He describes himself as "just a normal bloke, lucky enough to be living the dream," but looking at the discography and legacy of Judge Jules, there is so much more. Consistently ranking in the top 25 of the DJ poll for the past 10 years, Jules' radio shows and animated DJ sets are staples of the UK/European dance scene. Producing under the guises of Angelic, Hi-Gate, and VPL, he's had several major club records. Under his own name, he's done nearly forty mixed complilations and the critically claimed artist album Proven Worldwide. In the studio working on a new artist album due for a spring release in 2008, we caught up with Jules and reflected on the happenings of the past year.
DJ Ron Slomowicz: So you're in the studio, what are you working on?
Judge Jules: I've got a new artist album which I can't give an exact
date for, but it's due spring of 2008.
RS: What kind of sound are you going for?
Judge Jules: It just represents my sound really, which is sort of
tech-y and trance-y, but with a slightly funky undertone.
RS: So when you're in the studio, what do you actually do? Are
you working on the keyboards, are you writing, what's your role in the
process?
Judge Jules: Basically, I can do everything, but I have an engineer,
so it enables me to finish the tracks when I'm not here. But I
actually work on the tracks when I am here. So some of the mixdowns
are done over Skype, when I'm away, but the
actual making of the music is all done when I'm here.
RS: The reason why I asked is because there's a little bit of
backlash lately about the big name DJs not doing their own work, and
so I'm just probing on this. So you actually play keyboards, you
actually do the sequencing?
Judge Jules: Yes, and program and do all the above. I mean, I play
keyboards very well. I wouldn't say I'm a brilliant keyboard player,
but you don't really necessarily have to be if you understand your
software.
RS: Very cool. What software are you using?
Judge Jules: Logic.
RS: And do you have any vocalists on this album we should know about?
Judge Jules: There are some vocalists but as yet there's not anybody
that anybody would be familiar with, I don't think. I haven't really
gone for major collaborations with this album. I'm more concerned with
just doing songs and tracks that I'm really pleased with.
RS: When you do tracks, do you do a track first and give it to
the person to sing to, or how do you write the actual vocals?
Judge Jules: Some tracks I'll write the song and do a guide vocal
myself, and other things will be a collaboration, where I do music and
they write the song element of it. It kind of varies according to how
well you know the person.
RS: Yes, because I remember on the last album you sang one of the
songs on there. What was it like working with your own voice on a
track?
Judge Jules: Scary sometimes, because it requires quite a bit of
fiddling around with to make it sound good.
RS: With dance music it seems like the female vocal is preferred.
Why do you think that is?
Judge Jules: I think there's more of a heritage of female vocals, but
there's some really good, big male vocal tracks at the moment. You're
more likely to stand out if you do go for a male vocal.
RS: Well congratulations, you made twenty-one on the DJ list and
they described you as "like an evergreen, always there." Why do you
think you've lasted so long in the dance world public eye?
Judge Jules: I think partly it's performing in clubs and really not
being a showman. Ultimately, I'm your judge to success or failure on
your music, but I'm also quite a performer. I'm not somebody who
stands there looking really bored. And even quite a lot of the
world's biggest DJs aren't fantastically animated or exciting in front
of a crowd. I just think you can't fool the people. The passion will
never fade, in my case. Or it certainly hasn't shown any signs of
fading.
RS: Are you playing CDs or vinyl or laptop in your sets?
Judge Jules: CDs.
