Inspired by the underground house scene in 1998, Brian Epling (DJ Truelove) was moved by the music, the people and the love he felt. Compelled to share his experience with others, he became a DJ and set out to do for others what was done for him.Quickly rising through the ranks in the San Francisco Bay Area he started his own weekly and monthly parties. It wasn’t long before he was playing for some of the biggest clubs and festivals in the Bay. To expand his musical opportunities even further, he moved to Las Vegas and in 2011 DJ Truelove was signed to Beatclan Artist Management. Although this was a major milestone in his journey, it was just the beginning…
In 2013 Sapphire Dayclub & Pool in Las Vegas was poised to open with a bang and they set out to find their resident DJ with a nationwide competition. 12,000 submissions, 12 semi-finalists, 3 finalists, only 1 victorious… DJ Truelove was crowned winner of the $100,000 Sapphire Pool Residency!
Being able to read crowds and anticipate what to play next is what sets him apart from many other DJ's. He is fluent in many genres of club music, (EDM, Hip Hop, Top 40 and Old School) and prides himself on playing the right track at the right time. Playing alongside some of the industry’s biggest names, (DJ Hollywood, Soulja Boy, Cee-Lo Green and Kaskade to name a few) DJ Truelove is now making a name for himself with current residencies that include Sapphire Dayclub & Pool & Chateau Nightclub at the Paris Hotel in Las Vegas.
Below is the interview with DJ Truelove
1. How do you define your sound?
Most of my what I play is considered "Open Format" which is when you play all genres of mainstream club music. I learned very early on in my career that it was necessary to be able to play everything so that I could have more chances to get booked in more places. However my passion is with House Music. Deep House, Electro & Progressive. Deep house is what we partied to in the San Francisco Bay Area. (Vocals! Vocals! Vocals!) When we would go out, Kaskade, Mark Farina, Miguel Migs, Donald Glaude, DJ Dan, M3, Dimitri Mykonos & DJ Donovan is who we would like to see. In Electro, I like sounds that are dirty & chunky. Progressive House is all about the soul of a song… when it comes to House Music, it has to move me or else I won’t play it. Just because a song is topping the charts, doesn’t mean I’ll play, but it also doesn’t mean I won’t either. If it’s good, I’ll play it, if not, I won’t… its that’s simple.
2. At what age did you decide that DJing/Producing is what you want to do?
It was the Summer of 1999... I was nineteen years old.
3. What got you into music?
I guess it started with my parents who were always listening to different styles of music. My father was a Jazz Saxophonist who also played guitar and keyboard. I lived with my cousins for about a year who were all into heavy Rock n’ Roll. So with all that, I was exposed to a wide variety of music.
4. How did it all begin?
For me as a DJ, it began when I went to a house party in Oakland, CA. in 1998. There was a DJ and a bunch of kids dancing in ways I’ve never seen before, I thought it was cool and it peeked my curiosity. The catalyst to my life in music is when I went to a “Full Moon” weekend camping party. It was such a great journey that weekend. I was moved by the music, the people, the love, the culture, the unity… it changed my life. That weekend I thought to myself, the person controlling what I and what everyone else is feeling right now is the DJ. He was the maestro of music and emotions. I knew coming out of that weekend what I wanted to do, share that feeling I had through music.
5. Did you always want to be a DJ?
Music was always around me but I did not know being a DJ was going to be my path until I was nineteen.
6. What is the best part of being a DJ?
For me, the best part is when I play music I love for people who love what I play. There is a moment when you start to connect with the people though the music. Instead of dancing aimlessly, they dance towards you. That is the best part of being a DJ. One night not that long ago, I was playing the closing set at a mainstream club in Las Vegas. I felt the people could handle some house music so I tried it and it was working so I stuck with it. There was one lady on the dance floor who could not stop staring at me. I knew the connection was deep. When the club closed and the lights came up, she came up to me and thanked me for what I did that night. She said she used to party but had not been out in a long time, (I assume that meant 6-10 years ago based on her age). She told me what she felt tonight is what she used to feel back then. I knew exactly what she meant. It’s really amazing to be able to connect with people like that. For me, that’s what it’s all about.
7. How do you feel have Electronic Dance Music changed over the years since you started?
That’s a big question. Music, the people who produce it and the people who listen to it are constantly changing. House music is cyclical when it comes to mainstream popularity. As of today, I think it’s bigger than it’s ever been which in my opinion, is good! For my own selfish reasons, if more people want to hear house, the more opportunity I have to play it for them. In turn, I may be able to educate some ‘mainstream’ EDC types to what real House Music is. I know there are a lot of DJ’s and Producers who ‘Poo-Poo’ the EDM term but I think It’s just a way to identify the new branch of house that has been created… the ‘Mainstream’ branch of house. I understand that they wish not to be affiliated with EDM because it will eventually fade away and real House Music will be underground again. The mainstream types will follow whatever the next hot sound is of the month and the real House DJ’s and Producers will continue to do what they have been doing since day one. They don’t follow trends, they set them.
8. What do you think is the key to success in the music industry?
Also a very big question. In my experience, it’s not about talent. Of course you have to have some amount of talent to do the job but it has VERY little to do with the overall “success” of a DJ. I believe it’s more about who you are as a person and who you know that can take you to the next level. If you see a turtle on top of a fence post, you know he had help getting there. “Success” is the same way in any industry, you need help from other people. (I parenthesized Success because we all have different definitions of what success is) Whether it be a mentor taking you under their wing or a team of people you build to achieve a common goal, nothing is done is this world unless you involve other people. That is why I spent years of my life studying the habits, characteristics and different personality types of people. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do when I was growing up but I knew one thing for sure, it would involve other people.
9. What do you still wish to achieve?
Reaching more people with my music is always the goal. Whether that be through music production or DJ’ing bigger venues.
10. Do you have any tips you'd like to share with young upcoming DJs and producers out there?
Yes, re-read this interview. There are nuggets here that I do not share with many. Some will get it and some won't. Invest in people and they will invest in you.
You can follow DJ true love through:
Website: www.djtruelove.com
Beat Clan: www.beatclan.com/truelove.html
Facebook: www.facebook.com/DJTruelov3
Twitter: www.twitter.com/DJTruelove
Reverbnation: www.reverbnation.com/djtruelove
Youtube: www.youtube.com/DJTruelov3
Soundcloud: www.soundcloud.com/djtruelove
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