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 The mighty Judge Jules took the time to answer a few questions we could throw at him on his latest happenings, brand new artist album and the 10th season of his ibiza Judgement Sunday club nights...
Judge Jules needs little introduction to anyone who has a brief knowledge of Dance music as he has been around on the scene for quite some time. The Irish born Julius O'Riordan has been to the world’s biggest nightclubs, most prestigious cities and mingled with just about every major dance artist and DJ you could think of. His legendary Radio 1 show has been running well over ten years and those who have tuned in over that period will have enjoyed his vocal dialect and energetic catchphrases. He's one of the true characters in the scene and his enthuisasm for the music and what he does is refreshing for a gentlemen who has been in the business for so many years. His exploits as a producer continue to grow with the release of his second artist album 'We Bring The Noise' with that just a stepping stone for more productions under the Judge Jules alias.
It's with great pleasure then that we had the chance to see what he's been up to and pick inside the Brain of the DJ and producer who has quite possibly the best club night on Ibiza soil each year with Judgement Sundays. That night is ten years old this year and plans are in progress to mark the anniversary with something very special come this September.
i:Vibes: 2009 is well broken in and summer is right on the horizon. How has the start of the year been for you?
Judge Jules: A great start; there has been a lot of travel already in the first quarter of the year with dates in places such as Indonesia, Dubai, North and South America which has led to many memorable gigs. 2009 also saw me make my 5th appearance for the incredible Trance Energy party in the Netherlands, as well as play for the brands first tour outside of Holland taking in a nationwide 5 date trip in Australasia.
i:Vibes: Your latest artist album ‘Bring The Noise’ has been out for good month or so now and I must say its some of your best production work to date, it’s a been a firm favourite with people I’ve played it to. Now that album is out, how do you feel the reaction to it has been?
Judge Jules: Thank you for you kind words! Feedback for the album has been very good both with critics and clubbers. Perhaps what has struck me most about this album has been the support the album received in global territories such as Asia, North and South America. Dance music has evolved enormously over the last few years and not just in the clubs, but in the media side too. The reaction of the album in these different areas has been really interesting as it gives a sort of gauge as to how your music fits in with that particular country’s club scene and mindset on dance music.
i:Vibes: What are your favourite tracks on the album?
Judge Jules: To be honest my opinion changes on daily basis but right now I’d have to go with ‘Laid Bare’ as this seems to be the one I get asked to play the most.
i:Vibes: How long did it take you to get all the new tracks produced and finished for this second collection, as for those who may have forgot, this is not your first Judge Jules album to see the light of day with ‘Proven Worldwide’ released back in 2006?
Judge Jules: From start to finish I’d say it took about 18 months to complete. It can be a daunting task following a debut artist album because it’s the second one that really defines you as an artist. Somewhat wiser this time around I spent a lot of time and energy ensuring certain parts of the tracks were just right, as I had envisaged them to be during the preparation stage.
i:Vibes: When it comes to putting together an artist collection, do you just put together tracks especially for the album or is it sometimes when your out on the road playing live and testing a track out which gets a good reaction it makes you think about putting in unplanned?
Judge Jules: The nucleus of it are the tracks that work on the road, finished off with tracks to fill the gaps so the album stands together as piece of music, and not just as a compilation type release.
i:Vibes: On the subject of playing live, your Judgement Sunday night over on the while isle of Ibiza celebrates it 10th Anniversary this year. How did the night get started when it first appeared back in the late nineties?
Judge Jules: I was playing for a lot of promoters at the time and I was increasing feeling an urge to develop my own brand and stage a night, where I was involved in everything from the programming of the music to the club decorations. What started as a small idea some 10 years ago has now blossomed into an important part of my life and hopefully a memorable experience for all those people that have supported us over the years.
i:Vibes: The night has seen the worlds biggest DJ’s on show in a DJ booth that I’m told you designed at the Eden club in San Antonio. From your vast memories of performing at the night what have been the most memorable gigs you’ve had there?
