San Fransisco-based artist DJ JUANNY brings the essence of his newly-launched Amor Digital parties to the 909 series.
Formerly known as JUANNY DEPP, DJ JUANNY’s musical journey began in San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury district where he worked at a clothing and sneaker shop that was a hotspot for notable Bay Area DJs who played sets and sold mixtapes, igniting JUANNY’s obsession with DJing. Following that initial introduction via the DJ sets played in-store, JUANNY begun attending Monday night parties featuring two SF DJs, Segundo and Cellus, who played off the computer or Novation Twitch, bringing a DIY punk culture to DJing through the often political messages they were channeling through the microphone. This experience opened JUANNY’s eyes to a more open-minded approach to DJing where there were no rules, no need for formal training and the freedom to approach it in whichever way he liked. You can see how this ethos has shone through in his productions where he often brings together his influences from the sounds of Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica and the UK and blends them with samples from films, TV and pop culture. A very sick collage and oftentimes archival approach to production that gives JUANNY an opportunity to re-contextualise pop culture references as well as use vocals in his productions as it’s very rare that he uses his own. It was the onset of the pandemic that allowed JUANNY the space and time to deep dive into his productions with a string of self-releases before landing on renowned labels such as N.A.A.F.I, NO BIAS, and now Poland’s Basy Tropikalne with his most recent EP ‘Petrolhead’. It’s super inspiring and refreshing to hear his take on production and how he brings all of his interests together into one release – a similar approach to his DJ sets too as he spans several genres in one mix but all with this high energy through line to get the party started.
In 2020, DJ JUANNY launched a DJ and design collective called Amor Digital which also exists as a record label and now party series. The first release on the label was a fundraiser compilation with the money raised going towards relief funds in Honduras in response to the hurricane and featured tracks from Bored Lord, river moon, Nick León, COLD MEDINA, and DRIADO. The label has since released records from J. Córdova, ALOCASIA, and a bunch of JUANNY’s own releases.
Hey! How are you doing? What have you been up to lately?
Hey! I think like most people I’m balancing the ups and downs of daily life with the heavy cloud of state violence, settler colonialism and all the rest perpetrated by the genocidal regime in Israel, the U.S. & Europe in Gaza & Lebanon. I think living in the U.S., it’s hard not to think about your tax dollars going to this against our will. It permeates my daily thinking.
On a more personal level, I’ve been developing my studio in San Francisco a bit more with the goal of creating some more “infrastructure” for the music scene here. Also just launched my party series “Amor Digital” as a label. I’ve been teaching myself to spin vinyl which has taken my love for DJing to even deeper depths than I thought possible <3
Let’s start from the very beginning, what was your first introduction to music in general and then more specifically electronic music?
My parents were always playing salsa & merengue at home along with a ton of 80s R&B & pop. The first song I vividly remember listening to and loving was “I Got 5 On it” by the Luniz which is a classic Bay Area rap song that I’m sure my sister was playing via the radio or CD. My introduction to electronic music would be all the Latin freestyle & Miami bass that used to play on the radio in the Bay Area – songs like LIL SUZY – “Take Me In Your Arms” or Freak Nasty – “Da Dip”
Who was the first artist or band that you were a fan of?
The first CDs I remember wanting desperately were from Usher & 50 Cent!
Was there a formative moment growing up, whether that’s seeing your favourite band live or an incredible DJ set, that led you to this path?
I was always really into music – mostly rap & reggaeton – but in my late teens I started working at a streetwear shop in San Francisco. The owner and his friends are all DJs who started throwing hip hop parties and house warehouse parties in the 90s. There would be a live DJ in-store every Saturday & during the week, mixes from these touring DJs playing from our store’s computer for the entire 8 hour shift. At the time, it could be annoying because you want to play your own favorites or whatever just came out, but looking back I think it helped inform and inspire my own path.
Around this time, I started going to these Monday night parties featuring two SF DJs, Segundo and Cellus, who played off of their computers or off of a Novation Twitch and just fuckin ripped it, got on the mic with political messaging, etc. It was like a punk ethos to DJing and it inspired me to DJ while reminding me I didn’t need formal training or anyone’s permission to do what I wanted to do.
How does your environment inform your work?
San Francisco is a boom-or-bust city, going back to the Gold Rush. There is a ton of natural beauty, amazing architecture, and a history of counterculture. There’s also a ton of self-driving cars, technology, wealth, etc. here and unreal levels of poverty, addiction and despair. I think to anyone who lives here, it’s obvious these things are connected. I love it here in spite of the changes after the tech takeover because the Bay Area is a beacon of independent music and always has been. We don’t have the music industry infrastructure of LA or NY. That reality has always inspired innovation and a DIY vision, whether that’s rappers selling mixtapes out of their cars or “renegade” raves under the freeway because we can’t find a proper venue that’ll let us go past 2am last call.
On a practical level, unlike a lot of U.S. cities, it’s pretty densely populated with a lot of public transit so I don’t have a car. I spend a lot of time on BART or on the bus and I like to think I’m making music that is enjoyable on that kind of commute and in the club.
