James Juke
By: Dream Chimney
The following interview was conducted on June 20, 2026
When the lights dip and the last kick drum fades, James Juke is the kind of DJ you want to follow into the after-hours. A scholar of house music with a dancer’s intuition, he carries the history of the genre in his back pocket — disco shimmer, jazz swing, soul warmth — yet somehow always lands in the future. Born in San Francisco and now deeply woven into Brooklyn nightlife, Juke moves between the underground and the spotlight with the ease of someone who knows exactly where the magic lives. On his Everyone Back to Mine, he opens the door to the sounds, stories, and rituals that shape his world.
Ata Kak — Bome Nnwom
This track feels like the perfect bridge from the club to the hang, as it will certainly keep the spirits high and the mood elevated. It captures such a raw early house-meets-disco sound that I love.
Solange - Losing You
Sure, we've all probably heard this track dozens of times, but that doesn't take away from how amazing it is. I saw Solange live in Portugal in 2019 as the rain poured down and will remember that forever.
Gene Harris - Losalamitoslatinfunklovesong
I mean, what is there to say. Just listen to this track and tell me it doesn't make you feel like everything is going to be alright. And isn't that what you want to feel after the club?
Donald Byrd - Lansana's Priestess
As you can see from these last two picks, I’ve always loved jazz-fusion/jazz-funk/rare groove or whatever you want to call it. Byrd is one of my all-time favorite artists and this song never fails and raising my spirits and making me feel great.
Slum Village - Climax
SV has been one of my favorite artists for 10-15 years. Hard to pick just one track from them, but Dilla’s magical, yet understated work on Climax gets me vibin’ every time.
D’Angelo - The Line
Continuing the Dilla influenced sound, had to included some D’Angelo. I listen to Voodoo quite often and it always surprises me how much I love this track when it comes on.
Marc Bianco - Everybody’s Broke
Bianco’s 2019 album, Speak Like the Hurricane is one of my favorite projects of the last many years, although it went almost completely under the radar. I love how he blends jazz and electronic influences to create something totally fresh.
LION BABE - Treat Me Like Fire
When I first heard this track in 2013, I immediately loved how timeless it felt, which is no surprise considering it’s an interpolation of Eunice Collin’s 1974 obscure soul classic, At The Hotel. I would’ve never imagined that 10 years later I’d collaborate on and produce 8 tracks with them.
Destroyer - Suicide Demo for Kara Walker
Probably the most random inclusion here, but it’s one of my favorite songs from one of my favorite albums of all time and somehow just works in a variety of contexts. The arrangement is perfect and the melody that comes in at 2:00 is stuck in my head forever.
Joel Ross - Prayer
The track to send us off to bed. No better send off. A hug and warm embrace as you close your eyes.
Check out the latest release from James Juke.