Judge Jules: This year will be Judgement’s 10th season at the club, a feat that has seen me perform well over 150 times for the venue; that’s almost half a year’s worth of memories so it’s hard to single it down to one individual night. But perhaps the one night I can recall the most with a mixture of emotions is the launch event. It was mystery what it would be like as Eden was a relatively new club at that time that hadn’t put itself on the Ibiza map. Another memorable element of Judgement Sunday for me is the closing party, after a long season working week-in, week-out the final event is always something special where all the JS staff and clubbers come together for a massive blow-out.
i:Vibes: What does this Ibiza season (which kicks off on for Judgement Sundays at Eden on the 11th June ) have in store for the Judgement Sunday nights?
Judge Jules: I don’t want to give away anything just yet as line ups are still under lock and key but we’ve some very special events planned this season. Expect the usual blistering atmosphere coupled with a must-experience-to-be-believed club environment, but with an added pinch (well dose) of celebratory efforts being put into the nights! It’s not every year we get to celebrate such an important milestone in JS’s lifespan, so we are going all out this year for our biggest, and hopefully, most memorable year to date!
i:Vibes: The brand has ventured out of Ibiza and now on the road at clubs all over the UK with forthcoming appearances at The Gallery (London), Tall Trees (Yarm), Kellys (Northern Ireland) and a very special night over in Amsterdam in conjunction with Trance Nation. Do you expect a different vibe at the nights than the one you experience over in Ibiza?
Judge Jules: I don’t think you can ever truly replicate the atmosphere that Ibiza brings to a club night but if there are any nights able to do that then it is surely those mentioned. But for us we don’t want to spoil the magic of JS, so whilst there may be the occasional one off event such as the Queensday celebration in Amsterdam and the odd event in the UK, generally speaking we’ve always tried to confine JS to Ibiza where it is best suited.
i:Vibes: Who are you most looking forward to playing with at Judgement Sundays as I’m sure there are some DJ’s you meet on the road more than others who share the same outlook on life?
Judge Jules: Well I’ve heard most of the djs sets in my world, as I’ve either travelled or played alongside them at some point or another in the last 12 months. Everybody in the line up is picked because we really believe in them and have faith they will be a good addition to maintaining the atmosphere of JS. Over the years we’ve had some fantastic artists perform for us on the island from the likes of Ferry Corsten and Sander van Doorn to Micky Slim and Utah Saints.
i:Vibes: At the back end of the summer I’ve been told you plan on releasing a very special edition of the Judgement Sundays compilation to celebrate its 10th year anniversary. What can we expect to hear on that, any live recordings from a night in Eden planned for it?
Judge Jules: Nothing is set in stone yet but plans are underway. The compilation will be half new material of the latest club bangers and then half classics from over the last 10 years. The whole album will be a celebration of the 10th year anniversary but also looking back – so expect something really special!
i:Vibes: Moving on to your DJ’in exploits, with a lot of new DJ kit in the market and new tools at the DJ’s disposal when playing live, what is your current preferred DJ setup?
Judge Jules: My preferred setup for now still remains the trusty CDJ 1000 and Pioneer 800, but this is likely to change in the future. It’s incredible to see the evolution that the art of djing as undergone over the past 3-4 years and I am of the belief the next stage will be even more radical as we step further toward digital media.
i:Vibes: Being on the road for most part of the year and popping into Airports like most people do the co-op for milk do you still enjoy the travelling or just a necessary evil you have to put up with?
Judge Jules: I still love the thrill of being in different locations around the world on a monthly basis, but in order to get to these places and back again in good time you have to fly, which at times can be pretty tedious. But that said I still enjoy travelling.
i:Vibes: Your Radio One show has been going strong for quite a few years now and has been moved in recent years from its Saturday night warm up slot to a more later time on Saturdays, I can remember enjoying a refreshing shower listening to the show before going out on the tiles. How do you prepare the show each week as I’m sure it can sometimes clash with your DJ dates?
