Another week, another Sunday….this time – it’s Christmas! Happy Holidays to you and yours, and who DOESN’T need some slackin’ once family time is thru?
I’m excited to have a very special guest – Stephen Dj Jung Gwaltney. I had the pleasure of meeting him and his wife this summer @ Jack Camp (did I tell you guys about that weekend?? Crazy!) and it was absolutely fast-friends style. On my trip to Chicago earlier this month – I stopped by and playing with Jung on his radio show – “Friday Release” – on CHFM Radio (click here to check it out!)
A real talent and the embodiment of what house music means to us – that’s the best I can do to describe Jung – a veteran DJ and producer who continues to work hard – a release is upcoming on H.A.R.D. – with label head J. Caprice.
Enjoy Christmas!………and when you need it – the Slackin’ Podcast will be here.
TRACK LISTING for DJ Jung’s Slackin MIX
1. Up All Night – Uriah West & Rescue
2. Babadeh – Onsei
3. Gospel – Super Flu’s Antichrist Mix
4. Bang Bang – Nick Jagger
5. Black Rose – Jamie D
6. Renegade Beats – Anhanguera
7. The Midrange – Craig Hamilton
8. Spanish Dancer – Ross Couch
9. Rock It – Arco
10. Muzik – Xpress (Loyu Rmx)
11. Where Is Fekkesh – Jeff Service
12. Lets Dance – Cajmere & Russoul
13. No More Lady J - Wrex Education Project
Check out more from DJ Jung on his Soundcloud page HERE and also – check out tunes and mixes from his collab project - Audiophiles – HERE.
Check out the full scoop on DJ Jung – really cool stuff!
With well over a decade of experience behind the decks in such locales as Chicago, Miami, Nashville, Detroit, Portland, Lexington, and St. Louis just to name a few. DJ Jung began his love affair with the beat at a very young age. Coming from a musical family, it came naturally that at age 11 he picked up the bass guitar and never looked back. Spending his teenage years touring all around the southeast found that in ’98, he was without a band and searching for inspiration.
This is where his exposure to a single club night left him taken back by the energy of the music, the sense of community, and the interaction between DJ and dancefloor. This is where his obsession began. He has spent the years since perfecting his sound. Currently he is playing a unique blend of sexy, rhythmic, techy funk house layered over dirty progressive bass. Some of his early inspiration came from greats such as Tiga, Hardkiss brothers, Mark Farina, and the ol’ B96 mix tapes.
“I have felt a connection to the power of sound ever since I strummed my first bass note, from that single note I realized that with all the different cultures around the world that music is the true universal language. I have always felt that music was not only an expression of self but an actual emotion, a true feeling, it has the ability to shift and change any mood.”
In ’99 he became the dark horse of a strictly house crew known as the Jack Junkies out of Nashville, he quickly became a crowd favorite in the local scene playing a mix of house, progressive, and trance which led him to play with dj’s like Charlotte the Baroness (sunburn), Miles Maeda, DJ Dmitry, DJ MFR, Kimball Collins, and Crystal Method. In the spring of ’02, he was brought in to help remix an old ’89 Shania Twain track (“it’s alright”), this unlikely sample turned out to rise to the top of the dance billboard charts and was described in Dance Music Authority (June/July ’02) as “everyone on the floor will want to dance to this track. Seven and a half minutes of delectable fun! Find this import ASAP!”. He is currently in the studio feverishly working on new material. Look for a new track coming out on serial sickness in May of ‘10 with Corduroy Mavericks “Bumpin in the Pocket” on the Extra Crispy EP.
Finding that he wanted the challenge, he packed up and made the move to Chicago in the spring of ’03. Throwing himself into the Chicago house scene he found himself rubbing elbows with the very DJ’s that inspired him such as Diz, Derrick Carter, DJ Heather, and DJ Motion. He began playing all over the chi-town area with DJ’s like BT, Pierre, and The Juan MacLean. After meeting his future partner in crime, DJ Quincy, Jung wanted to be behind the party as well as the music. In December ’05 the two sat down over drinks and came to the topic of how they both felt disconnected from their original crews ( Jack Junkies, Family Chicago ) and jokingly asked each other “ Are we crewless?”, CruLes? Chicago was born. The concept was they wanted to bypass the politics of the industry and take charge of their own future. This led them in January ’06 to contact the Clevelander in Miami to throw an event for the Winter Music Conference that year. Jung took his experience from the previous conference, where he threw a 5 day event at the Cordozo, and ended up throwing the most successful Monday the Clevelander had to date including a lineup with Jay-J, Mark Grant, Lego, Patrick Turner, and RTHM, and DJ Pierre. Forging a relationship with Pierre, Jung was invited back to be the first DJ at the opening party of WMC ’07. Over the next couple of years Jung and Quincy threw events and continued to rock dancefloors all over the American Midwest and Southeast at various venues. He is now turning his attention to bringing his unique abilities behind the decks overseas.
In February ’10 Jung and Quincy (The Audiophiles) became a part of the CHFM (chicagohousefm.com) family being given a weekly spot on Wednesdays from 7-9pm CST, “Phunk Trunk Radio” live from Chicago! This connection has given them a complete re-inspiration and drive for the music. It has also expanded their reach to a global audience. In the short time they have been with CHFM, they have generated enough buzz to bring in guest appearances from Giom and Mel Rosario. You never know what to expect from Phunk Trunk Radio. The Audiophiles pride themselves on creating the energy and experience you feel at a club even though it’s being broadcast into the comfort of your home.
He is fresh off a European tour in October ‘10, including England, Amsterdam, and Belgium. He was fortunate to make the Chicago connection with Sista Stroke in London on the Brick City House Radio Show. He then made an appearance at a local event, headlining “Chi Times” at Café Batavia in Amsterdam. The end and most prominent show he found on this tour was a headlining spot at Club H2O in the white room, alongside JP Chronic from Ibiza and Fred Hush from Belgium where 2000 heads were in attendance. The response was overwhelming and a trip back is in the works very soon.
“I always find that when I’m playing for a crowd, whether it’s 10, 100, or 1000, I always spot the one in the crowd that needs me the most, I can just tell they need the boost. I’ll focus my energy to lift them, make them forget their worries and just dance. Nothing is more gratifying for me as a DJ than being able to make that connection, even if it’s just one. The energy exchange between DJ and dance floor is unlike anything else I’ve ever experienced. For me true happiness is moving a crowd that wants to be moved, a crowd that wants a true experience.”
