Steven julien
Labels: Apron Records, Eglo
London-based DJ and producer Steven Julien’s career has always been about contrasts. Across a decade of releases on labels including Eglo and his own Apron Records, as well as club sets around the world, he’s consistently mixed light and dark, soft and heavy, yin and yang.
From rough-edged house and techno to laid-back soul and boogie, or meditations on his familial and musical heritage with 2018’s Bloodline LP - described by Pitchfork as “a record whose roots run deep” and as “idiosyncratic and captivating” by Crack Magazine - Julien’s music has always moved between moods, styles and emotions.
This is reflected in his diverse list of international collaborators: from the Oscar-winning filmmaker Steve McQueen and the Brooklyn Museum to Dutch streetwear pioneers Patta and Milan Fashion Week, as well as like-minded musicians including Mos Def, Detroit-based producer Kyle Hall and Swedish soul singer Fatima.
That eclecticism also defines Julien’s upcoming instalment in !K7’s iconic DJ-Kicks mix series. Featuring a broad spectrum of artists including Ryuichi Sakamoto, DāM-FunK and Todd Edwards, alongside a selection of his own exclusive productions, Julien takes us on an imagined journey from day to night: from a bucolic afternoon in nature to heady domestic vibes before a big night out, and finally the euphoric embrace of the dancefloor itself.