Interview With DJ Yup

“Music is an international language.  There aren’t a lot of famous Asian DJs, but it doesn’t really matter about what your skin color is, what your race is; everyone always relates to music.”

Sangyup Jeon began his journey as a hip-hop DJ in Korea.  He made waves quickly and, not long after, you could find him DJing at the hottest clubs in Korea, including Club Circle (resident DJ from 06′-09′), a popular hang out of David Beckham and Paris Hilton.  “I started out in hip-hop, then moved into mashups with electronic music. I fell in love with music and wanted to share that love with everyone.”  Yup performed at some of the biggest festivals throughout Korea including the Yeosu Expo (Korea’s first international fair), Pentaport Rock Festival, Summer Wave Festival – all festivals featuring world class talent like Will.I.Am, Chuckie, and Ludacris.

DJ Yup at Club Volume

Now a veteran with chops to prove it, Sangyup has had the opportunity to explore other styles of DJing and genres of music. Yup is a big believer in casting a wide net.  “We do the underground rave scene, and we do producing.  Then we release that music to Asia, America…the whole world.  A lot of DJs just DJ, and a lot of producers just produce.  We do both.”

If you end up at one of Yup’s shows and are shocked to see an MC on stage, you’re not alone.  “All these kinds of music, trap, house, dubstep…they sound so much the same.  They all have the same kind of beat. Nobody believes that an MC should be in the EDM scene, but we just try to make sure everyone enjoys the music.  Even if it counts for just one person, it’s worth it.”  A decade of performing in Korea and Japan has opened the door for this kind of experimentation and has landed him smack dab in the middle of the Pacific Northwest, one of the fastest-growing Electronic Dance Music markets in the United States.

Sangyup Jeon (DJ Yup)

While his unique style and character have been a breakout success here in the Northwest, Yup says there is still resistance.  “People’s reaction to what we do is always so much different after they see a show than it is before.  I wish that people wouldn’t pre-judge artists for their style or skin color, and just focus on the music.”  The EDM scene certainly has its own fair share of inconsistencies, but Yup’s regular performances at Club Volume, Q Nightclub, and a seemingly endless list of other venues are proof that, in their mission to unite musical stylings and maybe even their fans – the walls are starting to come down.

https://soundcloud.com/djyup/dj-yup-turnt-up-original-mix

https://soundcloud.com/djyup/electro-march-original-mix

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