Julio Bashmore

Julio Bashmore is the performance name of Mathew Walker, an English house producer and DJ from Bristol, United Kingdom. Born in 1990, he works across club, dance, electronic and house music, with his releases also associated with house, electronic, UK funky, experimental and UK garage.

Early interests and development

Walker develops an interest in electronic music after hearing Daft Punk’s “Da Funk”, and his early taste is shaped by the hip-hop cassettes and musical preferences of his older brothers. Around the same period, turntables enter the family home through an older sibling, and his early vinyl purchases reflect an interest in the French approach to house associated with Daft Punk and Cassius.

At 14, he begins making music on a battered PC using Reason, which becomes his first instrument. He later experiments with synthesizers and guitars and plays in bands for a short period before deciding that DJing is the main way to present his music.

Career in Bristol and early releases

By the time he is old enough to experience club culture directly, Walker focuses on production and DJing in Bristol. He spends a considerable period refining his mixing and production skills before Claude VonStroke’s Dirtybird label signs an EP’s worth of his material for the Julio Bashmore EP. That release marks his breakthrough and leads him to stay in Bristol rather than leave for university, making production and DJing his main focus.

Sound and labels

His work develops a skewed take on house music that gains attention in 2010. He gravitates towards the bass-heavy sound associated with Dirtybird, and his productions and remixes appear on labels including Night Slugs, Ten Thousand Yen, PTN, Dirtybird, fabric and Soul Motive. These labels reflect the forward-looking direction of his output.

Background

Before concentrating on DJing and production, Walker also plays in bands for a brief period and explores a range of instruments and production tools. His career is rooted in Bristol’s club culture and in the bass-led electronic music that shapes his early approach.