Paris, early ‘90s. The city was a schizophrenic beast—half-glamour, half-decay—where raves exploded like molotov cocktails in abandoned warehouses and smoke-filled basements. It was beautiful chaos. Somewhere in the thick of it was Julien Veniel, better known as D’Julz, spinning records with the focus of a surgeon and the cool detachment of someone who had seen it all.
Then came New York, 1993. A city that didn’t sleep but didn’t really dream either, at least not back then. Veniel—young, hungry, and too talented to ignore—found himself in the depths of sweaty dancefloors, perfecting his craft like a prizefighter working the heavy bag. The kicks were tighter, the grooves deeper, and his sound—dub-infused, stripped-down, relentless—started to carve its way into the foundations of house and techno.
But Paris called him back. By 1997, he was behind the decks at the Rex Club, launching Bass Culture, a night that would quietly and ruthlessly become one of the most enduring parties in dance music. You could feel it in the air, heavy with smoke and sweat: something was happening. And week after week, D’Julz delivered. The music wasn’t just played; it was installed into your brain, a groove so potent it hijacked your nervous system.
The production side came next. 20:20 Vision, Ovum ,Circus Company. Robsoul. ,Rekids. Big labels, underground credibility. Tracks and remixes that hit like slow-burning dynamite—deceptively simple, brutally effective. DJs hoarded his records like they were holding nuclear launch codes.
Then there was Circoloco—DC10 . Ibiza’s sacred asylum for the beautifully deranged. D’Julz became a fixture for 7 years, a reliable madman behind the decks, controlling both the main room and the red terrace like a general marching his troops to the brink of delirium. His sets were measured doses of euphoria and dread, dubby basslines colliding with pulsing techno rhythms, all delivered with a sly grin and the calm of someone who knew.
By 2009, Bass Culture Records was born. A label as lean and unforgiving as its founder—no fluff, no filler, just raw, stripped-back house and techno that knew where it came from and where it was going. Over 70 releases later, it’s clear: D’Julz doesn’t miss.
Now, decades into this strange and relentless trip, D’Julz is still at it. The tour schedule is insane—Bali, Berlin, New York, and back again. Clubs and cities blend together, but the mission never changes: find the groove, ride it hard, and don’t let up until the lights come on.
D’Julz doesn’t care about trends. He doesn’t care about fame. He’s a purist, a craftsman, a man obsessed with the sound—the deep, pulsing, unstoppable sound. Three decades in and he’s still there, calm and unflinching, dropping records that hit like a gunshot in the dark.
If you want to understand D’Julz, don’t bother asking questions. Just listen. The truth is buried somewhere in the basslines.

BOOKING CONTACT: 

benny@stillhotberlin.com

FOR BOOKINGS IN ROMANIA:
ionut@cyclic.ro // tel:0721381922

You can become a fan here: 
www.facebook.com/mihaipopoviciu1
www.instagram.com/mihai_popoviciu

WEBSITE: 
www.stillhotberlin.com

BIO: 
	
	Every artist has a signature. Mihai Popoviciu is no exception. For over a decade the amiable Romanian producer and DJ has built a body of work characterised by deep grooves, crisp precision, and irresistible energy.
	Mihai's singular vision was born in his home town Sibiu (still his home base) which, at the time, lay on the fringes of Europe's thriving dance scene. It was the early '90s. Electronic music was flooding London, Ibiza, Berlin but only a trickle reached his ears. "We would tape German TV shows onto cassette and listen over and over," he recalls.
	With no clubs, record shops or dance culture to speak of Mihai's dream of being an electronic artist seemed remote. He studied architecture and briefly worked in the field, but it was house and techno, not house-building, that was his true calling . "I couldn't DJ, because there were no clubs," he says with a chuckle. But he could buy software, so he started making records. Lots of records. Sometimes one per day, for months on end. The work of the determined young artist began to catch people's ears. His first track was signed to International Deejay Gigolo in 2005, and dozens of releases followed on imprints including Bondage, Highgrade, Poker Flat, Bedrock, Dessous and also his own label Cyclic, established in 2012.
	This calm determination became Mihai's trademark as his career blossomed from production to DJing. After honing is skills in the studio he learned to DJ (on borrowed decks) and began drawing attention in Romania and across Europe. Playing international gigs was a big move for someone who grew up only seeing clubs on TV but Mihai stepped up with professional aplomb. His CV now includes the best clubs in Europe and around the world, from Berghain and Watergate in Berlin; to London's Fabric and The Egg; to D-Edge, São Paulo; DC-10, Ibiza; and more.
	Mihai's ambition with every track and every DJ set, is to transmit the joy and energy that fuels his dream. "It feels great to see people dancing, smiling, having a good time. No matter what I do, that's the main thing." 
	He is equally at home in underground clubs or on festival stages. The one thing that stays the same is his artistry and irresistible delight in music. "Mihai was on his sound from the beginning," says friend and booking agent Benny Grauer. "It has a unique quality. Any time you hear it you know, "That's Mihai". He's done it for years, and it is perfect."

