Julian Jordan has taken the global house scene by storm since his debut in 2012. The Dutch DJ and Producer has toured around the world playing at major festivals and events, has received support from industry experts like Tiësto and Sander Van Doorn, and is even a close friend of Martin Garrix. In this exclusive interview, we caught up with Julian Jordan following his electrifying show at Hush Hush in Toronto, Canada, as part of his North America tour.
So you started your music career at an early age. Could you talk about your intro, your journey, and how you decided to become a DJ and producer?
I started playing percussion when I was five years old. Basically, my parents said, “Okay, you should just do music school.” But, I was not at a music school- music was just a fun thing you did after school. I spent so much time drumming and I loved it so much, so then I started drumming lessons at six years old- and took them until I was 15. So at this point, I was playing drums, playing in multiple bands, having fun with that.
I had an older brother and he used to show me a lot of music. Eventually, he showed me electronic music. At this point, I wanted to learn to drum on music. So, I showed my drumming teacher the music that I wanted to drum to, and we started doing it. That’s how I got in touch with electronic music. I was like, okay, I’ve been drumming with this music so many times- now can I create this music as well without using the physical drums? And then I got FL Studio and that’s why and how I started making music.
Speaking of your childhood- I know you have been friends with Martin Garrix since you were in school, and it appears you two are still friends to this day. What was it like growing up with him? Do you think working with him on various songs and signing with STMPD RCRDS has helped escalate your music career to where it is today?
Of course. In a way, we both helped each other. In the beginning, I helped Martin. Martin helped me. And we still keep in contact almost every day helping each other because I feel like the best way of surviving this industry- or any industry- is working together, working with people that you know, you trust, and share your knowledge with. It’s super important. From the start, I’ve been supporting him, and he’s been supporting me. And with STMPD right now, his own label, I’ve been feeling such a warm welcome- a warm home where I feel like I belong. The support from them has been really great. So I love STMPD. Shout out, STMPD RCRDS!
I know you’ve performed at many shows and festivals around the world for over 10 years now, but is there a singular moment in your career that you are most proud of?
Yes. It may sound a little bit strange, but I did play Ultra Main Stage, and this was a moment that I’ve been working for my whole life. I’ve been watching the Ultra Main Stage live streams since I was young, and then I played there. But that wasn’t the moment. The real moment I was most proud was when I played in the square in the main street of my hometown. It wasn’t a big international show. When I played there, I was like, “Okay, I’m playing for my own crowd right now- for the people that I grew up with, the people that I knew from my childhood, and my family.” And that was the moment I’m most proud of. It was a great moment.
You clearly have a lot to be proud of, and I’m sure there are so many young artists and musicians who look up to you now. What advice would you give to upcoming DJs, producers, or any people that are trying to get started in the music industry?
Good question. To be honest, it’s a tough world. If I can give you the real answer- you have to be tough. You have to own a lot of skills, not only production skills, but also marketing-wise and on the business side. I feel like you should learn a lot of things like communication, marketing, how to promote your own product, and also stage presence. How are you on stage? Also, think about everything twice, but don’t think too much. Have fun. You should really think about what you love to do. Follow your heart, follow your passion, and try to find an audience for that sound. Try to find something that suits you. Don’t follow the hype, don’t follow the trends. Do something that makes you happy. Find your crowd, find your audience through marketing or through whatever. And yeah, just do it. Just go with it and have fun. That’s the most important thing. If you don’t have fun, then people will notice.
That is really great advice that we can all learn from. Let’s jump into the more fun questions now. What is your dream collab?
A$AP Rocky. I’ve been following him for a long time. And since I was young, I listened to him. I remember when his first album came out- it was like the soundtrack of my high school. And I thought- this guy reformed hip hop, the urban scene. This guy understands the art side of it, and all the other parts of the industry. I would never want to ruin his artistic view, but it would be fun to work with him to see how he thinks, how he is in the studio, and how he is, for instance, on an electronic beat.
Do you have a most embarrassing stage moment?
Oh yes. It was at my first booking with Martin Garrix. We did a show at a city near Amsterdam and we had a bottle of champagne and we had to spray into the crowd. But I was 16 years old. I never had a bottle of champagne in my life. And I hold the bottle. I was shaking it. And basically I was like, why isn’t it popping? So I looked at the bottle and the cork just hit me in my eyes. All the champagne was going into my face. And it was in front of the whole crowd. So it was like, really embarrassing. But it was a fun moment. And Martin is still teasing me about this until today.
What’s your favorite pair of shoes to wear while DJing?
I have super comfortable New Balance running shoes (New Balance 530). They are like THE touring shoes. When I have a tour and have to fly all over and stuff, I know I could look super fashionable with my leather boots or something, but I always end up wearing running shoes. I have these New Balances, but I also have Asics too. I also think they look at least a little bit cool on stage too.
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