Sydney DJ - The Funky Way - Dance House Music Sydney Melbourne Brisbane Australia DJ dj

DJ Julian Jason

DJ Julian Jason received his musical education in the burgeoning Sydney rave and club scene of the 1990’s. Around early 1997 he started to frequent the seminal Sydney house club night Stateside at the Underground Cafe, along with other house parties like Disco Kitchen and Lick. Pretty soon he was an avid house music fan and started to build his record collection.

It was at these clubs that he witnessed DJ’s like Mark Farina, DJ Derrick Carter and locals like DJs Jon Hardy, Nick Law, Mike Dotch and Simon Caldwell play. These are the DJ’s that sent him down the musical path he would follow as a DJ.

After spending a couple of years honing his skills and developing his sound Julian started to DJ at different clubs and bars like the Slip Inn, Greenwood, Sugareef, World Bar, Hunter bar and of course the Globe.

Early in 2002 a new Saturday night at the Globe was formed called Fly and Julian become the new resident DJ at the club. During the following two years Julian helped develop Fly into one of the best club nights in Sydney, playing host to the crème of local and international house music DJ talent, providing Sydney with some of the best underground house music has to offer. He has played support sets for DJ Chris Lum (Moulton Studios / Flat & Round), Dizzy (Doubledown), Jay-J (Multitracked /Moulton Studios), Kascade (Om / Inspirit), Crazy Penis (Paperecordings), Johnny Fiasco (Om / Casual), Andy Caldwell (Om / Inspirit), DJ Rasoul (Soulfood / Naked Music), JT Donaldson (Fairpark / Seasons), Miles Hollway (Paperecordings / Wall Of Sound), Dick ‘Magik J’ Johnson (Shaboom / NRK), DJ Jonene (Safe N Sound / Panhandle) and DJ Soanne (Paperecordings). As you can see it was a pretty crazy couple of years.

In the year following the sad demise of the Globe and Fly saw Julian move on to take up a fortnightly residency up on the Terrace at Together At Home Nightclub on Saturday nights along with Salt Shaker at the Chinese Laundry on Friday nights, with guest spots at Odds & Ends at Bohem Lounge, Ear Candy at Yu nightclub, Kink at the Arthouse and After Hours also at Yu. He also formed the respected deep house Sundays at HomeBar together with Home’s top DJ’s Illya and John Devecchis put together Frontin’ at Middle Bar on Friday nights.

At the end of 2004 Julian started to work at the newly opened Le Panic nightclub where he now resides every Friday night at the hugely popular Art night. He is also resident at Play on sundays at Le Panic. He also still regularly plays at Home, Plantation Bar, Blackbirds Cafe, Aloof at Le Panic and many other one off parties at various clubs like Le Panic.

2004 also saw Julian move into his long term goal of production. With several projects completed receiving positive feedback and favorable reactions from the dance floor. To help get this music out to wider range of people, a label is inevitably in the pipeline with his production partner DJs Toby Neal and Illya

With most house DJ's sticking to the one style, Julian stands out playing a wide variety of house from US and UK jackin’ house and deep house, through to a more funky soulfull sound. Progressing to a darker more jackin’ percussive sound, along to a more main room, mainstream sound perfect for any large room.

DJ Julian Jason Interview 29/04/05

How did you start DJing? When did you start?	I just got into through my friends who all had decks about 8 years ago, one morning after a night of clubbing my mate said 'do you wanna have a go', I was like 'YEAH'. He showed me how to cue up a record, got the pitch right for me then boom I did my first mix..it felt so good I knew it was something I really wanted to pursue.
How did you get your first gig and where was it?	My first gig was kinda unexpected, I had been playin at home for a while not really activly lookin for gigs then a guy who I had met once at a radio station (DEX) said he was puttin on a party and that he wanted to give guys that didn’t have gigs a go so he offered me a gig. It was at a place called the Mandarin Club. It ended up going really well and a mate who was a resident DJ and another club said he thought my set was cool and he would try and did get me a gig at another club...then things jus took off from there.
What makes a good DJ?	A good DJ I think must play to the crowd and not for himself. I mean its cool to play really intelligent tunes, but if its going over the crowds heads and they aint feelin it, it don’t matter how cool your music is, you aint doing a good job. I think you also have to enjoy it, there’s allot of guys who lost there passion for DJ’ing a long time ago and they jus keep on doing it for the money and their ego...they make good tunes sound shit.
What makes you a good DJ?	Well I guess naturally all of the above, I think I also try and get as much as I can out of a track. Where as some DJ’s jus quickly mix in and out of tracks so there set doesn’t loose momentum and it gives the sense of intensity, I like to play tracks that have loads of energy and get the most out them as I can thru the mixer, harnessing the energy that is in those tracks.
Who inspires you in the local industry and why?	[No answer given]
Who is the best DJ/artist in the world and why?	For house music I would have to say that my fave is JT Donaldson. Many hot producers come and go but JT has always been true to himself and done what he knows, he has never sold out and gone for he cash which has ensured his longevity and kept his creativity.
What makes you different from other DJs?	I play good music!!! Ha ha ha, umm I dunno, I guess I put a lot of my own personal energy into the sets that I play and I feel like im out there on the floor enjoying the music and I think that comes across when I play. I play tracks that I seriously love and I can’t help but feel the rush.
Why do you DJ?	Because I love it, I love the music and I love making people go off. It’s got to be one of the best jobs in the world
What is your DJing goal?	I want to take it as far as I can, I have big big dreams that I think I can make into reality with some time and allotta hard work
What are your regular gigs at the moment?	Im a weekly resident at ART at Le Panic, monthly resident at TOGETHER at Home, resident at ALOOF at Le Panic, Sumo Sonic at The World Bar and many other one off parties at Le Panic
Do you have an Internet site / Homepage?	[No answer given - www.thefunkyway.com now - Ed.]
What is the best venue that you've played at and what made it a good venue?	Well it used to be the globe because of the people and the music…. but lately I would have to say Le Panic has been loads of fun…Oh and I cant forget Home…that place can really go off and it’s the most amazing venue.
What is the worst DJing moment that you've had?	There hasn’t been any real major probs…too many little ones to list here but I guess it wasn’t fun on new years when the whole rig I was playing on cut out and lost power for ten mins….TWICE!! I was just looking at the crowd going ‘sorry guys it’s not my fault’.
What is best venue you've been to as a patron and what made it great?	I guess it would have to be the underground back in the day. It was jus a great time for house music (1997) and it has really shaped who I am and the music I play. It’s sad that those days are gone but in the end I am just glad that I was there to experience it all
How do you find new music?	Well I work in a record shop (Acetate Record Bar) and I frequent all the other record stores as well as downloading and of course pre released hook up’s from producers and such in the scene, as well as my own productions.
What are your fave tracks at the moment? (top 5)	Feel Me – Alexander East (JT Donaldson mix) Starbuck Jones Experience – Starbuck Jones Get Your Kicks – Dirty Kicks Touchdown - Toby Neal, Julian Jason & Illya Barnyard Announcement - Toby Neal, Julian Jason & Illya
What do you do when you're not Djing?	Getting into the studio with my boys (toby neal, illya), I like to chill and hang out with my girl and jus take it easy, stay at home and cook.
What is the most important thing that you've ever done?	It would have to be answering these questions!!! J
What does 'funky' mean to you?	Well that’s tough cos it means so many different things but I guess to me it means a cool, slapped out funky ass bassline…which is the root of any decent house track.