Tanz Talks 004 // Julian Anthony

Next up on the Tanz Talks series is prolific Dutch artist, Julian Anthony. Over the years Julian has carved himself a steady path in his native country and beyond, heavily touring and finding himself comfortably on festival line ups. You may also be familiar with his charming groove from our Holland House EP which landed earlier this year, where he features alongside fellow Dutchman, Mathijs Smit.

His versatile sound sees him pocket himself with a wide spectrum of promoters across a multitude of genres and vibes, and this pays homage to his work ethic but also his warm energy as a person. We touch on many topics throughout the interview, the highs and lows of touring, the importance of collaboration and much more. 

Let’s warm things up with the quick fire round…

Top podcast recommendation?

Music wise i've been listening a lot to this Dekmantel set from Paquita Gordon. She’s definitely one of my favorite DJs I've discovered in the last few years.

https://on.soundcloud.com/XV3GfjJb1qlm6MNDrQ

One of my favourite podcasts non music wise is this podcast from Andrew Huberman with Rick Rubin talking about creativity and how to access it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycOBZZeVeAc

Go to dish when treating your partner?

Chicken Katsu Curry with steamed rice and Bimi is something that always hits the spot.

⁠Favourite film?

Interstellar

Favourite band/artist you have ever seen? And where?

N.E.R.D at Paradiso in 2010. They've been one of my favorite bands of all time and this was a massive highlight to see them live in my home Country. 

One thing you would change about club culture?

Less judging. Live and let live. Let people on the dancefloor have a good time in a safe environment, Let artists and creatives play the tunes they wanna play and do what they have to, to create a beautiful and memorable experience for everyone. Also less phones on the dancefloor helps a lot.

Now things are rolling, let's get into the juice…

Hi Julian, a big welcome to the Tanz Talks series. How has 2025 been for you? 

Thanks for having me. 2025 has been an amazing year so far. I’ve seen my little girl grow up from a baby to being a 1 year old now and I’ve picked up touring again after a few months hiatus. I’ve got my US work visa now so I’ve had my first stateside tour and went to South America again for the 4th time which I'm very grateful for.

Thanks for coming aboard for the inaugural Holland House EP, it was a pleasure to have you and Mathijs involved. How did this partnership start out? Is there a story behind the track? 

So I met Mathijs a long time ago and we live not too far from each other so it was a natural thing to hang out and see if we could make some music together. We were messing around in his studio for a while and it took us some time to actually find a direction for the track until we found a sample on youtube which basically carries through the whole track (the bell type arpeggiated sound) after that everything flowed and we finished the track quite quickly. The problem was we forgot to save it properly to do a premaster. Not sure how Mathijs has made it work but he did and the rest is history.

Collaboration is at the heart of what we are aiming for with Tanzform, how important do you think it is to work with different artists, labels, and collaborate in general? 

I think collaboration is one of the most important things there is. Sharing, creating and connecting with likeminded people is something that has always been interesting to me and it is what keeps me inspired. Also in my opinion you will need people in your life that will give you valuable insights or to share your ideas with.

Do you have any other collaborations on the go that people might not know about? 

I’ve made a fair few tracks with Joren Edwards which we never really planned on releasing. He’s one of the guys that taught me a lot when it comes to producing and I've got a very natural flow with him when we sit down in the studio. I’ve also sat down in the studio with Bullet tooth who is an amazing producer. His workflow is super quick which is something I struggle with so it was nice to learn and see how he works on his music.

In recent years you have progressively been more and more on the road, which is amazing to witness. Whilst celebrating the good times, what have you found to be some challenges as an artist frequently on the move? 

It’s a blessing to see so much of the world and get to places you would never imagine to do what you love most, but it can also sometimes be very lonely and tough when you don’t have as much sleep as you normally would. You still want to perform to the best of your abilities but sometimes your body or mind just won’t allow it. It’s easy to lose yourself into taking drugs or sedatives to keep up with the pace as well as you’re in an environment where it’s offered all the time. Staying away from that helps me a lot as well and I think it’s something that people in our scene underestimate when it comes to a heavy touring schedule.

As festival season in Europe ends, what is the strangest/funniest moment you have had at a festival throughout the years? 

This year I was playing in Birmingham b2b with Reeshy and there was a guy who was completely out of it (probably super high) and he tried to take my harddrive out of the CDJ a fair few times. It was a weird experience as me and Reeshy told him to go away a few times but he kept coming back. I think he got thrown out of the club eventually.

We would love to hear what else you are working on, and have planned for the year ahead.

Music wise I have just announced an EP coming out on Fuse, and also a very special track which is named after my daughter and it was my first track I've made after she was born. It will be released on a label from an artist that I really admire but you might not directly link to me as an artist. I am touring Australia/Asia in January, and North America in March now I have my visa. 

What is an ideal club environment for you?

A well working setup (Turntables,Mixer etc), great sound in the booth (subs is a must) and on the dance floor an open minded crowd always wins.

Last of all, what’s your hot pick from the Tanzform shop?

https://tanzform.com/products/black-unit-y-tshirt-unisex

As we all need to unite more for sure!

Discover Holland House 001 here: https://tanzform.com/products/holland-house-001-various-friends-ep