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JULIEN DYNE ALWAYS ON TIME.
Updated: Sep 24
We are fizzing to have recently caught up briefly with the man, the myth and the legend - Julien Dyne. We chatted briefly around random things happening currently as well as got the low down from Julien on where it has all started for him.
Julien Dyne (born 1979. Montreal /Canada) is a multi talented Drummer, Producer, DJ and visual Artist based in Auckland New Zealand best known for his solo output on Soundway Records (London ) BBE records (worldwide) and Wonderful Noise (Japan), he also performs and records with Half Hexagon , The Lahaar , Ladi 6, Avantdale Bowling Club , The Circling Sun, Some Other Planets, New Farben and has recorded with Opensouls , Fat Freddys Drop, @peace, Tom Scott , Lord Echo, Eru Dangerspiel , Christoph El Truento , James Duncan , She’s So Rad, Nathan Haines and many other top acts. He has toured locally and internationally with artists Kody Neilson / silicon/ Opossom and Lord Echo Julien attended the prestigious Red Bull Music Academy in Rome 2004, receiving Private Drum tuition from session master Bernard Purdie and learning valuable production tips from many other renowned guest lecturers. He was invited back to work with the Mizell Brothers (Jackson 5 / Donald Byrd), Theo Parrish (Sound Signature), Steve Spacek ( J Dilla / Space Invadas), Mark Pritchard ( Harmonic 313), Om’mas Keith ( Sa-Ra / Erykah Badu), Andreya Triana (Flying Lotus/ Bonobo) and others as part of the ‘A Class Of Its Own ‘ recording sessions in Cologne, Germany, 2007 Julien’s debut solo full length album ‘Pins and Digits’ received air time and high praise from tastemaker BBC Dj’s Gilles Peterson and Benji B, featuring on both Dj’s top 100 lists of 2009 His second full length album ‘Glimpse ‘ was released in 2011 / 2012 on BBE records worldwide and Wonderful noise records Japan (via Rhythmethod New Zealand) Julien has toured extensively performing through out New Zealand /Australia, Europe / UK including a 9 date solo tour of Japan. His third LP 'december' came out late 2013 and he accompanied it with a 6 date Japanese tour in Oct 2013 Juliens forth LP ‘teal ‘ was released in july 2019 via soundway records and wonderful noise and was promoted by a 9 date tour of Japan Dynes music been compiled by legendary Detroit Dj Moodymann for his Dj kicks compilation for K7 records – which led to being asked to remix another detroit legend; Amp fiddler for Moodymann’s mahogoni label - for the track keep coming on 12" vinyl Julien has also recently co- remixed (with frank booker) boogie legend Leroy burgess for his track with wonderful noise artist Leonard Charles In addition to this he has also recently remixed tracks for, Jonny drop ( alberts favorites UK ) , marcel vogel (lumberjacks in hell / Amsterdam) , ghostwave ( NZ) , Boycrush (NZ) and lord echo (Soundway / wonderful noise) and many others
Recent releases include MODES ( his 5th album / on soundway records ) , THE LAHAAR ( a collaboration with melbourne musicians lachlan stuckey from surprise chef and horatio luna 30/70 ) plus mara tk , scott towers and toby laing - (fat freddys drop ) and others Julien is a member of auckland supergroup Half Hexagon ( with lawrence arabia and yolanda fagan / na noise ) His long standing spiritual jazz group The Circling Sun is released its debut album SPIRITS on soundway records may 19th 2023.
We sat down with the talented man to ask the the important questions.
8 Quick Fire questions.
What inspired your artist name? - parents and birth dictated most of it , just gave it a little twist later ( which is more trouble than it's worth )
Where do you see the music industry in 2033? - I have no idea ! , from my end i can only hope to be still releasing records, playing cool shows and collaborating with friends new and old
Is there anything outside of the music industry that is inspiring you right now? - whanau , nature , friends , visual stimulus ( painting / flim , literature
Favorite food / place to eat? udon works dominion rd is always a favourite
Best kept secret…. What can you share? - jellicoe pools onehunga
What is something you have learnt this year? try to manage your expectations, you can't control the outcome of everything and sometimes the magic lies within the unknown
Favorite place you’ve traveled to / any travel tips? I love Japan a lot ! have toured / travelled there 7 times and im desperate to go back soon
If you were to write a book - what would the title be? a detailed analysis and review of every restaurant on dominion road with sonic accompaniment ( pictures words vinyl combo )
6 more…
Julien, You’re one of the most hard working people in the industry. What drives you to work across so many different musical projects? What whip you cruisin in dawg? Haha I'm not sure about that ( the hard working part ) but it is nice to give off that illusion , but seriously i really just enjoy making records and collaborating with talented artists / musicians friends , current whip is a prius hybrid
What projects are you currently working on? Do you use google calendar? haha - working on new solo music , new the circling sun recording / album , new the lahaar recordings , new half hexagon tracks / album - plus painting , drumming , whanau / life - having a calendar is essential !
We recently just saw you perform with Lahaar at Neck of the Woods - It was our favorite show we have been to this year - how did this project come about? Can you tell us more? It’s such a special group of musicians? - I had booked Stuckey ( guitar ) and Horatio Luna ( bass ) to perform live with me for some shows in australia , right after soundcheck Henry ( Horatio Luna ) said he'd booked us a recording session for the next day ! ,( he was the catalyst really ) - once we had laid down the foundational tracks i took the material back to aotearoa and added Guy Harrison ( keyboards ) , Cory Champion ( vibraphone ) Wild Bill Ricketts ( Conga / Vibraphone ) to the tracks.
Scott Towers ( Saxophone player from Fat Freddys Drop ) wrote the horn lines and we recorded them live as a section with JY Lee ( saxophones ) and Guy Harrison ( Trumpet ) - next Mara TK and Toby laing added vocals , we were lucky enough that Soundway Loved the tracks and decided to release it. I love working with all these amazing musicians !
Aside from music - What else do you do? Or is it music full time for you? - I do visual art ( painting ) concentrate on whanau / home life , plus a myriad of other bits and pieces to cobble together an existence / living
Have you got any exciting overseas trips planned? For music or for pleasure? - A few trips to australia coming up soon which i'm excited about as its been so long since i've visited
Favorite studio to record in NZ? - Lord Echos Eternal Flame studios plus Tom Broomes New Lynn spot and Bays in wellington
Any last words / wisdom to live by? We still need to go grab those noodles we spoke about! keep going ! , so keen for noodles , anytime man