Jules Beaumont, reputed purveyor of The Fanny Groove, has a uniquely distinctive quality as he performs. With no boundaries hindering his tastes in music, he claims unadulterated and untainted funk as the foundation to which electro, hip hop, dub, tech or even commercial influences can be effortlessly melded. The final result is then upheld and distributed by the sheer weight of his charisma and vibrant personality. The secret to Jules’ success lies in his incredible talent to read a crowd and infuse his own enthusiasm into the atmosphere. Rumoured to be the holder of a rather large wig collection, his positive vibe is easily recognised where ever he is called – and there have been many ports of call for DJ Jules Beaumont.
Having been honoured by Australian Dance Music Award as DJ of the Year in 2000, Jules was immediately thrust into the limelight, performing at Home and M2M at GAS nightclub in Sydney for the succeeding years. However, his distinctively exuberant style was noticed by none other than the Party Isle of Ibiza, where Sundays at Space recruited him for a residency. When prompted as to what was his best memory of the place, Jules replies: “Well that is a rather poignant question as there is a high concentration of extreme behaviour. [However] one of the best would have been a stolen ice cream van with three trannies in it, selling ice cream on a beach as if they were supposed to be there. They were all very wasted and the van got bogged as they drove it into the soft sand. I don’t know how successful they were, because it was a pretty remote beach.”
Jules proved to be a sensation in Ibiza, his performance skills surpassing expectations and earning him accolades from The Face Magazine, UK and culminating in a performance at the closing party of the party season for Space. Jules was determined to spread the Fanny Groove around, playing his funk driven synchronisations at Danzatoria in beautiful Barcelona. In spite of holding residencies at Space and Miss Moneypenny’s in Ibiza between the years of 2000 and 2004 as well as traversing other dance arenas throughout the sunny isles of Western Europe, Jules chose to return to Australia. A Perth boy at heart.
“Sydney is definitely home these days, although I get back to Perth as often as I can to kickback with friends and family”. But really, “Home is where the heart is. While Ibiza and in particular, Space on Sundays was a goal of mine, when I reached those heights and spent three seasons in the hedonistic isle of Ibiza, it was time for me to look at the bigger picture and return home to fulfill other personal ambitions attached to music.” When asked if he had recently been back to the golden shores of Ibiza, Jules answer is prompt and succinct. “Anyone that knows me will tell you I am a loose unit with complex emotional and psychological problems. Ibiza is not the best place for me to be.”
Having garnered attention at Good Vibrations, Gatecrasher and Mobile Home, Jules also enjoys ensuring the Fanny Groove reaches other areas of Australia. He has recently performed interstate at Friction in Canberra, Family Nightclub in Brisbane and Ambasee on the Gold Coast with continued welcomes from Perth’s Ambar. This is in between his performances at Home, The Bourbon, Kink. The Roxy and Chinese Laundry and many other notable Sydney clubs. “I’m not really focused on one or the other. I mainly just try to do my thing wherever I may play.”
And his “thing” is certainly playing, as reports from crowds indicate his performances are always charged with energy, heavy on the bass and beautifully treated with any dance genre Jules may be inclined to employ. Hearsay specifies that Jules waits to absorb the vibe of the crowd before committing himself to the set on the night. When asked how his sound has developed over the decade spanning his career: “Would you still describe your style as funk driven, spanning hip hop, all styles of house and even progressive?”, Jules replies that his music is “Funk driven definitely – that has always been the underlying element.
“Spanning all genres has always been an obvious way of not limiting myself. As for development: I guess with age comes a refining of taste and a strengthening of identity.” Many interviews and articles refer to Jules Beaumont’s rather enviable vinyl collection and when asked if he remains a vinyl purist or whether he was mixing CDs aswell, Jules answer is certainly fitting. “You can’t stop evolution. If you’re not playing CDs these days, whether you like them or not – you are seriously limiting your access to current music. It did take me a while to cotton on, but the downloads are here to stay.”
Always a man for the music, Jules Beaumont will undoubtedly continue to strive for the heady heights of prominence he is anticipated to reach. His music will continue to reach fascinated listeners at his weekly residency at Chinese Laundry as well as many other upcoming notable dance events. “You will be playing Y-Not at UNSydney with Craig Obey – what sort of tunes will you be dishing out on the night?” I can hear the shrug in his words: “I guess that will depend on the crowd.”
Jules Beaumont is a resident at Laundry on Saturday nights in Sydney, and you can also catch him playing at the following events throughout October, November and December:
Fri 28 Oct – Bodytonic, the Burdekin
Sat 29 Oct – Tank
Sat 12 Nov – Home 7th Birthday
Sat 31Dec – Cerrutti’s, Manly
Keep an eye to local guides for Beaumont’s dates in other cities across the country.