CEO @loveontherocks
Bookings: paramida@meanwhile.nl

https://www.instagram.com/nick.curly

www.nick-curly.de

Secretsundaze DJ bookings: 
marc@poem.agency

Spirit of Sundaze Ensemble bookings:
lauren@earth-agency.com 

Secretsundaze is the trademark of forward-thinking, underground house music. As an artist and brand – spanning parties and festivals, a record label, a studio, an NTS residency and a live band project – it’s been operating for over 20 years and embodies the spirit and community of London’s club culture. But it’s never been one to sit still or rest on its laurels; leave that to the nostalgia crew because Secretsundaze always keeps it moving. 

Take this year, 2024, as an example. Right now Secretsundaze is stepping out as an artist proposition in its own right, helmed by producer/DJ/curator James Priestley who’s currently packing a stack of club tracks that will drop across the year and establish the project as a hit factory for DJs and dancers searching for a fresh take on house music that draws on breakbeat energy and trancey euphoria. Priestley is known to take the roof off as a DJ and now he’s adding to his arsenal with sought-after solo productions of his own under the Secretsundaze name. 

As a tastemaker, Secretsundaze sits at the cutting-edge, bringing new heads into the fold and always looking to champion new talent. His NTS residency, which has seen MoMa Ready, Paquita Gordon and Alex Kassian guest recently, is a reflection of the project’s current dancefloor obsessions. The meticulous curation of the Secretsundaze presents parties and Multi Multi festival, renowned for featuring talents such as Ash Lauryn and Carista long before they gained widespread recognition and uniting visionary artists like Toumba, Tash LC and NIKS under a single roof, serves as a compelling testament to Secretsundaze’s commitment in celebrating new artists.

Now for some history: 2022 saw the launch of Spirit Of Sundaze Ensemble, a full live band project that reimagines anthems beloved of those in the know, recording and performing cult bangers like Photek’s ‘Mine To Give’ and Joyce Sims’ ‘Come Into My Life’. The band has already graced the stages of the Queen Elizabeth Hall (Southbank Centre) and the ICA as well as Beat Hotel and Kala festivals, with a debut LP set for release later this year.

This duality of cutting-edge and classic is what makes Secretsundaze so special. Priestley originally cut his teeth as a d’n’b DJ and a promoter of not-so-legal warehouse parties before becoming an annual resident at the legendary Robert Johnson and landing gigs at Panorama Bar and Queen at Smart Bar, which is the kind of gigography that many selectors would happily settle for. But Priestley’s love of underground club culture has propelled him even further and Secretsundaze is now two decades deep, a pillar of London culture that has poured blood, sweat and tears into the city’s music community. 

Secretsundaze begins 2024 as a solo venture with Priestley at the helm, navigating an ever-expanding musical universe that unearths and re-engages with different styles, genres and music scene via parties, live shows, productions, radio and even a new record label.

Claire stormed in to the House and Techno scene with an array of stunning releases with her first E.P being signed to Steve Bug's highly respected imprint Dessous Recordings. Claire continued this success by featuring on labels such as Knee Deep in Sound, Dogmatik Records, Neurotraxx, working again with Steve Bug on his Audiomatique label, murmur records having her huge hit 'Slow Loris' remixed by Solomun which gained plays by artists like Richie Hawtin and 1trax including a remix of Robert Owens - I'll Be Your Friend alongside artists like Jamie Jones. 

Claire pushed the same tempo with a strong output of releases in collaboration with new production partner Zeitgeist on Highgrade Records in Berlin, Gorge's Katchuli, Wiggle Records and releasing Come to the Disco exclusively on the first VIVa Warriors compilation mixed by Steve Lawler following Highgrade track ‘Crystal Meth Barbie’ being charted as one of Steve Lawler’s best club tracks of the year.

Away from having her tracks signed to some of the worlds biggest labels she was the head of Phobic Records with Richard Belsom. The label showcased some of the best international artists on the scene with the likes of Tim Green, Rebekah, Chris Lattner, Ekkohaus, Alex Arnout, Inxec and Jey Kurmis. The label saw massive support from top DJ's worldwide from the likes of Seth Troxler, Dubfire, Adam Beyer, Mathias Tanzmann, Carl Cox, Magda, Slam, Steve Lawler, Simon Baker, Laurent Garnier, Matt Tolfrey, Nic Fanciulli, Gabriel Ananda and more.

In addition to releasing on some of the most highly respected labels Claire’s past appearances have included the 6 Music Festival, Panorama Bar (Berlin), Fabric (London), Circo Loco/Saved (Maidstone), K4 Klub (Slovenia), Wiggle (NYE at Paramount), Salon Daome (Montreal) and many more.

During 2024 the new project from Claire & Richard Belsom "Broken Native" released their first e.p on Steve Lawlers iVAV Recordings. The project is intended to showcase their love for techno, breakbeat and new school garage inspired by their love of 90’s breaks, hardcore and liquid drum & bass.

It’s easy to see why Claire was selected as "Keep an eye on" in Mixmag and described as "Very impressive stuff" by DJ Mag.

Matt Katchis is following