Juliano: The 'Shine A Light On' Mix

Music

Lyon is punching above its weight. Not in an overly violent or aggressive fashion but in a self contained manner with progression and depth.

The city has become one of the most musically interesting in France over the past few years with the likes of Le Sucre, Chez Emille and Nuits Sonores all leading the charge. However, beneath the surface you will also find a small number of burgeoning record labels which are helping to push local producers and sounds into the limelight. Juliano is one such producer whom is starting to amass a reputation. As a producer he writes deep, melodically pleasing house with an analogue edge: he is also the founder of That Place records, an up and coming record label with a beautiful aesthetic and an interesting back catalogue. Now based in Berlin he talks about the roots of the label as he delivers our 'Shine A Light On' mix.

Please introduce yourself… Who are you, where are you and what are you?

Hi guys, I'm Juliano (Julien Besançon) a French warm hearted person who loves life, creates music and spins records ! I've been living in Berlin for almost 3 years but used to live in Lyon (France). When I was younger I lived in the asshole of the world… which was super great to grow up amongst and discover the simple pleasures of life.

What was the inspiration behind starting the record label?

I wanted to create something authentic and personal for me and for every artist involved in this project. Something which brings us together around two things : the music and the life relationship. It was at a time when I was always listening to "This Must be the place" by Talking Heads and this music inspired me to create a home where it feels good to be.

Where does the artwork and concept stem from?

As it's something personal and unique, I wanted to give the choice to every artist to pick artwork that they love. Most of the time the artwork comes from a very close connection to the artist. For example, Olivia (my wife) is doing the artworks for my releases.

Is blue and white an important aesthetic which you intend to run throughout the labels release pattern?

Yes, for me the white is neutral but pure and the blue is related to the dreams, that's for me somehow how music should be conveyed. A pure dream for your emotional landscapes.

What are you looking for when signing a track?

It has to reach my emotional feelings and I also love the way of dreaming about it while playing in clubs. The music can be any type as long as the artist delivers a true expression of their art.

Which other labels act as an inspiration to yourself?

I think that I feel close to the labels run by some friends. Once you understand how they are in life and the music they produce then you can see how beautiful it is. I'm thinking of my mates in Lyon : Brothers From Different Mothers, Macadam Mambo, but also Sounds Benefit in Paris and Ensemble recordings from Belgium. The list can be very long…

Where was the mix recorded?

In my studio in Berlin (Neukölln). 2x Technics SL1210 MKII, 1x Nuo3 mixer and a lot of spontaneous ideas and mixes.

What would be the ideal setting to listen to the mix?

During the "aperitif", warming up for a good night between friends.

What should we be wearing?

You should be wearing comfortable clothes ready to party on !

What would be your dream setting to record a mix: Location, system, format?

Alone, On an orbital station, with a view of the Earth, 2 turntables, a rotary mixer and a lot of records.

Which track in the mix is your current favourite?

The one at 17" : Central – Basil (Help recordings)

What’s your favourite recorded mix of all time?

Laurent Garnier – Excess Luggage (Sonar mix in 2000), soooo timeless !

If you could go back to back with any DJ from throughout history, who would it be and why?

Ron Hardy ! This guy was mixing truly what he loved and got everybody into his versatile style !

What was your first DJ set up at home and what is it now?

My 1st dj set up was super ridiculous, cause it wasn't a dj set up. I was totally in love with music but didn't have enough money to buy turntables and a mixer. I decided to mix music from my mini hi-fi system with music from my Cd player, without a mixer, only listen from my monitors. So my goal was to find the right BPM between the musics and try to press "play/pause" at the right time in order to have the harmonies together. You can ask my mum, i was way too much of a nerd for this! Now, I have 2 Technics SL1210 MKII and a Eclerc Nuo3 which is much better !

What’s more important, the track you start on or the track you end on?

Both are important, The track you begin with as to be the one that people can identify that you are taking the decks. And the last one has to sound like a "good bye". It's like when you are meeting someone, you said "Hello" and at the end "Bye Bye".

What were the first and last records you bought?

The 1st record I bought was Lifelike – The soul of my love. And the latest is the album from Tornado Wallace on Running Back.

If this mix was an edible thing, what would it taste like?

it would taste a Kinder Bueno.

If it was an animal what would it be?

It would be like the weirdest bird you ever seen !

One record in your collection that is impossible to mix into anything?

I think that everything is mixable if you're doing this truly with your heart and passion.

Upcoming in the world of…

The next release on That Place (1st semester 2017) will host a UK Deep House Legend in person of Sir Lord Commix. I have a track to be release in April on Gratts & Kong's label : Ensemble recordings. This will be a various artist vinyl record featuring Toby Tobias, Gratts, Nibc and Kaye. I also will do my debut with Uk night club in 17th April at Mono (Brighton) for Attic party, and I'm super looking forward to this one !