"I Believe in Real and Sincere People" — Interview

Interview by Ilya Voronin. Published in Russian on mixmag.io, March 31, 2016. Julian Perez was in Lima, Peru on a South American tour at the time of the interview, ahead of his Moscow appearance at club Konstruktor on April 2.

Is there a developed house scene in Spain? Is there something that distinguishes it from others?

Compared to any other European techno and house scene, the modern Spanish scene is very small. Of course I'm not counting Ibiza, because that's a completely different story. In fact I would even talk about an audience rather than a "movement" as it was in the past. Although we still have really good DJs and producers active on this scene over the past two decades, plus new talents constantly emerging, everyone knows that the Spanish market alone is not enough to launch an artist's career. 95% of everything that happens in the world of techno and house happens outside the country.

You launched Fathers & Sons Production in 2012. Can you tell us more about the label, its goals, and why music on it is released exclusively on vinyl?

That's right. The label was launched in 2012 focusing on DJs and lovers of electronic music. By that point the digital music market had already developed greatly and become ubiquitous. It had become too easy to share music and you could get music without much effort. The digital music market quickly became flat and boring.

We believed in our taste and wanted to do things the way we thought was right and necessary — and we wanted our music on vinyl. At the start we had to invest ourselves and print releases in small runs, but the process began. Today we continue this work with the same pride and enthusiasm.

What are your criteria for selecting tracks for a release?

Believe it or not, there's no special process. Regardless of who the artist is or what type of tracks they are — if we like the idea, if we feel something — we sign it. We don't follow any strict stylistic line. We're interested in various genres. With the label we try to create a kind of story, showing through the records what we love — the most varied dance music that we love to listen to and play. Moving this way we will never get bored, and boredom is immediately the end for the label.

Every day people send us their music; some even send to all the labels they like, hoping to get released on at least one of them. Others work on a specific sound to get onto a particular label, which sometimes works — but it can also happen that at that moment the label has already changed its direction. Personally I think that music should be made relying exclusively on your own feelings, not thinking in terms of labels, and only then looking at a specific one.

Are there any places that inspire you to create music?

Spain is full of notable places, but there are no specific places after visiting which I would get inspiration. I draw from my everyday emotions, feelings and moods. I truly value and love the moments of silence I arrange for myself for a few hours a day — only then can I gather my thoughts, and in such moments I manage to find new ideas for my future tracks.

How do you protect yourself from emotional burnout?

Everyone who performs and goes on tour knows that DJ life is an emotional rollercoaster. Often things don't go as planned, not everything depends on us, and success is not an easy thing — but that's life, right? Such experience is worth living for.

In my opinion, the main thing is to enjoy what you do, to stay true to yourself, and not to lose the desire to keep moving. I don't believe in the "get there at any cost" approach. Respect can be earned through hard work, by trying to make those around you happy. For me personally, dedication, patience, accuracy and enjoying every second are important. If I burn out recklessly, the fun won't last long.

Are there DJs who serve as examples for you?

Of course I have DJs and people I respect, who I admire — but it would be unfair to name only some of them. For me, good examples are DJs who go their own way, who don't put on airs, who don't rely forever on PR, who don't always expect help, who learn from those they admire. Those I look up to have individuality, they always maintain an element of surprise — people never know what to expect from them. Those who dedicate themselves entirely to music, ignoring all the outside nonsense.

"I respect DJs who do this not for money, or not out of a desire to avoid a boring job they don't like. They do it because they can't do it any other way. I'm talking about those who don't need to use people, who don't need to constantly put themselves above others, diminishing others' achievements and using someone to secretly do all the work for them, spreading lies about their fans and colleagues just to stay 'there' at any cost. I admire those who work like crazy to achieve their goals. I believe in real and sincere people — they are my examples."

When did you last dance on the dancefloor?

Actually last weekend in Lima, the capital of Peru. I'm not a big fan of standing in the DJ booth when I'm not playing, so you can easily find me on the dancefloor.

Five records without which life would be boring?

Oh, there are so many! Let me try five different records for different moments: Michael Jackson — Thriller (1982), Aretha Franklin — Amazing Grace (1972), John Coltrane — A Love Supreme (1965), The Cure — Disintegration (1989), Derrick May — Strings of Life (1987).