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Despite his wild, impressive appearance, this man is a true example of a tough diamond with a soft core. In this edition of the series MY FIRST GIG, Dutch DJ Julian Ruiz. About his debut he says: “A big box of Bacardi behind the booth put an end to the nerves.”
“There was always music playing at home when I was growing up. Sometimes it was the radio, but my mom was really into Elvis Presley, so we heard him a lot. My dad is Spanish and crazy about Spanish music. I also have a brother and two sisters. My sisters were into hard rock, and my brother listened to breakdance and hip-hop. I personally loved ska and reggae. So yes, you could say music was spoon-fed to me from an early age.”
Hardcore Gabber
“From around 1990/1991, when I was about twenty, I started going to parties like Multigroove and Hellraiser with friends. I think the first time I went with Nova and René Wielink. I had no idea what I was getting into! It was brutal gabber music, of course, but I loved it right away and went completely wild.”
Fascinated
“I wasn’t DJing yet during that time. One night at Multigroove, I ended up next to Gino (Lightner) while he was behind the decks. I was completely mesmerized. Watching him sparked my interest in DJing. So you could say Gino was the one who inspired me to start.”
Brand-New Pioneer SL1200s
“To get started, I obviously needed turntables. I was working shifts in Zaandam and Amsterdam back then, so I earned my own money and could afford to buy my own gear. I ended up getting two brand-new Pioneer SL1200s – and I still have them! They’re still in great shape.”
Lessons from Erick E.
“I never had a mentor, but I did take two DJ lessons from Erick Eerdhuizen, a.k.a. DJ E-One/DJ Erick E, at Drieluik in Zaandam. After two lessons, Erick told me: ‘You already know how to spin – I don’t need to teach you that. But your track selection could use some work.’ I totally got it, because Erick was more into mellow and club tracks, and I was into gabber and hardcore.” (laughs)
Exclusive Promos
“I spent hours practicing in my room. I also scoured every record store in Amsterdam looking for the best tracks. I was a regular at Boudisque, Attalos, and Outland Records, digging for music from labels like Industrial Strength. The more I hung out there, the more people I got to know – including the staff. That was great, because they’d call me as soon as they got hot new promos in. I’d race from Wormerveer to Amsterdam to grab them.”
First Booking
“At some point, I started playing B2B with Colin King. In 1994, we got our first official booking as a duo – all the way out in rural Groningen. To this day, I have no idea how they found us!” (laughs) “I do remember that Bass D, King Mathew, and Buzz Fuzz were also on the lineup.”
Going Hard
“The venue was a dance club somewhere deep in the woods – middle of nowhere. Back then, there was no TomTom or GPS, so how we actually got there?” (laughs) “I was in the car with Colin and Michel Tulleken. We were nervous, but having a blast. Going hard, drink in hand, music playing. That helped us relax.”
Leather Ajax Jackets
“So there we were, standing at the entrance in our leather Ajax jackets – definitely not sober. The crowd was full-on Groningers, and that’s a different breed altogether. Hmm… We were a bit unsure at first, but once we got inside, everything was fine.”
Box of Bacardi
“We were fourth or fifth on the lineup, right after Bass D and King Matthew, who were absolutely killing it. Our goal was to match their energy – and then top it. And we did. We played tracks like Influid II – ‘Quite Safe‘ (1992), Terror Traxx – ‘We Gonna Get This Place‘, T.O.P.D.R.O.P. – ‘Achtung!‘ – Rave Records, and Bertocucci Feranzano – ‘XTC Love‘ (Buzz Fuzz Mix). That kind of stuff. The nerves started creeping back in, but a giant box of Bacardi behind the booth quickly fixed that.” (laughs) “I probably made a mistake here or there, but most of the time the crowd doesn’t notice. In the end, it went great!”
Solid 10
“After our set, a bunch of people came up to us. ‘Awesome!’ ‘You guys killed it!’ ‘When are you coming back?’ ‘You get a solid 10!’ I felt like a king. It was amazing.”
Freestyle
“I’ve been playing solo since 1994. I never really prepare my sets. I always go freestyle – you never know what the night will bring or how the DJ before you played. If the dance floor empties during the previous set, it’s your job to fill it back up.”
Tight Beats
“What I learned from that very first time – and every gig since – is that you learn something new every time. Watch other DJs closely. Learn from them. My advice to upcoming DJs: make sure your beats are tight. The sounds need to align properly. Also, avoid switching abruptly from high-pitched tracks to super bass-heavy ones.”
Here, There, and Everywhere
“Since that gig, I’ve played just about everywhere. From bars to Multigroove, the ID&T Hemkade Thunderdome, Megafestatie (see photo with Rene Wielink), Club 114 (see photo with Dano), Happy Hardcore parties, Lang Zal Je Raven, and even Ibiza.”
“No, I haven’t released my own productions yet, but I’m setting up my studio – so that’s the plan for next year. In the meantime, I’ve been busy with my weekly radio show on Amsterdam Most Wanted FM and I’m still spinning at clandestine underground raves. Those are definitely still going strong.”
This interview with Julian Ruiz was originally published in December 2021 on This Is Our House.
Who is Julian Ruiz?
With Spanish roots but raised in the Netherlands, Julian Ruiz joined the illegal rave scene of Amsterdam in the early 1990s and started performing as a DJ in 1994. Julian Ruiz played clubs like the infamous Fun Factory, Club 114, the Megafestatie and was an often-seen guest DJ for ID&T. His repertoire ranges from oldskool, acid, happy hardcore to techno.
When house turned to hardcore gabber, Julian Ruiz turned to smaller settings, private parties and continued to perform in small clubs as a DJ, staying true to his love for early house music.
Now you can always find him at Ondergronds Verzetje, Once Upon a Time projects and many more. Julian Ruiz also had his own radio show at Amsterdam Most Wanted – FM since spring 2019. Together with his wife Nikie, he forms a unity. They invite guest DJs to show their skills.
With the renewed popularity of oldskool house, Julian Ruiz also experiences an increase in bookings. With a growing group of loyal followers, Julian Ruiz is quickly filling his schedule, including the legendary Multigroove parties and Lang Zal Je Raven.
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