Hailing from the land of Tulips, Justin Prime, also known as Justin Putuhena, has made his way from Huizen, Netherlands to hoping along different continents doing what he loves the most. Before all the lights and sounds, Justin was a young pianist, finding his way towards music. He first fell in love with DJing because of a friend who decided it would be a great idea to rent out some CDJ’s and a mixer.
“Actually my best friend inspired me to become a DJ at the age of 14, that's 14 years ago. This one time I came over to his house and he rented a set of Pioneer CDJ's and mixer. I looked at the gear and asked him what it was and what you can do with it. He showed me and asked me to try it out myself. I was instantly hooked! From that moment on I knew I wanted to become a international DJ and I never gave up.”
At the age of 15, Justin made DJing and producing his primary focus. Landing his first gig in front of 50 to 80 people. A small crowd compared to the crowds he does now, but he still describes himself as “sh*tting my pants” at the moment.”
It is pretty incredible how many talented artists have come from the Netherlands. I was wondering what Justin thought about it. Was there a hidden Dutch Dj club that we don't know about? How does it affect the sounds that comes out of the Netherlands? Here’s what he has to say
“If you're a musician, background no longer exists. Music unites and brings people together. I can get along with every person or fellow producer/DJ.. no matter what background they have. But to explain the success of the Dutch DJ's: Yeah it's funny to see that a lot of Dutch artists are doing so great nowadays on the international market. The Dutch have always been pioneers when it comes to house music. It's in our roots and we grew up with it. And like I always say, It's probably something that's in our beer.”
I’m pretty sure he’s right about the beer. So aspiring DJs, it’s time to book a ticket to the Netherlands and hit up some beer.
Now, back to the music, I was wondering how Justin viewed his growth from his first single in 2011, “secrets’, compared to his more recent work, “striker”.
“It's always good to look back at your old work and see where you come from and where you stand now. I have changed and developed a lot since my first release. For example when I first released ‘Secrets' I could have never imagined 2 years later I would receive multi golden records and platinum, traveling all around the world and hitting the charts. So much has happened for me the last 2 years and I'm enjoying every minute of it.”
What inspired his new single you ask?
“Actually the inspiration came from the fact that I was a little bit tired of all that banging stuff.. I had a feeling that I didn't want to use a hard kick for ‘Striker' after my track last track ‘Thunderbolt', and so I decided to bring that old feeling back that I used to love about edm, adding a more rhythmic drum pattern with a doubled bassline did the trick. Also I wanted to try something new which I haven't done before, so I added a little hiphop break after the first drop before it hits the 2th break. And of course you can recognize that little bleep sound which I used when I made Cannonball. Yeah, I kinda sneaked that one in very subtle haha :-)”
In the midst of traveling, performing, producing, and just being all around charming, Justin also makes time to stay connected with his fans through his radio show, “Limitless Radio”.
“I always wanted to start my own radio show, it took a while but I wanted to have everything set up correctly first. It helps me to stay close to my followers and give them something extra. I want them to enjoy my monthly selection of fresh exclusive material, whether they are listening at home, in the car or working out in the gym. I'm also trying to help out new talent by giving them the opportunity to present their own material in my show.”
Justin shows a genuine belief in giving back and helping other inspiring artist. A characteristic that s
Justin shows a genuine belief in giving back and helping other inspiring artist. A characteristic that shows that he is in it to enrich the music community as a whole instead of focusing solely on individual popularity.
Currently, Justin is focusing on creating new music. When asked who he would like to work with if he has the opportunity he mentioned David Guetta and Calvin Harris. Maybe if we’re lucky they will all unite their respective musical powers to create something unexpected.
There you have it, Justin Prime in all his glory. A passion filled DJ/producer serving up some energetic tracks. Check out the rest of his music here. Enjoy!
