Juheun: continue to do what I love to do and make people happy while doing it

We are pleased to present to you our today's guest - Juheun!

Hailing from the stark and unyielding deserts of the United States, Juheun emerges from the dust with mind warping, forward thinking techno. Constantly searching for a perfect balance between analog gear and the newest technology, he blurs the lines between the past and the future to create a modern and dynamic sound.

We talked to the electronic music enthusiast about his early years in the industry, recent release "M87" on Set about and future projects. Enjoy!
Hello Juheun, great to have you with us for the first time! How are you today?
— Hello I'm good! You actually caught me while I'm packing for my gig in Iowa. Hope you guys are well over there!
Massive congratulations on your recent M87 EP on Set About. Can you talk to us more about this project?
— Thank you! I'm super hyped on it, the response has been great!

It's a 3 track EP with a killer remix of the lead track 'M87' from Simina Grigoriu.

The lead track 'M87' I named after a galaxy called Messier 87 which has a black hole in its center sitting about 53 million light years from Earth. If you haven't noticed by now, Im a huge sci-fi, future and space nut. I love all things that have to do with any of that stuff and I always try and bring those vibes into my songs, 'M87' is no exception.

The track is a very hypnotic journey through the galaxy as your hurtling towards the center of the blackhole. The thumping kick drum keeping pace while synth stabs and melodic elements go in and out throughout the adventure.

Simina delivered a solid remix of 'M87' and her take on the record with chugging bass, ruthless drums and a punching kick all while keeping the integrity of the original in the backbone of the remix. Ever evolving and building to a climax that just hits a little different.

The B-side holds my other original "Digital High". Personally I think this track on the EP is my favorite. It's kinda one of those hidden gems you find digging in the crates at the record shop. Whenever you play it, people ask what it is. The track just screams sci-fi and space, and when I was in the studio producing it, I wanted it to feel like you were traveling and exploring through the universe. The breakdown gives this ethereal vibe like you just stumbled on some other planet, and the drop just slingshots you right back out into space!
Going back to your early raving days, can you tell us when you fell in love with electronic music?
— Great question! I love telling people how I got into the whole scene. Back in high school I had a crush on this girl who I started talking to. She was always a bit different than the others. One day she asked me if I wanted to check out this party with her. Of course I said yes, little did I know my whole life was about to change. I still remember this night like it was yesterday. It was at an old theater downtown and I had no idea parties like this even existed, I was 16 at the time. Soon as we walked in, I was hit in the face with the smell of fog machine juice, Vicks vapor rub, and bass! It was a sensory overload with all the lights, music and vibes. That night the headliners were Bad Boy Bill and DJ Dan. At the time, I had heard some dance music from downloading songs online, but I had no idea about this side of the scene/culture. Needless to say, that night altered my entire mind state. As cliche as it sounds, I left that party knowing what my sole purpose on this planet was.

I went as far as moving to Chicago to get closer to the house scene, and that's where things started to get really exciting. I would frequent raves and underground parties and was exposed to so many DJs and music. So many DJs were coming in and out of that town that I got a chance to see and hear it all. The club and underground scene at the time was ripe and I was loving every minute of it.
Why did you choose to pursue techno over other genres of electronic music?
— I started my career playing and producing parties with House and Electro in the early 2000s. I did that for a few years before I started to see a shift and things started to evolve and change. I didn't like the direction things were going, this was right about the blog house era, and things were ramping up with EDC and Vegas DJs, bottle service etc here in the States. I could start to see the transition it was making into the mainstream side of things. It started to get a bit cringy TBH…

Around 2012… I left it all for Techno lol.
You've had an incredibly successful year so far. What have been some of the biggest highlights?
— Well it's crazy to think that even with everything going on, I've managed to keep things progressing and moving forward. This year has been great in the sense that I dropped a remix for Dusty Kid on Octopus and just had my latest release on Set About. Though live gigs are still a bit inconsistent, the gigs I have been able to play so far have been nothing but ragers. It's a bit refreshing to get back to IRL parties again after playing for a digital audience for over a year on Twitch. I've also had some great exposure and interviews such as this one, so thank you.
— Looking forwards, do you have any goals or objectives you would like to achieve in the future as an artist?
— Over all my main focus is just to continue to do what I love to do and make people happy while doing it. Sometimes I feel guilty being able to live this existence, so I try and not take things for granted but at the same time try and enjoy every moment, even the bad ones. It's all a journey and experience for me and I'm very grateful for it all.
Can you mention a few pieces of your studio equipment that you're really loving at the moment?
— Ah this is such a tough one for me lol. I could go on and on for days about all my favorite pieces of gear in the studio.

I just picked up a Arturia Beat Step Pro and have been using it to trigger and sequence some of my analog synths. I've been hooking it up to my Moog Minitaur and recording some samples out of it to use in some upcoming projects.

My other favorite piece of kit at the moment and has been a staple in the studio for me is the Maschine from Native Instruments. I seriously can't live without it lol. I never let a song leave my studio without something from the Maschine. Its such a versatile piece of equipment and that's why I love it so much. Even though it's mainly a drum machine, it has so many levels beyond that. One of my favorite things to do with it is load up a synth and trigger the synth using the sequencer/pads. I end up getting some really cool ideas and sounds that might have never been discovered using a traditional midi keyboard or the mouse.
What's the scene like in Phoenix right now?
— The scene is thriving but in a bit of a new wave / transition of sorts. I've been in Phoenix since the early 2000s and we've always had a really strong scene with underground warehouse parties and club events and festivals. Most of which lately has been more along the bass house and edm side of stuff, but things are maturing and you can start to see a slow movement towards the more underground stuff with substance. The festival scene has been blowing up out here for the last few years, so it's been mainly younger festival goers who are all starting to search for deeper grooves and parties with less fluff and more genuine feels. The techno community out here is small but growing and is filled with incredibly passionate and supportive fans who truly love the music.
— Where can we see you DJ over the coming months?
— I just wrapped up a year and a half focused on playing online on Twitch during the lockdown and pandemic. Now that shows are starting to make their return, it's time to start booking some more shows and looking into the future.

This weekend I will be in Iowa for a very special underground Halloween event. This will be my 3rd year returning and it's one of my favorite places to play. The guys out there know how to throw a proper warehouse party and their sound system is massive! I'm really looking forward to testing out some new tracks and really hammering that system this weekend. Shout out to the Iowa Techno squad!

Following that, I'll be playing in Phoenix at Bar Smith on Saturday Nov 13th for Circuit and celebrating my bday that night. Shout out to all the Scorpios out there!

Several years ago, myself and Michelle Sparks started a party brand called 'Circuit' as a way to grow the underground community in Phoenix and showcase techno artists from around the world.
— Finally, do you have any other projects coming up soon that you'd like to share with us?
— I'll be jumping back into the Live set again and preparing to go back on tour with that setup mid 2022 with the occasional DJ gig in between. No CDJs just controllers, some analog bits of gear and a laptop playing all originals and improving on the fly.

I also have one more release scheduled before the end of the year which I will be announcing very soon and have been busy in the studio working on a folder full of new tracks for next year to drop so stay tuned!