In The Spotlight shines a light on Little Giant’s artists through a series of Q&A. In preparation for Little Giant’s second release due out in March, we present you with Berlin-based DJ & Producer, Jules Etienne.
1. Describe yourself as an artist…
Hi, I’m Jules Etienne. I’m a musician with a passion for juicy sounds and slow jams. I’m originally from France but I’ve lived in Germany for about 2 decades and so I’m pretty much a pure breed Western European.
2. When did you start making house music?
I started producing house music back in the 2000’s when i bought my first computer. I was actually planning to make lots of different kinds of music, but the production procedure and the discovery of Metro Area got me into making electronic dance music badly.
3. Describe the first gig you ever played.
I honestly can’t remember my first gig ever as a dj or live act. I mean I remember my first concert as a violin player in music school as a child, but after that it’s all blurry.
4. How would you describe your sound?
The music I produce is very harmonical. It starts to be music to me when 3 pitched elements harmonise together. In my studio, I use lots of instruments and old gear I collected during the year and so is the sound of my music productions.
5. What influences you? Where do you get your ideas?
My influences are mostly based on sounds i hear and think i want to put them in my music context. It can be the sound of a synth i heard in an old cheesy erotic movie soundtrack or the sound of the cross road warning signal. I’ve been listening to a lot of ambient and video games soundtracks lately. To name a few I’ve heard a lot of Tomas Dvorak or Jon Keliehor lately. Most of my ideas are the product of hours of work in the studio, or to put it a more funny way, my ideas are the product of lots of goofing around in the studio.
6. What do you like the most about dance music?
What makes dance music so amazing to me is its naive tribal component, this capacity (or should i say necessity) to stay grounded in the physical tension of making bodies move. It makes this music very democratic and gives this get together feeling that we need more than ever these days.
7. Who are some of your favorite DJs?
My friend and mentor, Daniel Wang the disco legend, my label mate Trujillo with his amazing set of twisted and surprising music, my long time friends Quarion and Massimiliano Pagliara, this crazy dude from Belgrad with his amazing slow sets called Vladimir Ivkovic…
8. Describe your creative process.
I turn on all my instruments and the microphone and see what happens.
9. What shows/releases do you have coming up?
Next show is at Bohnengold in Berlin/Kreuzberg
Next releases are:
1 EP on Little Giant
1 EP on Cocktail D’amore
1 EP and my fist Album on Apersonal Music