Where do you look for sources of inspiration outside of music?
Movies! I started a film club last year and it’s one of the best things I’ve ever done. It’s hella cool to share a passion outside of music with a group of people & to get recommendations for films I would never find on my own. I even named one of my EPs “Party Girl” after the movie starring Parker Posey. I almost always sample some clip from a movie I’ve watched recently into whatever music I’m working on. For me, without a ton of vocalists in my circle, it’s my way of bringing lyrical content into my music. I think as an artist, it’s always good to look for inspiration from outside of your primary medium – the parallels between them can be a super sick reference once you connect it back to what you make.
What has been your most recent musical discovery that you’re obsessed with?
I bought this record just because I thought the name sounded cool and now I can’t stop listening to it, across formats and at any time of the day. Also… Fcukers.
What’s your journey been like with production? How does it inform your wider artistic narrative?
I love production like crazy. To me, DJing explores similar emotions but maybe in a more external way because there’s the assumption you’re experiencing the music with other people. Production is like my own little diary entry and yes at times you might be thinking about the audience or how it’ll hit in the club but really it’s just what’s on my mind and in my heart at that particular time.
At the beginning, I had been messing with Ableton for a few months and then Nick León, who I met while living in South Florida and is one of my favorite artists & human beings in the world, came through to my studio. I watched him work & I think that’s really where my own production started to really take shape and I’ll always credit him for being gracious and sharing his process with me in that moment. From there, it’s like any art practice – discipline, happy mistakes, random moments when things just “click.”
So many artists are “multi-hyphenate” and I definitely wear a lot of hats but production is my love and priority at the moment.
Where did the inspiration come from to include samples from pop culture, animals and beyond? All of which can be found on your recent EP, ‘Petrolhead’.
As someone who typically doesn’t record their own vocals (except on Rubí), finding samples from movies or interviews is my way of adding some lyrical content or a message to what is mostly electronic, instrumental music. I used to make a lot of edits but I want to create my own music as much as possible so those samples are a way to bring my influences and ideas into what I’m doing. It’s also an homage to Kelman Duran who I think samples speeches and vocals in the coolest way.
On Petrolhead, I sampled James Baldwin & Julianne Moore’s character in “Safe,” because Baldwin is one of my heroes and Safe is one of my favorite movies. On Rubí, I sampled Dev – an unsung Northern California icon – because I’d been thinking about her and the Cataracs. That recession-era music was wild and heavily influenced by the Bay Area 🙂
The frog noises in the title track are just referencing the classic Brazilian sample packs and the sounds you’d find in a lot of old Miami Bass and baile funk from Brazil.
What else can you tell us about the making of and concept behind ‘Petrolhead’?
The title comes from a magazine article about stock car racing in Britain.. All these people in rural England who are addicted to racing, smashing cars and adrenaline. It made me think of that impulse – especially my own impulse for self-destruction when I was younger. Also, we say ‘gasoline’ in the US so anytime I can say petrol is fun because it’s a cooler word in my opinion 🙂
The songs were all produced within a few months from each other. ‘Windrush’ is more introspective, thinking about a general anger about the state of the world that bubbles under the surface for me, even as I’m meant to bring a kind of release for people through partying and DJing.
Rubí is an homage to a truly iconic femme fatale who most in the Spanish-speaking world will recognize. I wanted to imagine partying with her.
Agony + Ecstasy was the last song I recorded for the project while I’d been on a deep dive of 90s daytime talk shows. La Favi actually sent me a bunch of crazy clips because we were doing these fake talk show clips for promo on our track “Dulce.”
How did the connection with Basy Tropikalne come about?
Miko from Basy Tropikalne reached out a while back! Maybe late last year. I’ve always been into their releases and thought it was really cool that an outlet in Poland would be that supportive of music from Latin America, Africa & their diasporas. They were on it before a lot of the clubs and labels in Europe really got behind this kind of music, in my opinion, so I thought it was really cool they’d want to work with me.
You’ve also contributed a mix for the 909 series, what’s the concept behind this one?
That mix was a true reflection of what I’ve been listening to and playing out recently. I tried not to get into my head too much and just played the things that I would play out at one of the Amor Digital parties – club music from the Americas. I like to think it works on headphones and in the club.
When was the last time you were on the dance floor?
This past weekend! I went to a party that spotlights music from Brazil. I love that music from Brazil is having a bit of a crossover moment right now but it was cool to be around a lot of actual Brazilian people enjoying the music.
What are you most excited about right now?
Finding records & diving deeper into 90s Latin house. I’m having a lot of fun exploring another era of electronic music with Latin American/Caribbean influence.
What’s on your vision board at the moment?
Any cover artwork for house music from the 90s with lyrics in Spanish, Japanese movie posters, typography graphic design, 90s streetwear, Black Panther “propaganda” flyers.
‘Petrolhead’ by DJ JUANNY is out now via Basy Tropikalne – buy here.