These days it’s truly difficult to find any music and entertainment that can just take you away & make you want to move. With inflation, wars around the world, and the cost of living rising exponentially the past four or so years, we’ve lost all reason to dance… almost. Enter: Julien-K. They understood this assignment and answered the call.

Booming bass, sirens, & three figures draped in black, donned in makeup take over the stage for a set of escape & rebelliousness once encapsulated by the scenes from which this genre was born. The audience, not quite Gen-Z, but as energetic as if they were still in their teens, granting their full attention to the stage, absorbing all of the shaking vibrations flooding from the speakers. Who else can draw such an enthusiastic crowd but Julien-K?

Started in 2003 by Ryan Shuck and Amir Derak, initially as a side project from their founded band, ORGY, Julien-K now operates with Galen Waling on drums. The sound, iconically electronic flavored, gives a sort of “Depeche” reminiscence with a dark hug of “gothic buzz” with songs like “All That Glitters”. Shuck’s strong lead vocals makes one wonder where that voice was in the ORGY days, but glad it’s shining now. Combined with Waling’s hard-popping drums, and Derak’s keys and, well, almost everything else, it’s difficult to not want to sway, clap, and step to bangers such as “Futura (DTA Mix)”, or “Your Tears Mean Nothing” from their new album DRK/MODE.

The new album is the first since their (super based) 2020 album, “Harmonic Disruptor”, that included sweet anti-establishment tunes “Burn the System”, “Stonger Without You”, & “Harmonic Disruptor” among other absolute bangers. Just hearing Shuck scream “Burn the system down” (whether or not they were meant in that manner) gave my little liberty-loving heart the chills one can only get from hearing something so rare these days with a music industry that’s continually shilling for & bowing to the system they claim to be against. But I feel that Shuck really means it judging by his apparent non-leftist leanings. Unfathomably. Based.

Having toured with Priest, a Swedish trio consisting of 2 former members of the band Ghost, and now with Millenial favorite, Powerman 5000, Julien-K is not stopping in their mission to deliver beat therapy to the people. On their Patreon, Julien-K delivers fan service weekly sharing insider info on their music, lyrics, and interacting with the fans around the world. The band members are also quite active on social media as well, with Ryan Shuck even dropping a hint to a fan on Instagram that a collab with Priest was in the future. (I’m super stoked!)

Be sure to catch Julien-K on tour with Powerman 5000. Check your local concert listings or julienk.com for tour dates and tickets.