Julian Jordan is riding the crest of a wave, fresh from the World Club Dome stage in the Veltins Arena in Gelderkirchen he is sitting on the proverbial Cloud 9, and is absolutely famished. However even attempting to steal a few minutes for a quick meal proves somewhat difficult, as on at least four occasions during the quick absorbing of sustenance, he is approached (somewhat sheepishly) by adoring fans, desperate for a photograph, desperate for a quick reminder of an unforgettable night in Germany.
He obliges his fandom and in between obliges his hunger, it seems this is the life of a superstar DJ, but what goes through the mind of a DJ in the moments after stepping off a stage, after captivating 40,000 people, how do you climb down from the heavenly adrenaline rush?
Julian Jordan: “It’s strange, during the set, you’re always trying to live in the moment,” says the Dutch native; “like really enjoy every second, the energy from the crowd, you can feel it, but when it’s coming to an end, I’m like, whoah is that us coming to end of the set already.
He continues. “Stepping off the stage, I need about 10-15 minutes to try and let it sink in, to try and really understand what has just happened.”
Go hard or go home
Unlike in other countries, and festivals, there’s no gradual build up to the main event in Germany, the entire event is the main event, there’s no early mellow, the tagline, ‘Go Hard or Go Home’ is never more relevant than at a World Club Dome festival.
Laughing Julian says; “Yeah a lot of time you have to kind of build up the crowd, avoiding the big hard tracks too early, but over here, it’s big bangers, it’s go, go, go, that’s what they want, and I love it, the energy is always there. There’s never a head dip from the crowd, and there’s no need to instigate a clap, clap, clap, from the crowd. Half the time they’re instigating the clap and I’m simply joining in.”
Classmates
A classmate and close friend of current DJ Mag No.1 Martin Garrix, both have soared to the top ranks of the DJ industry, but back then sitting in class could they have ever predicted the level of success either one would achieve? From No.1 accolades to Las Vegas residencies (Julian has a residency at Omnia in Caesar’s Palace, arguably the most prestigious club on the whole strip), it must be like a walking dream.
Julian Jordan: “It’s so weird, I can remember us sending MSN Messenger comments to each other, sitting in the same class. Almost everybody on the stage tonight sat together in the same classroom. It was our teacher Mark Altman, without doubt one of the best producers I know. Technically, musically, he can produce everything, any genre and bring it together. We learned a lot from him. Literally my school class, in a sold out stadium, and every one of us playing. Super, super, strange.”
“Sometimes I just think, how has this happened, it’s still happening. I was just making music, decided to get a manager and then all of a sudden I got bookings I was like OK. Shit I’ve got to play music, shit I’ve got to play my first festival, and now it’s playing in huge stadiums. Sometimes I try not to think too hard about it, try not to look backward, only look forward.”
Meteoric Rise
It’s been a pretty meteoric rise for Julian, from being announced as MTV’s ‘One to Watch’, touring the world at 15 years old, including his own Vegas residency, headlining Electric Daisy Carnival, and most recently developing and releasing his own ‘Chasin’ fashion line. Surely nothing phases the 22 year old after everything he’s experienced?
Reminiscing about the earliest days in his career Julian says; “It’s a different kind of nerves now, but I was definitely more nervous playing my first gigs to like 200 people. Back then you don’t have the experience to call upon, nothing to prepare you. Now it’s more about making sure your set is perfect, should I have played another track, should I have edited the intro differently, it’s a different kind of nerves, but it’s all experience.”
Laughing he continues; “My first gig was a Reggae loving school party in Holland, so I come with all these house tracks and after two songs I’ve got people coming up to me saying, ‘is this all you’ve got’? ‘No reggae’?
“I’m sure after answering ‘No’, the reply I received was ‘this sucks’. That’s quite the learning process.”
Fresh from releasing the fantastic track ‘Light Years Away’ with TYMEN, courtesy of Julian’s new record label GOLDKID Records, a track, certainly more melancholic than some of his previous ‘big room bangers’, with a new record label comes a little more freedom, it seems a natural evolution for DJ’s to progress toward owning and producing on their own label, the power to release tracks that entice new fans but equally being able to honour fans loyal from the very beginning.
“It’s sick being able to release music on my own label, says Julian. “I always wanted to release on my own label, and I’ve got that opportunity, I’ve got the freedom of releasing music immediately and making my own schedule. I remember on my old label (Spinnin Records), the first A&R session I ever had, working on all these projects, and I was constantly like ‘nah, throw it away’.”
Julian continued; “I had a really good bond with my A&R guy and he says to me, let me hear the last project you want tossed. He turns round to me after listening and says; ‘This is a hit record’. That track became ‘Kangaroo’ with Sander Van Doorn and I nearly threw it away.”
A new label
A new label means a new platform, not just for him, but for other DJ’s, being able to hear a new DJ and giving them the freedom to release tracks and follow their heart. He says. “Yeah that’s what I think about sometimes”, he says pensively “and I suppose that’s where the label comes in. I hear such brilliant music from new and established DJ’s free from the influence of the charts but nowhere to release them.”
“I find myself worrying about where a track fits in to radio play, or if it’s going to be big enough for a festival. Some tracks I create I know won’t fit on the radio, you can’t listen to them on the way to work, It’s about allowing myself to let go and giving tracks freedom to breathe.”
Whether it be, constantly working on new music during the day, and then playing to huge crowds every evening, the fashion line appears to be another feather in a talented bow, but how much synergy is there between Julian’s music and his ‘Chasin’ fashion line? “I love creating”, says Julian “I’m constantly creating whether it’s on stage, in the studio or with the fashion line.
He continues “I want people to look at me and think he’s got good taste, it gives people a good representation, the music is a huge part of it, people hear me first, love my music and then think ‘damn that guy dresses well’.”
Thanks very much to Julian for taking the time to talk to EDM-TV and his new track Julian Jorden x TYMEN – Light Years Away is out now on GOLDKID Records.
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