It’s been 12 months since the release of his acclaimed debut LP Transmission and now the globe-trotting techno maestro Julian Jeweil has returned to Drumcode with a stellar 5-track ‘Schema‘ EP. We caught up with the French techno talent to discuss his relationship with Adam Beyer, his music, tracks of the decade and much more.
WWD: Hello Julian, welcome to WWD! 2019 was a very busy year for you! You toured all over the world as far as the Australia, the US and right the way across Europe. What were some of your highlight shows?
Hello 🙂 Yes, it’s true. 2019 was a very intense year and quite emotional. I’ve had the chance to travel all over the world and have amazing parties. To make it short, during my “Transmission” album tour I really had a great time and I recovered a lot of good energy – and frankly it feels good. I’ve performed at a lot of events that have left an impression on me and it’s impossible to mention them all. Here’s the first ten I can think of: Resistance & Crobar in Buenos Aires, Argentina, The Klan in Punta Piedra in Ritoque, Chile, CRSSD Festival in San Diego, Avant Gardner in Brooklyn, The Sound in Los Angeles, Womb in Tokyo, Gruv Festival in Cordoba, also in Argentina,Drumcode Festival in Amsterdam, another Drumcode event at Tobbacco Dock, London and Delta Festival in Marseille, back home in France. But this is just merely a sample, to be honest, there’s so many of them.
WWD: You also released your brilliant debut album Transmission via Adam Beyer’s revered Drumcode Records. How did it feel to put out your first major release?
I was very happy to finally be able to present my vision to the world through a label that I respect enormously. It wasn’t the first time I had released on Drumcode (my “Space EP” and “Rolling EP” were both released in 2017 on the label), so Adam was the first person I thought of for Transmission. He loved it and it all came together naturally. Of course, I was very proud to see how successful this album was! A good part of the tracks ended up either in the top of the techno Beatport rankings or at the top of the techno and general ranking. It was very flattering for me to see that my music spoke to the public.
WWD: You said the concept of your debut Transmission was to tell your “techno story”. How were you able to translate that through your music?
Yes, indeed. This album expresses my very personal vision of techno. It represents everything that was going on in my head, and which I’ve actually translated into music – to pass it on to you. Transmission is also a story spread over time, because I worked on it at home, in planes… and I tested my tracks on tour! So it’s a kind of screenshot of my life during that year.
WWD: A year on and your brand-new EP Schema has also recently been released through Drumcode. How have you progressed as an artist since Transmission?
I think I’ve matured a lot as an artist, and refined my tastes. My vision is clearer today. I think the success of Transmission has encouraged me a lot to pursue my artistic path.
WWD: What’s it like to work alongside a DJ/producer as well-respected as Adam Beyer and be one of Dumcode’s vital artists?
A great honor and pride that Adam believed in me and encouraged me.
WWD: What was it like growing up in Marseille? Is that were you first discovered your passion for techno music?
Technically, I grew up in Martigues, which is not very far from Marseille but is a rather different city, quieter, more family oriented. Of course, for outings and clubs, Marseille is a must, that being said. It was in the South of France that I fell in love at first sight with electronic music. I ended up at a rave party somewhere and a week later I’d bought turntables!
WWD: How has the techno scene developed in France throughout your career?
The techno scene in France has been developing steadily, becoming stronger and stronger. I see a number of young rising producers who have a lot of talent. I’m not worried about the next generation.
WWD: Now that we’ve reached 2020, what have been your favourite standout releases of the decade?
SRVD – The Yard Man – Rekids
Slam & Green Velvet – Take Your Time – Soma
Adam Beyer & Alan Fitzpatrick – Human Reason – Drumcode
Charlotte de Witte – Closer – Mary Go Wild
Ben Klock – Subzero – Ostgut Ton
Sam Paganini – Rave – Drumcode
Kaiserdisco – Black Mamba – 100% Pure
Mikael Jonasson – Mosaic – Luca Agnelli Remix – Suara
Frazi.er – Temptation – Odd Recordings
Wesley Martins – Kompany – IAMT
WWD: Are there any artists out there at the moment that you’d like to collaborate with?
Funny you mention it! POPOF and I are currently finalizing a 3-track collaboration. But it’s true that there are some artists with whom I can see myself collaborating …
WWD: Finally, what can we expect from Julian Jeweil in 2020?
Even more music!!!!!! And perhaps a label, why not .. We’ll see 😉
Julian Jeweil’s ‘Schema’ EP is out now via Drumcode, buy/stream HERE.
Find Julian Jeweil online:
https://www.facebook.com/Julian-Jeweil-181527245868
https://soundcloud.com/julianjeweil
https://www.instagram.com/julianjeweil/?hl=fr
https://twitter.com/JulianJeweil