Judge Jules: The most time consuming part is listening to all the new music and sourcing out the material for the show each week. Also it is important to be mindful of who is on before you (Annie Mac) and after you (Kutski), and ensuring there’s a flow there so starting funky and going more banger towards the end of the show.
Also there’s a process of selecting appropriate guests for the show and making sure they can fit into our schedule via their own, so lead times on selecting a guest can occasionally be quite short.
i:Vibes: The ‘Judge Won’t Budge’ and ‘Give it To Me Judge’ will ring a bell with those who have had the pleasure of being entertained by your words of wisdom over the airwaves. What is it like working for Radio 1 and how much freedom do they give you with the show?
Judge Jules: When you’re a specialist show they buy into you as a brand, so you find they put a lot of trust in you and give absolute freedom to your craft. Naturally one has to watch what one says as there are certain stands inherent of a BBC broadcast but overall the floor is yours to do as you please. As club and radio djs it is important for us to have complete freedom with the music and Radio 1 are very supportive of this belief.
i:Vibes: Over the years hosting the show on Radio 1 what have been your most fond memories of the two hour broadcast?
Judge Jules: All the live broadcasts have been the ones that sit with the most found memories. Largely because that’s where the buzz is as you can see the whites of your audiences’ eyes. Coming from a club based background you thrive on audience participation and sometimes a studio can be a far-cry from this sort of environment, so having the opportunity to take the show on the road is a privilege I never turn down.
i:Vibes: I wouldn’t really put the Judge into any firm category of Dance styles as you do seem to play a wide range of styles from Funky House to full on pumping Trance and club bangers. How would you describe your musical style to someone who has never come across you before?
Judge Jules: Fluffy on the top and funky bottom...
i:Vibes: What producers are really kicking it for you at the moment?
Judge Jules: The standard of current productions is very high, so this is a particularly difficult question answer. I really like what Will Atkinson, Will Bailey and Simon Patterson have been doing recently
i:Vibes: What have been your favourite albums so far this year and have you any secret musical obsessions that you would to confess?
Judge Jules: I really like the debut album by Little Boots called ‘Hands’. Is a very cool and edgy album, certainly worth checking out if you’ve not heard her material already?
i:Vibes: The summer is very nearly here and it’s a dance fan’s orgy of festivals and cracking club nights. What are you looking forward to for this forthcoming summer season?
Judge Jules: Getting back over to Ibiza for the summer season and the 10th anniversary of Judgement Sunday. I also have some fantastic gigs coming up with tours scheduled in America, Brazil, Argentina, Russia and China, and some big festival dates lined up like Mayday, Nature One, Global Gathering..oh and the Radio1 weekend to look forward too.
i:Vibes: Going back to the production work a lot of people may remember your early work under the Hi-Gate banner with Paul Masterson which resulted in the album ‘Split Personality’ and singles like ‘Pitchin’ and ‘Saxuality’ are there any plans to unearth the Hi-Gate project?
Judge Jules: No, Paul and I are friends but I think we are both at different points in our lives now. I know from my side I want to focus on my own material for the foreseeable future; as I’ve a lot of personal musical goals left I’d like to achieve in the coming few years.
Just to finish off with what we call here the i:Vibes quick fire five:
i:Vibes: What was the last record you listened to?
Judge Jules: Ciara ft. Justin Timberlake – Love, Sex, Magic
i:Vibes: Who is the most famous person you’ve met?
Judge Jules: Tony Blair
i:Vibes: What’s your preferred alcoholic beverage of choice?
Judge Jules: Vodka & diet coke
i:Vibes: Where are you in the world right now?
Judge Jules: Home, London
i:Vibes: What was the last magazine you read?
Judge Jules: Business traveller
It’s been a pleasure being able to fire over questions to a man in Dance who has brought so much great music to the scene over the years and may we here at i:Vibes wish you very well for what looks to be an exciting summer ahead!
You should check out Judge Jules Radio 1 show, which is broadcast at 11PM GMT each and every Saturday night exclusively on Radio 1!. You can also listen to last weeks show for seven days after on the Radio 1 website.
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