INTERVIEW:
Julen the Human
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I have been speaking with Julen the Human…
about his start in music and what inspired his latest track, Time. He discusses influences and which artists he grew up around; what he hopes to achieve by the end of the year and whether there are a few albums that are especially important to him.
Julen the Human reveals a favourite memory from his time in music and highlights some artists to watch; whether there are any gigs coming up and how he spends time away from music – he ends the interview by selecting a fine track.
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Hi, Julen the Human. How are you? How has your week been?
Hi! Good, thank you very much. How about yourself?
For those new to your music; can you introduce yourself, please?
Sure thing! Hi there. My name is Julen (the Human). I’m a multimedia artist who dabbles in both audio and visual mediums with a passion for topics regarding existence; the nature of reality and the human condition. Due to its immediacy and ‘in the moment’ nature; music is an essential part of what I do and one of the strongest emotional conduits I have to my disposal. It’s an indispensable catalyst that balances out the other, more ‘cogent’ content.
Time is your new track. What’s the story behind the song?
Well. Besides its super-original title; the song is pretty much exploring the realization of time being impartial to you or anyone; the haunting notion of wasting one’s youth by living in the hypotheticals. It’s about this sort of vicious cycle of apathy, where the chorus show a glimmer of hope/motivation but we then fall back to the monotony and melancholy of the verses. It talks about not seeing things through to the end so the song itself ‘ends’ without the ‘concluding’ chord to the final progression - smart, eh?
Might we expect some more material down the tracks?
Yup! Working on new stuff as we speak! And, by ‘stuff’, I mean content in both audio/visual mediums.
You are a YouTube star. How does your work you do there and that experience feed into your music?
I wouldn’t really say ‘star’; more like a budding, baby ball of burning gas still nestled in a fluffy nebula’s embrace. Well. The whole idea of the channel is to use it as a way to merge and showcase an array of artistic ventures and collaborations. So, in a way, it’s a sort of feedback loop - I guess.
Are there particular musicians you draw inspiration from? Did you grow up around a lot of music?
Growing up, I was always surrounded by music and instruments. My older brother is a musician so it became sort of second nature to me. To tell you the truth; I never really considered it a career choice until later in life. Whilst studying film, ironically enough.
What do you hope to achieve by the end of 2018?
Well. Seeing as that is right around the corner…I’m just aiming to get a better footing in terms of the content that I’ll be uploading for what’s left of this year and the upcoming one.
Do you already have plans for 2019?
I’m currently working on it!
Have you got a favourite memory from your time in music so far – the one that sticks in the mind?
There’s a funny memory from when I was very, very young…
I remember my brother got a keyboard for one Christmas and, as most keyboards do, it came with a modest constellation of ‘preset’ song buttons. I had this weird game with myself where I would go to my brother’s room, play this particular preset - I believe it was a MIDI rendition of Pachelbel’s Canon in D - and I would see how long I could go before I felt the tears swelling. I know, it’s odd. I guess music just really strikes a chord. Hah! Get it?! Ok; sorry… dad joke (and no, I’m not a dad).
Which three albums mean the most to you would you say (and why)?
Maybe I’ll get some heat for saying this but I don’t really have a particular album that means the most to me…it’s always been more about the individual songs. Don’t get me wrong; there are some amazing albums with insane concepts which I definitively find admirable and inspiring. Anyway; here are some I really enjoy:
Discovery - Daft Punk; Give Up - The Postal Service; Melody A.M. - Röyksopp; Stadium Arcadium - Red Hot Chili Peppers; Continuum - John Mayer; Tourist History - Two Door Cinema Club.
Basically, all of Joe Hisaishi’s work with Ghibli etc.
What advice would you give to new artists coming through?
Don’t kill your ideas by judging them too fast. Also; it’s fine to have a vision, just remember it’s important to focus on the present and not get too carried away by illusions - or you’ll exhaust yourself in a futile pursuit.
Do you have tour dates coming up? Where can we catch you play?
Not at the moment, but I’ll keep you posted! If you subscribe to my YouTube channel and/or follow me on Instagram, I’ll make sure to keep you up to date and in the loop!
IMAGE CREDIT: Zhé
Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?
Sure! A lot of 'em: Zhé (his album, A Pretty Dark Soul, is on Spotify); Morris (their album, Va a Pasar, is also on Spotify); El HueyCoyote (yup; Spotify as well); David Alexandr (his new single, Take Your Leave, is on Spotify); Silver Twins (yes, yes. Spotify) and Nimbus (coming soon so keep an eye out!) to name a few.
IN THIS PHOTO: El HueyCoyote
Do you get much time to chill away from music? How do you unwind?
When I’m not doing music, I’m usually working on some other content idea. I have an overactive brain, so something that has been of incredible help and benefit to my life in general is the practice of meditation. Really recommend it to anyone who identifies as human!
Finally, and for being a good sport; you can choose a song and I’ll play it here (not any of your music - I will do that).
One Summer’s Day - Joe Hisaishi
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