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Buzz Features
Posted by Pakman30 pts Saturday, February 14, 2015

Meet Justin Oh, an EDM DJ who's JUSTINcredible!

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From the flashing, crazy lights to the crowd's hyped energy, the one who makes the eargasmic experience of an electric dance music (EDM) festival come to life is none other than the DJs who spin and mix the tracks.




Introducing Justin Oh, a South Korean DJ who is big in the EDM scene. After debuting in 2011, Oh has mastered the craft of making ethereal music that will either take you out of this world or make you want to jump out of your skin dancing. 


allkpop Buzz recently had the opportunity for a Q&A with Oh on his success as a DJ. In the interview, Oh shares with us his journey as a musician, his musical influences, his favorite K-Pop artists, and what's in store for the future. Check it out!


SEE ALSO: HEYOON announces debut solo track 'Pivot'


What made you decide to become a DJ? 


"I caught on to it pretty early, around high school. I remember saving up, buying my first turntables, and mixing the vinyl really poorly. And even before then, I remember making mix-tapes by recording over my halmoni's (grandma's) church cassette tapes. (I'm sorry, halmoni!) I always knew music was going to be a big part of my life and after I started to produce and write my own tracks, DJing kind of just happened naturally."




You've made so many releases ever since your 2011 debut. Is there a track you're particularly proud of?


"Haha, yes. There's been a lot of music since then!


I did a remix for Paul Oakenfold's 'Ready Steady Go!' and every time I play it at my shows, the crowd goes crazy with energy! I grew up listening to that song in movies like 'The Matrix' and 'Bourne Identity' so I knew right away I wanted to [remix] it when they asked me. 




In fact, in [the film] 'Collateral,' they used a Korean version [of 'Ready Steady Go!'] in which they say 'junbi, chulbal, go! (ready, set, go!)' during the Korean night club fight scene with Tom Cruise. I always thought that was pretty awesome. So, I kind of recreated that with my own voice and snuck that into the track, which is cool because they later played it on BBC Radio 1. So yeah, a little Korean pride there haha!


'Jejudo' is another one I'm really proud of. I went to Jeju Island a while back for the first time ever. It really is an amazing place. Quite the opposite of Seoul actually. It was very calm, beautiful, and majestic in a way. Time sort of stood still in a good way. So when I got back home, I had an idea for the song that captured the same feeling I had in Jeju. 




I don't get to play this song often at my shows because it isn't a banging festival track for partying, which is a shame, but I really like to listen to this song to bring back memories. Some people have photographs, I have this song.


But so far, 'Stay With Me' has definitely been one of my biggest songs. It started as just an EDM song for festivals and my DJ sets, but I started to hear it in shopping malls, restaurants, clothing stores.... It was chosen by 'ULTRA Korea' as the ULTRA Anthem for 2014 and the fan reaction was really great! I'm really thankful to everyone that listened and supported the song."



Which DJs would you cite as your major influences? Any DJs you'd like to collaborate with? 


"EDM is so huge now and there are a ton of great artists doing amazing things. Alesso, Paris Blohm, Avicii, Tritonal, Pierce Fulton, DubVision, Lush & Simon, Arston, Madeon.... There are too many to list! 


But, the big one for me recently is Porter Robinson. If you haven't heard 'Worlds,' I highly recommend everyone to take a listen. His album broke all the rules of EDM and he did it very, very well. There is some great storytelling and amazing melodies and sound design on that album. Some emotional inspirational stuff!


I'm actually in the middle of working on my upcoming artist album which will have some collaborations with other DJs and singers. I can't mention any names or details yet but there are some really cool collaborations that I think people will love to hear!"




Are you a K-Pop fan? Any favorite K-Pop singers/rappers/groups?


"Yeah, of course! I think Brown Eyed Girls' 'Abracadabra' was the song that did it for me, haha. But, I also like groups like Nell, INFINITE, B2ST, YB, SECRET, Henry, Tablo, Ivy, Seo Taiji, NoBrain, Kim Bum Soo, G.Soul, 4minute, and the list goes on.... I also used to have a huge crush on Nicole from KARA. But I think it is no secret that Younha is my favorite K-Pop singer."


Speaking of Younha, last year, you collaborated with the artist for the track "Stay With Me." How did that come about?


"That came after I heard 'Run,' a song from Younha's 'Supersonic' album. Such a great song! To this day, I think it is my favourite K-Pop song still. 




Anyways, I talked to my management right away and said I wanted to work with her. It took two years because of her busy schedule. During that time we could've went with different idol singers, but we all knew that Younha's voice was something special and would work best as our first EDM/K-Pop crossover track. I'm glad we [waited for her] because I remember being in the studio with her, hearing her sing, and thinking, "Wow, she is the real deal!" After she sang the first take, everyone in the room had goosebumps because of how good she was! 


By the time we finished the track, 'ULTRA Korea' was coming up and we thought this would be a great chance to debut and show something special to the fans. We were pretty lucky with how everything worked out!"






As a DJ you get to participate in huge, international events such as 'ULTRA.' How would you describe the 'ULTRA' experience?  


"Incredible. It gets bigger every year! It's really cool seeing people from all around the world together having such a good time sharing their love for music. 'ULTRA' is amazing; it is a great place to showcase new music and reach new audiences and the production of the events are always world-class and epic! I've been fortunate enough to join the ULTRA tour to places like Buenos Aires, Europe, Miami, Taiwan, etc. But, 'ULTRA Korea' is always very special for me. It is my home crowd and I always make sure to try a lil' extra harder for the fans in Seoul."




Are there any cities that you've never been to before where you would like to DJ?


"Of course, the world is a huge place and there are tons of places I'd love to DJ. Locally, I'd love to bring my show to Busan or Daejeon one day. I feel that the [EDM] scene is starting to get big down there too. When these cities are ready, I definitely want to go. Other than that, I would maybe DJ somewhere nice and relaxing like the Galapagos Islands or Maldives."




You're one of the rising talents on the EDM scene and are considered to be one of the top Progress House artists in South Korea. What do you think was the highlight of your DJ career during 2014? What do you look forward to in 2015?


"Ah, thank you. I am lucky to be in South Korea and amongst a growing scene. There is a ton of talent here and I am glad to be a part of the growing EDM scene alongside other artists like Idiotape, Glen Check, The Nod, Cabinett, Raiden, Bagaghee Viphex, Leopardgecko, Kago Penchi, and more!


Looking back, 2014 was a great and busy year. A lot of music was released and I got to play around the world in many different countries. Doing the 'ULTRA' tour was definitely a huge highlight for me. Performing on the main stage with Younha in front of 15,000 people was incredible!

But I think 2015 will be even bigger! I am currently busy finishing my artist album which will feature some collaborations with a lot of other DJs and K-Pop artists. This is some of the best music I have written so far and I am really excited to start playing some of the music at my shows! If all goes well, hopefully I'll be able to debut the first couple tracks as early as this summer.
"





Make sure to follow Justin Oh's official WebsiteFacebook page, Twitter, Beatport, and Soundcloud for more updates from this talented DJ!
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