Sunju Hargun has been deejaying for over 13 years now. His music is fully charged with a dark future techno sound that carries a varied spectrum of musical influences. Have a listen on soundcloud.com/sunjuhargun to really gauge the unique depth of his sound and remember to turn them speakers right up!
When did your relationship with music start?
At a very young age. Music always somehow managed to gravitate towards me. My father, a professional guitarist, had a great history in and knowledge about music and he trained me to become a drummer. I used to jam with him almost every day after school. We had a studio in the house where he kept an extensive collection of vinyls with genres that ranged from rock, jazz and blues to folk. This really had an impact on me and instilled a need to keep an open mind when listening to music.
When and why did you decide to become a DJ?
When I saw Paul Van Dyk for the first time back in 2000. I vividly remember dancing in a crowd of about a thousand people. There was a rush of emotions that ran through my body when seeing all those faces and the energy of the crowd smiling, dancing and losing themselves to the music. It was then and there I really thought to myself how blessed and lucky one must be to have the gift and ability to control that many people in one instant, with music. It was a real life changer for me when I started learning and practising every day with my full heart and I've never looked back on my journey since.
Photo: siam2nite
How have you grown as a DJ in the last year?
I've never been one to sit around and pat myself on the back. I always think a set wasn't good enough and that I could do better. Other people inspire me to work harder, smarter, faster and more efficiently than I do. Musically speaking, I feel like I'm now in a good place and have started a new chapter. It's a long never-ending road in this game but it's quite important for me that I keep evolving and moving forward to challenge myself, always. Although my ears are a lot more sensitive than before as now I'm very selective when it comes to the music I play and I'm really digging a lot deeper to find songs that are more meaningful to me and hopefully my audience too. My travel diary and schedule are both going in the right places and I feel really blessed that I'll soon be visiting countries I've never been to and spreading the love.
Tell us about the genre of music you play.
My sound is very technologic, a sort of advanced techno that also retains a sort of punk ethic. I think what I try to represent is a freedom of expression through sound. My sound is very open to incorporating different sounds and representing my true identity as an artist. It comes from not a mainstream perspective but a more left field alternative perspective. I would say my sound is a very alternative left field underground punk perspective.
With so many people calling themselves DJs these days, do you believe that real DJs are only those who can play on vinyl?
Being able to play vinyl surely has its advantages to setting a higher bar to your beat matching and mixing skills, as it's basically playing one record after the other. And the feeling of playing vinyl of course is very special and impossible to replicate. But, nowadays, the birth of advanced technology and newer DJ equipment really gives endless possibilities to make it quite easy to achieve those skills. At the same time, it allows people to be as creative as possible, which is something I really embrace.
What advice do you give to aspiring DJs who want to make it?
It's perfectly fine to be influenced by and emulate the artist that you inspire to be like. However, it's very important to find your voice. Project yourself using whomever it is you want but through them find your own unique sound. In this game, it's all about longevity and not the quick 15 minutes of fame. Follow your heart. Let the music truly speak and I promise it will never lie.
What five things do you never see yourself living without?
Music, family, love, food and technology.
Musical stars aren't built in a day. For ones who are in it for the long haul, it takes a decade, and more. One star who's been shining bright for some time now in Bangkok's underground electronic music scene -- even though he always insists on wearing black -- is DJ and producer Sunju Hargun. Guru speaks to Hargun about his path to fame, his modus operandi for artistic expression and the road that lies ahead.
