The world yet again is lost in Junior’s mesmerizing grooves. New York’s finest does the biznezz again…
Interview by Dan Prince
Junior my man. Welcome back to DMCWORLD – where on planet earth are you right this second?
I’m actually on the east coast with the family Dan. It’s my sons b-day, my father in law b-day and my b-day all in the first week of May and I’m also playing Cielo. So I’m here for that as well.
The first piece of music you heard this morning after rolling out of bed?
When I got in my car this morning the first tune that was playing on my car stereo was Deodato “Are You For You”…my classic folder in my car’s USB was on .
Well another week and another Junior Sanchez tune hitting the top of The Buzz Chart! This time it’s down to your Chocolate Puma collab ‘Lost Your Groove’. Please talk us through the history and sound of the track…
Well thank you for that! It’s always great seeing a chart that is real! The Chocolate Puma guys and I started that track last year in LA at the Boom Boom Room in Burbank. We had an amazing writer in Arama whose worked with so many dope artist like Switch, Jesse Rose etc. She was in another room working with another artist and we did the track or the initial groove and I played it for her, and we just kinda wrote it there on the spot. Then I took the track back to the east coast, the boys and I were both busy doing other projects and we knew we weren’t in a rush to complete it, so we decided to finish it when we could all be in NYC. The guys came over to my studio, they had no idea Todd Terry was coming over, Todd is one of my best friends and is always over my house when he’s in town and we just hang talk shop, go to the movies, grab food or make tracks. So he walks into the studio and the Puma guys were so stoked! Michael Moog (that sound) was also there so it was a good hang!. So while we were working Todd laid down the bass on the bridge part of the track where it sounds like an old Gene Perez Sound Factory Bar style bassline, it brought such a great vibe to the track and we kept it! The Puma guys were so happy!
Love that story! We just discovered that you are the producer behind Imiuru’s stunning ‘The Grandma’, the wicked jazzy house take on ‘Love With The Coco’. Were you keeping that one under the radar?
HAHA well yeah, that was done as a total joke, I sincerely hate the original of that song because it’s just dumb lol. But then I heard an old lady mocking it and I couldn’t stop laughing, I was in my kitchen and the light bulb went off and I literally just did the track right there and then in about 45mins. As I heard it more and more I was like this is kinda dope, so I sent it over to my boy Jesse Rose who I know will always give me the 100% honest opinion and he was like ‘yooo this is crazy!’ …so I went down to my studio, tweaked it a bit more and sent it to him so we could release it as a giveaway because I have two other tracks under that IMIURU moniker – one on Jesse’s label and another on Defected. So while Jesse was playing it in LA at ‘A Club Called Rhonda’ (LA’S BEST NIGHT) he did a true old school drum & bass rewind with it because it was just that effective, we both looked at each other as if we knew this was something too good to give away so he decided to make it the 2nd release on his new label A-side. When I saw that the Puma joint was #1 on the Buzz Chart I didn’t even realize that The Grandma was #5 on that same chart! Kinda dope huh?
Kinda dope! Please tell us the Those Guys ‘Tonite’ school locker story…
Heh heh. I was in 7th grade when that record came out on MCA and I had a friend who I used to trade music with. I told him I would give him blah blah blah if he went down and got me the 12” of those guys tonight, he found it at his local shop and he didn’t even know what it was, I traded a bunch of R&B CDs for it so when he brought it over to school for me, I was so scared someone would steal it I locked it in my locker. I just wanted to keep looking at it and hold it, so I took it out of the locker and walked with it for the rest of the day in school! Lol…
Yeah I love that story. Just wanted our new generation of readers to hear about – that’s what loving music is all about. So, Miami Music Week must seem like a distant memory now, some industry folk are saying “the best ever”, some are saying “never again”. How was it for you? Highlights…
I actually thought is was great. Seemed like there were a lot more cooler and smaller parties and it had a sense to me of how WMC used to be. I really enjoyed it. We had a moment at our Brobot party when Crystal Waters showed up and organically I just played Gypsy Woman and she came on stage and sang and you could feel the energy and emotion, people were crying with joy! Dan, it was beautiful…https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXSF3G4Ajl4
It was Junior. In years gone by when I’d have asked you what your highlight was from the previous night in Miami you’d have told me about some tune or some dope DJ you’d seen. I nearly fell off my sun lounger when I saw your Facebook post saying that the highlight of the previous night was the best grandma chicken biscuits I’ve ever experienced at ybsouthern.” Youforreal???!?!?!?!?!
