San Francisco DJ/Producer Julius Papp doesn’t need much introduction in most house music circles.
His discography, spanning across classic labels like Nervous Records, Kenny Dope’s Dope Wax, King Street and OM Records (amongst many others) remains highly sought after.
Julius’ new album, "Music Is The Key" is unveiled and, like his previous album (Open Mind), showcases an eclectic and exciting collection of musical moods. “Suite Sceneries” travels through a medley of sound sketches; the slow-it-down tempo of “Calling My Name,” exudes a lazy, dubbed out atmosphere; Nu Disco fans will enjoy the deep, groove based textures of “Boogie Buffet” while “Miracle,” features renowned vocalist Lisa Shaw nestled into a soulful house gem with acoustic guitar that warms the song into a
feel-good ride.
“Celestial Voyage,” is a romantic, guitar-led foray that dives head first into the deep house continuum; the east coast-meets-west coast excursion of “Believe,” features D.C. vocalist Deborah Bond and Deep Culture’s Myles Bigelow and Luis Machuca on live percussion and instrumentation.
Jazz articulates on “Morning Finale,” a sax driven, broken beat expedition;
DJ Smash remixes Lisa Shaw’s performance on “Way Back,” (from Julius’ last album), which is given new life, as he takes you to Chicago via Brooklyn with a Mr. Fingers (Larry Heard) influenced interpretation.
NYC’s Sole Channel maestro - Mr. V, makes an appearance on “Chicago Tribute,” reminiscent of house music’s roots (with a jazz twist) while being entirely relevant today. Mr. V’s vocal riffs clearly reinforce that in both content and cadence.
The percussive, dance-floor attitude of “Never Let You Go,” providing that
peak-time energy boost while the title track “Music Is The Key,” completes the album rewinding itself to an 80’s block party.

Enjoy the ride!