ve never experienced
this in the US, but it’s definitely more occasional and fleeting in my experience. I never saw
phones and seldom heard conversations on the dancefloor. The people were there strictly to
dance.
Both shows gave me the opportunity to play some of the heavier house records (and
even some techno tunes) that I’ve been loving recently.
Hearing all of the positive feedback from the dancers and the staff at both clubs was deeply satisfying; knowing that I could rock a room in Germany during the early parts of my career has given me a newfound confidence that I hope to express through my forthcoming music. It also encouraged me to seek out more opportunities
here in NY with parties that bring out similar crowds.
Tell us about the new EP you have coming out on Gome’s Snackwax label. You have
seamlessly slid between Disco, Jackin’ House, & Garage in past work. Can we expect
more of these styles, or do you have some surprises in store?
My upcoming EP on Snackwax, “Vital Organ”, pairs two pretty different sounds together. The
title track is a peak-time house track centered around a hi-energy organ sample and an uplifting
sermon-type vocal. The second track, “Love Ain’t Enough”, is a soulful house song that I
collaborated on with the extremely talented vocalist, Fleur De Mur. Rhodes chords, horns, and a
funky bassline provide the foundation for Fleur’s soul-filled vocals. Together, I think these two
tracks showcase quite a bit of my range and growth since releasing my debut project.
With that, it’s even helped me craft an even wider range of music for my upcoming EPs
and debut LP as I continue to collaborate with a lot of artists who continue to push my artistry to
new levels.
You recently released a remix of Lion Babe’s “Rockets” and have produced several
tracks for their upcoming album. How did you connect with them, and should we expect
more production credits for you in 2024?
Shortly after I moved to New York, I was connected with Lucas (Astro Raw LION BABE) at a
party he was DJing. We immediately hit it off and he mentioned he was loving a couple of songs I
had recently released. From there, he invited me to the studio in parallel with me sending him
some songs I was working on. We quickly developed a great dynamic and workflow that worked
really well for us and even resulted in me producing eight tracks on their newest album House of
LION BABE. We definitely have much more in store together, so you’ll just have to stay tuned
there 😉
2024 looks like a pretty exciting year for James Juke! Can we get any sneak peeks into
what is coming following the release of your new EP?
2024 is a really interesting and exciting year for me. I’ve talked a lot with my manager, Gaston,
about how this year is the beginning of “James Juke 2.0”. We’re spending a lot of time this year
organizing our processes, establishing a team, and really asking ourselves “Who is James
Juke?” This year sees us reaching for new heights in terms of the labels and artists that I’m
working with, shows that I’m playing, and my overall growth as an artist. All of this has
crystallized a quality-over-quantity approach that I think will be evident over the coming year
and beyond.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heyjamesjuke/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/heyjamesjuke
Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/artist/6gbPKiUthmk2t7K57AS3mf?si=hLzDWAnLSneUeJ-1LVK_wg
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/james-juke/1551245975
Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/artists/B08VDFQLFT/james-juke
Beatport: https://www.beatport.com/artist/james-juke/967135
Traxsource: https://www.traxsource.com/artist/597010/james-juke
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/heyjamesjuke
Bandcamp: https://jamesjuke.bandcamp.com/
© 2024 MAGNETIC MAGAZINE
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