New York Transformer
Which records best capture the soul of New York City? Brooklyn-based producer and DJ Julia Govor takes us on a trip from piano to techno, from her education in Russian classical music to the futurist sounds of her record label Jujuka. “Drive doesn’t come from the predictable. Drive and energy instead come from experiments, mistakes, a constant cycle of learning and accepting. NYC is pure drive. ”
NOUVEAU YORK: Your first New York selection is Philip Glass’ “Metamorphosis” (1988), which reminds me of an anecdote you once told. Right after you moved from Berlin to New York, you saw a pianist perform Philip Glass in Washington Square Park and you had this New York moment, when you connect with the people, the music and the city. You said “NYC has such an amazing energy powered by unpredictability”. What did you mean?
JULIA GOVOR: Unpredictability is a huge part of being an artist: you develop your voice which translates from personal experiences into your music or whatever form of art is your practice. That process and its result might allow you to arrive at a place that is unknown or unexpected. NYC is the same; the city is a mixture of cultures and people, all of whom come from all over for many different reasons. For me this is pure drive! Drive doesn’t come from the predictable. Drive and energy instead come from experiments, mistakes, a constant cycle of learning and accepting.
NY: What does the “Metamorphosis” inspire you? Would you say NYC is a city that transforms people?
JG: Absolutely. NYC makes me sensual—it changed my perspective on wildlife, the importance of nature and instilled me with an appreciation of gardening (I am currently growing bell peppers on my fire escape). It has made me support strangers and respect different cultures and learn to recognize individuals.
“I learned about New York through Patti Smith’s books.”
NY: Your second selection: Patti Smith “People Have The Power”. It was released in1988 but it could have been an anthem for the summer of 2020 in New York with all the protests against the killing of George Floyd and police brutality.
JG: It’s also because I learned about NYC through her books. She is a true icon, a perfect example of New Yorkers who truly inspire me: a big heart paired with a sharp mind.
NY: What was your state of mind early last summer, while we were getting out of a lockdown and protests were happening all over the city?
JG: Initially, I was very angry and frustrated. After marching with thousands of others against police brutality and racial injustice, I experienced a true version of solidarity that showed me the best part of people in NYC. I decided it was my duty to educate myself in order to have a deeper knowledge of these systemic problems and issues, even if it is not my native country. I truly want to be helpful and to take action, which I understand is a commitment, not a one-time action. It’s a practice, not unlike an artistic practice, that means you constantly have to be humble, open, disciplined, aware of mistakes, and ready to set aside your ego to progress.
NY: How did you translate it in your art?
JG: Understanding this mindset is how I decided that instead of only self-releases, my record label Jujuka will start releasing music by other artists. I found incredible people with outstanding and unique musical talent, souls, and experiences. The collaborative creative process and this engagement with others is very powerful and healing.
“I started deejaying when I was 6 years old, back in Abkhazia in the early 90’s.”
NY: Your third pick: Anita Ward “Ring My Bell”. We’re in 1979, at the peak of disco. We’re definitely not into a dark and melancholic mood and it might be a surprising choice coming from you, considering your own music.
JG: It’s definitely not melancholic, but it’s a great song when you need to cheer yourself up! Biking became my favorite part of this summer. I’ve biked more than 600 miles since May: from Fort Green Park to Brighton Beach, from Williamsburg to Jacob Riis… From Bed Stuy to the Metropolitan Museum. The reason I chose Anita’s hit is because it was the song I heard the most often being played by other bikers on the streets –personally, I usually ride listening to The Prodigy! During the pandemic, it’s been so fascinating to see how many people started cycling and some of them are really prepared. So many cyclists love to play “Ring My Bell” and really blast it! Whenever I hear it, I start singing to myself “you can ring my beeeeelll, ring my bell” and other people riding by catch on too, and soon we are all singing the song back to one another.
NY: Your next selection is one track of yours, “Broken Pencil”, which was released on your label last February.
JG: It took me 6 years to be able to finish this track. I started it when we were living in Chinatown, then we moved to Soho – I kept working on it during this period and later some vocals worked their way in when we relocated to East Village. Philip Glass was our neighbor, by the way! When we made our last move to Bed-Stuy, I was finally able to finish it.
NY: Does it have a specific meaning to you?
JG: I started deejaying when I was 6 years old, back in Abkhazia in the early 90’s. I was playing with cassettes and Gillette’s “Short Dick Man” was one of my father’s favorite songs. My father was a fantastic, charming military man, who protected the Black Sea border as a part of the USSR. Looking back, I think my father was a feminist! After the Abkhaz–Georgian conflict, we had to move to the South of Russia, as our military base was relocated to the Sea of Azov. During the move, all our possessions were water damaged in a storm: all our books, tapes, everything. And I promised my father to make a better song than his beloved Gillette cassette... Michael Govor passed away in April 2019 and I decided to sample that same record and made my own version as a tribute to him.
Julia Govor’s New York Classics
NY: Your last choice: Jeff Mills “The Bells”. Jeff Mills is typically associated with his city Detroit, but I believe that record reminds you of the night you opened for Jeff here in New York.
JG: Absolutely correct! That night, I realized that I don’t have to be always entertaining. Instead I can play music I really feel, even if it’s music you can hardly dance to. This can be truly therapeutic and cerebral, and it’s up to me to find a way to present it gently and generously, not forcefully, in a way that people can be part of it. It’s about sharing. That night it felt like I was truly awake for the first time. There is so much room for me to grow as a music producer and DJ. Honestly, I still feel the same.
NY: What’s coming up in the next few months with your label?
JG: We just released our first compilation with 10 amazing artists “Indefinite Uncertainty.” It’s a blend of very progressive, experimental, yet very physical music from Detroit duo Pure Rave, Victoria Mussi from Asuncion, EMIT from Brooklyn, Isabella from Boston, CH40 from Russia, Tygapaw from Jamaica, Gaja the father of Italian tekno (not techno) aka Kraunkmusik, Tolga Baklacıoğlu from Istanbul, Justin Demus from Chicago and Yahoo Yahoo Training School. It brings together so many distinct styles from around the globe, but I think it works beautifully as one release.
NY: What does the future look like?
JG: It’s a very powerful time – life is constantly testing us. Unfortunately, I am just as confused as many others, but I believe that nothing stays the same and life must and will go on. Especially now with a new leadership, I feel more positive than I have in a very long time.
More music by Julia Govor:
Soundcloud | Bandcamp | Instagram
