Feeling the Beat with DJ bjoo
By Denise Tong
In the sweaty circus that is the typical club, the DJ is the ringmaster, controlling the mood and keeping everyone hyped and moving. In Washington, D.C., DJ bjoo—née Barbara Joo—keeps the crowds happy with the fast, deep beats of drum and bass.
Still sometimes referred to as jungle, d&b is considered an underground genre, although its influences can be heard in many popular genres including techno and house. It has inspired Joo like nothing else.
Her immersion into drum and bass began in college when she started listening to her older sister’s albums. After graduation in 2003, she returned to her hometown of D.C. and hung out in the d&b scene. She didn’t consider DJing until a friend introduced her to a pair of turntables, of which she quickly became enamored. After buying her own pair from eBay, she began to hone her skills.
In 2005, Joo became the first female member of 2Tuff, the crew that established the drum and bass scene in D.C. in the 1990s. As the newly christened DJ bjoo, she made her mark later that year when she won first place at the Buzzlife Battle of the DJs—her first battle ever. In March 2006, she released Champion Selection, an album inspired by that performance.
Since joining 2Tuff, Joo has opened for seminal d&b DJs Grooverider and Total Science, performed at the 20th Anniversary Festival of Women’s Film & Media Arts at the National Museum of Women in the Arts, and taken her talents abroad to Argentina and Uruguay.
Aiming to eventually produce her own music, she is also enrolled in a year-long audio engineering certification course at Omega Recording Studios.
Joo discussed with Current Vine the allure of her chosen genre and her recipe for hot beats.
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CV: What about drum and bass inspires you?
BJ: Like most of the things I love, it was an acquired taste. It hit me in the face like wasabi in a sushi roll. But just like wasabi, it was potent and intriguing and kept me coming back for more.
It took me a little while to get used to the fast-tempo polyrhythmic sound, but soon I began to understand why so many people seemed so crazy—and almost cultish—about it. The way that it emphasizes and manipulates the lower end of the musical spectrum evokes an almost primeval and utterly corporeal sensation. It moves you and you can truly feel it. It’s almost as if you’re recalling the faint memory of a primordial heartbeat. It can be that deep.
It’s also an incredibly unique and eclectic sound with ever-changing influences ranging from hip-hop, jazz, techno, dub, reggae, samba…you name it. I think that’s another reason why it’s so appealing to so many people on a global scale.
CV: What do you recommend that people listen to if they want to get into d&b?
BJ: Definitely listen to all the major players like Photek, Grooverider, Goldie, Dilinja, Roni Size, Fabio, Doc Scott, LTJ Bukem, Ed Rush & Optical, Marcus Intalex, Krust, Calibre, DJ Marky, Breakage, Spirit, High Contrast, and Shy Fx.
CV: Which artists/albums are you listening to heavily right now?
BJ: High Contrast’s “Tough Guys Don’t Dance,” Rufige Kru’s “Malice in Wonderland,” Doc Scott’s “End of the Beginning EP,” and any track by Calibre and Marcus Intalex.
CV: You’re taking an audio engineering course and planning to produce your own music; what would your sound be like?
BJ: It’s really exciting to learn about all aspects of sound and music production, and I hope to take what I learn to further expand my creativity. I’m excited to see what kind of sound I can create. I’d like to do something that’s electronically organic, complexly minimal, and insidiously deep.
CV: What’s the best part of what you do?
BJ: The best part about DJing is the unlimited amount of possibilities and creative space you have for experimenting and discovering new ways of expressing yourself. And it can be quite therapeutic; you can enter into an almost meditative, focused state.
DJing is like cooking music. I like mine with a beefy bass line and some chopped up breakbeats thrown in for good measure. Sounds delicious.
Pictured: Album cover, Champion Selection. Design by Chadwick Shao. Image courtesy of Barbara Joo.