OMG yes!! So Yardbird is hands down my favorite place in Miami! It’s not everyday you can indulge in butter biscuit with fried chicken with pepper jelly and house made pickles! All their food is amazing! So yes that is always a highlight of Miami! You HAVE to try those grandma chicken biscuits.
What are the 5 big tunes in your box this weekend, please give us a few words on each…
Disclosure – Bang That
Good to see those guys take it back to basics which is not easy when not a song or a piano track. They went Grimy, they went Chicago…have to respect that.
Claude VonStroke & Jesse Rose – Bare Mountain
This track is insanely fresh and hypnotic. Its been a weapon of mine for a while
Jack J – Something on my Mind
This is just too good! I can’t even describe it. You have to just check it out n’ feel it! Such a great vibe!
Fono – Real Joy
This record is very intense and works on a lot of different dancefloors!
Imiuru – The Grandma
Who is this dood!!? Lol. This track just works…!!!
Junior, I was walking past Carmine’s in New York last week and looking in the window I spotted yourself, Todd Terry, Kenny Dope and Michael Moog celebrating what I assumed was Todd’s birthday? Man oh man was that table clean! No champagne bottles, no half empty bottles of tequila – what’s going on Junior?
Really??? Man I wish you would of come in and say what’s up and hung out!
It looked kinda private…
Well it was a surprise dinner that Kenny Dope and his wife set up. It was last minute and all we cared about was the food! There were some drinks going around, a few shots but nothing crazy! lol – I guess we’re all getting older! Or maybe it’s because Todd doesn’t drink much anymore…nor do I until I get to Ibiza! lol!
The last amazing album you chilled to?
Man I have to say the new Kendrick Lamar “To Pimp A Butterfly” album is insanely dope! I have been killing that a lot.
Some of the cool clubs you’ve rocked these past couple of months…?
Yes actually I played in LA at ‘A Club Called Rhonda’ in Silverlake LA. It’s what NYC nightlife used to be…colorful, vibey, all about the music and not one camera phone out! Everyone just dancing! It was amazing, I played for a Jesse Rose night and I DJ’d and we had the best time in ages…
So you keep mentioning it, the white isle. It’s that time Junior! Ibiza time! What are your plans for the white isle this summer?
Oh yes it is. I will definitely be spending most of my summer there. I have a few gigs lined up already one with Armand van Helden at Pacha, a few for Hard Times and I hope to be back again and do Ibiza Rocks House. Also Idris’s night at Pikes for Ibiza Rocks and possibly some of Doorly’s nights. We shall see and of course I’ll be making some Mambo appearances. It’s tradition y’all.
Your highlight of Ibiza 2014?
Man, I would say Ibiza Rocks House at Pikes is always so much fun! You never know what can happen there, that’s why I love it so!
3 bucket list crazy adventures you wanna do in your lifetime…
Skydive by myself, go to space and explore the deepest oceans like James Cameron! lol
A big summer event you cannot wait for…
Ibiza. Period!
A tip for a summer anthem…
HMMMM maybe people should ask their grandma’s about that!
And finally, what is coming out next from the label and also the mighty Junior Sanchez studio…
Well, a lot from the Brobot camp, our Miami compilation was just released with a track I did called ‘I Need U’, I have a new record coming out on Defected called ‘Let Me Touch You’, it’s a cool sexy vocal house record. Another release on A-sided, it’s a new 2015 version of ‘Be With You’ feat. Dajae, it’s really crazy dope! You have to check it out. A release on Murk called ‘Stalker’, my collaboration with Chocolate Puma ‘Lost Your Groove’ and three remixes I’ve done; one was for Sailor & I, Gus Gus and Rhye. Oh, I’m also starting a new project with Jesse Rose that’s kinda insane. Will keep you posted DMCWORLD…
