New Jersey-born and-based house music artist Junior Sanchez started DJing when he was around 11 years old.
"By 13, I had begun producing," he says. "My first record came out while I was a sophomore in high school. That’s when things got serious for me because I had a real release out there. Then, when I released my first strictly rhythm release in '94, I had some residencies in N.Y.C. at Club USA, Limelight, [and] I realized this could be a career. By 1997, I played my first international gig at Tribal Gathering in London, opening for Kraftwerk alongside Roger Sanchez and DJ Sneak as part of our group, The S-Men. That was my introduction to the global stage as a DJ."
Sanchez describes his sound today as, "confident, edgy, sometimes dirty, sometimes clean—it really depends on the track."
"I believe every producer needs their own 'soundprint,' and over the years, I’ve honed mine," he says. "It’s colorful, multidimensional, with a lot of depth. Whether I’m making a techno record that has a grittier vibe or a vocal track that’s clean and sharp, my signature sound comes through in my drums and arrangements. My sound is ever-evolving, but it’s rooted in big, thick percussive drums and strong melodies, whether I’m working with samples or creating from scratch."
Sanchez's latest release is the album Songprints Vol. 1, out now on D4Dance.
"It’s a collection of songs that reflect how I craft music," he says. "Each track is special, each one captures a moment, and they all turned out exactly as I envisioned. I’m really proud of this project. As for my last set, it was at Disco Pussy in downtown Las Vegas. The energy was incredible—everyone was vibing with the music from start to finish. It was one of those nights where everything just clicked."
As for gear: "In my studio, I run everything from my MacBook Pro, switching between Ableton and Pro Tools depending on my workflow. I use a UAD Apollo 8x for my interface, and my monitor controller is the Dangerous Music Monitor ST. My mic is the Townsend Labs Sphere, paired with a Neve 1083 preamp. My monitors are the Adam S3X-H. For plugins, I lean heavily on Waves, Arturia , Antares, UAD, and a variety of other plugins that I love and use regularly. I also have loads of outboard gear and synthesizers that I incorporate into my production."
Looking ahead, Sanchez has plenty planned for the coming months.
"The rest of 2024 is focused on promoting Songprints Vol. 1, which continues to gain momentum," he says. "I also have a few singles coming out. One is called 'Bitch U Could Nevah' featuring Dave Giles II, set to release on Tuskegee, Seth Troxler’s and The Martinez Brothers’ label. I’m working on a collaboration with Carl Craig on Planet E titled Art O Fact Part Two, which are remixes of a track I released earlier this year. There’s also a collaboration with Dombresky and WHO in the works, and I’ve got some remixes for Lenny Kravitz that should drop before the year wraps up."
