BAMBOLÉ 2 YEAR CELEBRATION

Who they are

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  James Juke

  New York City · 48 bookings since Aug 2023

  “James Juke came to house music far from home.”

  their own biography

  the whole biography

  James Juke came to house music far from home. A year abroad in Buenos Aires at 19 introduced him to clubs for the first time, and in the span of a month, sets from Folamour, Honey Dijon, and Dusky made him understand that this music had infinite flavors and forms, and that understanding them was going to take time. Now based in Brooklyn, Juke has been shaped by the legacy of The Loft, deep house purists and the underground techno scene, all of it filtering into a singular sound. Rooted in disco, soul, and the sampling lineage that connects early house to hip-hop, his sets move through jackin', vocal-driven house and raw, hypnotic tech house. Drawn to DJs like Eris Drew, Octa Octa, and Cinthie as much as the classic house canon, Juke thinks as much like a curator as a DJ. Whether digging for sets or samples, his growing collection of music leans towards tracks you can't easily find on streaming platforms and records that haven't been digitized. Production came later, and in the least glamorous way possible. During the pandemic, Juke downloaded Logic and spent a year teaching himself entirely by ear. No tutorials, no guidance, just samples. Eventually that work found its way to Demuir, who gave him monthly feedback sessions that sharpened what he was building. Releases followed on Nervous, Robsoul, and Rek'd, alongside more experimental work, including A Little Lost, a collab-driven EP that deliberately stepped outside the club context to explore what the music could be. His sets carry the same curiosity. Whether playing a 150-cap room or a main stage, Juke's approach is shaped by a genuine respect for the history he's drawing from: Paradise Garage, Music Box, and The Sound Factory. He's shared lineups with Mike Dunn, Harry Romero, Inland Knights, and Dam Swindle; his music has earned the attention of Disclosure, who have supported his development and given direct feedback on his work. A-Trak released his music and has been a collaborator and subject of his long-running interview podcast, The Juiceboxx. And for his party, The Jukeboxx, he’s hosted NY’s best: Dee Diggs, Kim Anh, Devoye, Cosmo, Lovie, and MomaReady. None of it was planned. It still isn't. And that's the point.
  SoundCloud ↗Bandcamp ↗
  House on 20, Nu-Disco on 4, Disco on 2 and Contemporary R&B on 1. styles on their catalogued releases

  Released on Madame Gold (2), The Disco Express (1) and snackwax (1); their RA profile also lists Nervous Records, Rek'd, 17 Steps and Toucan Sounds. labels on their catalogued releases and on their RA profile

  Recently at Elsewhere, Le Bain, Superior Ingredients · often with gabby cocco, Bakke, Very J, none of them here that night

• ABILAÚ