By Marlina Azmi — June 10, 2016
Ibiza-based DJ and producer Julian Perez has garnered a stellar reputation for himself for his unique and diverse, cutting-edge sound that takes his audience on an exciting ride, from rolling deep house to stripped-down dub techno. After releasing an abundance of tracks on a handful of the hottest labels, Perez launched his own strictly vinyl-only label Fathers & Sons Productions — quickly earning support from some of the most respected artists in the scene.
For someone as experienced as yourself, how do you keep from being jaded?
"By staying true to myself. Otherwise I wouldn't be here."
What excites you about playing at unfamiliar territories, and how do you prepare for gigs like your first trip to Israel or your upcoming gig at Glow in Bangkok?
It's challenging to bring my sound to a new crowd, who are not just expected to dance, but to also experience a musical journey through their ears and minds by a DJ who they might not have heard about. You don't know how many actually come to see you until you arrive and interact with them. That give and take process while feeling their reaction is what it's all about.
"I don't prepare my sets. Not even the music for any particular gigs on a tour like this one — that would be stressful and it wouldn't work for me. I can't think about what would work and suit in each one of the clubs, so I am here to give them a good surprise. That's the idea."
It's always about choosing the freshest and most interesting records that I'm hooked on at the moment — regardless of how old the tracks are. I like to play a bit of everything that will work in clubs, including my own unreleased tracks. That has worked out great for me until today, and I won't have it any other way.
Long sets are always fun for the DJ, but you've also got to keep the crowd engaged for a long time. What are your tips?
"No DJ wants to sound boring when playing long sets but trust me, it's not easy to get the crowd engaged for many hours — I can personally count the number of people who can do it successfully with all my fingers in one hand. It is a big advantage when you have a musically educated and respectful crowd in front of you during long sets."
From my experience: try to not sound repetitive by not playing tracks of the same genre one after the other. You need to be versatile on the track selection and keep a steady flow. You have to keep people engaged and anticipate the next record you're going to play through feeling their vibe. Long sets give you the chance to showcase a proper history of your personality through music — then you're able to show who you really are as an artist.
Vinyl revenues surpassed free streaming last year. Has there been an increase in sales for Fathers & Sons?
We've been forced to increase the amount of pressed copies with our latest releases due to the growing demand from shops worldwide. When we started, the market was slumping and we wanted to entice the interest of DJs and collectors — this was before the hype of vinyl began.
"However, we're not yet re-pressing records. We don't believe in continuously re-pressing new releases to make more money. DJs who follow us and have stayed tuned — or even the ones who have discovered us recently — appreciate the fact the record they've just got won't always be available."
Do you think the vinyl revival is a passing trend?
It is a trend, but I personally dig it over others because it is keeping vinyl records alive. Buying records makes your selection way more personal. The second-hand market is moving fast — the 'followers' will stop feeling the trend at some point, but others will stick to it for longer because it has become more of a lifestyle.
Where are some of your favourite crate digging spots?
Technique in Tokyo, Gramaphone Records in Chicago, Spacehall in Berlin, Vinyl Pimp in London, A-1 in New York, Subwax and Discos Paradiso in Barcelona — to name a few.